All of the negative comments, comparing it to cosplay don’t ever give a better alternative idea for a costume or even a logical explanation of how many iterations of a tunic made of real fabric exist. It as if somebody went back to 2008 and said Iron Man looks stupid because it’s supposed to be a comic not a dude wearing a suit. I guess the MCU can turn back in their $30 billion and just start making color pictures in newsprint.
I'm not sure PS5 will catch up to PS4. I'm not sure where PS4 Pro fits in to the conversation. In terms of Switch 2, I forsee a mid-cycle refresh that includes note only OLED, but also some processor improvements, because I believe they don't want to be viewed as the "aging" console on this generation compared to Switch 1. Probably once the PS6 and NextBox come out, they will make this determination. We could finally see a Switch Pro a decade after the initial rumours.
Hyrule Warriors is doing okay. It is not a system seller, and I don't know if any musou crossover could ever be as such. The genre has limited mass appeal.
I have only played Hades 2 and Blue Prince. I am already close to 80 hours in Hades 2. It is a solid 10/10. I have the PS5 GameStop edition of Clair Obscur arriving today, and hope to try it soon. Abosolum looks intriguing. I'm not sure about the others. I couldn't get into Hollow Knight, but I may get around to at least trying Silksong on Game Pass.
@ShadLink That is precisely what makes physical game collectors so incensed. They basically took an axe to the advantages of physical to make digital the more logical choice. That's one way to settle the debate.
@Yosher Somebody should ask Satya Nadella about his stance on Game Key Cards. He'd probably be like, "Come again? I don't follow" But then when it's explained how they work to the advantage of the corporation against that of the consumer, he would wish Microsoft thought of it first.
One point that I find interesting is the concept of physical decay vs lack of ownership as cons for physical vs digital purchases.
I would point out that once I purchase a digital game and download it, I am free to make as many copies of that file as I want, in perpetuity, even when the servers go offline. So that they can't "take away" my files, as long as I maintain backups.
So in that sense, Game Key Cards really do suck, because if something goes wrong with the cartridge, it does not matter that you downloaded it as if it were otherwise digital. It's possible the game will not start.
@Medic_alert
What’s a good backlog without games from franchises that you like but will mostly likely never play
I still own a copy of War and Peace that I bought in high school, and that’s on the infinite backlog.
For me, Hades yeah stands above all else and the sequel is even better. I did bounce off Dead Cells, but then this year got back into it and it is quite good. Like everyone else I was addicted to Balatro and Vampire Survivors when they came out, and sometimes pick them up for a stint. I tried Slay the Spire on PS Plus, but for some reason, it just doesn’t hook me as much as the similar but lower budget Dicey Dungeons.
@jojobar How much of that collecting has to do with the games being physical on cartridge versus just the explosion in gaming that took place during the pandemic, because it’s hard to separate those two things. I hadn’t been in the console space since I sold my Xbox in 2008, and now between my son getting old enough and me getting back into gaming, we own over 100 physical Switch 1 titles. It became our hobby.
I personally like to try out both the performance and graphic settings on every game and just pick the one I like more. I don’t see this as much of an issue. I often choose the 30 FPS even on PlayStation with the option for better performance.
The Switch OLED and Switch Lite still occupy a significant part of the portfolio. They can lean in to this product to get Switch 1 the all time record by the 10th anniversary March 2027, especially if they get creative with bundles and limited editions. After that point, I imagine we will see the first Switch 2 refresh (OLED or Lite)
I’m still looking for a psychological explanation for the visceral reaction to these game key cards. I understand the logical pros and cons, and that in some way, it is the worst of both worlds with the digital versus physical aspects, but some of these overblown terms like “fake, boycott, skip this generation,” just don’t make sense to me.
@topsekret I am not trying to dissuade you from your opinion in any way, but I’m curious if you ever did buy a game key card version of a game you like, do you think it’s possible you will get over the aversion, or is this a permanent locked in attitude?
@dennabeht There’s definitely a push and pull between brand loyalty and quality products. Someone would say Pokémon has been coasting for a long time on this. But if brand loyalty could just be built out of thin air, why don’t all companies have it?
@Kiliomp Where was this great PR team during the Wii U era? If it all comes down the marketing then everyone would always be successful by just telling their PR team to “market better.” And if it is so important and Nintendo is doing it right then maybe we can give credit where credit is due.
I have all of these style games on Nintendo, but the only one I finished was Fire Emblem Warriors. While I do like wailing on enemies, I have trouble orienting myself on the map for some reason.
