In a recent interview the Fire Emblem team at Intelligent Systems said that they were keen to start on a Switch game when Fates was complete, but the Switch dev tools were not ready and thus Echoes on 3DS became their next project. Echoes is now out in Japan, and almost out in the west, and that team is working on Switch now.
I am sure this is the case for all of Nintendo's internal and second party studios. They will finish up any 3DS projects they had in progress and then focus on the Switch from that point onward.
Thus, all of those people who are upset every time Nintendo announces something for 3DS (because they think every dollar should be spent on Switch) need to chill out. It will not be long and Nintendo will be 100% about Switch.
I love the 3DS and I love the fact that Nintendo still have big plans for it. All of those people demanding that Nintendo drop all support for it immediately can go jump in a cold lake. Long live the 3DS!
@Nintendian I think that if it only ran on the N models we would have heard about that by now. More likely Nintendo just want to use the release of a huge game (in Japan) to push their new hardware variant.
I'm sure that the terrible quality of their live Switch event played a big part in this decision. It is much easier to control pacing with a Direct. Besides, big reveals will have just as much impact in a Direct as they would on a big stage.
Nintendo knows that right now they have momentum but they can only keep it going if they have lots of great games to entice people with. Reggie has gone on record to say that Nintendo is planning a big E3 this year. To me that means that there will be multiple surprise reveals. I understand people want to keep their expectations in check to avoid being disappointed. However, I think that E3 this year will actually be very good for fans of Nintendo.
The continuing support of the 3DS is not hurting the Switch because they are both catering to different markets right now. The game market is NOT one big homogenous group of gamers who all have the same priorities. There are, in fact, several different market segments and as a machine moves through its lifecycle it becomes less appealing to some gamers and more appealing to others.
Once upon a time the 3DS was a shiny new thing and it appealed very much to people who like being on the bleeding edge of the market. Those people wanted to experience games that were not possible on their older systems and they were not put off by the high price tag at launch or the relatively thin library. Being in at the beginning was their priority. That market segment has since lost interest in the 3DS because its old and they have mostly moved on the Switch (its the new shiny thing).
The 3DS is now very appealing to niche gamers and budget conscious gamers and those who do not mind being behind the curve. Their priority is to either get systems and games as cheaply as possible or to focus on the kind of niche games that are plentiful at the end of a system's life such as JRPGs (and there are LOTS of those on 3DS right now).
The story does not end here though ...
Once the 3DS is officially discontinued it will start to become appealing to retro gamers and full-set collectors and others who are more interested in video game history than they are in games that are new and hot. Right now many of those people do not even care about the 3DS because it is still too new and there is no real challenge in collecting for it when they can walk into any store and buy the games. They want to have to hunt for them.
It seems that a lot of you guys are thinking entirely in terms of what would sell in the US and Europe when trying to figure out where those 40 million sales numbers are supposed to come from. Dragon Quest XI on 3DS will sell VERY well in Japan. It could generate 5 million in sales by itself. Snack World could end up going very big in Japan as well.
Pokémon Stars on 3DS (only) and one other big game required to drive those software sales projections. My guess is New Super Mario Bros 3 will be revealed for 3DS at E3. Two big name games like that could drive 20 million in software sales between them.
The other 20 million would be spread among some secondary first party titles like the Kirby multi-player game and bigger third party games like Snack World and Yo-Kai Watch (mostly in Japan).
I will wait for reviews before I decide anything on this game. The fact that they made two mediocre games in the past does not mean that every game from this studio will be poor from now until the end of time. Maybe they will surprise us and turn out a real gem this time.
The only time that I ever saw an NES mini in a store was the launch day and in that case I only saw them coming from behind the counter and going into the hands of people who had pre-ordered.
I am sure the main reason that Nintendo is discontinuing the mini is that they want their manufacturing focused on the Switch. They do not want staff spending time procuring parts for a niche product with very low profit margins instead of helping to produce more of their current gen console. However, like the authors of this article, I hope that Nintendo handles their next "mini" product much better.
I would guess that Square-Enix and Sony have a deal in which the PS4 version needs to be on the market for a certain length of time before the Switch version can be launched. The PS4 is finally getting real momentum in Japan and Sony will want toe ensure that this game contributes to their cause.
I absolutely plan to get the 3DS version the first day that it is available in the west. I doubt that Nintendo negotiated for DQ VII and VIII to be localized and did not discuss XI at the same time. Hoping for a Christmas launch in the west.
