This is the way to keep a game selling over time. You keep adding new content so that people who already own it feel like it is the gift that keeps on giving, and those who have not bitten yet will find it harder and harder to ignore.
I hope that their next game will be done in a 16-bit style but retain the same idea of a game with pre-planned updates that come over a two year period.
I get why people are ticked off about the differences from the Wii U version, but I also think that it will have no impact on sales for this game. Most of the 60 million plus people who own a 3DS will not care how this game compares to the Wii U version and will probably do no research on the subject.
I know lots of people are focused on what the game does not do (compared to the Wii U original) but I am focused on what it does do. It provides me with a ton of 2D Mario levels to play through. It lets me (and my kids) create levels to challenge each other with. I really don't care if I can share my levels with the internet or not. This is a must buy for me.
I also think that this game will do very well for Nintendo.
Most of the people who own a 3DS do not have a Wii U and will therefore not care if this version is comparable or adds anything new over the Wii U version. They will only care about the fact that this is a new Mario game on 3DS that allows them to create their own levels and share them with friends. I predict that the 3DS version will eventually outsell the Wii U version.
There have been two occasions this year when I really wanted a Nintendo product and could not get it. The first was the Fire Emblem Fates special edition. This one is particularly strange. When it became obvious that demand for the product was very high Nintendo should have made plans to produce more. Instead they stuck to the story that Limited editions should be limited. The real reason (of course) is that they had a contract to produce X number of the special art book and case and did not want to have to negotiate for more. The result was lots of people who were upset that they could not get it.
The second case is the controller for the NES mini. I want one to use with my VC titles on the Wii. In this case I am not so upset because I know that if I am patient I will eventually be able to get one at MSRP. That will probably happen shortly after Christmas when Nintendo finally catch up to demand.
However, I still think that Nintendo screwed up big time by under shipping the NES mini. It may be that most people who want one will keep trying until they get one. However, I bet there will be lots of potential customers who will get tired of calling around to find one and will chose to spend the money elsewhere.
If Nintendo does not find a way to get significant stock of the NES mini into stores before Christmas then they will have missed the opportunity. Demand will drop off significantly once the gift giving season is over.
I never got around to buying a Wii U because I was a late adopter for the Wii and figured I could wait for the Wii U to come down into impulse purchase price range (which it never did). Now with the Switch on the horizon, and knowing that most of the games I would have wanted on the Wii U will be available on 3DS and/or Switch eventually, it leaves me with very little incentive to get one.
In many ways the Wii U and PS Vita suffered the same fate. Both appeared to be a good idea on paper, launched well and then started a long slide into obscurity. Both systems have a few standout games but mostly get by on indie releases now with true AAA games being few and far between. Both systems were let down by a platform holder that was not fully invested and preferred to focus on their other system (PS4 or 3DS) once it became obvious that supporting two systems was too expensive and spread them too thin.
The true legacy of the Wii U will be that it taught Nintendo what they needed to do with the Switch. Switch is what Wii U should have been (if the tech had been available to do it at the time). However, I still predict that Switch will struggle to get third party exclusives just like every other Nintendo console going back to the N64.
This just goes to show that fools and their money are soon parted. People who paid over $200 will walk into stores in January, see a stack of NES mini systems selling at $60 (or less) and feel very foolish for having been so impatient.
My main reason for wanting this game is to have lots of Mario levels to play through so it sounds like this is must buy for me. I am sure that my kids will have fun with the level editor, but I will probably not use it much.
I made an attempt to get one of the controllers to use with my Wii VC games, but it was hopeless. The two stores that I went to each received very limited stock of extra controllers and they went to people with pre-orders. I am going to wait until after Christmas before I go looking again.
As for scalpers, such people only exist because there are other people who are actually willing to pay the huge mark-up in order to get a product right now rather than wait for restock. Sooner or later Nintendo's supply will catch up with demand and then you will be able to walk into any electronics store and get one at MSRP. People need to learn to be patient and pay the right price rather than panic and spend whatever the going rate is on EBay.
I would personally love to see scalpers spend lots of money to buy 4 or 5 systems and then not be able to sell any of them until their price comes down to MSRP. Let them sweat wondering if they just spent this month's rent money on something that they will not be able to flip like they thought they would.
I am going to head out later and try to get one of those controllers to use with my Wii VC titles, however, judging by reports here it may be that I will be unsuccessful. It floors me that Nintendo would spend months getting people hyped about the machine and then not have enough units to meet demand.
I suspect that many people within Nintendo were doubtful of the Wii U's ability to succeed even before they launched it. The Switch is the system that they wanted to make, but could not do at the time. They knew that what they were putting out was weak in several areas and thus they were not surprised when it failed to get people excited. It almost feels like the Wii U was a stop gap measure that they used to bridge themselves and keep their development staff busy until the technology existed for Switch to be a reality.
I suspect that Switch will be much more successful, partly because Nintendo will be much more invested in it and partly because they resolved most of the issues that held back the Wii U. You can take it with you on the go. It has the power to do decent HD games and it is supposedly much easier for third parties to work with (Unreal Engine 4 and easier dev tools). I bet that they will also spend a lot of money promoting it.