@OorWullie I have said before that Welcome Tour and Drag x Drive were both misfires, and it probably would have been better if Welcome Tour featured Pikmin, and if Drag x Drive was instead ARMS 2.
It's Nintendo, so who knows what they are thinking, but if they really wanted to beat the PS2 record, they could see the Swtich Lite at loss, with various special editions bundled with a game the next couple of holiday seasons, and hope to make up for the loss with software sales.
@Sindayl This is true if you compared the Wii / DS peak, but that was before smartphones dried up the handheld market. Most kids who would previously be on a Game Boy, now have their own phone or tablet. Even after consolidating the Wii U and 3DS lines into a hybrid, Nintendo sold nearly twice as many Switch units as both of those combined, and so it was a wise decision.
I’m about 80 attempts in Hades 2, and got to the initial credits. I am clearing almost all the runs now. There are extra things that show up in the endgame. I was going to put it away for a while to look at other games, but then they just updated it.
I never got into Pokemon. I just wanted to comment on the idea that after TOTK Switch 1 was just coasting for a couple of years with no huge titles, and that was a bit disappointing.
As someone who grew up in the era where I went to friends houses who were either Nintendo kids or Sega kids, I don’t necessarily feel that a homogenous hybrid PC streaming future is necessarily the utopia that some people are waiting for. It’s OK to have some things stay unique. Having three console makers with their own exclusives seemed to be a healthy system, until it wasn’t …
@Wewewi @SuppressorSteve I could not find the information on the website. It would make sense to time this update with a physical release though. Especially the rumour is they changed the ending.
@harrystein I thought about this lately, and I believe that if it gets to the point where everything can stream instantly to your screen without the need for a dedicated box, Nintendo may go all in on the digital IP, streaming deal, and reserve the traditional box to a handheld only low-end toy targeted to kids. Something like the wedge 2DS.
@The-Chosen-one When did this 10 year window start? Was it the date of the acquisition or 10 years from when they actually put out a game because I could see it expiring with no games released at this rate.
@dennabeht I finally hit an audio bug last night on OLED Switch a couple of lines of dialogue got a radio static effect. I was concerned I'd have to restart the device or something, but once I went to the next room everything was back to normal.
This game started a bit slow for me like with deja vu, which was noted in some user reviews online. It was about an 8/10 the first few hours, but since then I cannot put it down. I finally cleared each side after about 50 tries (I know, I an old gamer), and I know there is more to come.
I don't want to read the Patch 1 update notes, because I don't want to be spoiled.
Hands down 10/10 GOTY for me this year, after I struggled to find a new game that I liked for the past couple of months.
This game is starting to make me rethink my backlog, like why bother with 7/10 games when I can play this instead?
@RiasGremory
This game is one of the highest rated of all time on other platforms, so I don’t think it’s a matter of being lazy, as opposed to modulating how much time and money you’re going to spend on the port versus how much additional sales it will generate on a new platform that I imagine would be a double dip purchase.
I’m glad we got Cyberpunk and Star Wars Outlaws, but do we have any data on if it was a financial success versus a flop for the developers to bring it to Switch 2?
I wonder what that means for Duskbloods. Do they have the resources to work on both games at once, knowing that they could not meet this first deadline?
@Retrograde
For both S1 and S2 there was always a thought that they could do more with the docked mode to have almost an external GPU type boost, so you could have the best of both worlds, a reasonable portable running at low resolution and then the dock would bring it up to par with Xbox and Sony.
That being said when you do side-by-side with Xbox Series S and Switch 2, they really are very close.
The big S2 compromises will come when they stop making games for Xbox Series S.
Comments 590
Re: Review: Kirby Air Riders (Switch 2) - Incredibly Chaotic, But Satisfyingly Deep & Rewarding Racing
This seems too fast paced for me. This might be the first game that actually triggers a real life seizure because I always ignore the warnings.
Re: Poll: What Do You Make Of Link And Zelda's Live-Action Looks?
All of the negative comments, comparing it to cosplay don’t ever give a better alternative idea for a costume or even a logical explanation of how many iterations of a tunic made of real fabric exist.
It as if somebody went back to 2008 and said Iron Man looks stupid because it’s supposed to be a comic not a dude wearing a suit.
I guess the MCU can turn back in their $30 billion and just start making color pictures in newsprint.
Re: The Game Awards Nominees Announced, Donkey Kong Bananza Up For GOTY
Hades 2 all the way
Re: Official Zelda Movie Photos Give Us Our Best Look Yet At Link And Zelda
I hope the foliage does not have pop in.