@Peek-a-boo "For me, the PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch combo is as good as it gets and offers the best of both worlds."
I think that Nintendo is relying on the fact that many people will want to have Switch as their "other" machine for portable gaming in the future. I know lots of people that have a PS4 or X-Box and also have a 3DS. In the future it will PS4 or X-Box (or PC) 4K gaming at home and a Switch for road trips, waiting rooms and Nintendo 1st party games like Mario and Zelda.
On top of that, of course, will be the family market that Nintendo has always done well in and the die-hard Nintendo fans who are happy to own whatever machine allows them to play Nintendo's games, even if it is not as powerful as the competition.
There is lots of room in the market for Switch to do well.
I miss the old days from the 16-bit era when publishers like Capcom and Konami were constantly taking risks with new IPs and they all had 8-10 quality franchises on the go. These days the budget required to develop a single game is so high that most publishers want to have 3-5 IPs that they focus their effort on and they milk those specific IPs to death. People like Monster Hunter so lets give them a new Monster Hunter game every year!
@Jeronan I absolutely love my PS Vita, but I also understand why Sony stopped producing AAA games for it. The ones that they did produce sold below expectations. They also discovered (like Nintendo) that it is really expensive to try and support two separate systems in the modern game market. Thus, they decided to focus 100% on fighting Microsoft for the HD game market and let the Vita be serviced by Japanese third parties and indie developers.
Having said that, the Vita is now over 5 years old and new games are still releasing in the US almost every week. Most are indie games or also have a PS4 version, but I am still happy to be getting those games. Ys VIII on Vita is my most anticipated game this year (so far).
I fully expect that eventually Sony will announce a portable version of the PS4 (with a dock) to try and compete with Switch for the portable game machine market.
I would just like to point out that Super Mario Maker for 3DS has now passed the 1 million mark in Japan. A big raspberry to all of those who claimed it would bomb because it was an inferior port that no one wanted.
We all knew that the Switch would do well in Japan. They love their portable game consoles over there.
What surprises me is how successful it has been elsewhere. I think that the PS Vita suffered in the west because it launched right into the peak of tablet-mania over here. Since that time the tablet market has reached saturation and has slowed down considerably. People are looking for new tech ideas and suddenly an portable HD game console is cool! Unfortunate for Vita, but really good for Switch.
Of course, having Zelda at launch is a big factor as well.
At present time I have no plans to buy a Switch, but that has nothing to do with the Switch itself. I just have too many games in my backlog on GameCube (yes it goes back that far), Wii, DS, 3DS, PSP and Vita. I could probably play games for the next 20 years without buying anything else. Thus, if I do get a Switch it will be years from now.
I am also waiting for news on Monster Hunter Stories. It is much more appealing to me than the main series. I am hoping for a fall release in North America.
You know that a launch is going well when people are trading rumors on which stores are supposed to be getting more units in stock. I know someone who is headed to our local Toys'R'Us today because a clerk told him that they will be getting some Switches in. He did not pre-order because he was not certain if he wanted it just yet. The reviews for Zelda BOTW changed his mind. He has decided that he needs to play that game ASAP.
I still plan to pick this up at some point. Perhaps I will wait for it to be on sale on the eshop.
For all of those complaining that Nintendo is still supporting the 3DS (rather than having 100% of their staff focused on the Switch) this should be an indicator that the remaining 3DS games are NOT being handled by top flight talent.
One game looks less than impressive and we extrapolate from it that the Switch is way underpowered?
I think the issues with this particular game result more from being a quick and dirty port rather than from technical limitations of the Switch hardware. Zelda is a clear example of a game that looks much better and runs much smoother.
People will complain about the lack of a browser right up until they have one. Then they will proceed to not use it since it is infinitely easier to surf on a PC.
Sometime this week Nintendo will probably announce that they have sold over 2 million units world wide. By the end of March it will be 3 million sold. They timed this launch in order to have something really positive to report going into their year end results (end of March). After that things will slow down and they probably will not hit the 4 million mark for a few months. I am hoping that they will have over 6 million sold by the end of the calendar year. That would be an awesome achievement.
I love the concept of the Switch, but I am not sure if I will get one. My gaming backlog across 3DS, Vita, PSP, and Wii is massive. I could play games for 20 years with what I already have. However, if Nintendo ever issue a new Switch variant that has a clamshell design I would probably jump on that.
