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Second handheld only Switch game is Severed

Nintendad

Member
So the game requires that you play the game on Handheld mode. How do you feel about this and how do you feel about it not mentioned it at all on the eShop? VOEZ is the first game to support the system

Severed on the eShop
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VOEZ on the eShop

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I prefer games being handheld mode only rather than either not being released or having horrible conventional controls being tacked on.
 
They need better messaging about it but I'm completely cool with handheld only games, It opens the system up to more diverse playstylesl
 
Don't mind, but they probably should put a warning/headsup on the purchase page in a manner that makes it difficult to miss.
 
Im surprised and glad Nintendo is allowing this, the alternative is that they wouldn't be released at all, so this is the sensible choice.
 
In this case, I honestly don't mind at all! I've heard nothing but great things about Severed and bought it as soon as I could this morning! I do think they should find a better way to make that known, but it's not like it requires hardware that you wouldn't have already.
 
They need better messaging about it but I'm completely cool with handheld only games, It opens the system up to more diverse playstylesl
Not sure why it would matter if It's touch screen only. No consumer that buys it would be left with a game they can't play

It's not like a game on Wii that requires the classic controller. No extra accessories needed

It also says it pretty high up on the eShop page. The second part under Software details
 

EDarkness

Member
I don't like it at all and I hope this doesn't become a thing. If the opposite was true, then people would be up in arms about that.
 

Mikke

Member
I don't like it at all and I hope this doesn't become a thing. If the opposite was true, then people would be up in arms about that.

I mean, this game does not work any other way. Yeah World of Goo had the pointer controls, but this game is way faster. So it's either handheld only or it's not coming to Switch. I don't really see a problem here.
 

EDarkness

Member
I mean, this game does not work any other way. Yeah World of Goo had the pointer controls, but this game is way faster. So it's either handheld only or it's not coming to Switch. I don't really see a problem here.

I'm okay with it not coming to the system if it means that those who only play the system docked can't play it. I mean, it might as well not come out for those who don't use their system that way. Again, if the game was docked only, people would be upset about that.
 

wrowa

Member
I don't like it at all and I hope this doesn't become a thing. If the opposite was true, then people would be up in arms about that.

Uh, why? If a game is too demanding to be played in handheld mode's reduced specs, but works in docked
mode, then I rather have a TV-only game than no game at all.

I'm okay with it not coming to the system if it means that those who only play the system docked can't play it. I mean, it might as well not come out for those who don't use their system that way. Again, if the game was docked only, people would be upset about that.

That's just silly. The game shouldn't exist on the system because you can't play it in your preferred mode? What's the point of that? As long as it's clearly declared to support one mode it's totally fine.
 

Oresama

Member
I prefer games being handheld mode only rather than either not being released or having horrible conventional controls being tacked on.

This person gets it.

Now bring on the AAA docked only games that otherwise wouldn't even get released! 😫
 
I'm okay with it not coming to the system if it means that those who only play the system docked can't play it. I mean, it might as well not come out for those who don't use their system that way. Again, if the game was docked only, people would be upset about that.

I mean it's handheld and tabletop only.

Like how 1, 2 Switch is docked and tabletop only.
 

Mikke

Member
I'm okay with it not coming to the system if it means that those who only play the system docked can't play it. I mean, it might as well not come out for those who don't use their system that way. Again, if the game was docked only, people would be upset about that.

Not sure why you would see it that way. If you can't play anyway because you refuse to undock the console, it literally does not affect you. If it comes out and you only play docked for whatever reason, you won't play it. If it doesn't come out, you won't play it.
But it gives us other people more stuff to play.

And there would be no reason for a game to only work in docked state. This is not some arbitrary decision on the developer's part. It is literally unavoidable because it's a touchscreen based game.
 

Eusis

Member
Hmm, I only played a little but were motion controls undoable? I'd think it could be fun to play this like you're really hacking away, though they'd need a cursor for precision.

Well, if they can do something there they could probably do it as DLC.
 

EDarkness

Member
Uh, why? If a game is too demanding to be played in handheld mode's reduced specs, but works in docked
mode, then I rather have a TV-only game than no game at all.

That's just silly. The game shouldn't exist on the system because you can't play it in your preferred mode? What's the point of that? As long as it's clearly declared to support one mode it's totally fine.

I want people to remember these kinds of comments when the first docked only game is announced. I guarantee that there will be people upset because they can't play the game portable. Which is just their preferred method of playing games....
 
I'm all for Switch devs limiting their games to a certain mode if they feel it's best for the game. Anything else would just be stifling creative freedom.

It should definitely be made extremely clear on the Shop page, however.
 
Hmm, I only played a little but were motion controls undoable? I'd think it could be fun to play this like you're really hacking away, though they'd need a cursor for precision.

Well, if they can do something there they could probably do it as DLC.

There's a LOT of variables near the end game that requires too much precision and concentration for pointer controls to fully handle.
 
Feel like it's an *instant* no-buy for me personally but I don't care if they're on the eShop or not. More options never hurt anyone. For me, the Switch is a console that is able to be taken to my bed or my toilet. For many others I imagine it's just a handheld all the time. That's the beauty of the damn thing.
 
If its a game that absolutely requires touchscreen usage then that's fine, I think. However it needs to be explicitly advertised as handheld only.
 

wrowa

Member
I want people to remember these kinds of comments when the first docked only game is announced. I guarantee that there will be people upset because they can't play the game portable. Which is just their preferred method of playing games....

