I bought a case, Pro Controller and JoyCons with Snippercliper I guess I'm part of the problem but couldn't help myself. Just got everything two days ago on and had a three hour flight playing Zelda for the majority of the time - I'm really enjoying the Switch so far. Just hooked up to the TV last night and Zelda on my flatscreen is also awesome. Going to get a bunch of indies later this week when I also get an sd cart.
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GameStop - Switch sales "Phenomenal", high attach rate, "Could eclipse Wii"
- Thread starter axisofweevils
- Start date
Buy whatever you want or need to have fun. There's no problem here you could be a part of.
Spacejaws
Member
Man I'm really interested in what it can be bit cannot bite the bullet for one game alone. Conaidering that most multiplatforms will be the definitive worst looking version on the switch it is a hard pill to swallow. Especially now it's happened 3 times (4 if you account the criminal treatment of the gamecube).
Selling like the Wii doesn't exactly fill me with optimism. As I hated the direction the Wii went in, horribly gimmicky and literally a fad. For me pretty much the console version of Crazy Frog when it could have been so much more. I'll waiting until at least Mario Odyssey and the games are arctually available before I make up my mind.
Selling like the Wii doesn't exactly fill me with optimism. As I hated the direction the Wii went in, horribly gimmicky and literally a fad. For me pretty much the console version of Crazy Frog when it could have been so much more. I'll waiting until at least Mario Odyssey and the games are arctually available before I make up my mind.
sixteen-bit
Member
not surprised at the high attach rate, tbh. No pack-in + Zelda hype.
Skittzo0413
Member
This is great to hear and honestly, I wouldn't be shocked if it does reach Wii levels. It'll depend on how long the Switch is being sold/supported too, and how Nintendo classifies the Switch and Switch 2 (or whatever is next).
I think I may be the exact opposite of you. I have no interest in a PS4 or XB1 whatsoever due to their increased focus on visuals at the expense of everything else. (I'm aware there are games which do both well like Bloodborne but not in the same numbers as previous gens)
People act like graphics are as important as gameplay, or that better graphics is always an objectively good thing. But this is absolutely not true. Better graphics = higher graphics budget which = lower everything else budget OR less money for other games. Games absolutely can and do suffer when developers prioritize graphics over other aspects. Look at The Order 1886.
Like the person in this thread who said "just imagine Zelda on PS4 of PC"... It makes me think in my head... So what? I doubt it would look very different. Nintendo would likely not add much to their graphics budget if their hardware was much more powerful, and if they did it could come at the expense of other things like the interactivity of the world. And speaking of that, what other open world game has ever had this type of interactivity and physics/chemistry systems that work together with so few bugs? If the Switch (and Wii U for that matter) is capable of those types of computations I'd argue that Nintendo is utilizing its power better than the majority of PS4/XB1 devs are utilizing those consoles' power.
I really hate to bring up the age old "graphics vs gameplay" argument but it's absolutely relevant today, and possibly moreso than ever. And it's really annoying when people outright ignore the realities of game development and just complain about hardware not being capable of producing the same graphics as a low-mid range PC when focusing solely on flops and graphics like that is what is causing the industry to stagnate for me.
I think I may be the exact opposite of you. I have no interest in a PS4 or XB1 whatsoever due to their increased focus on visuals at the expense of everything else. (I'm aware there are games which do both well like Bloodborne but not in the same numbers as previous gens)
People act like graphics are as important as gameplay, or that better graphics is always an objectively good thing. But this is absolutely not true. Better graphics = higher graphics budget which = lower everything else budget OR less money for other games. Games absolutely can and do suffer when developers prioritize graphics over other aspects. Look at The Order 1886.
Like the person in this thread who said "just imagine Zelda on PS4 of PC"... It makes me think in my head... So what? I doubt it would look very different. Nintendo would likely not add much to their graphics budget if their hardware was much more powerful, and if they did it could come at the expense of other things like the interactivity of the world. And speaking of that, what other open world game has ever had this type of interactivity and physics/chemistry systems that work together with so few bugs? If the Switch (and Wii U for that matter) is capable of those types of computations I'd argue that Nintendo is utilizing its power better than the majority of PS4/XB1 devs are utilizing those consoles' power.
I really hate to bring up the age old "graphics vs gameplay" argument but it's absolutely relevant today, and possibly moreso than ever. And it's really annoying when people outright ignore the realities of game development and just complain about hardware not being capable of producing the same graphics as a low-mid range PC when focusing solely on flops and graphics like that is what is causing the industry to stagnate for me.