@rjejr Lego games tend to come down in value very quickly. It will be $40 before Christmas.
I had a chance to play the original on Wii U once and I think the biggest advantage to playing on Switch would be reduced load times. The loads were atrocious on Wii U.
I hope that his "cautious changes" include using a bonded courier service with content insurance the next time that he asks someone to send him a package of rare games.
I am not convinced that these are actually VC titles. Neo Geo games have also been rolling out on PS4 and Vita over the past few months. Plus, I doubt that Nintendo would launch the VC service on Switch with games for a non-Nintendo machine.
The Vita is a quality piece of electronics. As a game machine it is very capable and it plays games that are on par with the PS3. However, it obviously did not do very well and there are two main reasons for that. The first reason was that people felt it was overpriced for a hand held game machine. By the time that you bought the Vita and one of those heinously overpriced proprietary memory cards (which was pretty much mandatory) you had shelled out $320 plus.
The other reason the Vita failed was that Sony and their third parties were producing expensive HD games for it but their market research showed that $40 was about the most that people were willing to pay for handheld games, and they generally wanted to pay much less than that. Thus, they needed to sell a lot more copies to make a profit on Vita than they did on PSP. This led to the infamous decision by Sony to stop producing AAA games for the Vita because the economics did not make sense. In other words, they did not see that they could make a profit selling big budget HD games on a handheld game system.
I am sure that Nintendo watched that situation very closely and they learned from that. If they pitched the Switch as being a handheld game system they would likely run into those same mental blocks with the gaming public. People would expect the Switch to be much cheaper as a handheld game system and for the games to be much cheaper as well. Nintendo want to be able to charge $60 for HD games on Switch, not $40 and thus they need to convince people that it is a home console like the PS4 or Xbox One (which have comparable game prices).
Right now people are saying that Sony is done with portable game systems. I am not so sure about that. I do not think they will ever make a Vita 2. They will not create another HD dedicated handheld game system that requires its own library of games. However, if Switch takes off in a big way then I bet there will eventually be a version of the PS4 that is portable, plays all PS4 software (as downloads) and plugs into a dock for play on a TV with a dual shock 4 controller.
It is quite humorous how every new detail about the Switch results in such angst on this site. Its like you are all in a state of constant nervous agitation about this launch possibly going bad and thus every potentially negative detail gets blown way out of proportion. VC will not be there at launch! Nintendo have no idea what they are doing! THE SKY IS FALLING!!!
Are Nintendo 100% ready to launch this system? No. Will it matter? No.
Switch is the shiny new toy right now and if pre-orders are an indicator it is going to get off to a roaring start. After that its success will not depend much on the Virtual Console, or the size of memory card that ships with it, or the fact that digital games are locked to one machine. It will depend almost 100% on what big games are announced for it and how well it is marketed.
I seriously doubt that the lack of VC at launch will hurt them very much. Having the eshop ready was a much bigger priority. How many people per-ordered a Switch so that they could start playing retro games on it right away?
Breath of the Wild is the reason that the Switch launch is going to be big. Nintendo's decision to showcase it at the last E3 was very good one. Anyone who is into gaming knows that Breath of the Wild is coming and that its going to be awesome. I have talked to a few people who are planning to get the Switch just for Zelda.
Launching in March makes sense. It allows them to sell lots of systems to early adopters and then replenish stock in time to service the holiday shoppers later in the year. It means that Joe Dad who just wants to buy a Christmas present for his kids will not have to compete with the die-hard gamers who will go to extreme lengths to get a unit at launch (waiting in line all night, driving to another city because a store clerk there agreed to put one aside for them etc). I think this will work out very well for Nintendo and they will have a very healthy installed base by the end of 2017. My prediction is 7 million units sold through by year end.
Netflix and YouTube should be standard on any device that has a screen and can connect to the internet. Yes, that means electronic thermostats too!
In all seriousness though, when the Switch is undocked and the joy cons are removed it looks an awful lot like a tablet. It may help to convince some people to jump in if the Switch can actually act like a tablet sometimes (surf the web, watch Netflix etc). I am sure Nintendo is concerned about confusing the public at launch. After the PR fiasco of the Wii U unveil they want to be sure that people are 100% clear on the idea that Switch is a dedicated game machine and not an Android tablet. However, I hope they will bring in some apps down the line.