The fact that Wii, DS and 3DS were all successful allowed Nintendo the space to slough off the Wii U. However, Switch is their future now so you can bet that Nintendo will go all-in to make it a success.
As time passes the New 3DS seems more and more to have been a mistake. It did not attract the games that Nintendo was hoping it would (i.e. Games that actually take advantage of its extra horsepower) and it likely delayed Nintendo's ability to cut the price of the 3DS platform.
Aside from that, I think that the 3DS has lots of room left in the market. I predict that it will end with lifetime sales (for the whole product of line) of 70 million+ which is more than decent, especially with the huge competition from smart phones and tablets.
I know there are some people that think Nintendo should focus 100% on the Switch going forward and put the 3DS out to pasture alongside the Wii U. However, no platform holder ever cuts a system until it stops being profitable. 3DS games are cheap to produce (compared to HD games) and still sell well enough to be profitable for Nintendo and their third party partners. I suspect it will remain that way until 2018 at least.
3DS finally comes into impulse purchase territory just in time for the launch of new Pokemon games and with Super Mario Maker 3DS on the horizon. I think 3DS will sell very well this holiday.
@JonSpangler That is how I read it also. This is not about gamers trading in their Wii-U games for free Switch games. This is about stores getting rid of unsellable stock. One of the natural consequences of a console that flopped is retailers stuck with unsold inventory. Nintendo wants to make it easy for the big retailers to get behind Switch in a big way. It is unlikely that any such plan will trickle down to the end users.
The other important factor for Nintendo is that they need to have a very strong software line-up through the entire first year on the market. The lack of games in the Wii-U's first year was part of what killed its early momentum. Ports are an easy way for Nintendo to fill out the launch period while they beaver away on exclusive new games. It may very well be that during that first year many Wii-U owners are underwhelmed by what they are seeing on Switch because there will not be a lot that they cannot already play on Wii-U. By year two that situation will change as both Nintendo and their third parties start rolling out more original Switch games.
Current Wii-U owners need to remember that they are not the target audience for ports. There will be many Switch owners who never had a Wii-U and will therefore be much keener on the idea of Mario Kart 8, Splatoon and Smash Bros 4 on Switch. Since the Switch is not backward compatible it makes sense for Nintendo to bring them over as ultimate editions.
Having said that, it would also be nice if Nintendo made the additional content in the Switch versions available as DLC for Wii-U owners as well. Having the Switch and Wii-U versions compatible for online multiplayer would also be nice.
10 years from now people will be paying good money for the Wii U as a collectable. The fact that it has a very high ratio of quality games in its small line-up will make it very appealing as a full-set collectable system.
Tec Toy have been selling officially licensed Master System and Genesis games and systems in Brazil since the early 90s. Some of the most collectable Master System games were only released in Brazil by Tec Toy (such as the Master System version of Mickey Mouse Legend of Illusion which was Game Gear only in other territories).
@rjejr Fair points. I agree that Nintendo will have a rough time selling the Switch to casual gamers at $300 and I think that Nintendo knows it. My personal opinion is that they need to keep pumping the 3DS because they know that Switch will take some time to ramp up and will not really take off until the price is closer to $200. In the meantime, strong sales of 3DS will help to pad the bottom line.
@rjejr
The fact is that Apple and Android ARE Nintendo's competition these days.
Nintendo knows that they are NOT going to lure people away from Sony and Microsoft. The crowd that wants to play Halo, Uncharted and Grand Theft Auto is not going to switch to a Nintendo machine, even if it was more powerful. They will stay where the mature games are, and where most of the mature games will continue to be in the future.
Meanwhile, Nintendo wants to get the family, casual and "broad spectrum" gaming market back. They had that market nicely wrapped up during the Wii/DS generation and then Apple and Android stole a good chunk of it away from them with their fancy tablets. Switch is very much designed to lure that crowd back to Nintendo by promising that they can have the convenience of a tablet with proper controls and the ability to play on TV, all in a single, out-of-the-box solution.
As for why Nintendo are calling it a home console, I think that has to do with pricing. If they pitch it as a portable game device then the price may look too high. Both 3DS and Vita were deemed to be too expensive at launch because people have expectations that portable machines should be much cheaper than home consoles. As time goes by, and the price comes down, the portability will become the big selling point.
So far every detail confirmed or rumored points to Switch being better than the Wii U but not as powerful as the PS4 and Xbox One. I am perfectly OK with that. Nintendo have always made better games with less powerful technology because they put the focus on gameplay above all else. 4GB of RAM in the hardware and 16-32GB on the carts is more than enough for a generation of awesome games beyond anything Nintendo have produced to date.
As for third party games, I doubt that Switch will be getting the same big budget third party games that PS4 and Xbox One get. It will be more like 8 years ago when PS3/Xbox 360 got one version of a game and Wii got something different that was more suited to the hardware.
