• Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.

Was Nintendo right to launch Switch now, or should they have waited until Q4 2017?

H

Hero of Legend

Member
I've thought about how Nintendo decided to launch on March 3rd, 2017, instead of waiting until the holiday season.

Because of this, it seems like the Switch was rushed, with the seemingly barebones UI and eShop, lack of full online features which are still to come, no VC, hardware issues like the left-Joy-Con and bent dock, etc.

This also meant a rather small amount of retail games, in the west, we have Zelda, but nothing else of that major. Japan got Dragon Quest Heroes I&II and Disgaea 5 (the latter is due in the west in late May), so those are decent ports at least to start.

But what if they waited until the holidays, as they traditionally have done with home consoles (not as often with handhelds, really just DS did that in recent gens IIRC). They might've launched with Super Mario Odyssey day 1, most if not all issues could've been ironed out, alongside the presence of the VC, etc.

But maybe Nintendo benefited from the early launch. It's safe to say it'll be a crowded holiday season, with Scorpio out around then, plus the usual AAA games out at that time, major first-party competition from Sony and MS. I'd like to think it's safe to say Nintendo stole the show launching right now.

But what's your take GAF? Was now the right time? Would the holidays been the right time? I'm interested in some thoughts.
 
Robottiimu2000

Robottiimu2000

Member
Yes.

This was definetly the way to build the brand. They will kill at E3. Have the possibility lower prices..People will fight over Switches before holidays.
 
J

jonno394

Member
It is seemingly selling as fast as they stock it in Japan, so on paper it looks like it wasn't a wrong move. I imagine - nay hope - that by the time supply exceeds demand (which might not be until after Splatoon 2 launches) a lot of the issues you find may have already started being ironed out.

There is no way that Nintendo would have delayed the Switch until Fall and then launched with both Zelda and Mario, one would have made way for the other.
 
N

Neoweee

Member
LordKano said:
They still managed to sell everything they had in March, so eh I'd say they were right in the end.
Click to expand...

I agree with this.

They will have sold 5-10 Million units before the holiday season starts, and there's not really any historical indication that releasing a system later leads to more reliable build quality. The OS would probably be further along, true.
(But I'm probably biased here, as I still don't see the Switch as having notably more widespread build quality issues than most launch systems).
 
A

awesome_pants

Banned
I'd say it was the right thing to do.
Too much competition competing for that holiday item but selling in Q1 where:
1. People are more frivolous with their money as there are not holidays to save up for
2. Less competition
3. Still able to cash in on the holiday crowd of Q4 with the right marketing strategy

I'd say smart move.
 
I

Inferno313

Banned
Nah. Releasing now was smart. It's selling incredibly well, it's got one of the best launch titles in ages, and it's got a pretty steady lineup of stuff coming. Not releasing now would mean they'd have to spend a year floating by on the meager 3DS lineup for this year.

By the time holiday rolls around, Switch will be in a much better place to offer an enticing proposition to families than if it was launching around that time. The OS will have received a lot of work by this fall, the online service will be in full-swing, it'll have a strong lineup boasting Zelda, Mario, Splatoon, Arms, Mario Kart, Xenoblade, and anything else Nintendo announces at E3. I imagine they might even turn 1-2 Switch, Zelda, and/or Mario Kart into holiday season pack-ins.
 
R

random25

Member
It sold pretty well right now, so basically Nintendo made the right call.

It's funny because last year the discussion was Nintendo made a mistake not launching it last year during the holidays.
 
M

Majine

Banned
I'm not that well versed in this, but I imagine deciding on a launch date involves more than just asking the question "Do we have enough content?".

It was at the end of a fiscal year, plus other factors.
 
G

Gaspard

Member
Delays don't necessarily mean they would have released all of their games at once.

They still would have spaced the games out to maximize visibility, which might have delayed Mario further.
 
P

Pinky

Banned
I don't think they had a choice. Wii U sales were so abysmal and the system had no relevance left. They had to get the Switch out sooner than later.
 
N

Neoxon

Junior Member
Judging by how they're still selling through their stock, they made the right call.

As for the launch line-up, they probably would have also launched with Mario Kart 8 Deluxe if the Switch's launch was pushed back. Everything else would have likely still been spaced out (albeit more condensed) if the Switch came out later.
 
D

Dark_3nergy

Member
It was the right time, cause now they can focus on ramp up of more games.