Personally, I am going to stay on the sidelines and observe where Nintendo goes over the next few years. I have lots of games on my 3DS and Vita to keep me busy while I wait to see if a truly handheld variant of the Switch eventually shows up. I would much prefer something that is roughly the same size as a 3DS XL with clam shell design so if one eventually shows up, I will probably jump on it. Otherwise, if Nintendo surprises me and creates a true successor to the 3DS then that is probably where I would go instead.
I think that the next portable system from Nintendo will be a smaller variant on the Switch even if the full price version of the Switch struggles. My prediction is that the smaller (hopefully clam shell) variant will be released in 2019 to coincide with the next generation of Pokémon. After that both variants will go forward even if the full price version fails to become popular. If all Switch software runs on both variants then there is no reason to drop either of them. You just manufacture more or less of either version as market demand dictates.
I think the main reason that some people really do not like the idea of Nintendo creating a more portable version of the Switch is that they are afraid that it will be more popular than the full size version and the Switch game library will then begin to skew toward lower budget games. It may be that this is exactly what will happen, but would it be better if there was a completely separate Nintendo handheld that ate up the development budget instead? At least with multiple Switch variants you are going to get long term software support and not have to worry about Switch becoming the next Wii U. The handheld form will be popular and if it needs to carry the whole platform forward then so be it.
The second commercial is the most realistic scenario, especially in Japan. I can totally see a group of people meeting up to play a multi-player game where they each have their own system. In Japan that regularly happens with games like Monster Hunter. In fact, the sooner that Monster Hunter comes to Switch in Japan, the better.
Comments 387
Re: Nintendo States That Support for the 3DS Family of Systems Remains Strong
In a recent interview the Fire Emblem team at Intelligent Systems said that they were keen to start on a Switch game when Fates was complete, but the Switch dev tools were not ready and thus Echoes on 3DS became their next project. Echoes is now out in Japan, and almost out in the west, and that team is working on Switch now.
I am sure this is the case for all of Nintendo's internal and second party studios. They will finish up any 3DS projects they had in progress and then focus on the Switch from that point onward.
Thus, all of those people who are upset every time Nintendo announces something for 3DS (because they think every dollar should be spent on Switch) need to chill out. It will not be long and Nintendo will be 100% about Switch.
Re: Nintendo States That Support for the 3DS Family of Systems Remains Strong
I love the 3DS and I love the fact that Nintendo still have big plans for it. All of those people demanding that Nintendo drop all support for it immediately can go jump in a cold lake. Long live the 3DS!
Re: Dragon Quest "Bubble Slime" New Nintendo 2DS XL Revealed for Japan
@Nintendian I think that if it only ran on the N models we would have heard about that by now. More likely Nintendo just want to use the release of a huge game (in Japan) to push their new hardware variant.
Re: Poll: What Do You Think of the New Nintendo 2DS XL?
I already have a 3DS XL and an N3DS XL so it is unlikely that I will pick up a 2DS XL unless I come across one cheap at some point down the road).
Re: New Nintendo 2DS XL Announced, Releases 28th July
I take this as a sign that there are more 3DS games coming that will not run on the original 3DS/2DS hardware.
Re: Surprise, Nintendo Isn't Hosting An E3 Press Conference This Year
I'm sure that the terrible quality of their live Switch event played a big part in this decision. It is much easier to control pacing with a Direct. Besides, big reveals will have just as much impact in a Direct as they would on a big stage.
Re: Talking Point: As Nintendo Switch Looks to Rapidly Overtake Wii U Sales, 3DS Lives On
Nintendo knows that right now they have momentum but they can only keep it going if they have lots of great games to entice people with. Reggie has gone on record to say that Nintendo is planning a big E3 this year. To me that means that there will be multiple surprise reveals. I understand people want to keep their expectations in check to avoid being disappointed. However, I think that E3 this year will actually be very good for fans of Nintendo.
Re: Talking Point: As Nintendo Switch Looks to Rapidly Overtake Wii U Sales, 3DS Lives On
The continuing support of the 3DS is not hurting the Switch because they are both catering to different markets right now. The game market is NOT one big homogenous group of gamers who all have the same priorities. There are, in fact, several different market segments and as a machine moves through its lifecycle it becomes less appealing to some gamers and more appealing to others.