The fact that Nintendo is planning to use carts for the Switch means that we are not going to see huge games (in terms of file size) on the machine. They do not want to produce 30GB carts. Personally, I think it would be realistic for us to assume that Switch games will be comparable to Wii U games in terms of file size. Switch is not going to get the monster 40GB games that come to the PS4 and Xbox One.
@rjejr I have to admit that I am confused by what Nintendo is doing with the Wii U. I am sure there is lots of unsold stock in stores to add to what they are shipping, but they are not really trying to sell any of it. Perhaps there will be a price cut for Black Friday or a surprise bundle later this year, but I doubt it.
The next financial update will be much better. Pokémon Sun and Moon will sell in the zillions and Super Mario Maker 3DS will also be strong. I think NES mini will be one of the hot toys this Christmas. This is a transition time for Nintendo so the fact that they were able to post a profit overall should make investors happy.
I fully expect Nintendo to have multiple form factors for the Switch eventually, but I doubt that any form factor will omit the screen. My gut feel is that Nintendo will eventually release a Switch mini that is just a smaller version of the Switch with a longer battery life so that it is more friendly for kids and fans of portable game systems.
As for pricing of the Switch, I expect the basic package to be the Switch console and the Joy Con controller for $300 at launch. The docking station will cost extra unless you get the premium bundle that will obviously be available. Gamers who want to have the full Switch setup (console, docking station and pro controller) will be looking at $400 at launch.
Nintendo knows this is not mass market pricing and that is why they are still making lots of games for the 3DS. They need the 3DS to bring in lots of profits while they ramp up the Switch user base. I predict that by the end of 2017 Switch will have sold 5-6 million units. By Christmas 2018 you will be able to buy a Switch package with the console, docking station and the new Mario game for $350 and that is when things will start to really pick up for the system. Lots of kids will get a Switch for Christmas in 2018.
Switch will be huge in Japan where even adults like to get together on their breaks and play multi-player video games via Wii-Fi.
In the West Switch will have to fight to get the attention of the mainstream young adult culture. Kids will love it, and they will absolutely take it to their friends house to play. Western adults are more likely to play Switch at home and rarely (if ever) take it out and about. That puts Switch in direct competition with PS4 and Xbox One ...
... unless it turns out that Switch does have a touch screen and many other uses besides just playing games. I am sure that when Nintendo finally do a full reveal it will turn out that Switch is much more like a tablet than the teaser video let on. I am sure that it will have YouTube and a web browser and the ability to watch movies and listen to music. It will not be nearly as full featured as an Apple or Android device, and it will be Wi-Fi only for web access, but there will be extra value there. If so, then that could prompt more gamers to buy Switch and actually take it out with them.
I fully expect that many of the best Wii U games will be repackaged for Switch in one way or another. It would be an easy way fro Nintendo to milk some more money out of those past investments.
I doubt that 3DS games will show up on Switch any time soon. Nintendo has made it clear that they intend to fully support the 3DS as a product alongside Switch.
@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 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).
I really like the concept of the Switch. Back in 2008 I bought a TV out cable for my PSP and I thought it was neat that I could play PSP games on my TV, but I wished that I could use a docking station and play with a real controller when I was at home. I am surprised that it has taken this long for one of the big manufacturers to do something so obvious. It should be said that PSP games did not look very good blown up in HD so maybe they needed to wait for the handheld to be powerful enough to actually look good on a big screen.
I fully expect that if the Switch is a big hit then it will not take long for Sony to announce a portable version of the PS4 with a docking station that allows it to broadcast to a TV and use a dual shock 4 controller.
Nintendo revealed the system now so that they can discuss it openly with their investors next week. However, it makes sense to wait until after Christmas to really start building the hype. Besides, it will give developers extra time to polish the launch games before they need to be shown off in a big way. By mid January the launch titles should be in their final form.
The Switch will be absolutely HUGE in Japan where handhelds rule. Expect Monster Hunter and Pokémon on Switch to be massive.
Elsewhere it will take some time to ramp up. The high-end PS4/Xbox One crowd are not going to get super excited about this unless they buy it as their "other" system for games on the go and the odd big excluiev. However, it will appeal to families (the 3DS crowd) and fans of Nintendo games.
@chansey I have exactly the opposite opinion. It looks perfect for children. They do not care as much about high end performance and the ability to take it to a friend's house and play will be very cool for kids. They will do that far more often than adults will!
If it is an exclusive then it will be a timed exclusive. Remember that Rayman Legends was touted as a Wii U exclusive when it was first revealed. That did not last long. Ubisoft goes where the money is.
The exception could be if Nintendo are partially funding development in order to keep it exclusive. Considering how poor their 3rd party support has been in recent years, throwing some money at big studios to get exclusives is not a bad idea.
I fully expect the NX to be at least $250 US at launch. Nintendo knows this price is high and that is why they are still fully supporting the 3DS as their low-end product next year.
I also think that "ultimate" additions of MK8, SSB and Splatoon are almost a given on NX. Each will include all of the Wii U DLC.
