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Behold Nintendo Switch (March 2017, Hybrid w/ Dock, Detachable Controllers, Nvidia)

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https://www.bloomberg.com/news/arti...ream-of-gaming-on-the-go-gets-a-reality-check

Pretty much the opposite reaction I had. I can't wait to see more.

That article was a bit mixed. But at the end of it, an analyst thinks it will sell 12 million in its first year. That puts 2 million below ps4 which isnt bad at all. It will be hard for 3rd parties to ignore.

I am on board and will pre order asap. The battery life will be terrible, and it wont rival xbox one in power, but i am content with whats there so far. Skyrim, 3d zelda, 3d mario, hopefully a new Metroid plus the VC. Also I hope Nintendo has a better account system. They spoke of this device being a platform sort of. So that means that Switch 2 should be just an upgraded Switch. Same library will carry across. That would be wonderful.
 
Super Nintendo didn't have a Gimmick either besides the jump in graphics and in the US at least they had a pack-in with Super Mario World. That shit was good.

Do something like that again even if you can't exploit a gimmick..

Super Nintendo's gimmick was 2 additional face buttons as well as shoulder buttons, all of which SMW used IIRC?

N64's was an analog stick, C-Buttons for 3D camera control, and a trigger button.

GameCube's was analog shoulder triggers, the C-Stick, and later on, wireless (though it didn't have any impact on gameplay).

We all know Wii and Wii U. Every Nintendo system has had some form of controller gimmick that the pack-in game (or in N64/GCN's case, just launch titles) utilized.

Surprisingly, at least from what's been revealed, Switch is the first one to not introduce anything new control-wise. Rumors say that it also has gyro, which Wii and Wii U and 3DS had so that's nothing new, and some kind of new rumble but I don't know how that could have a game built around it, doesn't feel like a real gameplay altering feature like the other gimmicks that would need a new Mario or Wii Sports or Nintendo Land to show off.

I'm really disappointed that the Scrollder Wheels didn't make it in, those would have been really cool and fun and could definitely be used to enhance gameplay. I kind of wonder if, with Nintendo saying they didn't want aspects of the Switch copied before launch (I don't know how the fuck Sony or MS could copy what we've seen in the next 5 months), and the fact that there are "more secrets" they've held back, if perhaps the JoyCons they've showed off aren't the actual JoyCons that'll be in the box, and the Scrollder Wheels will be on the final uint?
 
From what i have gathered so farm from speaking with my non hardcore gaming friends - they seem really excited about the possibilities of the system, especially if the expected content will be there. Just being able from soling Zelda or Skyrim to having a small Mario Kart session with friends in the garden seems like a big deal.

Just from seeing the teaser trailer some would find a price up to 400$ justified - which is crazy. I really think that if priced for sub 300€ or even 249€ for launch this will be quite big.



The high production value games like Zelda have always been a bit more expensive here anyway. Even on 3DS we had games like Shin Megami Tensei or RE Revelations being more expensive for specific reason. Dont expect anything to change on that front. 40-50 for standard games and 60 for stuff like Zelda.

I think they might try something new when it comes to getting people to buy their digital versions.
I think 3DS missed out on a lot of games due to the backlash against $50 Resident Evil Revelations.
Them marketing it as a home console is actually a smart move since it add value to their games and they could get away with charging more.
$50 with a more digital focus sounds smart enough, especially if the media does cost more than other systems.
why is it only 720p, my phone is 2K and lasts 5 hours
720 is likely to be able to push games like Super mario and Zelda: BoTW on that hardware.
 

jts

...hate me...
The dock has 2 Hdmi ports...


Does this suggest 4K video playback? The PS4 Pro has 2 so that one can send the 4k HDR video to the TV and the other can send sound to non-hdcp 2.2 compliant sound systems...
We can't say for sure it has 2 HDMI ports. While the shape of the plastic mask of the ports is in sort of the HDMI style, we can't really see the port ifself, and there have been other ports with that kind of layout (proprietary or not).