Once upon a time the 3DS was a shiny new thing and it appealed very much to people who like being on the bleeding edge of the market. Those people wanted to experience games that were not possible on their older systems and they were not put off by the high price tag at launch or the relatively thin library. Being in at the beginning was their priority. That market segment has since lost interest in the 3DS because its old and they have mostly moved on the Switch (its the new shiny thing).
The 3DS is now very appealing to niche gamers and budget conscious gamers and those who do not mind being behind the curve. Their priority is to either get systems and games as cheaply as possible or to focus on the kind of niche games that are plentiful at the end of a system's life such as JRPGs (and there are LOTS of those on 3DS right now).
The story does not end here though ...
Once the 3DS is officially discontinued it will start to become appealing to retro gamers and full-set collectors and others who are more interested in video game history than they are in games that are new and hot. Right now many of those people do not even care about the 3DS because it is still too new and there is no real challenge in collecting for it when they can walk into any store and buy the games. They want to have to hunt for them.
Re: Pokémon Drives 3DS Sales Increase, With Another Six Million Systems Expected to Ship This Year
It seems that a lot of you guys are thinking entirely in terms of what would sell in the US and Europe when trying to figure out where those 40 million sales numbers are supposed to come from. Dragon Quest XI on 3DS will sell VERY well in Japan. It could generate 5 million in sales by itself. Snack World could end up going very big in Japan as well.
Re: Pokémon Drives 3DS Sales Increase, With Another Six Million Systems Expected to Ship This Year
Pokémon Stars on 3DS (only) and one other big game required to drive those software sales projections. My guess is New Super Mario Bros 3 will be revealed for 3DS at E3. Two big name games like that could drive 20 million in software sales between them.
The other 20 million would be spread among some secondary first party titles like the Kirby multi-player game and bigger third party games like Snack World and Yo-Kai Watch (mostly in Japan).
Re: Arzest Emerges as Developer of Hey! Pikmin
I will wait for reviews before I decide anything on this game. The fact that they made two mediocre games in the past does not mean that every game from this studio will be poor from now until the end of time. Maybe they will surprise us and turn out a real gem this time.
Re: Talking Point: Nintendo Needs to Learn Lessons From Its NES Mini Mistakes
The only time that I ever saw an NES mini in a store was the launch day and in that case I only saw them coming from behind the counter and going into the hands of people who had pre-ordered.
I am sure the main reason that Nintendo is discontinuing the mini is that they want their manufacturing focused on the Switch. They do not want staff spending time procuring parts for a niche product with very low profit margins instead of helping to produce more of their current gen console. However, like the authors of this article, I hope that Nintendo handles their next "mini" product much better.
Re: Yo-kai Watch 2: Psychic Specters Will Spook the North American Market This Fall
I have skipped all of the YoKai games so far. I willw ait to see reviews before making a decision on this one.
Re: Ever Oasis Journeys to 3DS Owners on 23rd June
I am really looking forward to this one. IF the reviews are good it will be a day one purchase.
Re: Monster Hunter Stories is Coming to the West
This is the best announcement of the Direct for me. Day one purchase!
Re: Dragon Quest XI: In Search of Departed Time Gets 3DS Release Date in Japan, But No Switch Details
I would guess that Square-Enix and Sony have a deal in which the PS4 version needs to be on the market for a certain length of time before the Switch version can be launched. The PS4 is finally getting real momentum in Japan and Sony will want toe ensure that this game contributes to their cause.
Re: Dragon Quest XI: In Search of Departed Time Gets 3DS Release Date in Japan, But No Switch Details
I absolutely plan to get the 3DS version the first day that it is available in the west. I doubt that Nintendo negotiated for DQ VII and VIII to be localized and did not discuss XI at the same time. Hoping for a Christmas launch in the west.
Re: Talking Point: PS4 Pro and Xbox Scorpio Draw Battle Lines, But Nintendo Goes Its Own Way With Switch
@Peek-a-boo "For me, the PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch combo is as good as it gets and offers the best of both worlds."
I think that Nintendo is relying on the fact that many people will want to have Switch as their "other" machine for portable gaming in the future. I know lots of people that have a PS4 or X-Box and also have a 3DS. In the future it will PS4 or X-Box (or PC) 4K gaming at home and a Switch for road trips, waiting rooms and Nintendo 1st party games like Mario and Zelda.
On top of that, of course, will be the family market that Nintendo has always done well in and the die-hard Nintendo fans who are happy to own whatever machine allows them to play Nintendo's games, even if it is not as powerful as the competition.
There is lots of room in the market for Switch to do well.