@rferrari24 If that is so then perhaps NX will be revealed shortly before that Oct 26th meeting. IT would make sense that they would want to reveal the system and get positive press about it before the meeting so that they can discuss it openly with the investors who will very much interested in what Nintendo's plans are for the next six months.
I have stopped caring for the time being. I am sure that when the reveal finally comes I will sit up and take notice, but for now I am tired of waiting around for it to happen. In fact, the longer the wait goes the more I believe that the software is not ready to show, and will not be ready to support a launch in March 2017. If I was placing a bet today I would put my money on a delay until summer or fall 2017. And honestly, if they need to wait until then for the right launch games to be available then so be it. They need the launch to go well.
If you believe the Nintendo line that they are worried about copy cat products then I honestly think that there is no longer any benefit to Nintendo continuing to keep NX secret. The gaming world seems to agree that the Eurogamer reports are true and the NX will be a handheld system with a docking station for HDTV and detachable controllers. So, if that is their big innovation that they do not want copied then its already too late. Based on how positive the reaction to those rumors has been you can bet that there is already at least one company working on a solution to make the IPad mimic that functionality.
However, I think the real reason that Nintendo are not rushing to show NX is that they are waiting for certain key games to be advanced enough to show them off and really wow people. They don't want to show tech demos or just announce titles they are working on. They want to show nearly complete games that people will get excited to play and then only have to wait about 4-5 months for the official release.
3DS is a successful product with a large installed base. 3DS games are relatively cheap to produce and thus do not require as many units sold to turn a profit as HD titles do. Nintendo can keep turning out 3DS games without committing too much of its development staff. Thus, 3DS provides Nintendo with an excellent legacy product to help drive profits while Nintendo ramps us the installed base for NX.
Wii U games are HD. Much higher budgets required. Much larger development teams required. Due to the low installed base many of those games will struggle to make any money. This is the exact logic that Sony used when they announced that they would no longer produce ANY first party AAA games for the Vita. They made that decision after 2.5 years of support and by the time they actually said it officially the first party games were already down to a trickle.
I understand why Wii U owners are unhappy. I also understand why Nintendo cannot continue to make games for the Wii U.
Comments 387
Re: My Nintendo Gets Plenty of Legend of Zelda Goodies in North America
The 30th anniversary theme looks cool so I will probably spend some points on it.
Re: Video: Prepare for Pixel Goodness With the Shovel Knight: Specter of Torment Trailer
This is the way to keep a game selling over time. You keep adding new content so that people who already own it feel like it is the gift that keeps on giving, and those who have not bitten yet will find it harder and harder to ignore.
I hope that their next game will be done in a 16-bit style but retain the same idea of a game with pre-planned updates that come over a two year period.
Re: Review: Super Mario Maker for Nintendo 3DS (3DS)
I get why people are ticked off about the differences from the Wii U version, but I also think that it will have no impact on sales for this game. Most of the 60 million plus people who own a 3DS will not care how this game compares to the Wii U version and will probably do no research on the subject.
Re: Video: Catch Up With the Latest Story Trailer for Dragon Quest VIII: Journey of the Cursed King
This will be a day one purchase for me. Hope it sells well so that DQXI on 3DS will be brought over as well.
Re: Review: Super Mario Maker for Nintendo 3DS (3DS)
I know lots of people are focused on what the game does not do (compared to the Wii U original) but I am focused on what it does do. It provides me with a ton of 2D Mario levels to play through. It lets me (and my kids) create levels to challenge each other with. I really don't care if I can share my levels with the internet or not. This is a must buy for me.
I also think that this game will do very well for Nintendo.
Re: Feature: Super Mario Maker FAQs - The Key Differences between the Wii U and 3DS Versions
Most of the people who own a 3DS do not have a Wii U and will therefore not care if this version is comparable or adds anything new over the Wii U version. They will only care about the fact that this is a new Mario game on 3DS that allows them to create their own levels and share them with friends. I predict that the 3DS version will eventually outsell the Wii U version.
Re: Soapbox: Nintendo, the NES Mini and Ongoing Stock Problems
There have been two occasions this year when I really wanted a Nintendo product and could not get it. The first was the Fire Emblem Fates special edition. This one is particularly strange. When it became obvious that demand for the product was very high Nintendo should have made plans to produce more. Instead they stuck to the story that Limited editions should be limited. The real reason (of course) is that they had a contract to produce X number of the special art book and case and did not want to have to negotiate for more. The result was lots of people who were upset that they could not get it.
The second case is the controller for the NES mini. I want one to use with my VC titles on the Wii. In this case I am not so upset because I know that if I am patient I will eventually be able to get one at MSRP. That will probably happen shortly after Christmas when Nintendo finally catch up to demand.
However, I still think that Nintendo screwed up big time by under shipping the NES mini. It may be that most people who want one will keep trying until they get one. However, I bet there will be lots of potential customers who will get tired of calling around to find one and will chose to spend the money elsewhere.
