Analysts Weigh In On The Nintendo Switch Debate

Ah...luckily I am not interested with mobile games. Like some people said, smartphone is not for gaming. From the trailer I saw, the Joy Con surprisingly could do like Wiimote even without sensor bar attached. Correct me if I wrong.

They are making a system that supposedly can run mainstream graphically demanding games and allow those games to be portable while still keeping their long time handheld dev partners and they are confused by who this markets to? This is the ultimate blue ocean product. Kids and handheld gamers are covered. Adults and "mature" gamers are covered. This has the potential to be what so may people have been asking for: a mainstream system that plays Nintendo games. Except it is also portable. Also I'm not understanding the comments about swapping out adult gamers for kids...is it because there was no COD shown? I am confused by their confusion.

I know analysts are analysts, and that money people are not in this for the fun. But apparently analysts and investors would only be happy if the Switch was a pure jump to mobile.
If there was a single moment with a child on that commercial people today would be complaining that Nintendo was not focusing on getting out of their perceived demographic.
In the meantime, the only people that matter, the gamers, are loving Switch.
In one year this thing will be outselling the Wii U and all of this analysts will be praising what an amazing move it was.

The message isn't clear yet and Nintendo still have a tonne of information to disclose.

I agree completely that Nintendo will probably not win over many young adults who are not core gamers with Switch. The people who buy in will be families and core gamers who love Nintendo games.

However, there are lots of people who have a PS4 or Xbox One, and also play 3DS. Perhaps Switch will become the other console for that crowd in the future. They will still do most of their gaming on PS4 or Xbox One but have Switch for the big Nintendo exclusives and portable gaming.

My gut feel prediction is that Switch will end up selling in the same ballpark as 3DS (between 60 and 70 million).

According to Neogaf, an allegedly reputable insider (Laura Dale) has stated that the battery life (according to a source at Ubisoft) of the Switch will be Maximum three hours.

If this is the case, this thing will probably not sell well enough. Maybe better than Wii U though.

"Sorry, but is a portable/home console approach really that innovative in 2016? I am most concerned about the target group of the device: who else but die-hard Nintendo fans will buy the Switch? The Switch lacks a killer feature, and I think it will be very difficult for Nintendo to win back the casual gamers that are mostly on mobile now."

Okay quick question can a smartphone play something like Zelda Breath of the Wild? How is the ability to play a full fledged console game anywhere with little to no compromises not a killer feature?

Serkan do you know what didn't struggle in Japan?

3DS. Over 20 million and still selling decently. And now they have third party support and will consolidate their development on one platform.

It's gonna be fine chillax

These guys don't know what they're talking about

"[K]eep it under $300, ideally bundled with a Zelda or Mario Kart."

Yeah, and bundle it with a Leprechaun that pops out of the box and leads you to a pot of gold. Let's be realistic, folks.

Most of the analysis is reasonable, though.

After the Wii U, they don't trust Nintendo to produce a console with more than one defining feature. They saw the video and categorized the Switch under "gaming tablet". I have to admit, I'm skeptical too, but I buy Nintendo systems for the games. Portability may diversify that experience, but for me personally it won't matter much. We just have to trust that by intending to "revolutionize gaming" Nintendo didn't just mean the ability to take their newest console to a park.

I'm amazed at this and perhaps I shouldn't be, but the lack of imagination and vision is alarming.

Nintendo picked the perfect demographic to pitch to and kept the most focussed messaging that I have seen from them in over a decade. This demo is the most critical of Nintendo and yet deep inside really wants them to succeed... but selfishly on their terms, not Nintendo's. This ad is a huge shining billboard that shouts 'See... we're taking you seriously!' And it focuses on a wide variety of play and genres; all in just over 3 minutes.

Most importantly, it's very easy to do the swap mentioned above: if a grow-ass adult can have that much fun with a friend playing Mario Kart in the back seat, you have to lack imagination or be unable to talk to your inner child to not see how that extrapolates out into how much fun a kid would have. The whole thing just screams 'And if these jaded adults can lose themselves to the fun, imagine what families and kids will experience!' The second time I watched that's exactly what I was thinking. And that's one more layer of the trailer. The kid in all of us. The child who grew up playing classic Nintendo franchises that now has their own hipster loft. The child is alive in all of them! As for motion controls being ditched; really?

UBISOFT feels differently...

'Just Dance 2017 will be available on all motion-control gaming platforms, including Nintendo's Wii™, Wii U™ and NX systems'

and there's no way Nintendo would completely cut off a revenue stream (VC Release of Wii and Wii U games) and at the same time tell the world that motion control was a lie and never really a thing.

Same thing regarding touch screens. They went all in and still support touch on 3DS/2DS. You can't say touch isn't included or important to the gaming experience while you try to sell 3DS and 2DS systems. Look at it without the controllers attached: That's a tablet. To not utilize it and not take advantage of that real-estate would be a design and UI/UX fail. And you know the media apps are coming and that Nintendo isn't going to move backwards. What about interacting with the Shop as well? Or some version of the Miiverse?

Do you want to going back to navigating with controllers and entering text without a virtual keypad? I know I don't and I don't think Nintendo is that blind.

And my favorite:

'Sorry, but is a portable/home console approach really that innovative in 2016?'

Really? Wth is wrong with these people? No vision.

This was exactly what Reggie was talking about - Something I wrote earlier elsewhere:

What I think we are seeing here is what Reggie eluded to and that is clear, concise messaging. One of the biggest mistakes made early on with the Wii U was flooding the consumer with pretty much everything that the Wii U could do instead of focusing on it's core value proposition and fun. That coupled with the confusing Wii U moniker made it a hard sell when you had to figure out which of it's features and functions worked for you and where the fun would be found. This trailer does everything right that Nintendo got wrong the first time. So I think we'll be seeing more about touch interface later after the public has played the trailer over and over and absorbed the core messaging. Once everyone is sold on the fun and the core functionality, then you can add the secret sauces.

That's why this appeared bare bones. There are plenty of other functions, uses and bombshells to talk about later. It was important to keep the message simple and focused.

@Pikachupwnage
Agree that the Switch is going to dominate in Japan. It will have Pokémon and Monster Hunter so domination is assured. North America is where will it will struggles to get the attention of young adults who are fixated on Apple and PS4 right now.

I also think there is another market segment that Nintendo could really pick up sales in. That is the market of older core gamers (30s and 40s) who still love to play games but do not have much time to do it at home. I am in that market segment and over the past ten years I have shifted to playing 90% of my games on handhelds (PSP, 3DS, Vita). My brother and some friends are in the same boat. You start having kids and life gets very busy. Thus, you need to cram games in where you can (on the train, lunch breaks at work, in another room while the kids are watching a movie, waiting room at the dance studio etc). That crowd will likely go for the Switch in a big way because they can finally have the best of both worlds. They have the flexibility to fit games into their busy schedule but do not have to settle for much less power to do it. Plus, when the kids are finally in bed they can plop down in front of the TV and continue playing on the big screen.

I think a lot of people need to look at what current tablets and phones can do if they think home console quality on a portable is really that new. The iPhone 7 is more powerful than a Wii U. It will be nice being able to take the exact same game, with your saves between home and on the go, but there's plenty of portable devices out there that have this power.

Unless it was just a straight up Nintendo phone with GooglePlay and a library of mobile games, there was always going to be a sharp decline with the usual cagey investors.

No one will know until a few weeks after its official release. Assuming demographics will act a specific way with a Nintendo product is nonsensical at this point.

It is very annoying that they screw Zelda on WiiU expecting to sell this system with it
I want the map and inventory on the gamepad like on the HD remakes

Finally. IMO, the motion controls were just a one-trick pony with the Wii.

I always tried to play games that supported controllers without the motion thing.

The third party games looks nice. IMO, is the thing that hurt me the most, because Usually I had to resort to play them on a PC I have which barely runs Fallout 4.

In the end, it's all about games and how desirable they will be on this system.

If they packaged it with an enhanced port of splatoon or mario kart 8 that would be a killer app bundle and Wouldn't have the cost implications of developing as say developing a full fledged sequel would. I can also see this having some kind of mobile infastructure going on if it can play pokemon go and mario run then other brands could follow.

@Kellanved I don't think that's likely, tablets running the Tegra K1 have mobile phone like battery life, a couple of days with background tasks, at least 5/6hours on a taxing game. The Tegra X1 which can run the full Unreal 4 engine has the same energy consumption.

If the custom chip inside the Switch is only running 3 hours max, it would have to be a good click more powerful that the PS4. I don't see it having THAT level of performance.

@Flauber Unfortunately many analysts will only look at what can make the most money in the short term and mobile gaming is such a big money spinner today (although equally has risks due to oversaturation and underpricing).

Its not going to be easy for Nintendo but if they play their cards right they can succeed. Yet no matter what tricks and gizmos the console can do, Nintendo have to without fail offer a steady stream of 1st, 2nd and 3rd party titles and must be ready to help 3rd parties that may be struggling development to at least get them up to speed in developing for it.

I thought the video was all about the messaging. It couldn't have been clearer, which is the exact opposite of how the WiiU started.

This will kill off the PSV, and appeal to the hardcore gamers.

They just need to execute now. At first I was thinking switch is more handheld than console... But no longer. It's more console.

Regarding cost... Compared to a PS4 this has no optical drive, and no hard disk. It potentially needs less RAM given it has carts... But it has a screen and complex controllers.