Jonneh3003
Banned
I'm in the same boat, whenever I read anyone say "imagine this Nintendo game on PC!" I just don't feel any impact, it wouldn't be a better game. The Switch is interesting because of what new things it brings to the industry, PS4 and Xbox One just feel like hardware refinements. PS4 is still one of my favourite consoles this generation for games like Bloodborne and The Last Guardian but the power of the system literally means nothing to me. I'm not excited for Project Scorpio if it's just the Xbox One equivalent of a PS4 Pro, it has to be something new.
For me Switch has the potential to stay my main console (besides steam).
My excitement for Switch stems from the fact that I it doesn't need a TV.
I didn't buy a TV for my new apartment and never bought a PS4 or Xbox One because of that.
schaft0620
Member
If Nintendo comes out at E3 and hits a home run Microsoft is going to be in big trouble because they are going to sell more of theses than Scorpio. E3 will be big for both.
SporeCrawler
Member
eh name a portable game that looks remotely as good as BotW
RichiRamjag
Member
If you read his posts, it doesn't matter to him because he wants the switch to be something other than what it is.
Come on, son. If the Wii U didn't deter Nintendo from this lesson, you think they would magically start caring about this if the Switch bombed too? They'd just double down on the next system being even weirder to try to set them even further apart from the competition.
Stallion Dan
Member
travisbickle
Member
It's not going to be as successful as Wii.
Nothing will until a set of augmented reality glasses launch for $250 with a wii sports-style title.
It is definitely a very interesting Nintendo product that rightfully has people's attention, but it's not going to transcend the game market like Wii did.
Nothing will until a set of augmented reality glasses launch for $250 with a wii sports-style title.
It is definitely a very interesting Nintendo product that rightfully has people's attention, but it's not going to transcend the game market like Wii did.
Why are there so many people in the thread making Wii U comparisons? Myself and many others literally walked into stores a day or two after launch with no preorders and picked up a deluxe. Obviously Gamestop is being a little bit hyperbolic comparing it to the Wii but there's no doubting that this thing has legs beyond what the Wii U had. I don't know that it has the same "fad appeal" that the Wii had to the Furby-buying crowd in 2006, but it's certainly doing respectably for its first 3 weeks.
Thanks for telling us the truth, guess we're done here, please close the thread
Uh, you may have missed their indie support. Or, say Rocket League, Divinity: Original Sin, or Journey. No Man's Sky, the mess that it was, wasn't focused on being pretty but was (at least sold as) a concept game that got massive support from Sony.
Just because it can do more doesn't mean that it must or that they focus on it exclusively. You've got your head in the sand if you think they are pushing graphics over gameplay. Or you're focusing only on the AAA, which isn't Sony's push. That's evident from their blog.
Don't get me wrong, I loved my Gamecube, DS, and 3DS, but the Vita, PS3, and PS4 are systems with great libraries of rich gameplay.
Calamari41
41 > 38
The naysayers tend to vastly underestimate the potential of the combined handheld/home console game lineup. Imagine every Wii U game releasing on an imaginary 3DS with a good screen and the ability to output to the TV in good fidelity. Also imagine the effort of the Wii U ports that the 3DS did get being put toward new games. I have no doubt that a 3DS with that lineup would have sold more than our universe's 3DS+Wii U, likely by quite a bit.
I don't know if anything will match those insane early years of the Wii, but it had massive drop offs in the second half of its lifespan. Seeing another 100M selling console is not impossible. Depending on how long Sony drags out this generation, the PS4 might crawl to around that mark. 60M shipped should be happening soonish, and $199 slim model late this year or early next year could keep sales brisk for another year or two before we see the typical late life slowdown.
It's impossible to project any meaningful sales path for the Switch after less than a month. These early results do seem promising. Given the increased software prices, and the accessory tie in factor, I think that Nintendo would consider 50M LTD a win for the switch, even if that would be a 20M+ drop from the 3DS.
Not counting unreleased IPs, the 3DS had every single franchise on that list except for Splatoon. 3DS was limited by its tech more than its library.
Steve Youngblood
Member
I think if the Switch ultimately bombs, they are basically looking at two possibilities:
1.) Make one more pure handheld device that is basically pitched as the next Game Boy/DS device that serves as their last stand as a first party hardware manufacturer.
2.) Get out of hardware.