Furthermore they are not even plugged in and the guy has it the thing on and connected to his TV; not the kind of detail
that would be glanced over for this video either, even the LED light is on. Also, output ports are more likely to come off the back rather than the sides of a device.

Lastly when trying to tweak up the image to try to catch some more details, it kinda seems like there's 2 ports per thingy? Size would suggest USB-C although the shape looks more like micro USB which doesn't make much sense here. It can also just be a proprietary port with 2 prongs or just placeholders. Who knows.

9VG5gGE.jpg
 

Burny

Member
why is it only 720p, my phone is 2K and lasts 5 hours

My phone does calls. Why doesn't the switch? "Oh Nintendo, you had one job" etc..


While I find the idea of handheld gaming on my phone in principle quiet appealing, in practice I never touch the more complex things. They drain the battery fast as hell. E.g. rather than 7 hours screen on time in synthetic test, you're looking at 2 hours max before you drained the battery. In the end, communication is what I need my phone for, so I refrain from doing a lot of gaming on it. Conserving battery by reducing the resolution for a device that potentially has to run demanding software constantly seems sound. Quiet apart from pushing the price down. At worst, I could already see the switch veering into the 400$ range.


But now that Nintendo has what is practically a tablet, I'd hope to see more ports of the high profile mobile games. Even the free to play ones maybe? Does Nintendo allow these things nowadays?
 

wsippel

Banned
We can't say for sure it has 2 HDMI ports. While the shape of the plastic mask of the ports is in sort of the HDMI style, we can't really see the port ifself, and there have been other ports with that kind of layout (proprietary or not).

Furthermore they are not even plugged in and the guy has it the thing on and connected to his TV; not the kind of detail
that would be glanced over for this video either, even the LED light is on. Also, output ports are more likely to come off the back rather than the sides of a device.

Lastly when trying to tweak up the image to try to catch some more details, it kinda seems like there's 2 ports per thingy? Size would suggest USB-C although the shape looks more like micro USB which doesn't make much sense here. It can also just be a proprietary port with 2 prongs or just placeholders. Who knows.

9VG5gGE.jpg
Notice the text between the two ports? It says "USB". So yeah, those are USB ports. Regular, full size, rectangular USB ports.
 

jts

...hate me...
Notice the text between the two ports? It says "USB". So yeah, those are USB ports. Regular, full size, rectangular USB ports.
USB does seem to fit the bill. However it does look clear to me that the 2 of the corners are tapered, which would prevent rectangular shapes to fit. I can only hope it's USB and that weird shape is simply to make it clear it's not type-A, but there are rather 2 USB-C ports per hole as it's suggested when you turn the brightness on the picture (granted, the whole dock can just be a mock-up and that kind of detail could have been overlooked).

4 USB-C ports would be amazing.
 

Lionheart

Member
Does anyone believe Nintendo might release a bare bones phone / tablet controller case kinda thing that you can put your current device of choice into and that you can attach the joy cons to? Or support wireless use of the controllers on phones and tablets for Nintendo games?

Or is that completely out of the question?

I think the chance is really slim, but someone in another thread got me thinking.
 
I said this in the topic-it sucks we can't hear anything from 3rd party devs on their games STILL. I really want the floodgates to open from them, especially seeing that bug list.

I know 2.5 months isn't that long, but still -.-
 
I'm far from being a Nintendo fan, but I don't really understand why this thing is causing so much controversy around here. This is the first Nintendo "console" I've been tempted to buy since the Gamecube. The modular/portable appeal is a pretty big selling point for me, since I travel for work fairly often and this would be fantastic in-flight entertainment. And at home, being able to use this thing while my wife watches TV, or while I'm relaxing in bed is fantastic.

Sure, it's not cutting edge hardware, but it doesn't need to be. Nintendo hasn't been focused on that kind of experience for over a decade, and they don't really need to.