Re: Pokémon Sun and Moon Led Black Friday Game Sales, NES Mini Among 'Most Likely' to be Out of Stock
If Nintendo does not find a way to get significant stock of the NES mini into stores before Christmas then they will have missed the opportunity. Demand will drop off significantly once the gift giving season is over.
Re: Poll: The Wii U is Four Years Old, But What Is Its Legacy?
I never got around to buying a Wii U because I was a late adopter for the Wii and figured I could wait for the Wii U to come down into impulse purchase price range (which it never did). Now with the Switch on the horizon, and knowing that most of the games I would have wanted on the Wii U will be available on 3DS and/or Switch eventually, it leaves me with very little incentive to get one.
In many ways the Wii U and PS Vita suffered the same fate. Both appeared to be a good idea on paper, launched well and then started a long slide into obscurity. Both systems have a few standout games but mostly get by on indie releases now with true AAA games being few and far between. Both systems were let down by a platform holder that was not fully invested and preferred to focus on their other system (PS4 or 3DS) once it became obvious that supporting two systems was too expensive and spread them too thin.
The true legacy of the Wii U will be that it taught Nintendo what they needed to do with the Switch. Switch is what Wii U should have been (if the tech had been available to do it at the time). However, I still predict that Switch will struggle to get third party exclusives just like every other Nintendo console going back to the N64.
Re: eBay Reports an Average NES Mini Sale Price of Over $200
This just goes to show that fools and their money are soon parted. People who paid over $200 will walk into stores in January, see a stack of NES mini systems selling at $60 (or less) and feel very foolish for having been so impatient.
Re: Preview: Getting Creative in Super Mario Maker for Nintendo 3DS
My main reason for wanting this game is to have lots of Mario levels to play through so it sounds like this is must buy for me. I am sure that my kids will have fun with the level editor, but I will probably not use it much.
Re: First Shipment of Pokémon Sun and Moon Passes 10 Million Units
I will be buying both versions, one for me and one for my son to play.
Re: Rumour: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild Won't Be Ready by March
Reason #3 for not buying any system at launch:
Most launch games are rushed to make the launch date.
Re: New 3DS Jikkyou Powerful Pro Baseball Title Will Include Super Mario Content
I wish this game would come to the US. However, all previous entries that were released here flopped so it is highly unlikely.
Re: Nintendo of America Promises 'Steady Flow' of NES Classic Edition Units Through Holiday Period
I remember the Wii having shortages. I have never heard anyone say that they tried to get a Wii U at launch and couldn't find one.
Re: Limited Stock Brings Out the Inevitable NES Mini Scalpers
I made an attempt to get one of the controllers to use with my Wii VC games, but it was hopeless. The two stores that I went to each received very limited stock of extra controllers and they went to people with pre-orders. I am going to wait until after Christmas before I go looking again.
As for scalpers, such people only exist because there are other people who are actually willing to pay the huge mark-up in order to get a product right now rather than wait for restock. Sooner or later Nintendo's supply will catch up with demand and then you will be able to walk into any electronics store and get one at MSRP. People need to learn to be patient and pay the right price rather than panic and spend whatever the going rate is on EBay.
I would personally love to see scalpers spend lots of money to buy 4 or 5 systems and then not be able to sell any of them until their price comes down to MSRP. Let them sweat wondering if they just spent this month's rent money on something that they will not be able to flip like they thought they would.
Re: Reminder: Set Your Alarm Clock To Snag A NES Classic Edition For The Holiday Season
I am going to head out later and try to get one of those controllers to use with my Wii VC titles, however, judging by reports here it may be that I will be unsuccessful. It floors me that Nintendo would spend months getting people hyped about the machine and then not have enough units to meet demand.
Re: Editorial: The Wii U Has Been Nintendo's Lowest Selling Home Console; It Deserved Better
I suspect that many people within Nintendo were doubtful of the Wii U's ability to succeed even before they launched it. The Switch is the system that they wanted to make, but could not do at the time. They knew that what they were putting out was weak in several areas and thus they were not surprised when it failed to get people excited. It almost feels like the Wii U was a stop gap measure that they used to bridge themselves and keep their development staff busy until the technology existed for Switch to be a reality.
I suspect that Switch will be much more successful, partly because Nintendo will be much more invested in it and partly because they resolved most of the issues that held back the Wii U. You can take it with you on the go. It has the power to do decent HD games and it is supposedly much easier for third parties to work with (Unreal Engine 4 and easier dev tools). I bet that they will also spend a lot of money promoting it.
The fact that Wii, DS and 3DS were all successful allowed Nintendo the space to slough off the Wii U. However, Switch is their future now so you can bet that Nintendo will go all-in to make it a success.
Re: Talking Point: A New Nintendo 3DS Price Drop Can Prolong the Portable's Lifespan
As time passes the New 3DS seems more and more to have been a mistake. It did not attract the games that Nintendo was hoping it would (i.e. Games that actually take advantage of its extra horsepower) and it likely delayed Nintendo's ability to cut the price of the 3DS platform.