I'm not Nostradamus, but I would be shocked if they attempt another television console (hybrid or not) if the Switch doesn't succeed.
Skittzo0413
Member
Yeah I distinctly remember seeing piles of Wii U boxes in Gamestop only a couple days after the launch. To be fair, there was also likely a larger supply of Wii U's which contributed to that, but in general demand seems far higher overall, especially considering this is a March launch vs a November launch.
It's also kind of funny to me that there are people in this thread genuinely baffled that some people find value in the Switch as a product. I personally think it's the best gaming system I've ever owned, mostly due to the portability, but also due to a lot of QOL things like the excellent sleep function, the customizable joycons (both blue, matches my house
) the instant out-of-the-box multiplayer with the wife, the seamless transition to the TV, and probably the best feature for me is the split joycon scheme, which is by FAR the best control scheme I have ever used. It's incredibly comfortable and incredibly useful when say, on the elliptical. The Switch is an excellent product if you care about literally any aspect of it beyond the processing capabilities. Even then it's impressive for its form factor.
I have a PC for those games. I'm not big into competitive online gaming so I haven't played Rocket League, but I loved Divinity: Original Sin. I'm really mainly talking about PS4/XB1 exclusives here, and I haven't really seen anything other than Bloodborne that I have a very strong desire to play.
But the issue is, probably a majority of these exclusives (which are typically AAA games) are built in the way I was saying, with graphics prioritized over gameplay. Which is just an instant turnoff to me. Of course not all of them are like this, but the fact that the industry (especially AAA) is going for ever increasing graphics budgets means we are getting fewer games from big companies, with a lesser focus on gameplay mechanics because a lot of developers have discovered that visuals are what generally sell games.
Switch isn't going to be another Wii U.
I'm not sold on Switch getting anywhere near the upper echelon of Nintendo Hardware LTDs, but the Wii U had no buzz from Day 1. People are at least interested in the Switch. It's abundantly clear that more would be sold if more were available at the moment. Wii Us just sat there rotting on shelves.
EDIT: I mean, Wii U only managed to ship an additional 850k units in the 9 months proceeding the launch shipment. From March 31st to Sept 30th 2013, they shipped zero units to PAL territories.
I'm not sold on Switch getting anywhere near the upper echelon of Nintendo Hardware LTDs, but the Wii U had no buzz from Day 1. People are at least interested in the Switch. It's abundantly clear that more would be sold if more were available at the moment. Wii Us just sat there rotting on shelves.
EDIT: I mean, Wii U only managed to ship an additional 850k units in the 9 months proceeding the launch shipment. From March 31st to Sept 30th 2013, they shipped zero units to PAL territories.
Calamari41
41 > 38
Right, but I'm not talking about a franchise checklist. I'm talking about game releases.
AdventureRacing
Member
It's clear that the switch isn't another wii U but beyond that nothing is certain. Until a couple of months go by and things start to settle down we won't know the switch is going to sell. Even then I think we won't get a real idea until closer to a year into its life span.
One things for sure, wii like sales aren't happening for the switch or any other console. Lifetime sales maybe but the early days where it was selling monstrous amounts is unlikely to ever be matched.
One things for sure, wii like sales aren't happening for the switch or any other console. Lifetime sales maybe but the early days where it was selling monstrous amounts is unlikely to ever be matched.
killatopak
Member
Yeah I distinctly remember seeing piles of Wii U boxes in Gamestop only a couple days after the launch. To be fair, there was also likely a larger supply of Wii U's which contributed to that, but in general demand seems far higher overall, especially considering this is a March launch vs a November launch.
It's also kind of funny to me that there are people in this thread genuinely baffled that some people find value in the Switch as a product. I personally think it's the best gaming system I've ever owned, mostly due to the portability, but also due to a lot of QOL things like the excellent sleep function, the customizable joycons (both blue, matches my house
The Switch is an excellent product if you care about literally any aspect of it beyond the processing capabilities. Even then it's impressive for its form factor.
I have a PC for those games. I'm not big into competitive online gaming so I haven't played Rocket League, but I loved Divinity: Original Sin. I'm really mainly talking about PS4/XB1 exclusives here, and I haven't really seen anything other than Bloodborne that I have a very strong desire to play.
But the issue is, probably a majority of these exclusives (which are typically AAA games) are built in the way I was saying, with graphics prioritized over gameplay. Which is just an instant turnoff to me. Of course not all of them are like this, but the fact that the industry (especially AAA) is going for ever increasing graphics budgets means we are getting fewer games from big companies, with a lesser focus on gameplay mechanics because a lot of developers have discovered that visuals are what generally sell games.