As someone whose bought consoles in the holiday season, it sucks not having a lot to chose from when you want to play on the new console. Personally, I am really looking forward to E3.
 
I

Inferno313

Banned
Gaspard said:
Delays don't necessarily mean they would have released all of their games at once.

They still would have spaced the games out to maximize visibility, which might have delayed Mario further.
Click to expand...

Exactly. There's no reality where the Switch would've come out with Zelda, Mario, Mario Kart, Splatoon 2, ARMS, and Xenoblade on day one. Releasing now puts the Switch in a healthier position for this holiday, than actually releasing during the holiday season would.
 
S

Skittzo0413

Member
I have a feeling around the holiday time this year we're gonna be seeing a thread like "Wow Nintendo was brilliant to launch the Switch in March" and it will list all of the games and features it has for its first holiday shopping season.

It was definitely a different strategy, but judging by their first month sales it seems to have been the right call. We'll see if those continue through April. I'm pretty hopeful that MK8DX will absolutely demolish expectations here though, so I think it will be set until the Summer at least.
 
C

Cartho

Member
Now is fine. It's selling fine to the hardcore and giving them a chance to get more units in production for the holiday. Plus it means they get to avoid being in a slugging match with heavily discounted PS4s and Scorpio.

If they bring the fire at E3 and the rumours are true, they could potentially be going into the holiday period with a couple / a few million sold already, a brand new 3D Mario, Pokemon and Smash Bros. IF those rumours are true. That's an extremely good position for them to be in and they wouldn't have wanted to launch over the holidays with loads of amazing games at once and not enough supply to meet demand.

This way they can get the initial rush sold, generate some buzz and then have lots of stock ready in time for Christmas.

Really though, if Pokemon Dtars is a thing and comes out this year then they will likely sell every Dwitch they can make anyway - Pokemon is Nintendo's GTA in terms of its ability to move hardware.
 
Cert.in.Death

Cert.in.Death

Member
Probably now was better while there is a lull. No other hardware and they can trickle out games at their pace. Plus early adopters are beta testing and working out the kinks, plus it gives them the opportunity to see if the market is willing to pony up the asking price and slash the price if not.

I'd still be concerned about Q4 given they won't be getting any of the games on X1 and PS4 that are going to be big draws. Plus if the price disparity remains, it will be far harder to move units against systems that offer far better value.

Also the online is still a massive pile of shit, at least the proposed plan for it is (plus Wifi issues in Switch devices).
 
B

Bananajama

Banned
Definitely the right move - if the stock situation is bad now. In March

How much worse would it have been in Q4 approaching Christmas!
 
J

Jonnax

Member
Try and buy a switch right now.
It's so sold out that you'll probably be waiting a while unless you're lucky.

Nintendo knew that if they launch the console with Zelda. People will buy it no questions asked.

Why launch in December with a game that has a ton of mainstream appeal if it'll be sold out.

It's the same reason why Mario Kart is coming out at the end of this month. It's so stock can be replenished.

The beta software is also fine because it comes back to the fact that the console in a Zelda machine. They've got time to patch things in.

And isn't it better to have a smaller group of gaming enthusiasts having issues such as bent docks or dodgy joy cons rather than the general population?
If there were issues with Wii Sports on the original Wii that would get airtime on TV news.
Think about all the TV smashing stuff.
 
R

RichiRamjag

Member
They sold out their stock now and can make a big push during the holidays. It's a great idea.can right any misdoings before holiday too.

Cartho said:
Now is fine. It's selling fine to the hardcore and giving them a chance to get more units in production for the holiday. Plus it means they get to avoid being in a slugging match with heavily discounted PS4s and Scorpio.

If they bring the fire at E3 and the rumours are true, they could potentially be going into the holiday period with a couple / a few million sold already, a brand new 3D Mario, Pokemon and Smash Bros. IF those rumours are true. That's an extremely good position for them to be in and they wouldn't have wanted to launch over the holidays with loads of amazing games at once and not enough supply to meet demand.

This way they can get the initial rush sold, generate some buzz and then have lots of stock ready in time for Christmas.

Really though, if Pokemon Dtars is a thing and comes out this year then they will likely sell every Dwitch they can make anyway - Pokemon is Nintendo's GTA in terms of its ability to move hardware.
Click to expand...