As for killer features: multiplayer gaming on the go with a single unit. That's unique.

I think its ni tendos best move. I dont really see the revolution though. Posiive aspects for me: the console is more powerful than the wii u. There will be just one console in the future that i need to buy. Saves money.

Considering price, I feel Nintendo should mitigate a higher price with some attractive pack-ins. If the Switch is launching with enhanced ports of SSB, MK, and Splatoon, then at least one if them better come with the console, maybe even two. Not only will this make the price far more attractive, I feel it is a fair gesture for diehard Wii U owners who would be inclined to buy these games a second time.

Wow. The Switch isn't gonna be just a kid toy. I for one am very glad to see Nintendo marketing to my age group (or perhaps a little younger than mine lol). After all, we've been there with Nintendo the whole way since the beginning. My generation are the ones dropping serious coin on nostalgic retro gaming consoles, cart collections, etc. The perfect demographic. And home console gaming is quite "innovative in 2016" considering it hasn't ever been done before. Analysts? More like ANALysts.

299 dollar bundle with Mario Kart 8.5 would be amazing to me. Please happen Nintendo. Also, don't these suits realize that young adults ARE Nintendo's main demographic now? Kids are too busy playing on tablets, COD, or Minecraft to care about Nintendo. Plus kids always want what the adults seem to think is cool.

@Wolfgabe
I think the reason why there are so many mobile gamers is not just only the portability, but some people don't like to play complex games like RPG, Zeldas, ACNL, video games with so many attributes to play. And even worse, cheapskater mindset. They will keep playing mobile games as long it is FREE. They are too lazy to spend their money to give contribution for game developers and think Freebies are worthy than any console or portable video games. Also, I noticed some of my students who are really addicted with mobile games, tends to like almost No Brainer games. Well, we can say most of them are crappy mobile games. When I offered with some complex games like ACNL, Fantasy Life, etc, they showed a disinterest attitude maybe because it was too complicated or too lazy to play something like that or too gorgeous until it looks boring for some reasons or still there is a bias about Nintendo stuffs are weirdo. Ironic enough, for my case, most students in my school like Pokemon GO just because it appeared on smartphone and it was FREE also. And they like to talk about which Pokemon is cool or stronger but limited in older generations, not the XY generations and above. But when I talked about a new Pokemon games, Pokemon Sun and Moon, they showed a confusion or lack of enthusiasm, not an excited feeling to getting know about new Pokemons because they think "What the heck is that ? Is that on mobile ?". My feeling said "Duh!". Fortunately, still there are some kids who can grasp some complex games on video games and know some mobile games are crappy. We need to direct some younger kids to grasp some complex games, so their brain can be developed well.

It's clear what the product is, its just hard to tell if the niche is there. I can't see mobile gamers flocking to the Switch when there's not really a reason to. They are probably content with saving the cash and sticking with their phones.

Their biggest chance at expanding their audience are the mainstream console and PC gamers. But that is relient on the games and hoping that people care enough about buying a new system and double-dipping on titles they've already played in exchange for a portable experience.

The message isn't clear? Did they even watch the trailer? The message is the fact that this one machine can be played ANYwhere. At home, on the go, alone or with others. They are giving people options. For once I feel they are hitting their target. Is the niche there? I hope so. I know I am within the target niche. I think the key to selling this thing is to prove to non-believers that you don't HAVE to use it as a portable. A few people I work with and my best friend all said "it looks cool but I don't want a handheld." I'm like, "well it's NOT a handhed if you don't want it to be. You can still use it a home console." Just because an option is avaialble doesn't mean you HAVE to use it and I hope Nintendo drives THAT point home. As for me, Switch is EXACTLY what I wanted and I really couldn't be happier.

@Rocossa that's hopefully where Nintendo's mobile partnership will help. Drawing in new customers with a taste of brands.

@Cathousemaster
Oh, I forgot if Switch using cartridges that means, we can SD card to save data. But how about digital download version ? I think it still Internal memory.

@RyanSilberman True. This will appeal to all age groups as is generally the case with games consoles. I don't think the age of the people in the video shouldn't be a point of focus. This far in, with only a 3 min video, surely only the concept and technology should be the key points of discussion.

This is what I'm worried about summed up rather well:

"The Switch lacks a killer feature, and I think it will be very difficult for Nintendo to win back the casual gamers that are mostly on mobile now."

You cannot win back casual gamers, I don't see how it's even possible.

As someone who is a real gamer, portable gaming lover and occasional gaming YouTuber I think Nintendo has every chance of succeeding with older gamers. I'm 35 and love the 3DS and despite not getting a WiiU never lost faith in Nintendo. It's more the immature adults that never grow out of "I cant have fun because I'm old" mentallity that look down on them.

The message of the teaser trailer is quite clear, it's a console and you can take it with you and share the experience with friends. Something that DOES appeal to all ages.

If Nintendo can grab even 3 big name PS4 or Xbone titles, they should be able to start ridding themselves of the "for kids" label.. something they failed to do with the WiiU by making it so dang hard to develop for.

@Anti-Matter It will likely have internal memory, though I'd be interested to see if it also comes with an SD card. Maybe it'll have 32 GB internal storage but come with a 1TB SD card?

@DanteSolablood I know for a fact that once Bethesda confirms Skyrim on the NS, just uttering the words "Skyrim on the go" will definitely grab the attention of a number of people.

If the current analysts are this bad at analysing just one day of information about the Switch, can I be an analyst? There must be a low barrier of entry.

@Anti-Matter
I suspect the sensor bar is at the top of the screen, hence why it sticks out of the charger base.

I'm just now realizing how amazing this thing is for Nintendo fans, and the implications it sets. Not only are we getting large 3d Mario and Zeldas, but Pokemon, Alpha Dream rpgs, Fire Emblem, animal crossing, EVERYTHING that used to be on BOTH of Nintendo's consoles. Now it's all in one place. And that's the biggest selling point for me, not just the portability, but Nintendo forcing their two divisions together.

@biscuitsandtea A Skyrim track on the new Mario Kart. Predicted here first.

Those are some fairly negative analysts, no wonder the stock went down so much.

Nintneod has been marketing this idea since May w/ it's play on the phrase "there's no place like it" b/c you can play it anywhere.

That said, I'm taking Nintneod on it's word that this was a preview trailer and they haven't started marketing it yet, b/c they haven't. Games sell hardware, and they barely showed any games, just little snippets each of basketball, Mario, Splatoon, Mario Kart, Skyrim, Zelda. This was just an introduction. Nobody learns anything on the first day of university when all the teacher does is take attendance and hand out the syllabus. And Nintendo forgot the syllabus.

So until we get the price, and the games, it's hard to predict anything. Wii U tried to promote to both hardcore - Batman, Mass Effect - and the casuals - Nintneod Land - at launch, and did a horrible job at both. They need to decide what games are going to promote this one - Zelda and Mario and Skyrim as a home console - or some multiplayer stuff as a portable.

And of course we don't know for sure about the touchscreen, so we can't know if this will be game specific like 3DS or will they turn it into a full blown tablet w/ email and app support. Long road ahead. Hopefully Nintendo has a plan.

They're uncomfortable with Nintendo occupying a space inbetween mobile and high-end gaming. But Iwata said they hope to be a bridge between those platforms so it's possibly a pocket of blue ocean inbetween that they can thrive in by pulling an audience in from either side

I am nearly 40 and loved the trailer. My 8 year old loved it too. Both very excited. Given the amount of 3rd party companies involved + 1st party games this system will appeal to all age groups. Remember this is just the first insight into the system. Lots more info to come. Plus its all about the games

@AlexSora89 "I suspect the sensor bar is at the top of the screen, hence why it sticks out of the charger base."

That's a very high tech answer for a low tech solution, how else are you going to get it out when the sides are off?

Look at the hand and the sides, it's a piece of toast in toaster.

The real question isn't why does 1" of the top stick out, but why doesn't the entire screen?

AMD Project Discovery gaming tablet from CES 2014.

http://www.techradar.com/reviews/pc-mac/tablets/amd-project-discovery-tablet-review-1212897/review

@rjejr
Interesting to see, but I didn't really give an answer as much as I was guessing.
Shouldn't you update your avatar, by the way? I mean, yesterday was "the day".

@rjejr Both the XboxOne and PS4 were announced about 6-7 months ahead of launch and apart from a couple of titles all we saw were tech demos.. so Nintendo's 3 minute clip makes perfect sense. The real reason Nintendo's stock went down is that people were excited and didn't get ALL the information.

I think Nintendo has already got all the handheld gamers on their side with the current clip, the real job will be console gamers which are legendarily tough to convince. I think it's possible though, sneaking in a view of Skyrim is a start... but what about a a full XboxOne Game port running full pelt?

Oh.. as for why the full screen not showing out of the base... notice on the Switch Cradle there is a "notch" in the back that is about as thick as the screen? There you are.

@rjejr Wow, you made the Switch into a toaster

Have to agree that not having the screen visible when docked is a little odd and I'd love them to tell us why. Not going to hold my breath on that...

i never understand analyst, they always say "it lacks a killer feature"

Well mr analyst, what exactly is the killer feature of the PS4 and XB1 besides being sold as wanna be PCs with less power than a comparable priced PC ?

I mean, is not that im mad or something, is just that, console gaming as a whole lacks features, yet this that looks quite interesting does not.