Aside from that, I think that the 3DS has lots of room left in the market. I predict that it will end with lifetime sales (for the whole product of line) of 70 million+ which is more than decent, especially with the huge competition from smart phones and tablets.
I know there are some people that think Nintendo should focus 100% on the Switch going forward and put the 3DS out to pasture alongside the Wii U. However, no platform holder ever cuts a system until it stops being profitable. 3DS games are cheap to produce (compared to HD games) and still sell well enough to be profitable for Nintendo and their third party partners. I suspect it will remain that way until 2018 at least.
Re: Budget New Nintendo 3DS Models Announced for North America
3DS finally comes into impulse purchase territory just in time for the launch of new Pokemon games and with Super Mario Maker 3DS on the horizon. I think 3DS will sell very well this holiday.
Re: Nintendo Celebrates the NES Classic Edition by Going Retro With The 'Power Line'
Please do not put Mario and Mr. T in the same room. The world will explode!
Re: Talking Point: Ports vs. Sequels On The Nintendo Switch
@JonSpangler
That is how I read it also. This is not about gamers trading in their Wii-U games for free Switch games. This is about stores getting rid of unsellable stock. One of the natural consequences of a console that flopped is retailers stuck with unsold inventory. Nintendo wants to make it easy for the big retailers to get behind Switch in a big way. It is unlikely that any such plan will trickle down to the end users.
Re: Talking Point: Ports vs. Sequels On The Nintendo Switch
The other important factor for Nintendo is that they need to have a very strong software line-up through the entire first year on the market. The lack of games in the Wii-U's first year was part of what killed its early momentum. Ports are an easy way for Nintendo to fill out the launch period while they beaver away on exclusive new games. It may very well be that during that first year many Wii-U owners are underwhelmed by what they are seeing on Switch because there will not be a lot that they cannot already play on Wii-U. By year two that situation will change as both Nintendo and their third parties start rolling out more original Switch games.
Re: Talking Point: Ports vs. Sequels On The Nintendo Switch
Current Wii-U owners need to remember that they are not the target audience for ports. There will be many Switch owners who never had a Wii-U and will therefore be much keener on the idea of Mario Kart 8, Splatoon and Smash Bros 4 on Switch. Since the Switch is not backward compatible it makes sense for Nintendo to bring them over as ultimate editions.
Having said that, it would also be nice if Nintendo made the additional content in the Switch versions available as DLC for Wii-U owners as well. Having the Switch and Wii-U versions compatible for online multiplayer would also be nice.
Re: Rumour: Last Wii U Consoles Roll Off The Production Line This Week
10 years from now people will be paying good money for the Wii U as a collectable. The fact that it has a very high ratio of quality games in its small line-up will make it very appealing as a full-set collectable system.
Re: Mega Drive 'Limited Edition' Console Heading to Brazil in 2017
Tec Toy have been selling officially licensed Master System and Genesis games and systems in Brazil since the early 90s. Some of the most collectable Master System games were only released in Brazil by Tec Toy (such as the Master System version of Mickey Mouse Legend of Illusion which was Game Gear only in other territories).
Re: Nintendo Switch to Reportedly Include 4GB of RAM
@rjejr
Fair points. I agree that Nintendo will have a rough time selling the Switch to casual gamers at $300 and I think that Nintendo knows it. My personal opinion is that they need to keep pumping the 3DS because they know that Switch will take some time to ramp up and will not really take off until the price is closer to $200. In the meantime, strong sales of 3DS will help to pad the bottom line.
Re: Nintendo Switch to Reportedly Include 4GB of RAM
@rjejr
The fact is that Apple and Android ARE Nintendo's competition these days.
Nintendo knows that they are NOT going to lure people away from Sony and Microsoft. The crowd that wants to play Halo, Uncharted and Grand Theft Auto is not going to switch to a Nintendo machine, even if it was more powerful. They will stay where the mature games are, and where most of the mature games will continue to be in the future.
Meanwhile, Nintendo wants to get the family, casual and "broad spectrum" gaming market back. They had that market nicely wrapped up during the Wii/DS generation and then Apple and Android stole a good chunk of it away from them with their fancy tablets. Switch is very much designed to lure that crowd back to Nintendo by promising that they can have the convenience of a tablet with proper controls and the ability to play on TV, all in a single, out-of-the-box solution.
As for why Nintendo are calling it a home console, I think that has to do with pricing. If they pitch it as a portable game device then the price may look too high. Both 3DS and Vita were deemed to be too expensive at launch because people have expectations that portable machines should be much cheaper than home consoles. As time goes by, and the price comes down, the portability will become the big selling point.
Re: Nintendo Switch to Reportedly Include 4GB of RAM
So far every detail confirmed or rumored points to Switch being better than the Wii U but not as powerful as the PS4 and Xbox One. I am perfectly OK with that. Nintendo have always made better games with less powerful technology because they put the focus on gameplay above all else. 4GB of RAM in the hardware and 16-32GB on the carts is more than enough for a generation of awesome games beyond anything Nintendo have produced to date.