EDIT: Another thought-- the comparisons to existing mobile devices is kind of strange to me. Yes, we already have mobile gaming on phones and tablets, but...it kind of sucks. Mobile games aren't built with a universal non-touch gamepad control scheme, and it has dramatically limited the kinds of games that we can play on the go. And that's why I avoid mobile gaming as a whole, because unless you're playing something like Candy Crush, it''s a pretty crap experience.
 

Cerium

Member
Sure, it's not cutting edge hardware, but it doesn't need to be. Nintendo hasn't been focused on that kind of experience for over a decade, and they don't really need to.

Let's be fair here, it's cutting edge in the mobile space. We're talking about a portable that's significantly more powerful than their last home console. It's leapfrogging generations over the 3DS.
 
Let's be fair here, it's cutting edge in the mobile space. We're talking about a portable that's significantly more powerful than their last home console. It's leapfrogging generations over the 3DS.

Agreed-- I was only referring to some people's expectations of a PS4 Pro or Scorpio level box, but it's definitely an apples and oranges comparison.
 

Kai Dracon

Writing a dinosaur space opera symphony
I have to admit I see a lot of people reacting positively to the all-important first impression of the Switch debut video. As opposed to the confused, disinterested reaction to the Wii U's terrible unveiling and worse marketing.

Essentially, that initial impression is "this is Nintendo? I never would have thought." And that's probably a really good reaction for Nintendo to be getting right now.

Lot of people who ignored the Wii (much less the Wii U) immediately saying they want to know more about this thing. I mean sure, Nintendo can screw up any number of ways with the follow through. But if they wanted to reboot their image, the first foot put forward landed in the right place.
 
Aside from storage which I assume will support external HDDs like the Wii U, one thing I'm curious about is how big can Nintendo actually make the proprietary game cards the games are actually coming on (even before large, modern patches), at normal game prices, since Wii U discs could go up to 25GB (I think?), and the large scale disc pressing of a common disc format like DVD/Blu-ray has always been one of the reasons it's still the most cost effective.

Especially since I'd be mostly interested for the home console side between the two.
 

Zalman

Member
I have to admit I see a lot of people reacting positively to the all-important first impression of the Switch debut video. As opposed to the confused, disinterested reaction to the Wii U's terrible unveiling and worse marketing.

Essentially, that initial impression is "this is Nintendo? I never would have thought." And that's probably a really good reaction for Nintendo to be getting right now.

Lot of people who ignored the Wii (much less the Wii U) immediately saying they want to know more about this thing. I mean sure, Nintendo can screw up any number of ways with the follow through. But if they wanted to reboot their image, the first foot put forward landed in the right place.
Everything is spot-on so far. I just hope they nail the price and game lineup as well.
 

Malus

Member
I'm far from being a Nintendo fan, but I don't really understand why this thing is causing so much controversy around here. This is the first Nintendo "console" I've been tempted to buy since the Gamecube. The modular/portable appeal is a pretty big selling point for me, since I travel for work fairly often and this would be fantastic in-flight entertainment. And at home, being able to use this thing while my wife watches TV, or while I'm relaxing in bed is fantastic.

Sure, it's not cutting edge hardware, but it doesn't need to be. Nintendo hasn't been focused on that kind of experience for over a decade, and they don't really need to.

It's cool that you like it. I don't see what's hard to understand though. It doesn't "need" to be more powerful (some would argue that it does) but many would certainly prefer it that way, and there are people don't do portable gaming in the first place.
 

z1ggy

Member
This gonna be my first Nintendo console since the dissapointing N64

Gonna get the console, a pro gamepad and 2 or 3 games with it.Totally sold on the idea.

Wonder if we could use both systems at the same time for dual screen.
 
We can't say for sure it has 2 HDMI ports. While the shape of the plastic mask of the ports is in sort of the HDMI style, we can't really see the port ifself, and there have been other ports with that kind of layout (proprietary or not).

Furthermore they are not even plugged in and the guy has it the thing on and connected to his TV; not the kind of detail
that would be glanced over for this video either, even the LED light is on. Also, output ports are more likely to come off the back rather than the sides of a device.