Re: Round Up: The Final Previews Are In For Metroid Prime 4: Beyond
@OldGamer999
Don't expect 90+ games due to "discourse," and even if we get one, the user scores may tank due to "review bomb."
Re: Japanese Charts: Hyrule Warriors: Age Of Imprisonment Slashes Through The Competition
I'm not sure PS5 will catch up to PS4. I'm not sure where PS4 Pro fits in to the conversation.
In terms of Switch 2, I forsee a mid-cycle refresh that includes note only OLED, but also some processor improvements, because I believe they don't want to be viewed as the "aging" console on this generation compared to Switch 1. Probably once the PS6 and NextBox come out, they will make this determination.
We could finally see a Switch Pro a decade after the initial rumours.
Re: Japanese Charts: Hyrule Warriors: Age Of Imprisonment Slashes Through The Competition
Hyrule Warriors is doing okay. It is not a system seller, and I don't know if any musou crossover could ever be as such. The genre has limited mass appeal.
Re: The Indie Game Awards 2025 GOTY Nominee List Is Packed With Switch Hits
I have only played Hades 2 and Blue Prince. I am already close to 80 hours in Hades 2. It is a solid 10/10. I have the PS5 GameStop edition of Clair Obscur arriving today, and hope to try it soon. Abosolum looks intriguing. I'm not sure about the others. I couldn't get into Hollow Knight, but I may get around to at least trying Silksong on Game Pass.
Re: Pokémon Pokopia Is Seemingly Nintendo's First Game-Key Card Release
@ShadLink
That is precisely what makes physical game collectors so incensed. They basically took an axe to the advantages of physical to make digital the more logical choice. That's one way to settle the debate.
Re: Reggie Is "Surprised" We Haven't Seen More Xbox Titles On Switch 2
@Yosher
Somebody should ask Satya Nadella about his stance on Game Key Cards. He'd probably be like, "Come again? I don't follow" But then when it's explained how they work to the advantage of the corporation against that of the consumer, he would wish Microsoft thought of it first.
Re: Pokémon Pokopia Is Seemingly Nintendo's First Game-Key Card Release
Here we go again....
One point that I find interesting is the concept of physical decay vs lack of ownership as cons for physical vs digital purchases.
I would point out that once I purchase a digital game and download it, I am free to make as many copies of that file as I want, in perpetuity, even when the servers go offline. So that they can't "take away" my files, as long as I maintain backups.
So in that sense, Game Key Cards really do suck, because if something goes wrong with the cartridge, it does not matter that you downloaded it as if it were otherwise digital. It's possible the game will not start.
Re: UK Charts: Hyrule Warriors: Age Of Imprisonment Just About Scrapes Into The Top Five
@Medic_alert
What’s a good backlog without games from franchises that you like but will mostly likely never play
I still own a copy of War and Peace that I bought in high school, and that’s on the infinite backlog.
Re: Poll: What Review Score Would You Give Hyrule Warriors: Age Of Imprisonment?
I think the people voting for 1 and 2 out of 10 don’t fully understand the spectrum.
It’s not even a game key card this time !
Re: Best Nintendo Switch Roguelikes, Roguelites And Run-Based Games
For me, Hades yeah stands above all else and the sequel is even better. I did bounce off Dead Cells, but then this year got back into it and it is quite good. Like everyone else I was addicted to Balatro and Vampire Survivors when they came out, and sometimes pick them up for a stint.
I tried Slay the Spire on PS Plus, but for some reason, it just doesn’t hook me as much as the similar but lower budget Dicey Dungeons.
Re: Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds - Nintendo Switch 2 Edition Performance And Resolution Revealed
My TV does not have a dedicated 1440p mode, so I would be interested to see how it handles the conversion.
Re: Opinion: Third-Party Support For Switch 2 Is Already A Dream Come True
@jojobar
How much of that collecting has to do with the games being physical on cartridge versus just the explosion in gaming that took place during the pandemic, because it’s hard to separate those two things.
I hadn’t been in the console space since I sold my Xbox in 2008, and now between my son getting old enough and me getting back into gaming, we own over 100 physical Switch 1 titles.
It became our hobby.
Re: Opinion: Third-Party Support For Switch 2 Is Already A Dream Come True
@OldGamer999
I personally like to try out both the performance and graphic settings on every game and just pick the one I like more. I don’t see this as much of an issue. I often choose the 30 FPS even on PlayStation with the option for better performance.