@DanteSolablood I'm afraid we'd have to rename Mario Kart to Mario All-Stars Transformed if that were the case

@Sakura @rjejr

You only assume you can't have the screen visible while docked..

Oh, looks like you can "Switch" the stand into viewing mode.

"It lacks a killer feature"
Cause the Xbox One and PS4 totally have a feature where you can play Skyrim on the go. Seriously, do analysts just want a Nintendo Mobile device?! And it's not "innovated"? When was the last time you played a game on a home console and took it out of a dock to play it while you're at a friend's house or just plain playing it on the go?

I have to disagree with the analysts completely. While I am a life long Nintendo fan, I know when Nintendo does something wrong and I will call them out on it. The first complaint about their target demographic being young adults is rather short sighted. The preview showed young adults using the system. This doesn't necessarily mean that young adults are their target demographic. I remember being a kid, and the moment I saw a child who was younger than me using a product in an advert, I was completely put off. If I was saw a young adult using something that I could also use, then I would have thought it was the coolest thing ever and that I really wanted it. The move away from putting kids in the preview was a good move, and a bold one. Nintendo has a reputation for being 'just for kids', when that isn't true. By showing young adults in the preview, it becomes accessible to both youngsters, and adults alike. I feel as though the analyst saw the preview and immediately thought 'well this isn't Nintendo'. Nintendo doing something different is a good thing, because whatever they were doing with the Wii U simply wasn't working.

As for the analyst criticising the Switch for the lack of innovation, I would like him to whip out the portable/home console hybrid that he must have been using for the past 5 years, because I haven't seen one. He also mentioned how it lacks a 'killer feature'. Because of course, playing games designed to be played at home on the go isn't a 'killer feature'. For many people, such as the millions of people praising the console for it, that is the 'killer feature'.

Analysts always come down hard on Nintendo, simply because they do something different. Before the PS4 and XBone released, I recall analysts praising the pair, exclaiming how sensational they will be. Even the PS4 Pro hasn't had analysts breathing down its neck, despite having the smallest demographic. You can quote me on this: the analysts are very, very wrong, and I believe the Switch will sell far better than the Wii U ever did.

@DanteSolablood Holy frioloes man, where did you get that!?!? I've bene staring at that stupid slot wondering what it was for, maybe storage for cords or something, but yeah, that looks like a perfect fit. My NS may be saved. You're my hero. OK, ahem, got a little bit carried away there. You know, I even thought about laying that sucker down b/c I have no place to put it standing up, but the cords always got in my way in my mind. But its all so clear now. Seriously, thank you very much, I mean it. I can move on now, I was so fixated on that.

@AlexSora89 Good point about the avatar, after Halloween I'll come up w/ something for the holidays.

@Portal_King Very good point, remember all those children's cartoons that were good up until they introduced a new child character? Kids don't need to see someone their age to be able to desire something, they just want it to be cool. Adults however like to see something they can share with friends... Nintendo did both.

Looks like most of these analysts would be running companies into the ground in real life.

@DanteSolablood Really? Thanks! That does make more sense.

I need more concrete details on it. I wanna buy it cause I'm tired of the wii u getting its but kicked by the xbox one in my household but not gonna bother if the price isn't right and if the battery life sucks.

Japans fetishism for mobile games is killing the gaming industry...

@AlphaJaguar America's fetishism for "power = better" is killing gaming.

@Kellanved That sort of rumor is probably based on dev kits, not actual retail consoles. There was a mention of the dev kit using cooling to keep the unit from heating up too much. The retail version probably uses a newer, more efficient Tegra processor.

I never quite understood why investor type people are always so concerned with the mobile market. The vast majority of cell phone games are trash, and the good ones are kept afloat, financially, by the rare customer that pumps tons of money in at a time. Most people don't pay for phone games at all. Comparing that to the console and handheld gamers paying 40-60 dollars per game plus occasional DLC, why worry about the mobile market at all. It seems irrelevant to me. There's a lot more money to be made on home consoles and handhelds, especially when those are the same thing on NS. In my opinion anyway.

@DanteSolablood That "put the screen in the back" is not an option... And how does laying the screen flat make you see it? You think you can tip the base/dock forward so the display will be upright again?

Good comeback on the mobile fetish comment, though...

@Sakura Didn't I mention my theory to you yet about that screen being switched off when inserted in the dock? I guess not, so here goes: the screen will be switched off for two reasons: to make the tablet/handheld charge more quickly, since charging with the screen on sort of equates to trying to keep water flowing from a leaking sink...

The second reason is that when the screen is switched off, ALL of the handhelds power can be used to display the game in a higher quality on the TV. I've heard that Laura Kate Dale has already said that the dock does indeed have additional power, so couple that with maximizing the handhelds output and you'll have a considerably improved home experience.

So, probably handheld 720p, home 1080p or up, depending on how much power is added by the device.

@rjejr

If the console is docked and you are playing on the tellie, what use is the screen showing?
Are you supposed to have the dock next to you to touch the screen if you are sat on the floor, or to keep getting up from the sofa to use the touch screen? (If it is a touchscreen?)

I genuinely curious to how having the screen showing would actually work.

It's interesting, with the Wii Nintendo had to reach out from the gaming world to an audience, now they have to reach in

@Sakura I didn't make it into a toaster, Nintendo made it into a toaster.

I see you already thanked that other guy. I'm going to guess that Nintneod doesn't want to highlight the dual screen b/c it would be way too confusing for people. How confusing you ask? Well I'll tell you.

If they show the screen, some people might think it's a Wii U 2, which is bad b/c that bombed. But worse, people might think it's dual screen like Wii U, screen in your hand while it's on the TV as well. But that isn't going to happen, it needs to be docked to be on the tv. And the dock needs to be plugged into the TV w/ a short HDMI cable. So really the screen will be 99% useless b/c it will be about 8'-10' away from most people and too far to see for gaming. So it can't be used for gaming unless you sit 2' from your TV screen. So it's almost useless, but I'm hoping it makes a nice Sony Dash and tells us when our friends are online gaming or when there is a sale.

Do you have your Gamepad set up to receive messages? Ever see those sales screens? Like that, but always on.

Thank you again @DanteSolablood

@ThanosReXXX Yup, I think you'll be able to flip the stand down so the actual screen will be visible. While you are right it would be quicker to charge while the screen is off... Nintendo is known for not overlooking potential additional features. I think we BOTH might be right.

@rjejr "So really the screen will be 99% useless b/c it will be about 8'-10' away from most people and too far to see for gaming. So it can't be used for gaming unless you sit 2' from your TV screen. "

Exactly my point, and I believe I already mentioned this before. Having some info displayed other than a clock on a screen that far away from you is totally useless. F*** Sony for doing that, fine for them, but it's still useless.

Friends going online can also be signaled with a sound or something like that, or a little message balloon popping up on your TV, like Xbox Live has already been doing for over a decade...

@DanteSolaBlood I really don't think it's a viable option. The back will likely contain all sorts of connectors and some cooling if the dock indeed also has it's own computing power, but even without that, there will simply be no place for that.

And there are no rubber feet on the front...

@ThanosReXXX It's already been confirmed in a separate statement that there is no additional computing power in the dock. The HDMI outs are also quite clearly shown on the SIDE of the stand in the clip. Hey, I'm not saying I'm definitely right, but even my original 3DS cradle could be used as a stand.

Lol, the rubber feet it a better point, already thought of that but still doesn't 100% rule it out.

You could get some optional rubber feet in the box.

C'mon the guy who thinks the Switch won't be a hit in Japan is completely out of the loop ...

@DanteSolablood
They said that, but at the same time, we have the patent of a supplelemtal computing device that adds extra power to the console.
So at the end of the day, its wait and see again.

For me, analyst opinions may be valid, but I disagree with them. They practically are claiming for Nintendo to go mobile, or they dismiss the duality of the Switch as nothing.... I still have yet to see another control that can be home console and portable all in one.

@ThanosReXXX It actually might be an option. Why would you want the screen showing? Because Nintendo knows that in many homes, especially in japan, people don't have the space for a big TV. Therefore, if you can charge the Switch, while displaying the screen, you don't need a TV one bit. This means that you'll only have to plug in the dock to a power outlet to play.

I'm surprised that nobody has thought that perhaps the reason the dock is so chunky is because it has its own battery. This could solve all sorts of battery issues! It would also explain why the Switch fits so snugly into the dock! You just unplug the Flip from the power outlet and TV, and the dock then works like a case for the console. You can either chose to charge the console off the battery while sitting in the dock, or you can (pardon the pun) switch the orientation of the dock, put the console into the slot on the back, and charge the console while you're playing! It baffles me why nobody has thought of this possibility...

@Luna_110 Nintendo may misdirect, but I highly doubt they'd be caught lying just after revealing their new hardware. Plus there is a LOT of patented hardware that never gets used - Microsoft handheld anyone? Take into consideration that a beefed up Tegra X1 that's likely inside the Switch may make it as powerful as an XboxOne on it's own... adding additional hardware and COST to the Switch isn't Nintendo's style.

Are this people dumb? The message is crystal clear, and the device needs only one thing, Pokemon main game, to be a success. And come one! Think that Switch will no be the biggest hit in japan is have zero knowledge about Japanese market.

I think the general message was totally fine, and pretty clear too: You can now easily play all your home console-quality games at home or on the go with this one unified system, the Switch.