Lastly when trying to tweak up the image to try to catch some more details, it kinda seems like there's 2 ports per thingy? Size would suggest USB-C although the shape looks more like micro USB which doesn't make much sense here. It can also just be a proprietary port with 2 prongs or just placeholders. Who knows.

9VG5gGE.jpg
Oh wow, you are right...
 
What's really cool about this is that it would make a PS4 Pro-style upgrade way easier because you're buying into an ecosystem, not just one device so any part can be changed out as you see fit.
 
My only concern thus far has been storage. I tend to go digital mostly and very rarely buy retail anymore. So it looks like people will need to monitor their storage a bit here, especially with 32gigs. Also I wonder if it will support hard drives. Lets say you download a game to the HD, it wont be able to go into portable mode because it was not on the internal storage or the SD card (if the system supports those). Patches might also be a bit of a problem. Not sure how much of a problem this will be.

And lets go a bit further, if a user is playing a game and its on the HDD thats plugged into the dock, and the user pics the tablet up off the dock, what happens to the game? I hope they tested out these scenarios. Maybe i am overthinking it here.
 

Tratorn

Member
Sure, it's not cutting edge hardware, but it doesn't need to be. Nintendo hasn't been focused on that kind of experience for over a decade, and they don't really need to.

It's ok if that is your opinion, but you can't say that generally.
I'll probably never put this thing out of the dock as soon as it is in. It will be purely a home console for me and as that it is a pretty disappointing device imo. So it is pretty understandable if someone isn't really satisfied if he doesn't need the portability.
 

Andodalf

Banned
My only concern thus far has been storage. I tend to go digital mostly and very rarely buy retail anymore. So it looks like people will need to monitor their storage a bit here, especially with 32gigs. Also I wonder if it will support hard drives. Lets say you download a game to the HD, it wont be able to go into portable mode because it was not on the internal storage or the SD card (if the system supports those). Patches might also be a bit of a problem. Not sure how much of a problem this will be.

And lets go a bit further, if a user is playing a game and its on the HDD thats plugged into the dock, and the user pics the tablet up off the dock, what happens to the game? I hope they tested out these scenarios. Maybe i am overthinking it here.

What happens when you remove your external drive from an XB1 or Wii U today? What about an SD card from a 3ds?


I don't know, im legit asking.
 
My only concern thus far has been storage. I tend to go digital mostly and very rarely buy retail anymore. So it looks like people will need to monitor their storage a bit here, especially with 32gigs. Also I wonder if it will support hard drives. Lets say you download a game to the HD, it wont be able to go into portable mode because it was not on the internal storage or the SD card (if the system supports those). Patches might also be a bit of a problem. Not sure how much of a problem this will be.

And lets go a bit further, if a user is playing a game and its on the HDD thats plugged into the dock, and the user pics the tablet up off the dock, what happens to the game? I hope they tested out these scenarios. Maybe i am overthinking it here.

I would be shocked if it didn't have an SD card slot.
 

RedSwirl

Junior Member
This is probably the sleekest piece of hardware Nintendo has revealed since the GBA SP. Maybe even the first one since then that actually looks like modern hardware.

Nintendo products have always had this 90's Japanese appliance look to them, all the way up to the 3DS. Personally I never had a problem with it but ever since Sony started building consoles to look like modern computers there's been that stark contrast. It seems Nintendo has finally let that look go.

That article was a bit mixed. But at the end of it, an analyst thinks it will sell 12 million in its first year. That puts 2 million below ps4 which isnt bad at all. It will be hard for 3rd parties to ignore.

I am on board and will pre order asap. The battery life will be terrible, and it wont rival xbox one in power, but i am content with whats there so far. Skyrim, 3d zelda, 3d mario, hopefully a new Metroid plus the VC. Also I hope Nintendo has a better account system. They spoke of this device being a platform sort of. So that means that Switch 2 should be just an upgraded Switch. Same library will carry across. That would be wonderful.