Re: Japanese Charts: Dragon Quest 1 & 2 HD-2D Remake Shoves Pokémon Off The Podium
The Switch OLED and Switch Lite still occupy a significant part of the portfolio. They can lean in to this product to get Switch 1 the all time record by the 10th anniversary March 2027, especially if they get creative with bundles and limited editions. After that point, I imagine we will see the first Switch 2 refresh (OLED or Lite)
Re: Gallery: The 'Samus & Vi-O-La' amiibo For Metroid Prime 4 Could Be The Best Yet
I’m really curious what is the markup based on manufacturing costs?
Re: Nintendo Releases A Storefront App For Android And iOS
I’m already above 50 hours on Hades 2!
Re: Switch 2 Has The Largest Third-Party Software Lineup Ever For New Nintendo Hardware
I’m still looking for a psychological explanation for the visceral reaction to these game key cards. I understand the logical pros and cons, and that in some way, it is the worst of both worlds with the digital versus physical aspects, but some of these overblown terms like “fake, boycott, skip this generation,” just don’t make sense to me.
Re: Switch 2 Has The Largest Third-Party Software Lineup Ever For New Nintendo Hardware
@topsekret
I am not trying to dissuade you from your opinion in any way, but I’m curious if you ever did buy a game key card version of a game you like, do you think it’s possible you will get over the aversion, or is this a permanent locked in attitude?
Re: Talking Point: Smashing Switch 2 Numbers Prove Nintendo's Strategy Is Super Effective
@dennabeht
There’s definitely a push and pull between brand loyalty and quality products. Someone would say Pokémon has been coasting for a long time on this. But if brand loyalty could just be built out of thin air, why don’t all companies have it?
Re: Talking Point: Smashing Switch 2 Numbers Prove Nintendo's Strategy Is Super Effective
@Kiliomp
Where was this great PR team during the Wii U era? If it all comes down the marketing then everyone would always be successful by just telling their PR team to “market better.” And if it is so important and Nintendo is doing it right then maybe we can give credit where credit is due.
Re: Review: Hyrule Warriors: Age Of Imprisonment (Switch 2) - A Stunning Slice Of Musou, Worthy Of The Zelda Canon
I have all of these style games on Nintendo, but the only one I finished was Fire Emblem Warriors. While I do like wailing on enemies, I have trouble orienting myself on the map for some reason.
Re: Switch 2 Sells Over 10 Million Units, Nintendo Increases Forecast Even Further
@OorWullie
I have said before that Welcome Tour and Drag x Drive were both misfires, and it probably would have been better if Welcome Tour featured Pikmin, and if Drag x Drive was instead ARMS 2.
Re: Switch 2 Sells Over 10 Million Units, Nintendo Increases Forecast Even Further
@Striker21
They could also somehow partner with Fortnite and Roblox in 10-15 years if that's what the consumers want.
Re: Switch Is Poised To Be Nintendo's Best-Selling Console Of All Time
It's Nintendo, so who knows what they are thinking, but if they really wanted to beat the PS2 record, they could see the Swtich Lite at loss, with various special editions bundled with a game the next couple of holiday seasons, and hope to make up for the loss with software sales.
Re: Switch Is Poised To Be Nintendo's Best-Selling Console Of All Time
@Sindayl
This is true if you compared the Wii / DS peak, but that was before smartphones dried up the handheld market. Most kids who would previously be on a Game Boy, now have their own phone or tablet.
Even after consolidating the Wii U and 3DS lines into a hybrid, Nintendo sold nearly twice as many Switch units as both of those combined, and so it was a wise decision.
Re: Resident Evil Pro Controller Is Available To Pre-Order, But Its Price Is Terrifying
I like that they’re coming out with different editions,, but this one is not for me
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (1st November)
I’m about 80 attempts in Hades 2, and got to the initial credits. I am clearing almost all the runs now. There are extra things that show up in the endgame. I was going to put it away for a while to look at other games, but then they just updated it.
Re: Animal Crossing: New Horizons Is Nintendo's Cheapest Switch 2 Edition Yet
@dskatter
60 frames actually makes movies look worse because it gives it the soap opera effect
Re: Japanese Charts: Pokémon Is Still On Top As Mario Kart World Approaches 2 Million Physical Sales
I just wanted to insert a Game Key Card comment, since there have not been any comments about those yet.
Re: Pokémon Legends: Z-A Scored US' Biggest Physical Game Launch Since TOTK
I never got into Pokemon. I just wanted to comment on the idea that after TOTK Switch 1 was just coasting for a couple of years with no huge titles, and that was a bit disappointing.
