Topic: The Nintendo Switch Thread

Because they need it to have the same name as the main console but the name happens to no longer make sense.

Lol it's like when they stupidly called an art movement "modernism", but then time passed and it was no longer modern.

At the end of the day Nintendo does what Nintendo wants.

I agree the ability to dock would have increased value, however, let's put this into perspective.

The 3DS XL sold for $200. And that thing had a 240p screen, 30 second loading times to do anything like eShop or Miiverse, and games couldn't even match GameCube level graphics.

The LiteSwitch, on the other hand, is the exact same price and offers waaaaay more power for the price. Even compared to Vita, its offering way more power for a lower price, and with standard microSD cards (and way better games, more of them, and a truckload of other advantages too numerous to list).

If 3DS can sell 75 million units at the same price point (granted, prices dropped at the end of the gen but same will happen for Switch) just imagine how LiteSwitch will do. It's just way more bang for your buck than a 3DS ever was.

Current gen console-quality games on an HD handheld with a full button set and clickable analogs and gyro, instant and snappy UI with the absolute best games on the market without being scaled down to cheap handheld-grade games with chibi faces... is a lot of value for a $199 handheld, whether it docks or not. 3DS and Vita didnt dock and managed just fine at $200-250 (well, 3DS did, Vita didn't, but that had nothing to do with price). LiteSwitch vs New 3DS XL just highlights how much more you're getting for your money.

I just thought of a better name for clarity: The Switch That Doesn't Actually Switch But Does Play Switch Games

Has a nice ring to it

"Nintendo Switch" is just the brand name at this point, and I don't know to what the degree the public even consciously connects it to the hybrid functionality. Not including the word "Switch" in the name would confuse the hell out of normal people.

My biggest worry about this is that it will disincentivize them from making the more graphically advanced and large scale games like BotW and Xenoblade 2.

If the Lite is really successful, it will push them more in the direction of handheld-targeting games.

For example, they did comment at one point about Mario Galaxy and saying it would never work on a handheld because you need a bigger screen for that style of game.

The SWITCH LITE cannot play 1-2 SWITCH without the purchase of additional hardware.

…

Maybe I'll dream about Orwell tonight lol

Bah, such a disappointing week on the Japanese eShop. I'm eager to see language support for Japanese exclusive physical releases, Dead or School and Oninaki specifically since their releases are next month. Today...nothing, after a third of the "coming soon" section had been refreshed. Perhaps next week then.

And yes, I know Play-Asia has Oninaki listed as multi-language. However, Nin Nin has it listed as Japanese only. So who do I trust? My own eyes, that's who. Japanese eShop confirmation or bust.

Nintendo isn’t gonna stop making certain types of games just because one variant of their hardware doesn’t dock.

There’s nothing to “worry” about here. Let’s not make this out to be more than it is. It’s a cheaper model Switch. That’s it. They’re not going to start changing the games they make or any jazz like that. Switch will be at 40 million units sold when LiteSwitch releases, and judging by their demographic survey only 1/3 of gamers play purely in handheld. Yet even if 50% of sales went to the lite, the original model is still going to continue growing at the same exact rate. By the time 10 mil LiteSwitches are on the market, 50+ million normal models will be in consumer hands. They’re not going to change their design philosophy against 50 mil (and still growing) people. When comments were made about Mario Galaxy, their idea of a handheld was a 4 inch 240p screen. Things have changed. Not everything has to have some deeper meaning or consequence. It’s just a cheaper Switch.

@Magician
Oninaki is confirmed to have English.

Thinking about it now, I think we're better off just sharing a Switch. It would be nice to have it separately, I just think it'll probably not be worth the money. Eh.

I don’t think the Switch Pro will be dock mode only, (for Nintendo at least) the handheld market is always more successful for them, than their dedicated consoles of that respective generation.

I reckon the Lite will get a typical rush of early sales, topped up by Pokémon and Animal Crossing releasing, and then the sales will stall, resulting in a price cut by June 2020. $200 is too close to the Switch price, and you're not getting detachable controllers, a dock, an option to dock, LABO support, integrated HD Rumble. And the Lite is not even much more portable - detach the joy cons from a regular Switch and the tablet is no bigger (maybe even a bit smaller) than the Lite, and detaching the controllers is probably preferable if pocketing anyway.

The Lite will find a market at $200, but not a very sustainable one I reckon.

