The Switch is still launching against competition in March though. It's not like the PS4 and Xbone just don't exist.
Absolutely, I think it'd be a very different story / attitude if they'd done that.
Zelda, Mario, Arms, Splatoon, Bomberman, MK8 would've been a pretty killer launch for a console and the online would be ready too.
True, they'd be launching against Scorpio and I don't know what they would've done about Zelda Wii U in that case but they really are rushing it out with no games and features so there's no need to buy one in March.
Sales wise, they'll do alright launching in March but you really want positive buzz at the start to gain momentum (see PS4 & X1 launches) which they are giving up here IMO
if they released all those heavy hitters at launch what the hell would the release in the following months to keep peoples interest?
They really wanted Breath of the Wild to be a Launch title.
What is it with the "soft launch" narrative? Just because it's launching with a terrible slate of games (outside of BoTW, which looks dope)? A shitty launch =/= a soft launch. Was the Wii U a "soft launch" just because the launch lineup sucked?
"Terrible slate of games".... lol.
I bought a PS2 and played Bouncer on it.
That's an accurate assessment of the PS2's launch as well. It sucked. It doesn't make the Switch's lineup less awful (again outside of BoTW). It also doesn't mean that the console can't recover. It only means what I said, which is that it has very few games in its launch window.
What is it with the "soft launch" narrative? Just because it's launching with a terrible slate of games (outside of BoTW, which looks dope)? A shitty launch =/= a soft launch. Was the Wii U a "soft launch" just because the launch lineup sucked?
At least this way I'll be in on that Ambassador program later this year!
What is it with the "soft launch" narrative? Just because it's launching with a terrible slate of games (outside of BoTW, which looks dope)? A shitty launch =/= a soft launch. Was the Wii U a "soft launch" just because the launch lineup sucked?
At least this way I'll be in on that Ambassador program later this year!
They did the same thing with 3DS, nobody called that a soft launch. The 3DS online store launched at the beginning of E3, 3 months after launch.I think the lack of a key service - their online subscription model - is why some people (myself included) view it as a soft launch.
Too close for comfort near Scorpio.
The impact of launch lineup is severely overrated. Most if not all people forget what games came out in the launch of the console when the new big game comes out in the console's immediate future.
The impact of launch lineup is severely overrated. Most if not all people forget what games came out in the launch of the console when the new big game comes out in the console's immediate future.
And it's the right choice.
Unless new releases fail to come out after the launch. Unless Nintendo has a hell of an E3 planned, this whole year looks pretty barren beyond Mario this fall and ports of old games. In fact, its lineup looks pretty comparable to the Wii U's first year in terms of games that resonate with the mass market. Launch lineups can be forgettable, sure, but that's totally reliant on the drought actually ending and the beginning of consistent good game releases post launch. Either Nintendo or third parties (hahahaha) are going to really have to step it up to avoid the yawning chasms between releases that were seen on the Wii U.
I think the Switch launch slate really sucks for people who already have a WiiU, since they can also get Zelda on a system they already have, and they probably already played Mario Kart 8. But for people who don't have a WiiU, I really don't think it's a terrible launch slate at all. You have the big blockbuster title in Zelda, and then you have supporting titles for multiplayer via 1-2 Switch, Super Bomberman R, and Snipperclips. Not the strongest lineup by any means, but with Mario Kart 8 Deluxe hitting a month later, it's not too bad. It does get worse after that though, unless announcements really pick up by E3.
They did the same thing with 3DS, nobody called that a soft launch. The 3DS online store launched at the beginning of E3, 3 months after launch.
Any online games will have online multiplayer without the app, though, just not lobbies and voice chat. It'll be just like Wii U in that respect.True, but I'm not sure the comparison is apt. Lots of consoles launch without certain features, that's not surprising, but to launch without one that's going to be gating a key part of the appeal of the console (online Mario Kart, Splatoon, Animal Crossing, Monster Hunter etc.) is strange to say the least.
It's smart though, as it gives early adopters - many of whom may have skipped the Wii U - a free taste of just how good things like MK can be before they bring up the paywall.
In the opening nine months, the Switch has Zelda, ARMS (Which could easily be a Splatoon-level surprise hit), Splatoon 2, and a new 3D Mario. All four are system-selling games.The Switch has nine months of Zelda, Splatoon and Mario Kart 8, and the people who didn't want those games on the Wii U aren't going to want them on more expensive hardware.
And in the first nine months of the Wii U I bought 12 retail games, six of them launch games. No way do I think I'd do that with the Switch. Your experience may differ (not everyone wanted late ports of NFS Most Wanted or Arkham City in the Wii U) but I think some people are viewing the Wii U launch through the lens of hindsight. Things looked pretty rosy there two months before launch.
In the opening nine months, the Switch has Zelda, ARMS (Which could easily be a Splatoon-level surprise hit), Splatoon 2, and a new 3D Mario. All four are system-selling games.
The WiiU had New Super Mario Bros, Nintendoland, and Pikmin. And an assortment of third party games that were better elsewhere. Not exactly killer apps.
Any online games will have online multiplayer without the app, though, just not lobbies and voice chat. It'll be just like Wii U in that respect.
I wouldn't class Mario as being in the opening months while it's likely to be a November/December release.
I also wouldn't call ARMS a system selling game since it's totally unproven right now.
In the opening nine months, the Switch has Zelda, ARMS (Which could easily be a Splatoon-level surprise hit), Splatoon 2, and a new 3D Mario. All four are system-selling games.
The WiiU had New Super Mario Bros, Nintendoland, and Pikmin. And an assortment of third party games that were better elsewhere. Not exactly killer apps.
I said first nine months, and Mario Odyssey is slated for 2017.I wouldn't class Mario as being in the opening months while it's likely to be a November/December release.
I also wouldn't call ARMS a system selling game since it's totally unproven right now.
And we could still get other games announced for 2017 during E3 or earlier with Nintendo Directs. (Pokémon Stars, Animal Crossing?)
If none of the games are delayed like Fire Emblem Warriors and Xenoblade Chronicles 2 for 2017 then this launch year will blow away the 3DS and Wii U launch years combined.