Topic: The Nintendo Switch Thread

@Magician given how long the game is taking to develop, is likely Metroid Prime 4 could be Switch swan song game and Switch sucessor launch game.

The coolest thing about VR are dinosaurs and don't forget a T-Rex.

@Kermit1

@gcunit I don't think it's helpful to compare this to the Wii / Wii U situation. A lot of the issues there were Nintendo's own doing.

A better comparison IMO would be some of Sony's most successful consoles.

PS5 is pretty much more of the PS4 and is doing well enough so far, despite basically everything on the PS5 being available on the PS4.

Going much further back, PS1 was a runaway success, opening up new avenues in gaming and capturing a new, more mature audience. PS2 mostly just did more of the same (plus DVD player) and was even more of a success.

Conversely, PS3 didn't quite recapture the PS2 audience, but this was largely due to Sony's own failings and strong competition from the Xbox 360.

@Buizel Not saying you don't have a point, but I'm not sure the PlayStation market is directly comparable with the Nintendo market.

@gcunit
I think enough enthusiasts will buy in those first few years to keep it going until the ppl satisfied with Switch decide to upgrade. Basically like what we see with PS.

@gcunit The page has been trucking since this morning so in the interest of not derailing I will say I expected a lot of things to be different. Technical proficiency of dev teams , universal system buy in of publishers, more sophisticated game mechanics to be universal/more widely adopted (goes back to the first), more genre entries instead of a few top contenders, better load times in games, more female characters as leads without the use of a character creator or male option, more fantastical worlds (overall), inspiration from more cultures and peoples, better written stories for games that rely on that. I'd also hoped that "gamers" in my age group would mature, but that doesn't seem to be the case (I don't blame gaming for that however). When I was younger, gaming had the same possibilities of books...that has faded for the realistic limitations of gaming and the acceptance that while I enjoy the hobby I'm not its intended demographic and I need to look elsewhere for satisfaction (hence I'm reading way more now). If I had the time I'd start making games myself (and it is something to think about later on) but for now I'm just going draw down my focus. I'm not saying gaming is bad...otherwise I would not have sunk so much time and money into it but I'm finding that games where I really feel connected, love this hobby are wider and wider apart. Gaming reminds me of why I stopped reading comic books for a long time.

On Topic: Marketing is going to be key for Nintendo with the successor. People get mad at sony (moral standpoint) for their marketing strategy of wanting to make people think they "need" their next console, but it works. Rule of cool rather than practicality sells PS5s right now (that will change as exclusives come but for the most part you can play most of the big games on a PS4 or PC), I for instance only bought mine because I could get it at normal price, and Nintendo needs to push for that type of perception.

games are indeed expensive, here in Brazil i have to pay R$350($67.89) up to R$ 500($96.97) in games here in Brazil, specially physical media for Switch games, R$300($58.18) if you buy digital games in the brazilian eShop.

@Ryu_Niiyama Thanks for answering my question, I appreciate it, and certainly get where you're coming from in at least some of those respects, particularly the female characters thing, the relative lack of sophistication in mechanics, and general diversity (not that there isn't some decent diversity out there, but gaming seems to follow movies too much in the way the bigger industry players tend to homogenise).

One of my favourite things about the internet is that it's enabled me to broaden my horizons and take inspiration from people different to me that I would otherwise be unlikely to get to know. You're one of those people, and while I suspect the feeling isn't entirely mutual, I value your input and ideas, so I'm interested to find out what kind of books have been floating your boat in the space not filled by games.

@gcunit I think you may be right about the appeal of Switch 2. The idea of Nintendo releasing a new console that's just the Switch again, but more powerful, does nothing for me. I'd inevitably end up getting one for the exclusive Marios and Zeldas but I wouldn't be in any hurry to upgrade, and if I feel that way despite being a big Nintendo fan I imagine millions of casual players would probably be perfectly happy to stick with the Switch they already have.

But hopefully Nintendo has some kind of new innovation up their sleeves that will make the console more interesting. I've thought the same about VR; the Switch's form factor would be perfect for affordable VR if it just had a better resolution. I can't really imagine Nintendo going all-in on that idea and making it the main selling point though, but we'll see.