Now Nintendo just needs to make sure that all the Switch's unknowns don't end up souring what initially looks to be a potentially very cool system—and that's the bit I'm still personally a little wary of. I think most people totally get what the system is this time around though.

And, personally speaking, I don't think Switch should go for above $250. When you really get down to it, it's potentially just a single screen handheld like the PS Vita that's non-touch enabled, with the power of a Wii U inside, some probably extremely cheap detachable control sections, and a dock. Other than squeezing that amount of power into the system, which once again if we really get down to it isn't really that far beyond a PS Vita, I don't see a particularly good reason for hiking the price beyond $250—other than teh profits of course. What does a PS Vita with a HDMI cable cost?

Also, if Nintendo is as smart as it thinks it is and genuinely wants this thing to get off to a flying start, which is good for everyone involved, it really needs to make the price of this thing as mass market as humanly possible so it gets as many sales as possible out the gate.

@DanteSolablood No, that was not confirmed. It's a rather ambiguous statement about power and Laura Kate Dale is also the one behind the almost 100% EuroGamer leak, so chances are, this is true also.

At the very least, the dock WILL contain an HDMI upscaler, so the handheld will be 720p and the home will be 1080p.

All the rest is moot. Nintendo will NEVER make a console that you can topple forward to place the screen on the back, so that's just not going to happen...

Mobile gaming stinks. Nintendo will not be putting intrusive advertisements in its games. I would also think of the Switch as a main console first then an added Mobile when you OU want to get out of the house or give up the tv to someone who wants to watch. I love it. I'm buying Day one and hope that it see's the success that the 3ds does.i I absolutely love the fact that the controller splits into two for multiplayer games. Whoever thought of that one wins with at least me.

BTW Nintendo. Keep that 3ds train rolling. I hope you sell a gazillion Switch units.

For the first time since the Wii and 3ds release dates I'm truly excited for Nintendo and us gamers.

@ThanosReXXX "That "put the screen in the back" is not an option... "

Aaargh, don't go crushing my dreams you big bully!! (Man, 1 bit of good news and I go all effeminate, what's up w/ that?)

Anwyay, so ok, how do you know you can't tip it forward and plug it in the back?

Alright I think you win, @DanteSolablood I think you loose.

There is no cut out on the left, that top USB port is in the way, and I believe from rewatching the video that cut out on the right may be where the power and HDMI plug in. And the no rubber feet on the front. So, I'm giving up. I still think there could be a charging cradle, and since it has a kickstand maybe it can be plugged in and used as a bedside clock, but not while gaming. bummer

@beez1717 No, the dock won't have a battery. What is the point of charging a battery powered screen with a battery powered dock especially if that dock needs to provide for longer play sessions on your TV? It'll have a normal mains adapter so it can do the charging and the playing at the same time.

Charging and playing with the dock connected when both only have batteries would just be like pouring water from one bucket into the other, so that's not logical at all.

@ThanosReXXX Ah well, now that makes sense. Thanks! Docked console will now be known as "toaster mode".

@rjejr That's a good point - don't confuse your audience if you're making a clear break from the way things have been done before.

I do have notifications on for 3DS and WiiU. I find them a bit inconsistent in that some things are notified and others not. I've not found them that useful really.

Thinking of how I play, I'm envisaging playing the Switch as a portable, even at home. That makes absolutely no sense. I guess that I use my 3DS way more than my WiiU and I don't really have an explanation for that because I hardly ever play while I'm out and about and 3DS versions of games can have fewer features. I still gravitate to the 3DS. I think I will have to Switch the way I play. (Sorry, that was a really terrible pun.) Still, there's no reason to not use "toaster mode". I even have a dedicated gaming tv.

@rjejr
Given I remember you honoring both Leonard Nimoy and Gene Wilder, I think it's a draw between Fringe's William Bell, Kingdom Hearts' Master Xehanort, or the GW version of Willy Wonka in the trippy tunnel.

@rjejr You, effeminate? That'll be the day...
But I;m not doing anything different today, other than being my logical thinking and theorizing self. As someone who knows his hardware, I couldn't act any other way.

As for those rubber feet: the front doesn't look entirely flat either, or that's just the photo.

But I don't want to ruin your weekend entirely, so how about this: go with the kickstand idea, and then add a cable to connect it to the dock. So you can have your digital clock sitting right next to the dock... No thanks, my pleasure...

@ThanosReXXX Haha, they might not make a console that you can "topple over", but they have made cradles that do. Either way, we will see. No reason to have a debate about it.

P.S. An upscaler on something using a beefed up version of an X1 which runs 4k video at 60fps? More likely the Switch changes output when it detects the dock/power.

@rjejr, well you could off-centre it, but I am going to drop the subject. It's not the most important thing.

@ThanosReXXX "Nintendo will NEVER"

This from the man who said there would never under any circumstances be a dock.

I've tried calling it other things just to see how it works for me - base, cradle, dock - but... it's a dock, it just is. I think you should maybe dial back on your usage of absolutes a bit after yesterday, wouldn't you agree?

A month after in my head I said there couldn't be a hybrid, it was just an imaginary word that had no basis in reality - it would either be a home console w/ a portable screened controller, a Wii U 2, or a portable console w/ TV out 4DS - but it's a hybrid, it just fits. It's a hybrid w/ a dock. There is no more "never" any more, not ever again, for either of us. You can't fight Nintendo Logic.

Good lord there's a lot of kool aid sipping going on in here since the reveal.

Switch is the purest example of the famous Jurassic Park quote ever: "Your scientists were so preoccupied with whether or not they could, they didn’t stop to think if they should."

So what you can play full blown home console games on the go? Who actually will? 30, 40 million people? Most likely not. Home console games are big budget for a reason; they're meant to be enjoyed in big chunks of time in front of a huge HD TV with surround sound.

Frankly, with how similar the Switch is to Wii U, and really what the Wii U should have been in 2012, I'm amazed people are shocked by the reaction of non-nintendo fans to it. It's nothing amazing at all.

@Sakura I'm the same way. My 3ds is my main console these days. I take it everywhere with me to try and get the streetpass hits but rarely play on the go. At home though it's just about 90% of my playing. I like the simplistic use on 3ds. I think Nintendo went all haywire when it went to Motion Controls. Now with switch it's going back to the simple times with a kickass simple product.

@gatorboi352 If you just go with "thing standing up", then the Xbone & the PS4 are similar to the WiiU, we already know the Switch it likely to be competitive with the PS4 & Xbone... if you don't want to take it on the go, don't.

@DanteSolablood If you are just looking to play home console games, at your house, Nintendo has yet to give any incentive to go with Switch over PS/XB. That's the point.

Now, maybe if they eventually announce that the docking station adds additional processing power, then they might be onto something.

However, they better press hard for western 3rd party support or Switch will be the next Wii U. And there's no 3DS this time around to save the day.

@DanteSolablood Not really, because there's already a market for that. PC Gaming.

@rjejr And now, I'm going to enjoy my own weekend. Don't want to spend another night glued to the PC answering comments again like yesterday...

@DanteSolablood No offense, but you're talking to an experienced hardware specialist; it's part of my job (sales & marketing), that I've already been doing for almost 26 years, so you're not going to win a tech debate.

The idea of toppling the console forward with or without help of some contraption simply isn't a realistic option, so we won't see, it's simply not going to happen.

And like @rjejr already said, that slot you pointed to doesn't extend all the way to the left either, so the right side is probably just a connector cut out, but since you already decided to drop that part of the discussion, I will do the same.

Another thing though: the SoC is more than likely an X2, or at least closer to, it's a custom, Pascal based SoC. The splash page on Nvidia's own page also says "The high-efficiency scalable processor includes an NVIDIA GPU based on the same architecture as the world’s top-performing GeForce gaming graphics cards." The world's top performing cards aren't based off of 2,5 year old tech anymore...

No offense, but if you want to talk hardware, you've got to know what you're talking about.

Now if you'll excuse me, I'm off to enjoy my weekend, lest I'm stuck to the computer for too long AGAIN, like yesterday. Cheers.

@gatorboi352 Yes, there is a 3DS to save the day... they have the switch. I never bought a PS4 or Xbone, I exclusively play my PC or 3DS as I am an avid handheld player and play on the commute etc. When the Switch comes out I will upgrade from the 3DS to the Switch. Nintendo will keep their handheld gamers.

Instead of saying Nintendo will "lose" their handheld players, you could look at it as "they will gain additional console players" just as easily.

I think they all made some good points, especially Toto. While the Switch is for the most part very attractive to look at, apparently fun and easy to play, and will definitely have some amazing games, Nintendo will have to do some clever and abundant marketing to reveal to everyone who's not us game fans that it's not a generic tablet with controllers. The advanced tech justifications are mostly poor, as that will most likely make no difference to a mobile owner who's not in-the-know nor cares about graphics cards or game length, only caring about some throwaway thrills on the go, good-looking or not. The "plug-in-play" aspects will have to be the most emphasised, if there is no other unique feature about the console that has yet to be announced or if there's no intention by Nintendo to majorly innovate the console's games in the future.

Without some sort of unique feature like the last two generations of Nintendo systems had, the Switch will, as the Wii U before it, only sell among Nintendo fans like us and maybe among a few children. We'll be like that girl in the reveal video, bringing it over to friends' houses to amuse them for a few minutes, then we'll be slightly disappointed that our intense excitement for the device is not shared by them. It's always the same story.