As for third party games, I doubt that Switch will be getting the same big budget third party games that PS4 and Xbox One get. It will be more like 8 years ago when PS3/Xbox 360 got one version of a game and Wii got something different that was more suited to the hardware.
Re: Rumour: Nintendo Switch Will Support Micro SDXC Cards Up To 128GB In Capacity
The fact that Nintendo is planning to use carts for the Switch means that we are not going to see huge games (in terms of file size) on the machine. They do not want to produce 30GB carts. Personally, I think it would be realistic for us to assume that Switch games will be comparable to Wii U games in terms of file size. Switch is not going to get the monster 40GB games that come to the PS4 and Xbox One.
Re: Nintendo Reports Falling Revenues, Yet Seattle Mariners Sale and Pokémon Help Bring Overall Profit
@rjejr
I have to admit that I am confused by what Nintendo is doing with the Wii U. I am sure there is lots of unsold stock in stores to add to what they are shipping, but they are not really trying to sell any of it. Perhaps there will be a price cut for Black Friday or a surprise bundle later this year, but I doubt it.
Re: Nintendo Reports Falling Revenues, Yet Seattle Mariners Sale and Pokémon Help Bring Overall Profit
The next financial update will be much better. Pokémon Sun and Moon will sell in the zillions and Super Mario Maker 3DS will also be strong. I think NES mini will be one of the hot toys this Christmas. This is a transition time for Nintendo so the fact that they were able to post a profit overall should make investors happy.
Re: Talking Point: Imagining a Future Nintendo Switch Budget Spin-Off - A Non-Switching Microconsole
I fully expect Nintendo to have multiple form factors for the Switch eventually, but I doubt that any form factor will omit the screen. My gut feel is that Nintendo will eventually release a Switch mini that is just a smaller version of the Switch with a longer battery life so that it is more friendly for kids and fans of portable game systems.
As for pricing of the Switch, I expect the basic package to be the Switch console and the Joy Con controller for $300 at launch. The docking station will cost extra unless you get the premium bundle that will obviously be available. Gamers who want to have the full Switch setup (console, docking station and pro controller) will be looking at $400 at launch.
Nintendo knows this is not mass market pricing and that is why they are still making lots of games for the 3DS. They need the 3DS to bring in lots of profits while they ramp up the Switch user base. I predict that by the end of 2017 Switch will have sold 5-6 million units. By Christmas 2018 you will be able to buy a Switch package with the console, docking station and the new Mario game for $350 and that is when things will start to really pick up for the system. Lots of kids will get a Switch for Christmas in 2018.
Re: Video: Fan-Made Trailer Takes An Alternative Look At Nintendo Switch
Switch will be huge in Japan where even adults like to get together on their breaks and play multi-player video games via Wii-Fi.
In the West Switch will have to fight to get the attention of the mainstream young adult culture. Kids will love it, and they will absolutely take it to their friends house to play. Western adults are more likely to play Switch at home and rarely (if ever) take it out and about. That puts Switch in direct competition with PS4 and Xbox One ...
... unless it turns out that Switch does have a touch screen and many other uses besides just playing games. I am sure that when Nintendo finally do a full reveal it will turn out that Switch is much more like a tablet than the teaser video let on. I am sure that it will have YouTube and a web browser and the ability to watch movies and listen to music. It will not be nearly as full featured as an Apple or Android device, and it will be Wi-Fi only for web access, but there will be extra value there. If so, then that could prompt more gamers to buy Switch and actually take it out with them.
Re: Nintendo Confirms Switch Isn't Physically Backwards Compatible With 3DS And Wii U Software
I fully expect that many of the best Wii U games will be repackaged for Switch in one way or another. It would be an easy way fro Nintendo to milk some more money out of those past investments.
I doubt that 3DS games will show up on Switch any time soon. Nintendo has made it clear that they intend to fully support the 3DS as a product alongside Switch.
Re: Analysts Weigh In On The Nintendo Switch Debate
@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.
Re: Analysts Weigh In On The Nintendo Switch Debate
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).
Re: Guide: Everything We Now Know About the Nintendo Switch
I really like the concept of the Switch. Back in 2008 I bought a TV out cable for my PSP and I thought it was neat that I could play PSP games on my TV, but I wished that I could use a docking station and play with a real controller when I was at home. I am surprised that it has taken this long for one of the big manufacturers to do something so obvious. It should be said that PSP games did not look very good blown up in HD so maybe they needed to wait for the handheld to be powerful enough to actually look good on a big screen.
I fully expect that if the Switch is a big hit then it will not take long for Sony to announce a portable version of the PS4 with a docking station that allows it to broadcast to a TV and use a dual shock 4 controller.
Re: Nintendo Confirms Switch Isn't Physically Backwards Compatible With 3DS And Wii U Software
If the docking station is not included in the base package I am sure that is done to keep the cost of entry down. The Switch will not be cheap.