Re: "Go Tell Nintendo" - Ex-Blizzard President Responds After Xbox Calls Exclusives "Antiquated"
As someone who grew up in the era where I went to friends houses who were either Nintendo kids or Sega kids, I don’t necessarily feel that a homogenous hybrid PC streaming future is necessarily the utopia that some people are waiting for. It’s OK to have some things stay unique.
Having three console makers with their own exclusives seemed to be a healthy system, until it wasn’t …
Re: Hades II Post-Launch Patch 1 Preview, Here Are The Full Details
@Wewewi @SuppressorSteve
I could not find the information on the website. It would make sense to time this update with a physical release though.
Especially the rumour is they changed the ending.
Re: Talking Point: What Are You Playing This Weekend? (25th October)
@Zuljaras
Do you save all these photos on your phone or do you delete them once it’s posted?
Re: Xbox Reiterates Its Support For Switch 2
@harrystein
I thought about this lately, and I believe that if it gets to the point where everything can stream instantly to your screen without the need for a dedicated box, Nintendo may go all in on the digital IP, streaming deal, and reserve the traditional box to a handheld only low-end toy targeted to kids. Something like the wedge 2DS.
Re: Xbox Reiterates Its Support For Switch 2
@The-Chosen-one
When did this 10 year window start? Was it the date of the acquisition or 10 years from when they actually put out a game because I could see it expiring with no games released at this rate.
Re: It's Official, Assassin's Creed Shadows Comes To Switch 2 In December With Cross-Progression
This was on my bingo card, so yeah.
Re: Hades II Post-Launch Patch 1 Preview, Here Are The Full Details
@Gaymer90
Can they bottle lightning three times over?
I'd be down for a Greek vs Egypt mythology battle in a sequel.
Re: Hades II Post-Launch Patch 1 Preview, Here Are The Full Details
@dennabeht
I finally hit an audio bug last night on OLED Switch a couple of lines of dialogue got a radio static effect. I was concerned I'd have to restart the device or something, but once I went to the next room everything was back to normal.
Re: Hades II Post-Launch Patch 1 Preview, Here Are The Full Details
This game started a bit slow for me like with deja vu, which was noted in some user reviews online. It was about an 8/10 the first few hours, but since then I cannot put it down. I finally cleared each side after about 50 tries (I know, I an old gamer), and I know there is more to come.
I don't want to read the Patch 1 update notes, because I don't want to be spoiled.
Hands down 10/10 GOTY for me this year, after I struggled to find a new game that I liked for the past couple of months.
This game is starting to make me rethink my backlog, like why bother with 7/10 games when I can play this instead?
Re: Elden Ring Delayed On Switch 2 "To Allow Time For Performance Adjustments"
@RiasGremory
This game is one of the highest rated of all time on other platforms, so I don’t think it’s a matter of being lazy, as opposed to modulating how much time and money you’re going to spend on the port versus how much additional sales it will generate on a new platform that I imagine would be a double dip purchase.
I’m glad we got Cyberpunk and Star Wars Outlaws, but do we have any data on if it was a financial success versus a flop for the developers to bring it to Switch 2?
Re: Elden Ring Delayed On Switch 2 "To Allow Time For Performance Adjustments"
I wonder what that means for Duskbloods. Do they have the resources to work on both games at once, knowing that they could not meet this first deadline?
Re: Gallery: Here's A Closer Look At The London Pop-Up Nintendo Store's Sweet Merch
If the Street Fighter 6 on the shelf is a Game Key Card = NO VISIT TO LONDON !
Re: Review: Persona 3 Reload (Switch 2) - A Great Remake, But Still Not Definitive
Based on how much I liked Persona 5 Royal on OLED Switch I will eventually pick this up, but possibly not for several years
Re: Atlus To Address Persona 3 Reload's Switch 2 Frame Rate Hiccups In "Future Patches"
@Retrograde
For both S1 and S2 there was always a thought that they could do more with the docked mode to have almost an external GPU type boost, so you could have the best of both worlds, a reasonable portable running at low resolution and then the dock would bring it up to par with Xbox and Sony.
That being said when you do side-by-side with Xbox Series S and Switch 2, they really are very close.
The big S2 compromises will come when they stop making games for Xbox Series S.
Re: PSA: Switch 2 Launch Title Cyberpunk 2077 Gets A Big eShop Discount In New Sale (US)
@TheBigK
This is how massive backlogs form.
Re: Rumour: Nintendo Patent Supposedly Points To Return Of DS Games
They could just resume manufacturing the 2DS XL if there was enough demand.
I’m not sure how a DS game would look blown up on an 85 inch screen.