@ThanosReXXX I've worked in hardware & software for a long time as well, it depends on whether you think there will be hardware in the base or not, you claim your source is 100% accurate - does that mean the custom Tegra chip is going to turn out to be the X1 as rumoured? Even if it is an X1, why could it need an upscaler?

Have a good weekend. I'm just going to find my old PS3 & topple it sideways into it's stand.

@DanteSolablood You are correct.
If the Tegra K1 on the Nvidia Shield tablet with the memory issues of Android can last 8-10 hrs of normal use and 5/6 of intensive or gaming use then the Nintendo switch should last about 6-8 hrs.
Especially since Nvidia said they helped make the OS and GPU APIs themselves and they won't be using Nintendo's Wii/WiiU OS or Android. 5-6 hours is better than the first Vita and it is reasonable for a portable exp.

@DanteSolablood You got me thinking about the notch in the back of the dock, but after rewatching the trailer, doesn't look like the screen would fit in it, since it's visible from one side of the dock but not the other, while the screen does go across the dock. The only way it would fit is maybe if the screen was put on it sideways. But at that point, the whole idea becomes too complicated, since that would require duplicate connection ports on the side of the screen too, so let's just assume the notch is nothing more than for ventilation, aesthetic purposes, or just to save on plastic

@Peach64 While I do concede that modern day phones and tablets do have equivalent power, such power is worthless to a serious gamer if there is no worthwhile input mechanism. I don't know about you, but when I think of serious video gaming, I don't want to be limited to tilting a phone and touching a screen. Dedicated gamers want tactile buttons and analog sticks, and phones and tablets do not deliver on that front, no matter the processing power.

@gatorboi352
"So what you can play full blown home console games on the go? Who actually will?"
I agree that possibly nobody would play something like Skyrim on the go, but as shown in the trailer, Mario Kart (which already gets played on the go) and other competitive games make perfect sense. Anything that you can play for a few minutes to an hour and still fully enjoy would make perfect sense. There's no reason not too, if you think of it as higher-end versions of previously portable games (with actual control sticks too and the ability to detach the screen), that you can also play at home for the full experience (and vice-versa)

Gosh I hope it's a success

@SLIGEACH_EIRE I think the message is very clear. There are loads of details left to hear but the message is home console gaming on the go. Simple.

@Tsusasi one of the most sensible posts I've seen regarding the switch. I don't understand why so many people don't get it.
Bravo.

@ThanosReXXX Enjoy your weekend. I just realized my family has no food and we are all going to starve, so I have some serious shopping to do. But Playstation game truck tomorrow, not that you care but I'm excited to try out PSVR.

Well I just don't see the market for myself. I'd being paying more than necessary for a home console because that home console has a screen that can not be used as a console (like the Wii U) and will never be taken as a portable from my house.

Now if they released an even cheaper version without the screen or removable controllers, just a single box with a pro-controller like a real console that isn't a toy, I might be interested. But as it is the extra cost of all these never-to-be-used features assures I will not be purchasing this one. I've gone ahead and pre-ordered Breath of the Wild on Wii U.

They are trying to send this message of home console gaming on the go, but they are shunning the people who just want a home console.

Yeah, Nintendo really needs to learn from Sony.
Look at the ps4 with its innovate and interesting features such as

It seems silly to read too much into the reveal/commercial. Companies use attractive young adults to market all sorts of crap. The target audience is everyone. Little kids love Mario as much as 30+ year olds. It just needs an attractive price and strong presence.

@Alshain01 You're paying more for a console? How much are you paying? We've seen no price yet & without the removable controllers you'd still have to pay for a regular wireless controller.

@DanteSolablood we'll agree to disagree. I do not foresee 60 million 3DS gamers upgrading to Switch.

@gatorboi352 I'm happy with that, I don't see 60million dropping handheld gaming.

@rjejr
Let me know what you think of PSVR. I'm tempted but the money is tight this year and we would be starting from scratch with no PS4 or move controllers or camera (only a busted PS3).

More on topic, the PS truck made me think of how the Nintendo Switch will be displayed in stores. I wonder if they'll do it 3DS style with no TV... or actually set it up with a dock, so you can see the transition when you remove it... then, there's the removable joy-con parts. Can't really demonstrate that in a store very well. Hmm...

@Dr_Corndog a local electronics online store put up a pre-order at roughly $390. Of course, this here IS Belarus, and they're warning that the pre-order price and conditions can change at any time before release (which leaves me unsure who'll be tempted to place such pre-orders in the first place), but I wouldn't be surprised if the real deal proved to be 350+ bucks indeed.

@DanteSolablood Because I'd have to buy both the removable controllers and the pro controller with the Switch. The pro controller is the only way I would use this thing, the Joy-Con controller looks terribly uncomfortable. You are also paying more for the screen, whatever this thing costs, it could be cheaper without it and I won't use it, so why do I need it?

@Alshain01 That's not the fault of it being a portable/home console hybrid. The original Xbox controllers were unusable & that lump didn't move anywhere.

I'm going to give it a chance, looks can be deceiving.

@DanteSolablood Ok, but still if it were just a traditional console, I wouldn't have to buy both, just the one, so it still counts as extra cost... unless they are giving away a pro controller with each unit.

@Alshain01 No, if it were a home console it could still have an uncomfortable controller... the halves attached to the screen could fit into a conventional shaped controller, the shape of the full joycon unit (combined controller) is Nintendo's choice.

@DanteSolablood No, if it were a traditional console, the pro controller would be the only controller and it wouldn't be uncomfortable. So it's still additional cost.

@FX102A I totally agree. But I'm optimistic, with the whole expansive list of supporting developers and all, I think Ninty have learned from the Wii U's and 3DS's mistakes. Lets just hope the have, and this can be a great return to form for Nintendo.

@Alshain01 If they had gone with a traditional console they would have likely redesigned the main controller. The only reason the pro-controller remains untouched is that it's a legacy accessory, it's likely the pro-controller would not have been an option at all (all new consoles have redesigned their controllers from the last, even Sony).

In any case, it's not Nintendo's fault that you're prejudging the feel of their controller.

Edit: What would you have done if the Switch was a home console & the controller was terrible?

@DanteSolablood There would be no need to redesign the controller. The only reason for the joy-con is so it can separate and attach to the screen. If you don't have that screen the pro controller would work just fine, no need for the joycon at all. The pro controller would be the ONLY controller. It is Nintendo's fault that they think this gimmick will work.
As for pre-judging, you want me to waste my money buying the thing before realizing it is crap? What else do you expect?

@aaronsullivan So, $800 for PSVR? Yeah, that's a lot.

Good question about NS in stores. (I'm just not calling it Switch ever, I can't type it.) Locked, docked, in a case w/ the Pro controller is probably the best method in stores like Gamstop that would appeal to gamers. I'm not sure about those teeny-tiny Joy-Cons. Those things look just as bad to me now as they did when those first bad drawings first appeared. Anybody seeing those hooked up as controllers - not attached, just hanging on wires - is going to walk on by. Glued on like a GameBoy Advance they would work in Target and Walmart for the casual crowd.

They will hopefully sell over 10 million. I don't know why but seems like the wii u is better on paper.

@UK-Nintendo Because the Wii U was a great console, people just didn't realize it and it was marketed badly. This isn't even a console at all, it's a portable handheld only really. Jack of all trades and will be a master of none.

I think they will be lucky to sell 10 million.

@rjejr I don't see the Switch controller as that tiny TBH.. comparison..

About the same size by the looks of it, maybe you're imaging the handheld smaller?

With the handles, it seems like it may be the same basic shape as the pro as well, but wider. The stick and d-pad are one under the other.. might create the illusion of being cramped.

I'm with Serkan Toto here.

@nab1 "I agree that possibly nobody would play something like Skyrim on the go"

Hi.

Morrowind took a while to draw me in but when it did, the detailed lore was a major selling point. You could spend a couple hours just reading the books on shelves, many of them containing full scale fiction! With that all back in 2002, I can only imagine how much Skyrim has to explore. And when is a working male in his late twenties supposed to sit down at home and explore all that? Meanwhile, relatively battery-friendly sleep mode wasn't even made yesterday, and Switch is making the exploration accessible on a broad range of opportunities. Even commuting to work and back can see you looting a dungeon, rummaging through a library or just casually walking from point A to point B so you reach something of interest by the next bigger window of spare time. Same goes for Breath of the Wild, for that matter.

Actually, you might be surprised, but RPGs lend themselves to portable casual gaming very nicely. Doing a fetch quest? Investing into a mini game for that rare ultramegabestthingsinceslicedbread crafting material? Trying a bonus boss for the 54th time? Grinding? Ah, grinding, especially when it's trackable on demand rather than like in the first Dragon Quest... I've been playing FFX-2 recently, and the local subway saw me max out most of the starting dressspheres on the first Mi'ihen Road visit, just for the heck of it. Suck it, Candy Crush. XD

@Alshain01 I totally agree but I can hear all the people with Nintendo glasses on.

@DanteSolablood Not the Grip and Pro controllers, their fine, the mutliplayer controllers for 2 people to play in store.

Look at that woman on the left, you can hardly see it.

It's like "Where's Wally?" only, "Where are the Joy-Cons?"

@Windy Glad I'm not the only one. 3DS is an awesome little device.

@rjejr Well it's an easy solution, don't play it multiplayer when you're alone.