It's a legitimate concern. The Switch looks primed for the 3DS/Vita audience, but outside of kids it's hard to say how other audiences will react. It probably wont grab the main console audience away from PlayStation and Xbox, and it probably won't grab the bulk of the casual audience away from mobile. It looks like a middle ground that's trying to mix console with mobile, but might have the advantages of neither. Conventional consoles survive because they're the only places people can find deep, hardcore experiences at a reasonable buy-in price, the Switch probably won't have those same experiences. Mobile dominates because it provides accessible games on the essential devices everyone already owns -- the Switch won't be that essential device.

If it does go on to do 3DS-like sales numbers or something that looks respectable compared to a PS4, are people gonna view that in dedicated handheld terms or in console terms? And remember: western developers didn't put their weight behind the 100 million-selling Wii (though largely because of its control interface).

Right now my thought is that the Switch is just gonna be getting what's left of the niche audience that wants older types of console games but isn't getting them on PS4 or iOS. It may turn out that there's a healthy audience of maybe 50 million people worldwide who want that.

Maybe it depends on how much of a success it becomes with mainstream family local multiplayer.

I also wanna bring up a comparison someone made when the Vita first came out -- to the Kindle. I still see people using Kindles while I just use eBook apps on my phone. Why? It performs one specific task better than a tablet for less money than a tablet.
 

Burny

Member
And lets go a bit further, if a user is playing a game and its on the HDD thats plugged into the dock, and the user pics the tablet up off the dock, what happens to the game? I hope they tested out these scenarios. Maybe i am overthinking it here.

Nah, very valid concerns. Even assuming Wii U games as base level for storage requirements, that begs the question how they'll handle download games in mobile mode. Even with 128 GB of storage, just to pick a random number from the very high end of phone storage, that may be very tight. 32GB would be problematic, even if so. etching like a New Super Mario Brothers required far less. Things like Zelda will take a lot more storage.
 

Peterthumpa

Member
My only concern thus far has been storage. I tend to go digital mostly and very rarely buy retail anymore. So it looks like people will need to monitor their storage a bit here, especially with 32gigs. Also I wonder if it will support hard drives. Lets say you download a game to the HD, it wont be able to go into portable mode because it was not on the internal storage or the SD card (if the system supports those). Patches might also be a bit of a problem. Not sure how much of a problem this will be.

And lets go a bit further, if a user is playing a game and its on the HDD thats plugged into the dock, and the user pics the tablet up off the dock, what happens to the game? I hope they tested out these scenarios. Maybe i am overthinking it here.

I'm pretty sure that an external disk would never be able to run a game from it directly. It could be there for "game swapping" from the disk to the main storage, but the whole "Switch" concept depends on a seamless transition from home console to mobile. If you're not running the game on a cart, I expect some sort of message saying "you need to copy the game data to the main memory or SD card first" sort of thing.
 
I'm pretty sure that an external disk would never be able to run a game from it directly. It could be there for "game swapping" from the disk to the main storage, but the whole "Switch" concept depends on a seamless transition from home console to mobile. If you're not running the game on a cart, I expect some sort of message saying "you need to copy the game data to the main memory or SD card first" sort of thing.


Yeah sounds like users will need to watch their storage then. However I can't see games being that big. Skyrim was a 3.8 gig download on 360. Games were not huge on wii I either from what I hear. A 128gig sd card should fit a lot on there.
 

RedSwirl

Junior Member
Just a thought: Diablo 3.

I haven't actually played it but think about people getting together to play it locally while on the go like Monster Hunter. Blizzard did after all once try to do a Game Boy Color Diablo game inspired by the Pokémon craze.
 

mrklaw

MrArseFace
You know, looking at the shape of that thing I would actually say that is not the inner side of the Joycon, but the outer side of it that we see even if its connected. Just look at the round angles on the sides.

And I'm not sure at all that I se triggers there, but could be.

It has to be the inner edge otherwise the stick would be flipped.

The way you hold the Joy-Cons when separated from the system mean it is the inner side.

Aren't the sticks asymmetrical? So assuming you hold it with the analog stick under your left thumb when separated, one player would have the inner section facing out, and the other player would have the rounded section facing out?
 
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