Re: Capcom Admits Monster Hunter Stories Performed Below Expectations
I miss the old days from the 16-bit era when publishers like Capcom and Konami were constantly taking risks with new IPs and they all had 8-10 quality franchises on the go. These days the budget required to develop a single game is so high that most publishers want to have 3-5 IPs that they focus their effort on and they milk those specific IPs to death. People like Monster Hunter so lets give them a new Monster Hunter game every year!
Re: Nintendo Direct Confirmed For 12th April - Focused on Splatoon 2, ARMS and More
All I really want is a release date for Ever Oasis and a confirmation of Monster Hunter Stories coming west. Is that too much to ask?
Re: Nintendo Switch Hardware Sales Grow in Japan as Monster Hunter Stays at Number One
@Jeronan I absolutely love my PS Vita, but I also understand why Sony stopped producing AAA games for it. The ones that they did produce sold below expectations. They also discovered (like Nintendo) that it is really expensive to try and support two separate systems in the modern game market. Thus, they decided to focus 100% on fighting Microsoft for the HD game market and let the Vita be serviced by Japanese third parties and indie developers.
Having said that, the Vita is now over 5 years old and new games are still releasing in the US almost every week. Most are indie games or also have a PS4 version, but I am still happy to be getting those games. Ys VIII on Vita is my most anticipated game this year (so far).
I fully expect that eventually Sony will announce a portable version of the PS4 (with a dock) to try and compete with Switch for the portable game machine market.
Re: Nintendo Switch Hardware Sales Grow in Japan as Monster Hunter Stays at Number One
I would just like to point out that Super Mario Maker for 3DS has now passed the 1 million mark in Japan. A big raspberry to all of those who claimed it would bomb because it was an inferior port that no one wanted.
Re: Nintendo Switch Is Selling Faster In Japan Than The PS4 Did, But Not As Quick As The Wii U
We all knew that the Switch would do well in Japan. They love their portable game consoles over there.
What surprises me is how successful it has been elsewhere. I think that the PS Vita suffered in the west because it launched right into the peak of tablet-mania over here. Since that time the tablet market has reached saturation and has slowed down considerably. People are looking for new tech ideas and suddenly an portable HD game console is cool! Unfortunate for Vita, but really good for Switch.
Of course, having Zelda at launch is a big factor as well.
Re: Atlus Confirms Etrian Mystery Dungeon 2 And Shin Megami Tensei: Deep Strange Journey For 3DS
Strange Journey is interesting to me. Hope it comes west.
I am not interested in Mystery Dungeon games so I would give that one a pass.
Re: Video: Nintendo's Fire Emblem Echoes Overview Shows How It Shakes Up the Formula
Long live 3DS!
This one is a day-one purchase for me.
Re: Nintendo Download: 16th March (North America)
I have Sky Force Anniversary on Vita and it is quite good.
Re: Talking Point: Nintendo Switch Has Started Well - Now the Real Challenge Begins
Stores in Canada were getting new stock last week.
Re: Poll: One Week On - How Do You Feel About the Nintendo Switch?
At present time I have no plans to buy a Switch, but that has nothing to do with the Switch itself. I just have too many games in my backlog on GameCube (yes it goes back that far), Wii, DS, 3DS, PSP and Vita. I could probably play games for the next 20 years without buying anything else. Thus, if I do get a Switch it will be years from now.
Re: Zelda: Breath Of The Wild Content Is Coming To Monster Hunter XX
I am also waiting for news on Monster Hunter Stories. It is much more appealing to me than the main series. I am hoping for a fall release in North America.
Re: Nintendo Switch Demand Prompts GameStop to Offer Ludicrous Bundle for Delivery by 16th April
You know that a launch is going well when people are trading rumors on which stores are supposed to be getting more units in stock. I know someone who is headed to our local Toys'R'Us today because a clerk told him that they will be getting some Switches in. He did not pre-order because he was not certain if he wanted it just yet. The reviews for Zelda BOTW changed his mind. He has decided that he needs to play that game ASAP.
Re: Review: Mario Sports Superstars (3DS)
I still plan to pick this up at some point. Perhaps I will wait for it to be on sale on the eshop.
For all of those complaining that Nintendo is still supporting the 3DS (rather than having 100% of their staff focused on the Switch) this should be an indicator that the remaining 3DS games are NOT being handled by top flight talent.