I get what you mean, but my guess is that you'll get the connector for the grips with the Switch. You'll just have to pretend you're playing a Gameboy Advance SP while playing with friends until they get their own Switch.

Edit: You are aware the grip is made up of attaching the joycons to a centre attachment?

Nintendo is with the Switch, trying to appeal to as many possible consumers, who likes to play digital games in all kinds of ways, not just the traditional gamers and also to the younger generations who knows mobile gaming, but maybe only traditional video-gaming if their parents have introduced them to.
So now to my point:
To achieve this broad audience, Nintendo has to make sure its Switch will also offer the same content as the smart phones and tablets, else switch wont win over those people. That means that the Switch will have to offer all these free apps and games through google plus or google downüoad or what its called, like what my 10 year old daugther is prefering over consoles. Todays parents who weren´t growing up to like video gaming that much won´t necessarily bring home a console to it´s house, they rather give the newest smartphone or tablet to their children so they don´t have to involve that much in it´s childrens games-playing. It´s way cheaper and you don´t have to visit the media store frequently to buy expensive video games. Also todays children in the west interacts more online while playing than they would actually meet eachother to play infront of a consoüe together.
Conclusion:
The switch has to offer traditional video gaming as a home console and as a handeld + the same features like todays mobile devices such as smart phones and tablets to achieve to all those audiences that nintendo actually attends to do

@Wolfgabe i was thinking the exact same thing!
This is garbage from analysts. mobile gaming is not eveb close ro switch or any other dedicated console or handheld.
There were people at my work yesterday, in little south australia, who arent even gamers saying they saw the switch on the news and think they might have to get one. This thing went viral. Everyone wants a powerful gaming tablet with hdmi out.

Yeah lets not forget the 60 million 3ds owners out there who will want a switch.

@DanteSolablood I know, the Grip I belive is the official name. Maybe.

But I think my original discussion was for how this would be shown in a store, so I still think those Joy-Con will either be attached to the Grip or to the tablet, not hanging freely from wires, b/c they are too small and would make people go "meh, not for me.".

My opinion on the mobile market?

Scuh-rew those guys. They're traitors and we don't want them.

@rjejr Sorry, just got done talking to someone saying they think the Switch will fail because you'd need to buy a separate controller... even though the Grip is about the same size as the Pro.

I think in stores they'll lock the controllers onto a screen with a brace or something... so not separated from the Switch at all.

A few of these are minor complaints, like the target demographic being wrong, but overall this is a pretty reasonable analysis that I agree with.

I'm not sure why on this website Nintendo is perfect and can never be subject to criticism. Hmm... Why could that be...

@FriedSquid No one is saying Nintendo is perfect, they're just questioning the logic of these analysts, who consistently fail to recognise the difference between smartphone gaming and portable gaming.

@Konda You seem to be suggesting that Nintendo need to open up their eShop to the ocean of listless cookie cutter nonsense that fills the smartphone app stores so that you can leave your child to play free-to-play games.

@ThanosReXXX no the dock won't be upscaling... That's not how it works, and if it did... It would still be 720p on the TV not 1080p.

The device will almost certainly switch from full power "console" mode into "handheld" mode, dropping it's power and consumption. This includes resolution, but will almost certainly impact gfx quality and possibly framerate, etc.

@rjejr
About Switch docks, I didn't see so many cables ( Component or HDMI) connected to TV from the trailer. That makes me think if Switch docks is wireless ?
Because Wii or Wii U has very tangled cables ( HDMI, Sensor bar, Composite)...

@bolt05
Wow, great news.
Just keep encourage the other people about Switch.

@nhSnork
Psst...about FF X-2, Bevelle Underground Via Infinito floor 80 and deeper are really Scary and Thrilling place. Prepare for instant 9999 damage (Equip Catnip for each girls) from Gunner's Happy Trigger, Critical HP for all girls and press the button like Crazy because Tons of Bosses swarming around and appears like regular enemies.

Boy, analysts and investors are worse than the average Internet comments section.

@Alpha008
Yup. They are not a gamer at all. Bribe them with Switch, force them to play and let see if they changed their mind or still persistent with their mindset.

@ThanosReXXX I never said that the dock was going to be battery powered only. The console runs off the mains when docked and fully charged. It also charges the dock's battery. You can then use it as an external battery pack for your console by putting the console in the back, and using the dock as a stand, or in the front as a protective case, your choice.

@ThanosReXXX

My thought is the dock will contain supplemental fan cooling which will allow the Tegra to kick into a higher gear. I thought Nintendo was clear on the dock not having processing, and even if it did, it would have to have a strong processor to actually increase the capabilities of the Tegra which means it wouldn't be cheap.

They [analysts] need a proper job.

They are like professional whiners. Most of their comment is Youtube comment section-level and it's terrifying to think some people might actually use their point of view for advice.

@Anti-Matter Always 2 black cables - 1 for power, 1 HDMI for TV. No sensor bar. They come out of the back near the bottom right. I think they are plugged into a recess.

If you look close you can see them on the woman's dresser near the end and on that guy's shelf on the white wall. He has a hole drilled under the dock, wires under the shelf.

@rjejr
Oh... i see.
Yeah, i saw that.

@Anti-Matter thanks for the tip! Sounds like a Final Fantasy game alright. XD

"The Switch lacks a killer feature"
Remember when that guy removed the console from the dock and played Zelda BotW on the go? No?

Analysts, it's in the name.

@Wolfgabe It's only a killer feature, if enough people care about it, and I think that is a pretty big if. Personally, I rather play a game designed for a handheld on a handheld, than a game designed for a traditional TV/Monitor/Beamer setup.

Why would anyone assume that people who are fine playing Candy Crush or Pokemon Go, would ever go for this? They are obviously not interested in more substantial offerings on the Playstore/iTunes, nor are they interested in a cheap-ass-but-superior 2DS/3DS ...

At the same time, who is going to replace is PS4/Ps4 Pro/X1/Scorpio/PC with a Switch? Yes, no one is going to do that either.

It's not a "full" system + Nintendo's exclusives, it's just another secondary or tertiary gaming system. Not THAT many people buy 2-3-4 dedicated gaming systems though, which mostly will once again leave the core Nintendo audience to carry the weight, which - these days - seems not to be enough.

Worst of all, when this system launces in 2017, it will be mid-generation so to speak, which means that by then at the very least 60 Mio people, and probably quite a bit more by March, will already have settled on their platform of choice. It's not a new generation in 2017, fewer people are "in the market" for a new system, so to speak.

We also need to keep in mind, that Xbox, PSN and Steam have laboured hard to bring customers into their ecosystem and keep them there. People are not just invested in the hardware, they are invested in their software library, their trophies/achievements, their friendlists .....

Nintendo refused to - for some reason I doubt anyone can quite grasp - to do that exact thing that, among others factors, made Apple the most valueable company on the entire planet.

It's one thing to go "I like what I am seeing", but any of these so-called analysts have to look at the bigger picture, and I for one can hardly fault their analysis here. Who exactly is this for?

To be fair though, and I've made this point before, I think Nintendo did the best they could here. They were between a rock and a hard place when it became obvious that the WiiU was unsustainable, and I think the Switch might give them a reasonable chance to bounce back a bit, by combining their handheld and console appeal.

Still, I cannot see how it could be another Wii or DS, not to mention the combined sales of those. That is not going to happen.

If Switch success, Nintendo can consider for Switch 2 in the future.

@Anti-Matter yea then if switch 2 is success Nintendo can think of switch 3

I actually think the message is pretty clear and was communicated very well. We just need to know more info about what the machine is capable of and what games (and other features) we can expect from it.

Aside from the games I'm wondering if there will be an overhaul of Nintendo's account system, and whether Nintendo will have a more open policy on platforms like Twitch and YouTube.

The initial message is there, but we need more info!

@8itmap_k1d
The kind of eShop what Nintendo has today they could continue to use on switch, or whatever similar. I didn´t mean the eshop should share it´s softwares with the open downloadable app-platforms of the casual mobile devices, I´m pretty sure you could make sure it works as 2 different platforms on the switch. The eshop as itself and the google download platform seperately. So you could both play free mainstream games aswell as choosing to play and buy nintendo games on the nintendo hardware. Only nintendo would offer that when using nintendos own exclusive "tablet" = the switch. The normal tablets and smartphones still wouldn´t have access to the nintendo games

How do you compete with mobile without a touchscreen? You can't even steal their killer apps, which was never even enough for Vita to compete to begin with.

@DanteSolablood The person you replied to is from the UK. I know it is trendy to blame us for everything that that is wrong in the world. However other western countries buy games with a similar viewpoint just look at the sales charts. If you want devs to change, vote with your wallet. Don't whine about how Americans have some how ruined something we have no control over beyond being a consumer. Companies go where money is being spent. Not because The US as a whole makes some decision to ruin your day. Do you think Americans that don't like mainstream trends run around saying that Americans ruin everything?

I apologize for butting in, but I am getting sick of the defacto response being it is our fault when we aren't even focused on you (collective you).

@Ryu_Niiyama No problem, I knew the poster was from the UK and I was not blaming America for anything.. the whole "Japan style gaming community/American style" is neither good nor bad, it simply drives how we deal with humour and game selection.

The main gripe of my post was actually about Nintendo UK being terrible at marketing and spending no money. If you read my post again without the sweeping assumptions, you'll notice I don't actually accuse you guys of anything.