There are always some people who are angry. For example, you are angry right now. :p
 
I want people to remember these kinds of comments when the first docked only game is announced. I guarantee that there will be people upset because they can't play the game portable. Which is just their preferred method of playing games....

Severed requires a touch screen, like it did on Wii U. Some people preferred playing with a control pad and TV on Wii U also, but for their sake you'd prefer that it never came out? And presumably shouldn't have come out on Vita either to avoid upsetting PSTV owners.
 
I'm okay with it not coming to the system if it means that those who only play the system docked can't play it. I mean, it might as well not come out for those who don't use their system that way. Again, if the game was docked only, people would be upset about that.

That makes no sense. If it makes no difference to those who arbitrarily choose to never use a feature of the system whether or not it comes out, then why should those who do use the systems basic features miss out?

You're literally asserting that an incredibly minor segment of owners dictate what the vast majority of owners are allowed to play for what you clearly describe as no reason.
 

EDarkness

Member
There are always some people who are angry. For example, you are angry right now. :p

I'm not angry, but I don't like that games don't work in all modes.

That makes no sense. If it makes no difference to those who arbitrarily choose to never use a feature of the system whether or not it comes out, then why should those who do use the systems basic features miss out?

You're literally asserting that an incredibly minor segment of owners dictate what the vast majority of owners are allowed to play for what you clearly describe as no reason.

Wait, how do you know the vast majority of NS owners use the system portably? I'd like to see some data on this.
 

EDarkness

Member
That's fine, but then your turned your personal dislike into wanting it removed from sale.

The selling point of the system is that games can be played on the TV or portably. If it can only be played on the TV, that's not good. If it can only be played portably, that's not good, either. I would bet that if the next Pokemon game came out on the system and it could only be played portably, there would be a huge outcry to that.
 

CamHostage

Member
Note it on the sale page and I'm fine with it. It's not a habit I'd look forward to developers over-using, but some games are made to be played differently, and Switch allows lots of different ways to play.

I'm okay with it not coming to the system if it means that those who only play the system docked can't play it. I mean, it might as well not come out for those who don't use their system that way. Again, if the game was docked only, people would be upset about that.

Heh, but who are those people? It's not an exclusive feature locking out a portion of the audience; they're not selling you a dock-only version of Switch. Every Switch can be played in all of its modes, and if somebody demands to die on the hill of this being a console for TVs then that's their delusion, but the only thing holding them back from breaking free from that choice is them getting up off their asses and picking their Switch out of the dock.

Now, if we're talking handicap accessibility and other things that might affect a player, sure, but those are edge cases that the gaming industry at large needs to address. Let this game exist and be good for what it's designed for.

The selling point of the system is that games can be played on the TV or portably ... I would bet that if the next Pokemon game came out on the system and it could only be played portably, there would be a huge outcry to that.

Game by game, we can complain about it, sure. Pokemon being portable-only would be silly in every incarnation of the game I can think of. A touchscreen-based game being brought to the touchscreen platform, though, makes sense (although I think Severed would be cool if it were patched with Joycon play...

And there would be no reason for a game to only work in docked state. This is not some arbitrary decision on the developer's part. It is literally unavoidable because it's a touchscreen based game.

The "power of the dock" probably won't ever be a deciding factor in a game being dock-only (you can always throttle down, and the boost isn't that significant that there are types of games not feasible without the extra dock support.) However, there may be stuff like dancing games or other things (especially if Switch brings peripherals out) that wouldn't be best and/or playable as just a tablet game. Just Dance would be a game like that, though even with that, Ubisoft has found a way since the ability to bring the tablet anywhere and fold it out for an instant party is just too easy a selling point. (Also, it's Joycon-based instead of camera play on Switch in Just Dance 2017.)
 
i dont mind this at all. just hope theres implemenation to filter or have a seperate channel in the eshop for handheld only games.
 

Regiruler

Member
Dumb question:

So the tv screen just stays black when you dock it?

Might depend on the game. Voez is weird in that it actually outputs the appropriate visual and sound when docked, but you can't interact with it (I'm not sure if it does so during a song though, but if it did that would be a really roundabout way of playing music).

Feeding audio and visual is probably a firmware-level feature, with no good reason to actually disable it unless they come from certain user experience schools that would call for that removal (games don't usually take that route though).
 

MsVirion

Banned
I would bet that if the next Pokemon game came out on the system and it could only be played portably, there would be a huge outcry to that.

Yes, but there'd also be no reason for that. This is a touchscreen controlled game.

1, 2 Switch can't be played in handheld mode and there wasn't much, if any, outcry against that because the game is fundamentally designed to only be played a certain way.
 
The selling point of the system is that games can be played on the TV or portably. If it can only be played on the TV, that's not good. If it can only be played portably, that's not good, either. I would bet that if the next Pokemon game came out on the system and it could only be played portably, there would be a huge outcry to that.

If it was a game that had no good reason to be using touchscreen exclusive controls, then that would be quite justified, but this and Voez aren't that kind of game.
 
They should mention it on the E-Shop but I'm totally cool with it in practice. Better than not getting the game at all just because they couldn't make a docked mode work.
 

Tain

Member
I'm fine with devs making portable-only games if the design calls for it.

I'd even be fine with devs making docked-only games if they feel their game 100% needs the extra horsepower, but that would probably never happen.
 
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