I think it's selling to more than the hardcore. I've seen a lot of interest from people who weren't Nintendo fans and those who don't typically game that much.
 
T

The Albatross

Member
If launching in March means that they can get enough consoles out for the holidays, then I think this was the right thing to do.

Nintendo being unable to produce consoles over the last 10 years is ridiculous, so anything that might help them meet a Holiday demand.
 
K

Kureransu

Member
Issues were gonna to happen regardless, if say it's better to iron out out now and have a flawless holiday season. Come Christmas, if everything they say is coming this year actually comes out, including Indies, they well have a very solid holiday season. If they are a few surprises at e3 (hopefully filling genre gaps), it could be a stray holiday season.
 
G

Glass Shark

Banned
I think it's good that they launched now. It helped them gauge interest and build hype so hopefully they can actually produce enough of these by Christmas to have a meaningful impact on the install base. I want the hardware to be plentiful and successful so that there's a better chance of seeing more great software on it.
 
E

esmith08734

Member
Definitely the right move. There's a lull right now and Nintendo capitalized. The buzz will be around Scorpio at the end of the year. Nintendo gets their moment now and can keep the line steady with game announcements.
 
A

Askherserenity

Member
Isn't it selling insanely well? Why wait till the Holidays if they can't even keep stock up during March of all months.

Mario will (probably) come out during the holidays and that'll honestly just be like a second launch for them.

So why wait exactly? They know they have features/games missing at launch that they are working on but felt the console would be able to sell well with just the "gimmick" of the console and Zelda.
 
V

VariantX

Member
Considering how well it's selling right now with absolutely nothing to really compete with it for mindshare over the holidays, it was the right call. They'll likely be fighting against PS4 Destiny bundles and Scorpio then when they can build up momentum and sales now with no real new hardware competition.
 
B

Bl4ckSunsh1n3

Member
It was the right business decision, obviously. There is some annoyance for us, because we're kind of like beta testers for the online part while they finish it and there are no apps yet.

Although, when you look at features added to PS4 and and XBox One over time, it's not really that bad. Just an inconvenience, but nothing out of the ordinary.
 
C

cw_sasuke

If all DLC came tied to $13 figurines, I'd consider all DLC to be free
They will have a much better Q4 this way, with more stock and a bigger library then if the had launched in Q4. So its pretty obvious.

Devs who are waiting for the Switch to have a bigger installed base or didnt wanna launch alongside Zelda wouldnt have launched anything on zero installed based system in Q4 while having to compete with Zelda/Mario etc. at the same time.
 
F

foppy79

Member
Shareholders would be bathing in blood by now if it was delayed to Q4.

From a business aspect, it seems so far so good, but buying one now from a consumer point of view isn't worth it. unless you're a diehard
(Raises hand)
or like spreading out your purchases. But people want them now and people are still excited, so they must be doing something right. Hopefully E3 knocks it out of the park for the system, but I'm still cautious.
 
J

James Scott

Banned
The hardware issues aren't more prevalent than other hardware launches. The system is selling well and they have time to build around it using early feedback. For example, the left Joy Con issue is already resolved in newer units.

Holding out on releasing their 9+ games slated for this year till November when they're already ready and Wii U is dead is a bad idea too

Also, pretty sure we've had this thread like 3 times?
 
A

Alienous

Member
Releasing now, with Breath of the Wild and an otherwise content starved platform, was probably the smartest move available.

To release in Q4, next to another new hardware launch (the Xbox Scorpio), likely sales for the PS4, PS4 Pro and Xbox One, and in the shadow of all of the games that won't appear on the platform (Call of Duty, Star Wars Battlefront, Destiny to name a few), launching then wouldn't have been pretty.
 
E

eXMomoj

Member
Now.

Q4 2017 will have Scorpio release and likely a PS4 Pro price cut to go along with it. With the March release all focus was on Nintendo's console release opposed to having to combat the other two giants.
 
H

Hispanic! At the Disco

Member
Yes, now, because they get the Die-hard rush at launch, then the holiday rush again later the same year.

Also Zelda in march, Mario Kart in April, then Splatoon and ARMS most likely getting their own months somewhere around May-August. Im sure Nintendo has a surprise or 2 for August-Nov. To me thats a steady flow to the die-hard fans and gaming enthusiasts, and a very nice selection by the holiday season.
 