@Rambler interesting analogy. Music’s big changes weren’t just due to creative direction changing but due to greater label control over the “product” (not as efficient as the idol industry in Japan… I say this with a straight face as a Perfume fan, granted they fought for and gained a lot of control over their sound) and chasing trends. I personally feel that mirrors a lot of gaming’s growth except it happened in stops and spurts. Rather than a smoother pivot. But yeah gaming seemed to be (to me) like it would have been more, in so many ways it’s the same mainstream string pulling. Some of that I get from a business perspective and honestly the money I don’t spend on games I spend on stock for game companies so that I get a benefit (sadly I didn’t buy during the wiiu years or I’d be retiring by now lol). But I can’t tell yet if I expected too much or if gaming has the same strangulation of ideas that most mediums have.

@gcunit hmm I am not sure how to respond to the last part of your comment as I can’t tell if I have done something that makes you think I have an issue with you or not. So I will give my basic response. In general I enjoy discussion, but not emotionally charged exchanges (I find them illogical with the potential to cause great harm…if it helps to illuminate, I am an INTJ female) , I respect everyone’s right to their opinion but I don’t feel obligated to ingest it or debate it (different from discussion) as I am here because I love games and NL just isn’t a good format for nuance. Plus some people have crap opinions (I am certain someone feels the same about me) and I do feel you should be mindful of what you ingest and that includes the thoughts of others. I’m also super busy so I tend to miss responses. And I try not to text wall because I can get into the weeds of a discussion if I enjoy it. I’m easy to gauge; if I haven’t blocked or ignored you then I don’t mind discussions or your general comments/personality (except those upchuck gifs you posted earlier. My stomach did not approve. I can’t even go back to that article now). But I don’t entertain people that I find harmful, condescending, exceedingly juvenile or extremists (including unhinged folks) as my first goal is protecting my peace, not being everyone’s friend (and doxxing/crazy people happen). One does not have to take abuse to be tolerant. And since this is a gaming site first and foremost I don’t feel I have to. TLDR: I don’t have an issue with you.

Book wise a lot of philosophy and American civil rights accounts right now, tech and science books (always) and a few lesbian fantasy and romance books. Also rereading Moby Dick as it is one of my favorites.

I'm gonna stop posting in this thread for now, I'm not getting any new games for Switch anytime soon and I just don't feel motivated to talk about new games or hardware.

If Sony and MS can get away with the "same console, just more powerful" for the last 20+ years, so can Nintendo.

The only reason it didn't work for them before is they had too many mishaps and their systems weren't appealing at large

They've finally found a format everyone loves. They've found their place in the market. At this point all that experimentation and throwing everything at the wall to see what sticks should be a thing of the past. It was exciting for us loyalists but at the price of not really getting a fantastic system that often. Now that they've nailed the system, all they need to do is follow the blueprint every other console maker does.

Some ppl won't be into the whole, "just more power" thing, but most ppl will be. It's what everyone wants. How many articles and reddit posts have you seen over the last 6 years hoping for some new radical concept? Now. How many have you seen hoping for a more powerful Switch?

I rest my case

@JaxonH They have to be careful. They have built up their business on their own terms and not letting the tail (third parties) wag the dog. If they do create a more powerful Switch, it needs to be on their terms, because they have new game ideas for it...not for third parties' sake.

wooo, Sifu is gonna be good y'all. Very meaty combat.

@JaxonH Iteration will do wonders to an extent I think. Nintendo has to find that line where iteration doesn't promote confusion (WiiU) but still has innovation (Gamepad, HD rumble, Touch screens) as Nintendo will most likely not make a box that matches Sony and MS, so they can't lean on parity. Not saying that they can't do it. The top two selling consoles of all time are Nintendo handhelds for a reason, but it is a fine line they have to walk. They have to keep customer engagement and momentum as well as court devs many of which still either put Nintendo as secondary or snub. I'm not sure what that magical formula is though.

You can count on me for some upcoming Switch games information I got from play-asia.

@Anti-Matter I'll count on you then.

Some upcoming Switch games according to play-asia.

@GrailUK
I think they can walk the line @Ryu_Niiyama mentioned by appeasing both. Nintendo can do great on their own, but with 3rd parties they're an unstoppable beast.

All 3rd parties want is enough power to run their games properly.

All Nintendo needs to do is make a new system that players are excited for, and for which 3rd parties can easily port their games. Doesn't need to be a portable PS5 at $750, it just needs to be a portable PS4 at $399, with a Switch 2 Lite to follow a couple yrs later at $299 (rising costs and inflation, as well as competing systems at $550, will justify the somewhat higher price)

We've already got info about the new Switch chip. They're sticking with the hybrid format (as they should).

@Anti-Matter Oh, any info on that 'Think' game? I recently played a table top game called Zendo (I think) where you have to build structures according to a certain rule and players take turns to build something and guess the rule. Very clever game.