Also, Nintendo's official line is that the Switch is a home console that can also be played on the go. See this article at polygon:
http://www.polygon.com/2016/10/20/13347910/nintendo-switch-home-gaming-system
It seems to me that they want the 3DS to have a long life yet.
Re: Nintendo Won't Be Making Any Game or Spec Related Switch Announcements Until 2017
Nintendo revealed the system now so that they can discuss it openly with their investors next week. However, it makes sense to wait until after Christmas to really start building the hype. Besides, it will give developers extra time to polish the launch games before they need to be shown off in a big way. By mid January the launch titles should be in their final form.
Re: Say Hello to the Nintendo Switch, a New Concept for Gaming
The Switch will be absolutely HUGE in Japan where handhelds rule. Expect Monster Hunter and Pokémon on Switch to be massive.
Elsewhere it will take some time to ramp up. The high-end PS4/Xbox One crowd are not going to get super excited about this unless they buy it as their "other" system for games on the go and the odd big excluiev. However, it will appeal to families (the 3DS crowd) and fans of Nintendo games.
Re: Say Hello to the Nintendo Switch, a New Concept for Gaming
@RainbowGazelle
To NOT leverage the Wii U lineup would be a middle finger to their investors.
Re: Say Hello to the Nintendo Switch, a New Concept for Gaming
@chansey
I have exactly the opposite opinion. It looks perfect for children. They do not care as much about high end performance and the ability to take it to a friend's house and play will be very cool for kids. They will do that far more often than adults will!
Re: Rumour: New Beyond Good & Evil Title Set to Be A 'Semi-Reboot' and NX Exclusive
If it is an exclusive then it will be a timed exclusive. Remember that Rayman Legends was touted as a Wii U exclusive when it was first revealed. That did not last long. Ubisoft goes where the money is.
The exception could be if Nintendo are partially funding development in order to keep it exclusive. Considering how poor their 3rd party support has been in recent years, throwing some money at big studios to get exclusives is not a bad idea.
Re: Oceanhorn, A Game Inspired by The Wind Waker, Confirmed for 'A Nintendo Console'
If it was developed in Unity then the Wii U could be a possibility.
Re: Random: Nintendo NX Rumours From French Media and an Analyst Report, While Zelda Williams Fends Off Anxious Fans
I fully expect the NX to be at least $250 US at launch. Nintendo knows this price is high and that is why they are still fully supporting the 3DS as their low-end product next year.
I also think that "ultimate" additions of MK8, SSB and Splatoon are almost a given on NX. Each will include all of the Wii U DLC.
Re: Talking Point: Nintendo Has No Set Formula for Hardware Reveals, But NX is Testing Fans' Patience
@rferrari24
If that is so then perhaps NX will be revealed shortly before that Oct 26th meeting. IT would make sense that they would want to reveal the system and get positive press about it before the meeting so that they can discuss it openly with the investors who will very much interested in what Nintendo's plans are for the next six months.
Re: Talking Point: Nintendo Has No Set Formula for Hardware Reveals, But NX is Testing Fans' Patience
I have stopped caring for the time being. I am sure that when the reveal finally comes I will sit up and take notice, but for now I am tired of waiting around for it to happen. In fact, the longer the wait goes the more I believe that the software is not ready to show, and will not be ready to support a launch in March 2017. If I was placing a bet today I would put my money on a delay until summer or fall 2017. And honestly, if they need to wait until then for the right launch games to be available then so be it. They need the launch to go well.
Re: Talking Point: The Pros and Cons of Nintendo's NX Secrecy
If you believe the Nintendo line that they are worried about copy cat products then I honestly think that there is no longer any benefit to Nintendo continuing to keep NX secret. The gaming world seems to agree that the Eurogamer reports are true and the NX will be a handheld system with a docking station for HDTV and detachable controllers. So, if that is their big innovation that they do not want copied then its already too late. Based on how positive the reaction to those rumors has been you can bet that there is already at least one company working on a solution to make the IPad mimic that functionality.
However, I think the real reason that Nintendo are not rushing to show NX is that they are waiting for certain key games to be advanced enough to show them off and really wow people. They don't want to show tech demos or just announce titles they are working on. They want to show nearly complete games that people will get excited to play and then only have to wait about 4-5 months for the official release.
Re: Talking Point: Nintendo's Continued Commitment to the 3DS Makes Sense
3DS is a successful product with a large installed base. 3DS games are relatively cheap to produce and thus do not require as many units sold to turn a profit as HD titles do. Nintendo can keep turning out 3DS games without committing too much of its development staff. Thus, 3DS provides Nintendo with an excellent legacy product to help drive profits while Nintendo ramps us the installed base for NX.
Wii U games are HD. Much higher budgets required. Much larger development teams required. Due to the low installed base many of those games will struggle to make any money. This is the exact logic that Sony used when they announced that they would no longer produce ANY first party AAA games for the Vita. They made that decision after 2.5 years of support and by the time they actually said it officially the first party games were already down to a trickle.
I understand why Wii U owners are unhappy. I also understand why Nintendo cannot continue to make games for the Wii U.