Edit: Wanted to go back to that post & check how it reads to see if it could be easily misread.. but it's been removed/reported. Seems like people who want to see at attack against them will. However, my ONLY reference to America was that we have a slightly more Japanese style community... not meant as an insult. Apologies if it was taken.

@Kellanved Even i can tell you that that's a false statement. The custom chip from nVidia is confirmed to use the same Pascal Arcitecture as their latest Geforce GTX 1000-line. Which happens to be maybe the most power efficient hardware om the planet right now. My new gtx 1070 is using less than a third of the power then my 5 year old 660ti card thank to this technology.

Does Japan subsidize their mobile phones?

It's so weird that the free/microtransaction mobile environment has gotten as dominant as it is on the back of $700 flagship phones upgraded every 1-2 years, and I wonder if the gaming landscape would be the same if phone prices weren't hidden behind subsidized plans, as they are here in the US. On the portable side of the equation, surely a $300 Switch would fare better if it was competing with $700 iPhones instead of "free" iPhones.

I guess it seems here that suckers for one exploitatively obfuscated pricing model (subsidized phones) tend to be suckers for other exploitatively obfuscated pricing models (free-to-start games) as well.

@nhSnork I'd pay $350. I can even see it retailing for $299, maybe. But not bundled with Zelda.

@Fath
Gosh...!
Apple products are so pricey.
I will choose Switch as my new Nintendo machine. I have owned a smartphone but not for gaming, only for browsing internet, watching Youtube, communicate both phone and WhatApps.

@Ralek85 I think there are a few things you are overlooking here. I don't think Switch is aimed squarely at the casual iPhone crowd. The trailer clearly seems to target young adults and millennials who would like a capable gaming console they can take anywhere with them

Also I think Nintendo may have done a good job of catching peoples attention already considering the preview trailer has over 11 million views and it has been trending highly on various websites as of late.

I don't think their intention is to outright replace your Xbox or Playstation but rather serve as a complimentary system that can satisfy your home and portable gaming needs

I think the switch means lots of free publicity for nintendo. You can pop off the controllers and let friends try before they get interested and either buy one themselves or tell someone else about it.

@DanteSolablood Oh, there's probably some hardware in the dock alright, Laura Kate Dale, the major leaker and the informant for the EuroGamer rumor, now confirmed fact, also said so. So it's not my source, but theirs. I was just quoting/paraphrasing.

But what that hardware is exactly, nobody knows yet. Guesses vary from an actual chipset to upgrade the visuals of the Switch when docked to a simple power block, some ports and a dedicated fan. Coupled with that second guess, there's a theory that the tablet contains some sort of mode that triggers the system to overclock when docked, hence the extra cooling. So that would mean that when not docked, the system will run in a lower spec configuration. Could be anywhere between 540p and 720p, and 1080p when docked, to get the rumored 1080p/60fps.

Apparently, the tablet has passive cooling and the dock active cooling. Combine all that and that would explain why the version displayed on the TV would look better. Here's hoping someone gets their hands on a unit or more information soon. Two extra months without extra info could be a LONG wait.

P.S.

Thanks for the adult response. I know I can come off arrogant if you read my comments, but I had an idea you were someone that I could level with, hence the tiny resumé, sort of to lure you out; it's a sales trick.

Guess I was right... Sorry for the offhand method, but now at least we can talk with Shields down from here (tiny Nvidia joke... ). Welcome to the club. But knowing for certain now that your a smart guy, makes it all the more puzzling that you would expect some kind of contraption to topple the console forward to slide the tablet in to have it visible during play, but since we already dropped that part of the discussion, I'll just put that on the board with all my other unsolved mysteries...

As for the Tegra stuff: that's not a rumor or anything. The source is Nvidia's own blog. The chip is based on Pascal, not Maxwell, so that must either be X2 or something derived from it. And it works with their latest API's and tool sets, X1 probably can't do that, or at least not to the full extent.

But there are more leaks coming from the EuroGamer informant and some other people, and apparently, Switch isn't all there is...

Either way, exciting times ahead. And thanks again for your intelligent response.

@rjejr "not that you care but I'm excited to try out PSVR"

You're wrong there, my friend. Remember that when you first told me about it that I said you should definitely go and try it out if you had the opportunity to do so? I can be objective and detach some things from each other, and in my opinion, VR is really something that everyone should experience, regardless of which brand or flavor it is, so I hope you went and I hope you may now be a little more convinced that it actually does add something to games.

@Cathousemaster That's what I was talking about, but apparently you missed that. And the dock could contain an upscaler, tied to the HDMI output, we don't know that yet, so it's a bit too soon to say what it will or will not contain, but suffice to say that the housing of the dock is too bulky to just contain some USB ports, network-, audio & video connectors and a cooling fan.

@beez1717 Okay, that's actually an interesting theory. But it doesn't sound very Nintendo. They're always looking for energy efficient solutions, and this theory doesn't sound energy efficient, especially if you have the dock at home most of the time: that would mean that it would continuously be charging, actually wearing out the battery needlessly, unless it contains some sort of circuit breaker to stop the battery from charging when it's full.

I guess we will find out in a couple of months what is really in there if some tech site gets their hands on a dock and tears it apart...

@cleveland124 I actually found Nintendo's statement on what the dock contains rather ambiguous. You could say that "to provide power" is just power through a mains connector, so that it doesn't have to run on batteries anymore, but you could also say that it does indeed mean to provide the power necessary to make it look better on a large screen, so the jury is still undecided on that one.

as for what you're thinking, that's actually a running rumor at this very moment, proposed by the EuroGamer informant. She says that the handheld runs underclocked when used on its own and will overclock when inserted in the dock, making it possible to have better graphics and a smoother frame rate. And the dock does contain active cooling, which could indeed be to prevent overheating when the device is running full force.

@ThanosReXXX The only thing I'd say about the "toppling" is that if it was so bad, why would the PS2, PS3, PS4 Xbox360 and XboxOne S all have a "toppling sideways" option for everyday use.

But anyway, my real argument wasn't that it WAS true, only that it COULD, I don't like options being taken off the table when none of us know for sure. Plus the "charging and cooling" statement was the one I used & you dismissed when stating I doubted the base would provide additional graphical power.. I was aware there would be SOME tech inside the base, an upscaler? Hmm.

@DanteSolablood Yeah, I kinda guessed that this was the thing you were talking about, but with all these consoles it was known from day one that they could either stand vertically or lie flat, and the Switch is not, otherwise they might just as well have had that come up in the trailer.

I can appreciate not discarding options too soon, but I also appreciate logic and viable options, instead of just comparing to previous outings and saying "well, they also did it, so why couldn't this one do it?". It's irrelevant since it's a new generation.

I do believe that both of the other consoles are also not "flippable" anymore, so that could be evidence towards it not being possible.

And all these other consoles had sides/surfaces that were clearly meant to be used as a bottom, if you understand what I mean. The Wii and Xbox 360 for example, had rubber feet on one side, so even if you had them standing upright, it was pretty clear that this was just an extra position to have them in, with the Wii pretty much only thanks to the stand it came with. The Switch has an obvious front side, not looking like something that should (or could) function as the underside of a console, even besides the logo being on there, although that could certainly also count as an argument against it. Either way, too much talk on a point that I believe we decided to drop...

And there's definitely some tech inside the dock, but what it is exactly, is anyone's guess for now.

And I did dismiss it, because I didn't think it was going to be "just" charging and cooling, but also the whole overclocking thing. But truth be told, I was replying to so many people at almost the same time, and in being somewhat baffled by the whole reveal itself, I lost oversight, so I may have discounted you unfairly, so my bad.

For now, I'm inclined to go with the idea from the EuroGamer informer, since she has guessed everything right so far, so chances are she's not far off the mark here either, but I'll reserve my final thoughts on this for later.

@DanteSolablood I see I missed you also mentioning Xbox One S, didn't know that was flippable, since the standard Xbox One isn't either.

@ThanosReXXX Well the touch screen is not shown in the trailer either but rumours are that the Switch has multi-touch. But I agree with you, too much discussion about something we agreed to leave.. I think it's something about intelligent people that aren't used to leaving a discussion without their opinion being accepted.

Also, I was one of the people stating the chip would be more aligned with the X2, the only reason I raised the chip is the quotes you were referring to as "100% accurate" were rumouring an X1. But again, we've had a statement which makes the whole conversation moot.

@DanteSolablood "I think it's something about intelligent people that aren't used to leaving a discussion without their opinion being accepted"

I believe that's a little something that we call hitting the nail on the head...

I would always be wondering about that, if no answer would have been coming forth.

By the way, I'm about to dive into a live stream with HappyNintendoFan, he's going to discuss the very rumors we've now mentioned about there being more to it, so perhaps I can interest you to join?

Note: both guys running the live stream are Dutch, so don't tear 'em apart for their imperfect English...

Here's the link:
https://gaming.youtube.com/watch?v=_1wzGb4rY7s&feature=live-chat-promo

@ThanosReXXX Welcome back, hope you had a pleasant weekend.

Yes, I tried out PSVR with a game called Rigs. I literally said "Woah" when the woman put it on my head. It really is amazing, it's virtual reality. Which I know that's what it's always been called but people have been talking about VR for what seems like years - do you know "The Lawnmower Man?" - but this the is the first I can actually say IS like being in a virtual world. Like primitive humans would think it was actually real and would pull off the headset looking around.

