Topic: The Nintendo Switch Thread

@EaglyTheKawaiiShika Bandai Namco don’t do the Warriors games.

@JaxonH When you said you were hanging up the hat, I wondered if that meant you were stepping away from the hobby altogether, which would've been pretty weird for a dude as passionate about the hobby as you are.

But yeah, that makes sense. Can't just keep growing the collection endlessly, right?

I've pretty much stepped away from special editions and double dipping after SMT V. Aside from giving in to temptation during sales, I pretty much only buy the important games now. It's still far more than enough to keep me continuously entertained.

@EaglyTheKawaiiShika I always forget the company name. I’m just racking my brains around what a 3D game could be between Bandai Namco and Nintendo. It’s obvious it’s an exclusive if Nintendo are helping and that makes me wonder if it’s a Nintendo IP.

I stopped with special editions after Metroid Dread, was going to get XC3 and Bayonetta 3 special editions but the My Nintendo Store exclusive mess with XC3 made me decide to get neither. Now I'll only get special editions if they come with music but there has to be either a CD or a digital format (e.g. download code, usb stick). Vinyl only is a no go as vinyl is such an inconvenient music format.

For figures, I stopped buying amiibo in the early Switch era though I'm considering returning to buying amiibo with a few like Sephiroth.

@EaglyTheKawaiiShika According to the website the Tweet links “ Whatever the project turns out to be it will a 3D action game presumably based on a key Nintendo series” I didn’t see that initially. I kinda skim read.

@Grumblevolcano I didn't buy amiibo for a long time, but just recently, I was able to score the Zelda loftwing and Metroid Dread amiibo for significant discounts, so it seemed like a waste not to grab them.

I also plan on picking up Pyra & Mythra when their set becomes available. I still really like Xenoblade Chronicles 2.

Otherwise, I don't foresee myself buying any more amiibo going forward.

The problem with asking people for what the "hook" of Nintendo's next hardware release will be is that it fundamentally misunderstands what Nintendo does. Nintendo doesn't chase gimmicks. Nintendo experiments with tech as game developers and has the ability to roll those into their hardware. So the question should be, what technology has become cheaper over the last 5 years and/or what are the current trends in the market

With the N64 the "new thing" was the analogue stick which, really, wasn't "new". It just made sense to include it as standard with the inevitable transition to 3D. They also decided to sleep on optical media due to initial cost and longer load times, that was a misstep. The Gamecube didn't have anything, it was going to have 3D but the tech wasn't there yet. With the Wii Bluetooth was suddenly a thing which meant controllers could be fully wireless from day 1. And if the controller is wireless, well, why not allow people to move it?

The DS released in a pre-iPhone post-PDA world. Touch screens were an interesting but already pretty well established thing on portable devices. The second screen was so your hand wasn't in the way of the action. The 3DS? Well they've been wanting to do 3D since the GC and it was suddenly at a point where it was cheap enough to do. The Wii U? Well, the Wii U was a product of its time, in some ways it was right on the money and in others ways it was too early to market

When I look at the Switch? The core hook of the device is actually pretty mundane. Really, the reason it exists is because Nintendo thought it'd be more efficient to have a single platform. I'm sure this has been something they've been wanting to do for ages. It's just we got to the point where portable hardware was good enough that it became viable

And when I look at what's next? When I look at the current technology landscape and what the next thing you might want to include. What I see is DLSS, VRR, HDR. I see OLED screens and HDMI 2.1. I think these things are almost a given. But I also see improved image processing and more precise motion tracking. I see significantly improved wireless video streaming in terms of both bandwidth and compression. I see the cost of storage dropping rapidly while at the same time the cost of high end graphics going through the roof

So if you ask me what I think Nintendo's next "hook" will be? I think it'll be the Switch again but with more horsepower. I don't see them jumping back on the "screen in the controller" bit although they certainly could now. I also don't see them going all Kinect on us although they certainly could. I think the "hook" will be that it'll be a big jump from the Switch but also a relatively modestly priced, low power draw piece of hardware that you don't have to buy an entirely new library of games for