Re: Video: Digital Foundry Pits Nintendo Switch vs. PS4 in Dragon Quest Heroes II Comparison
One game looks less than impressive and we extrapolate from it that the Switch is way underpowered?
I think the issues with this particular game result more from being a quick and dirty port rather than from technical limitations of the Switch hardware. Zelda is a clear example of a game that looks much better and runs much smoother.
Re: Feature: We Grade the Various Nintendo Switch Launch Complaints from the Web
People will complain about the lack of a browser right up until they have one. Then they will proceed to not use it since it is infinitely easier to surf on a PC.
Re: GameStop Describes Nintendo Switch Launch as "One of the Strongest" in Recent Years
Sometime this week Nintendo will probably announce that they have sold over 2 million units world wide. By the end of March it will be 3 million sold. They timed this launch in order to have something really positive to report going into their year end results (end of March). After that things will slow down and they probably will not hit the 4 million mark for a few months. I am hoping that they will have over 6 million sold by the end of the calendar year. That would be an awesome achievement.
Re: Guide: Nintendo Switch Dock Scratching Your Screen? Try This DIY Fix
I am sure that Nintendo will correct this issue for future hardware by installing some kind of foam padding. They should have done that already.
Re: Hardware Review: Nintendo Switch: Nintendo's Most Important Console Yet
I love the concept of the Switch, but I am not sure if I will get one. My gaming backlog across 3DS, Vita, PSP, and Wii is massive. I could play games for 20 years with what I already have. However, if Nintendo ever issue a new Switch variant that has a clamshell design I would probably jump on that.
Re: Nintendo Switch Battery Test Reveals Some Surprising Results
Good thing they did not include the Neo Geo Pocket Color in their test. They would still be waiting for the batteries to run dry.
Re: Lego City Undercover Makes The Jump To The Nintendo Switch On 4th April
@rjejr Lego games tend to come down in value very quickly. It will be $40 before Christmas.
I had a chance to play the original on Wii U once and I think the biggest advantage to playing on Switch would be reduced load times. The loads were atrocious on Wii U.
Re: USPS Recovers Lost Package Containing $10,000 in Rare SNES Cartridges
I hope that his "cautious changes" include using a bonded courier service with content insurance the next time that he asks someone to send him a package of rare games.
Re: Japanese Nintendo Switch Owners Will Be Playing Neo Geo Games Next Month
I am not convinced that these are actually VC titles. Neo Geo games have also been rolling out on PS4 and Vita over the past few months. Plus, I doubt that Nintendo would launch the VC service on Switch with games for a non-Nintendo machine.
Of course, I could be wrong.
Re: Parent Trap: A Family Gamer's Perspective On The Nintendo Switch
Why the derisive comments about PS Vita?
The Vita is a quality piece of electronics. As a game machine it is very capable and it plays games that are on par with the PS3. However, it obviously did not do very well and there are two main reasons for that. The first reason was that people felt it was overpriced for a hand held game machine. By the time that you bought the Vita and one of those heinously overpriced proprietary memory cards (which was pretty much mandatory) you had shelled out $320 plus.
The other reason the Vita failed was that Sony and their third parties were producing expensive HD games for it but their market research showed that $40 was about the most that people were willing to pay for handheld games, and they generally wanted to pay much less than that. Thus, they needed to sell a lot more copies to make a profit on Vita than they did on PSP. This led to the infamous decision by Sony to stop producing AAA games for the Vita because the economics did not make sense. In other words, they did not see that they could make a profit selling big budget HD games on a handheld game system.
I am sure that Nintendo watched that situation very closely and they learned from that. If they pitched the Switch as being a handheld game system they would likely run into those same mental blocks with the gaming public. People would expect the Switch to be much cheaper as a handheld game system and for the games to be much cheaper as well. Nintendo want to be able to charge $60 for HD games on Switch, not $40 and thus they need to convince people that it is a home console like the PS4 or Xbox One (which have comparable game prices).
Right now people are saying that Sony is done with portable game systems. I am not so sure about that. I do not think they will ever make a Vita 2. They will not create another HD dedicated handheld game system that requires its own library of games. However, if Switch takes off in a big way then I bet there will eventually be a version of the PS4 that is portable, plays all PS4 software (as downloads) and plugs into a dock for play on a TV with a dual shock 4 controller.
Re: Virtual Console Will Not Be Ready For Nintendo Switch Launch
@PlywoodStick
Ahhhh ... true, true. I had forgotten about the mini.