C

cubicle47b

Member
I think they were right to launch the Switch now. Part of it is me being selfish. If it launched in the fall I wouldn't own it / be playing it now. It's been highly successful, though, and I like that the early launch means early-adopters aren't competing with Christmas shoppers for units, the launch lineup is spread out over a few months so each game gets a lot of attention (should sell better), and Nintendo has time to work out any problems with manufacturing or advertising before the holiday season.
 
R

Robdraggoo

Member
March is a great time to launch. Not much competition a d this time of the year is the second best time for electronic sells. Tax season and all.
 
D

Deleted member 752119

Unconfirmed Member
This was totally the way to do it.

1. It's selling out in their most important territories. So it's not like it's languishing on shelves everywhere.

2. That lets the diehards buy it up now/through the summer and hopefully makes it easier for parents, families and other gift buyers to find in the holiday season.

3. It would have been terrible to delay Zelda any further after dedicating pretty much their entire E3 to it in 2016.

Really the only downside is that the OS, online service, VC, streaming apps etc. aren't their for early adopters. But for Nintendo it was great move as they needed the revenue after a year of the Wii U being dead and the 3DS not having a ton of big games aside from Pokemon (huge of course), it's regained a lot of momentum for them and they're well-suited to keep it going with the coming releases leading up to a huge holiday push behind Mario and whatever else they have.
 
Z

Zedark

Member
I think it was a good idea. The recent fails in hardware launches with the 3DS and the Wii U meant they were going to be really careful with their next system's launch. Launching in March, with a bona fide system seller in Zelda, allows them to gauge the market for Nintendo fans, selling through a great number of systems in the first two months I'd wager, and from there Mario Kart 8 Deluxe can try and probe some more mainstream casual audience attention. A benefit is that they are not in competition with PS4 and Xbox One for the biggest holiday deals race, so they can launch more successful imo. When it turns out this second market, i.e. the non-Nintendo fanbase, is not interested in the system due to system flaws, they will not have wasted a precious holiday season trying to unsuccessfully garner attention, and can make changes to the system features and possibly price to adjust to the market rejection. If it still won't sell, then they have done all they can to make it otherwise, I think.

The other point of contention here in my mind is the games: launching during the slow season means that very few big games launch. This can be both a blessing and a curse: it is a curse because few new games will grace the system, and as such (as you can see in several threads on GAF) people will perceive the lineup to be problematic. It is a blessing because it allows the majority of third party developers to have extra time getting original software on the system without needing to rush for launch. This by no means guarantees that the third party support will be coming of course, but it does mean that third parties have more time to watch the system's performance and jump in with more certainty if the system does well. The rumours about dev kits going out late would be a disappointment if true, as it makes getting software ready for fall rush harder for those that are interested.

All in all I think it was a good tactic, though it very much remains to be seen if it will entice third party developers to come to the system.
 
T

The Greek Freak

Member
They were right to launch now but ONLY because of how extreme the praise for BOTW was.


If botw was mediocre but serviceable like TP or straight up motion control trash like SS, this would be going the exact opposite way.
 
B

borghe

Loves the Greater Toronto Area
Only history will tell.

If come Q4 we have a great system with tons of OS polish, then they were right.

If come Q4 we are still short on a lot of pretty standard features (but obviously a few more), then yeah they probably should have allowed this pie to bake a bit longer.
 
Teletraan1

Teletraan1

Banned
It is fine to launch now. Nobody is putting a gun to your head to buy one if you aren't happy with what is on offer now. For me I know they will have some actual games I am interested in by Q4 so I should be able to buy one at that time. Rather than launching Q4 and having to deal with Nintendo incompetently trying to get stock out at that time.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

Full Q&A English Summary of Nintendo's Financial Results Briefing for Fiscal Year Ended March 2024
Business
0
399
Thick Thighs Save Lives replied
Should Nintendo Fans be laughing right about now?
2
67
3K
Rocco Schiavone replied
Now Australia is getting the adults-only N64 Switch app
News
2
870
Raonak replied
Nintendo Appears To Be Winding Down Production Of Certain Switch Games
Rumor 2
90
8K
Mr Hyde replied
With the rumoured launched of PS5 Pro and Switch 2 this year, I honestly don't know what the way forward for Xbox is
Hardware 2 3 4 5
210
16K
David B replied
Top Bottom