And I think with the global economy probably heading towards a recession if not a depression? That's probably the best play to make. No frills, just an easy sell that doesn't break the bank. Make the "hook" will be that budget conscious parents can dig into the bargain bin, pull out Super Mario Odyssey and have it still be a relatively "modern" experience for someone in 2026. Now that doesn't make for a sexy headline or a clickbaity youtube video, but it's probably a more enticing product than anything suggested in that video you posted

@JaxonH I know right. My old boss was a weird one. He wasn’t a gamer (like at all) but he’d been a manager for a decade plus when I met him so he had tons of exclusive merch just from conferences or givaways. I’m sure if he hasn’t unloaded it all by now that he is sitting on a mint.

Serious respect that you are hanging up the collection hat. But I agree with you myself. I’m digging into grad school and my career is taking off so I vowed this is gonna be my last gen owning every system under the sun. Moving has made me way less inclined to buy more merchandise (after the BOTW statues are done) and I think I too am packing it in. Obviously I will still get whatever Nintendo churns out but I’m focusing on draining the backlog (and closing any holes in my retro catalog /repairing retro systems). The ps5 and series x will carry me until I upgrade my PC but honestly I want to travel and explore the area I live in (not a native) and invest in my hobbies. While I’m still saving, I have given up on a house and will focus on my stock market and 401K gains. My parents are both in their 70’s now so I won’t have too much longer until they need my help. I completely expect my siblings to be useless. And of course I have my own medical history to consider meaning I will need to build a nice nest egg.

@Ryu_Niiyama
Probably worth adding that the expense of the hobby does depend a bit on where you live. If you adjust for median income and cost of living etc, etc things like consoles and games effectively cost about half as much in Australia compared to the US. Which is because in a raw exchange rate sense the median income in Australia is a fair bit higher, the cost of living more than makes up for that gap but we're more or less paying US prices for tech

But yeah, I'm also trying to stop collecting stuff for the sake of collecting stuff. I did have a period where I was super into all of the gaming nick-nacks but I eventually came to the realisation they're just dust collectors. Same with physical copies of games, there's really no need for it and it just creates more clutter. Though... the actual cost of it? Doesn't really bother me. Just the clutter

I can justify to myself having a bookshelf for Vinyl and CDs. I can justify keeping old consoles in a box on a shelf. I can justify having a cupboard full of cables and tech bits and pieces I may use. I can even find space on the wall for framed gaming/movie/music posters. But I can't bring myself to buy figurines, shelf pieces, plushies and whatnot. Complete waste of space

@skywake for me it’s more time expense. Which is why I didn’t mention finances. For my age and demographic (martial status, race, sex) I am doing better than average. I’m not wealthy especially since I am still paying back student loan debt and finishing my education out of pocket, but if I wanted to I could spend much more on games than I already do. And I certainly spend more money annually on other interests (my hobbies are in my profile)...or on Sailor Moon merchandise.

But I have neither the time to game nor the overall interest (as in I don’t wanna spend all my free time gaming anymore). Gaming is nice and I certainly appreciate the strides in representation that it has made, but some mindsets are still stuck in the past (for some games that is fine…main reason I mostly love Dragon Quest) and to be honest some current mindsets annoy me (open world feels so lifeless in many games) but I find that I bounce off more games than I enjoy. I won’t say that I am outgrowing the hobby but it isn’t as engaging anymore even with my very wide genre interests. I have other things I can do with that time. Conferences, certifications, other hobbies, training, travel.

I also have a persistent health condition that will make gaming impossible in the future and like I said elderly parents so I want to be more fiscally responsible. That still has less to do with overall cost so much as knowing I would be better served in the long run putting my time and money elsewhere.