I think you underestimate the appeal of a $200 handheld, and overestimate the appeal of things like docking and detachable controllers to a person who isnt yet sold on a system that docks and has detachable controllers. And even for people who are sold, they still might not want to spend more than $200.

I know its hard to envision why people would want to get a handheld from the pov of someone who doesnt, but if there's one thing history has shown us, it's that there's a MASSIVE handheld audience out there, and many of them have not bought a Switch yet.

And LABO moved like a million units at most per release. Respectable for sure, but not something thats going to persuade people against getting a handheld who want a handheld. HD Rumble is neat but again, not something thats going to persuade someone to pay $100 more whose primary interest is handheld mode, or whose primary concern is cost.

And that's just the thing. To say LiteSwitch will fall off is to say nobody wants handhelds anymore, and every person on the planet would rather have a hybrid. Its simply not true. I like hybrid, we all like hybrid, but I assure you, there's plenty who would rather pay less and just get a smaller handheld.

And I think it's a little silly to argue against that given the 30 year handheld market and even Nintendo's demographics data showing 1 in 3 Switch owners only play handheld, and that's from biased data given people had no other choice but to buy in at $300 if they only wanted handheld. That percentage will skew higher when people are offered a lower cost choice. I'm quite sure sales will spike at launch and for Pokemon Animal Crossing, but I'm not seeing a permanent price cut until the next revision drops. There's too much demand out there.

I mean sure. We can say Nintendo WONT stop making games for TV Mode because of a new SKU that doesn't feature it.

But they also stopped making games with 3D on the 3DS line when it became clear usage data showed less slider use on 3DS systems and high sales of 2DS systems.

So if a normal Switch sees more handheld use and the Lite predictably sells well...history has a precedent.

I wouldn't count on a price cut before 2021. We will see it cheaper in some stores, and we will see bundles, but the MSRP will be 199 for the foreseeable future.

The tablet part of the standard switch is smaller. The width of the lite is an inch smaller, and the height is half an inch smaller. So it is a bit smaller, but still nowhere near the size and portability of the 3ds. But it isn't an issue, since most people play at home.

But yes, stuff like no labo/Mario party/coop support is why I think it is a bad family/kid version. The handheld is for solitary gamers, not families.

@Knuckles-Fajita Fortunately, there is a difference. 3D probably took resources to implement. A 1080p mode should already exist, assuming the game gets downgraded anyway to get it to run properly. So it wouldn't take a lot of effort to put in a TV mode, considering it kinda exists already anyway with every game developed.

Question.
Who have ever played Dragon Quest Builders 2 (Switch) Japan version ?
I want to know about frame rate progress when there are too many blocks and objects around.
From i watched from Youtube, i saw frame rate dropped from 30 fps to around 20 fps.
Even the PS4 version did struggle too from 60 fps to 30fps.

Oh? Have you seen the Japanese eShop listing with your own eyes? (Usually Nintendo rotates things on and off the upcoming section, so I may have missed an earlier listing.) Or are you basing that fact on gonintendo's report, which is based on nintendoeverything's report, which is based on the Play-Asia listing?

P.S. - I only ask because Play-Asia themselves aren't 100% consistent with their information regarding supported languages.

@Magician
The Play-Asia listings marketed as multi-language with English have never been wrong in my experience. And I've been importing for several years and have several dozen imported Switch titles. When they list a game that has multi-language support and English, its because the developer/publisher submitted a fact sheet with that information. And if its multi-language for the JP version the digital is also, whether it says it is or not. It wouldn't be the first time eShop listings only say JP despite having English support.

I suppose its possible they submitted incorrect info, but given the success rate of Play-Asia listings having correct language info, I feel confident in assuring you that's the case.

I'm not arguing that there's not a large handheld market out there. But I don't think the majority of that market will see a £200 Lite as good enough value.

The evidence to say there's a massive handheld market out there is basically the success of the DS/3DS line. Let's bear in mind that a lot of those sales were casuals swept up by the touch screen and stylus explosion in the noughties before smartphones really kicked in; that the 3DS had a massive price drop within 6 months to $170; that the more expensive 'New 3DS' wasn't a huge success; and that the DS, with it's clamshell and smaller size, was just perfect as a portable.

PS Vita sales don't prove the handheld market is massive.

It was massive. But smartphones and hybrids are competing too strongly for the £200 price in my opinion.