Ummm are you forgetting Housemarque? They are releasing another great game after Resogun and Alienation. Also TLG and Media Molecule's upcoming game, Dreams.
kyan_hexagon
Neo Member
I really hope the Switch reaches Wii levels. It's such a good idea and I want Nintendo to do well.
I don't think it would have made a huge difference from a hardware perspective. You are still pulling in the audience interested in those franchises.
The more interesting statistic will be Switch's software sales. Instead of giving Wii U a version of Mario Kart and 3DS a version of Mario Kart, we will probably see the Switch get two games (8 Deluxe and 9). Ditto for a lot of other franchises. I'm sure that Nintendo would have preferred to have two Mario Karts selling at MK7's rate, instead of one MK7 and then MK8 selling a bit more than half as much.
Norris1020
Member
Did Wii have a good attach rate? I imagine a lot of units were sold on the Wii Sports fad and many people never went beyond that.
if they did the first one, i think they'd have to be planning for the second as well - and i think that means setting up a digital platform somehow ala steam, probably by widely expanding my nintendo/nintendo account. it feels like the direction the industry is ultimately moving in.
Jonneh3003
Banned
Wii Fit, New Super Mario Bros Wii, Mario Kart Wii and multiple other games did insanely well.
killatopak
Member
I remember it did great. I think 9 was the attach rate.
Skittzo0413
Member
Adding onto that, having this combined software output (which we can already see evidence of- 9 first party titles in the first 9 months) should help build the install base to allow for some ports of third party games, like AC and CoD. Imagine the 3DS, with all of those games and franchises it got, also getting some support from western AAA third parties.
That's the type of support the Switch is capable of, as long as the sales continue to be strong throughout the first year.
Those really aren't my type of games, so I don't have much of an interest in them. And regarding TLG, I played ICO back in the day and absolutely hated it (don't kill me) so that sorta turned me off from that studio.
Like I said, I'm having trouble thinking of any exclusive PS4/XB1 game that I personally have much of an interest in beyond Bloodborne.
wii had a great attach ratio. about 9 games sold to every system. it's better than any other nintendo system aside from the gamecube.
Wii sold 917M units of software on 101M units of hardware. Even if you take out the pack-ins, you are still looking at about 800M units of software purchased/shipped separately.
I am not 100% sure if that included digital tiles on the eShop, but I don't imagine that makes much of a difference.
Calamari41
41 > 38
Along those lines, the situation we'll be seeing right off the bat will be ARMS sales, which we can probably assume wouldn't exist if Nintendo were launching a pure handheld and needed their normal ~3 year "next number" Mario Kart release to go along with it. Consolidating will allow these top-of-the-industry teams to branch out and try new ideas, and hopefully see the launch of new Splatoon level franchises.
Norris1020
Member
Wow that is impressive. It'd be great if Switch could top it or even match it.
StickSoldier
Member
The Switch has appeal to it. A lot. I'm not quite sure what it is but I really feel like I need it for some reason.. I really want one. I have been going to stores all around
my area and I haven't seen one in stock. Ill say that I definitely noticed more stock for the Wii U through out the stores that sell video games in the beginning of it's life.
I hope the Switch does awesome and it looks like it'll do decent enough, but to be truthful, I'm pretty frustrated with Nintendo and their inability to release
a console that's not littered with issues. I'm hoping to wait it out until they fix problems, but the temptations are singin to me and makin it hard to wait.
my area and I haven't seen one in stock. Ill say that I definitely noticed more stock for the Wii U through out the stores that sell video games in the beginning of it's life.
I hope the Switch does awesome and it looks like it'll do decent enough, but to be truthful, I'm pretty frustrated with Nintendo and their inability to release
a console that's not littered with issues. I'm hoping to wait it out until they fix problems, but the temptations are singin to me and makin it hard to wait.
kyan_hexagon
Neo Member
I work in the evenings and being able to play the switch at work has really made it my most played system right now. It's great.
I think they launched it early for the hardcore fans and it will have a lot more of the expected features by the holidays. I don't really mind because I like to be involved and see how it changes and grows. I'm excited for its potential.
The retirement homes deflection is not very good IMO. That contributed to only part of the Wii sales. A visible and emblematic part, but still. And even if you think that's the reason it sold 100M, how do you explain Nintendo DS' 150M? (and before you say Dr Kawashimas brain training to retirement homes, that game 'only' sold 19M).