@skywake i have to respectully disagree with you, the Switch sucessor is not gonna be simply a Switch 2(Nintendo dont work like that, the Switch sucessor is gonna feature a completely new concept/inovation no one expected like the hybrid concept of Switch, not more power on it sucessor, in 2024/2025 we shall see who is right about the Switch sucessor you or me)

@Giancarlothomaz I do not think it will be like that. Let me picture you a line of Nintendo handhelds and their innovations:

Gameboy (monochrome) > Gameboy Color (color) > GBA (color but more powerful) > DS (same but 2 screens one of them Touch) > 3DS (same but added "3D" effect)

So what will be be on the Switch? A Switch that is a hybrid between gaming console, oven and air conditioner?

As you can see Nintendo's biggest "innovations" are either NOT used like the 3DS 3D effect (many games were just not using it) or flawed like forcing the touch screen of the DS is some games and ALL other were using it for inventory/map screen. The other consoles innovation was ... the portability.

Also Nintendo's innovation = gimmicks.

I prefer to have the same form factor but more powerful + keeping the physical media!

@FragRed the next Super Smash Bros game on Switch sucessor?

@Giancarlothomaz
As I said, people misunderstand what Nintendo does. They look at Nintendo's hardware at a superficial level and think "Nintendo always has some hook" but ignore the why and the when.

The Gameboy was the way it was because Nintendo put battery life above everything else for what was a portable device. The N64 was going to be a 3D console so adding an analogue stick, which already existed, made sense. The DS came about when PDAs were bubbling under the surface. The Wii released with Bluetooth being a thing which meant wireless controllers from day 1 unlike the GC. And the Wii U released when LCDs were getting cheaper, WiFi was getting faster and video compression was getting better

Then there's the Switch which was blindingly obvious. Nintendo literally came out in 2015 and said they were merging their portable and home console divisions. This being after they struggled to get a library of HD content out for Wii U while simultaneously supporting increasingly complex portable games on 3DS. NX was always going to be one platform, the only surprise to me was that it was also one piece of hardware. And even that you could've seen coming

So yeah, when people talk about what the next hook will be? I ignore that BS, it's meaningless. The question should be where are we at now, what tech is cheap and impactful and where can Nintendo expand their audience. And what I see is a PS5 getting price hikes, Nvidia's 4090 being like 500W/$3500AU and a looming economic downturn. I see OLED screens getting cheaper and new TVs all having VRR at upto 4K 120Hz. I see VR existing and already carving out its own niche and I see Valve carving out some space in the "value high end portable" space the Switch used to own

And I think...... the Switch is more or less the product Nintendo needs already. Its only weakness is that it has lost a bit of its value. Really, what Nintendo needs is a Switch that has HDMI 2.1 with all those shiny things that can hold its own against the Steam Deck. But with strong backwards and ideally forwards compatibility to leverage the existing library of content. That's where we are at now, simple as that

@skywake so what could be the next hook for Switch sucessor? it cant simply be a Switch 2, Wii was know for it motion controls, the only evolution i could imagine Nintendo could tackle is AR/VR

One of the more interesting ideas I've heard kicked around is Nintendo introducing a dock with a built-in projector. Who needs a television as long you have a 4x4 empty space on your wall?

@Magician Not sure what the point of that would be, since you'd still need a power outlet for the dock, which would limit the projector to... spaces where you already likely to have a TV or monitor in the first place. And that would drive up costs for not much benefit to the consumer, meaning people pay more than the system is worth, and Nintendo's profit margins are reduced.

@Ralizah Sure.

Not that the projector dock would be packaged with the Switch, rather just as a premium alternative.

Is there a way I can transfer funds from one switch profile to the other?

@Magician I mean, you could just plug the dock into a normal projector at that point, right?

The thing with Nintendo's hardware design is that it's very cohesive. Whatever they opt for next, it'll have an impact on the entire experience with the console.