So I spent 3-4 minutes blown away by the VR "experience" but then the game started and it kind of sucked, but I think that's a universal problem with VR. We can trick our eyes and minds into being in a real world, but once the game started it kind of went away and I was just playing a video game.

So I'm not spending $400 on it now, but VR is real, and it's here now, but it isn't quite there yet for gaming for me. My wife won't let our kids use it long term, she's worried about their eyes.

But VR is a much bigger deal than Switch to me right now. But 4k HDR is probably were my money goes. Lots of 60"+ TV for under $800 this holiday. I think that's where I'm headed.

@rjejr Told you so...
Welcome to the church of VR, my brother. Now go forth into the world and spread the gospel...

@rjejr they have a ways to go, but as you have now experienced yourself, it's definitely coming along quite nicely. The PSVR isn't a match for Oculus, though, so perhaps you should see if you can also try that one out somewhere too.
I'm in the live stream right now (see comment #175) so if you have some time on your hands, dive in too.

@ThanosReXXX

I find almost all of Nintendo's comments ambiguous.

The NX is confirmed to have vents. Tablets don't typically have vents because there is no fan small enough that would be effective in that environment. It's also a $2 solution to a problem versus a more expensive multi chip arrangement. I get it was a commercial, but assuming the dock/no dock is as easy as it is in the commercial, no way a 2nd chip is powering up and getting instructions with the 1st chip to upscale that quickly and vice versa when it goes mobile. It would also go with the rumor that the Tegra had a fan on it on the development kits.

@cleveland124 That's what I said: passive cooling in the tablet, active cooling in the dock, and the change from lower to higher res can easily be made with little to no effort if there's some kind of connector/switch in the dock.

Laura Kate Dale also said something to that extent.

@cleveland124 It can work like an SLI, and be hot-swappable.

@ThanosReXXX Sorry, wasn't checking the site but I'll watch the posted version when it's out. Don't worry, I'm a Minecraft YouTuber, I speak to two Dutch people before breakfast.

@DanteSolablood It'll be uploaded tomorrow. You'll hear them butcher some of my questions...
But some interesting stuff mentioned nonetheless.

@ThanosReXXX

Well if you were saying active/passive cooling then I was agreeing with you. The hotswap sli isn't happening though. Inefficent and expensive.

@cleveland124 Well, not exactly like SLI, but definitely hot swapable: the game instantly transfers from the TV to the tablet and vice versa once disconnected or connected, so that is a form of hot swapping. IGN and others even call it that in their breakdown videos.

@ThanosReXXX

Oh you are talking about the video output. I thought you were talking about two tegra (one in the dock) working in parrallel.

@cleveland124 Well, a little bit of both. If we are assuming (for argument's sake) that there is indeed additional hardware in the dock, then that could be an additional set of cpu/gpu and memory that works in sync with the tablet to upscale the graphics and speed up the frame rate. Or it's just a device that unlocks the tablet's full capacity...

Rumors are now starting to gather about the dock being a prototype and that it is supposed to be the SCD, and coupled with Nintendo's own statements that they haven't shown everything yet, that theory is starting to gain ground, so I'm curious to see where that is going.

@cleveland124 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sklW52qORJ0

@ThanosReXXX "church"

I see it less of a church, more of a coven. All those bad feelings you ave about kids and tablets I have that 100 fold for VR and the human race. Sure, there's a lot off good, but I've seen Caprica.

http://www.criticalcommons.org/Members/ccManager/clips/capricaexplainvrclub.mp4/view

@ThanosReXXX I can guarantee that the dock will not contain an upscalar. It doesn't make any sense, and it's not how TV and other video devices work. Take this from someone who has WiiU devkits...

@Cathousemaster That's not comparable, so with all due respect but I will not take that as an absolute truth. The Switch is a different beast and too many reports and rumors are now popping up saying exactly that, so too soon to disregard them, especially since the first rumor pointing to this came from EuroGamer's source, who has been 100% right so far.

And it may not be an upscaler, but it could definitely contain additional hardware to improve games on the TV. But even a simple upscaler shouldn't be out of the realm of possibilities: they are cheap and small in size, so one could easily be built into the dock. I have an external one for my Wii and it works like a charm. This one, to be exact:
http://www.cablechick.com.au/cables/nintendo-wii-to-hdmi-adaptor-converter.html

@ThanosReXXX I can only say what I can say . Native 1080p ... Which the WiiU already does, means no upscaling. It's native.

The dock doing other things... Sure, it's possible. Just not upscaling, it makes no sense. The device needs to generate native 1080p images, with larger frame buffers for it to be 1080p.

Otherwise you could stick a 4K upscalar in the dock and claim it does native 4k.

Back to work...

@Wolfgabe
"I don't think Switch is aimed squarely at the casual iPhone crowd."
If they want to go back to the Wii/DS era, than they have to aim at those as well. If not, no comparable sales can emerge.

"he trailer clearly seems to target young adults and millennials who would like a capable gaming console they can take anywhere with them."

Yes, the trailer does just that, but still, isn't that weird, because esp. the 3DS and the 2DS were market mainly a kids, and successfully though.

"I don't think their intention is to outright replace your Xbox or Playstation but rather serve as a complimentary system that can satisfy your home and portable gaming needs"

I agree, but the question remains, how many people will buy a switch in addition to their PS4 and/or Xbox and Phone and tablet and smartTV and PC/Laptop (gaming rig or not).
What is the additional value the Switch offers? Home console level gaming on the go? Is that a thing in the west?

I have to wonder, if it is a thing, why are the topselling mobile games, not the ones aping console games, but games doing the exact opposite. If that is a thing why do existing "quality gaming" solutions like the 3DS or Vita not sell at all compared to smart phones and tablets. I just have a hard time imaging what the market they are targeting looks like, and where it has been hiding all those years.

@Cathousemaster Well, if that's true, then the dock facilitates overclocking, since the tablet is reportedly doing only 720p max, so if it generates native 1080p on the big screen then it must indeed be going full throttle when inserted in the dock.

And if that's not what it does, chances are it's indeed an upscaler... (that's with "er" at the end, not "ar")

EDIT:
And native 1080p is an assumption based on a thus far unconfirmed rumor (1080p/60fps target), so we don't know if that's even a thing until Nintendo themselves hands out more information, or until someone that actually knows leaks it with some kind of evidence/proof to back up his/her claim.

I've been posting from my phone, so I'm not going into details here. But it's very similar to how the WiiU works.

A game internally has several frame buffers. The main one is the one that program natively supports... This is the native resolution of the game... In flowerworks case this is 1080p (1920x1080) 32bit, no z-buffer. Please note that this has nothing to do with the resolution of the target device. The device tells the TV what resolution to support, not the other way around. These buffers consum heaps of memory, so they are precious. With a z buffer, 16 bit color... This can be massive... 20+ MB RAM, all super fast video RAM.

Then you have multiple frame buffer for video output. The format of this depends on the settings of the console... In the old days, pal, ntsc, ... Then 480p, 720p, 1080p, 1080i.

Consoles have a dedicated blitter which can copy from the frame (game) buffer to the render buffer in the background .. Handling scaling, anti aliasing and so. It also handles the refresh rate, so the when the device is ready to display a new frame... It switches which is the visible frame.

For the switch, it would know when it's targeting it's own screen. In this case it uses a specific format of frame buffer.

When it's not, it's just like any console outputting to a TV. The frame buffer will depend on the console settings... And it's up to the TV to try and display whatever the output signal is.

My point is, there is no need for an upscalar in the dock... And it doesn't make any sense either.

What does make sense, is when the console is plugged into power, that it becomes more powerful. Just like a phone on power saving mode vs when it's plugged into the powerpoin, or a laptop.

It's also possible, it's based on heat dissipation... Devices will slow down if they get too hot. What the dock could do is significantly improve the cooling of the switch (extra fans?) to allow it to run at full speed.

Of course it's possible that the switch is completely different from the WiiU, other consoles and PC games work... But I wouldn't bet on that

@Sakura yep love my 3ds. Favorite system of all time for me. I can't wait for switch though. For me it depends a lot on whether she the Switch has a Eshop and a better selection of Streaming video services like a Roku box. That's part of the deal these days with consoles to cut down on gadgets hooked up to the tv. They don't mention any online services in their announcement trailer.

@Windy Fingers crossed for a launch with robust service choice. Or at least the promise that it's coming soon, since I suppose a decent userbase might be needed to make it viable.

The Switch could be hugely beneficial for Nintendo and consumers. I'm a little at a loss to understand their marketing strategy of not giving any more info until next year. I have to suppose that certain specs aren't yet finalised. That could also explain the relatively modest estimate of 2 million consoles shipped by March; production isn't in full swing. Fingers crossed that their is a master plan and all will become clear in the future.

@Sakura They have done this before in handing down info late in a period of what I consider to be good advertising. Look at where it got them with Wii-U. They need to turn on the hype engine and get it rolling now

@Windy I read somewhere (maybe Eurogamer) that the pace of change in technology means that specs can be changed very late on. That may explain no more details. Also, I think they are trying to make it clear that this is different to the Wii U so they're not showing any touchscreen activity at all yet.

What I'm hoping is that they do a really good job of marketing in January. Missing Christmas for marketing seems a really big risk though. So on the one hand I'm hopeful, but on the other hand I'm wondering what they think they're doing.