The potential games market is much bigger than the 150M PlayStation and Xbox generally reach (in fact the actual games market is much bigger), Xbox and to a lesser extent PlayStation are just very poor at tapping them, because they focus on the most profitable but very small subsection of core gamers. Something like 60% of people under 30 regularly play games, going to 90% of people under 20. But they are largely uninterested in nerdy core games. Wii also blew up because Nintendo has mainstream appeal. Just not core fervor.
The potential games market is much bigger than the 150M PlayStation and Xbox generally reach (in fact the actual games market is much bigger), Xbox and to a lesser extent PlayStation are just very poor at tapping them, because they focus on the most profitable but very small subsection of core gamers. Something like 60% of people under 30 regularly play games, going to 90% of people under 20. But they are largely uninterested in nerdy core games. Wii also blew up because Nintendo has mainstream appeal. Just not core fervor.
Yeah with the Switch being a hybrid they can essentially have two launch periods like you say, get the hardcore on board first to drive initial sales then announce all the portable classics. I'm glad there's a lot of positive buzz around it generally, despite issues like the shitty job done with left joycon solder, the warped docks scratching the plastic (!!!) screens. Unless my "I hope Nintendo is successful bias" is warping my memories, I want to say reception to the Wii U overall was pretty lukewarm, even around launch. But with the Switch people go from "Meh, it's okay" to cautiously optimistic to "I'm happy with my purchase so far!" general tone seems different
Tavernacle12
Member
The biggest test for the Switch is going to be from now until Mario. It may have a lot of games, but not many of them are 'big' games and it'll have to deal with being a Zelda and ports box until ARMs and Splatoon are out. If the system is still healthy by Fire Emblem Warriors and if Skyrim sells well the system is going to have a really bright future.
Jaded Alyx
Member
Kinda helps when one of those 'ports' is Mario Kart 8.
The Wii U had a 3M unit initial shipment, and took forever to sell through it. Nintendo being Nintendo decided to produce a much smaller launch shipment for the Switch without bothering with preorders to gauge interest until those first units were likely already sitting in a warehouse.
It's rumored that we might see 2.5M Switch units shipped worldwide by the end of this month, but that initial launch shipment must have been under 2M.
Skittzo0413
Member
Mario Kart is probably Nintendo's second biggest seller, period. Bigger than mainline Mario for sure.
I don't think anyone cares that it's a port, especially because 35 million people bought Mario Kart Wii yet only 8 million bought Mario Kart 8. That's not to say that MK8D will sell 27 million, but MKWii has really shown us the popularity and power of the Mario Kart brand.
On a side note, I think the Wii U would have sold at the very least 5-10m more units had Mario Kart 8 come out within the first 3-4 months. By the time it was out the Wii U was already dead and buried, and it's hard to come back from that type of reputation.
Mario Kart Wii is probably not a good indication of Mario Kart 8 or 9's sales potential. A lot of those games were selling to demographics who moved on from home consoles and dedicated handhelds.
Mario Kart and New Super Mario Bros had big crossover to the blue ocean audiences, which is why they sold so much better than their franchise norms. More "core-targeted" stuff like Smash and Super Mario Galaxy were also up compared to titles before and after, but not by nearly the same margin.
I think MK8D will do as much if not more to sell the Switch than any game you've mentioned outside of Odyssey (and maybe even including that). I think people are putting too much emphasis on it being a port. It's a game from a wildly popular series that released on a wildly unpopular console. If tens of millions of more people are going to end up buying the Switch than did the Wii U, and this is what will have to happen if this thing is going to be a success, then it won't matter to these people that MK8D is a port. And add to it the new and additional content, as well as the portability factor, and you'll get quite a bit of double dipping. I think a lot of people are going to be surprised at how well this game does.
nintendo obviously made the right move to wait. i don't know why it's 'nintendo being nintendo' to, after the poor sell-through of the wii u, to approach their new platform conservatively. focusing their marketing dollars between a 7 week period that included commercials, nationwide tours, and a superbowl ad, instead of starting at e3 or even in october and working against holiday season news seemed to work out rather well for them, and now they're going to double their initial forecast based on the positive launch. using preorders to gauge interest is a sound way to do things, but i think the way the launch and marketing cycle for the switch worked out was essentially perfect. the only thing that really needed some adjusting was their dumb january conference.