Re: Virtual Console Will Not Be Ready For Nintendo Switch Launch
It is quite humorous how every new detail about the Switch results in such angst on this site. Its like you are all in a state of constant nervous agitation about this launch possibly going bad and thus every potentially negative detail gets blown way out of proportion. VC will not be there at launch! Nintendo have no idea what they are doing! THE SKY IS FALLING!!!
Are Nintendo 100% ready to launch this system? No.
Will it matter? No.
Switch is the shiny new toy right now and if pre-orders are an indicator it is going to get off to a roaring start. After that its success will not depend much on the Virtual Console, or the size of memory card that ships with it, or the fact that digital games are locked to one machine. It will depend almost 100% on what big games are announced for it and how well it is marketed.
Re: Virtual Console Will Not Be Ready For Nintendo Switch Launch
I seriously doubt that the lack of VC at launch will hurt them very much. Having the eshop ready was a much bigger priority. How many people per-ordered a Switch so that they could start playing retro games on it right away?
Re: Guide: Nintendo Switch Launch Games: The Complete List
Breath of the Wild is the reason that the Switch launch is going to be big. Nintendo's decision to showcase it at the last E3 was very good one. Anyone who is into gaming knows that Breath of the Wild is coming and that its going to be awesome. I have talked to a few people who are planning to get the Switch just for Zelda.
Re: GameStop Director on Demand and Timing for the Switch
Launching in March makes sense. It allows them to sell lots of systems to early adopters and then replenish stock in time to service the holiday shoppers later in the year. It means that Joe Dad who just wants to buy a Christmas present for his kids will not have to compete with the die-hard gamers who will go to extreme lengths to get a unit at launch (waiting in line all night, driving to another city because a store clerk there agreed to put one aside for them etc). I think this will work out very well for Nintendo and they will have a very healthy installed base by the end of 2017. My prediction is 7 million units sold through by year end.
Re: Poll: Does Nintendo Switch Need Streaming Apps and a Web Browser, Or Is It All About Games?
Netflix and YouTube should be standard on any device that has a screen and can connect to the internet. Yes, that means electronic thermostats too!
In all seriousness though, when the Switch is undocked and the joy cons are removed it looks an awful lot like a tablet. It may help to convince some people to jump in if the Switch can actually act like a tablet sometimes (surf the web, watch Netflix etc). I am sure Nintendo is concerned about confusing the public at launch. After the PR fiasco of the Wii U unveil they want to be sure that people are 100% clear on the idea that Switch is a dedicated game machine and not an Android tablet. However, I hope they will bring in some apps down the line.
Re: Talking Point: Considering Nintendo's Portable Future
Personally, I am going to stay on the sidelines and observe where Nintendo goes over the next few years. I have lots of games on my 3DS and Vita to keep me busy while I wait to see if a truly handheld variant of the Switch eventually shows up. I would much prefer something that is roughly the same size as a 3DS XL with clam shell design so if one eventually shows up, I will probably jump on it. Otherwise, if Nintendo surprises me and creates a true successor to the 3DS then that is probably where I would go instead.
Re: Talking Point: Considering Nintendo's Portable Future
I think that the next portable system from Nintendo will be a smaller variant on the Switch even if the full price version of the Switch struggles. My prediction is that the smaller (hopefully clam shell) variant will be released in 2019 to coincide with the next generation of Pokémon. After that both variants will go forward even if the full price version fails to become popular. If all Switch software runs on both variants then there is no reason to drop either of them. You just manufacture more or less of either version as market demand dictates.
I think the main reason that some people really do not like the idea of Nintendo creating a more portable version of the Switch is that they are afraid that it will be more popular than the full size version and the Switch game library will then begin to skew toward lower budget games. It may be that this is exactly what will happen, but would it be better if there was a completely separate Nintendo handheld that ate up the development budget instead? At least with multiple Switch variants you are going to get long term software support and not have to worry about Switch becoming the next Wii U. The handheld form will be popular and if it needs to carry the whole platform forward then so be it.
Re: Video: Trio Of Japanese Nintendo Switch Commercials Communicate Core Features
The second commercial is the most realistic scenario, especially in Japan. I can totally see a group of people meeting up to play a multi-player game where they each have their own system. In Japan that regularly happens with games like Monster Hunter. In fact, the sooner that Monster Hunter comes to Switch in Japan, the better.