Support NeoGAF

UnemployedVillain · Oct 23, 2016

So for some context, way back in 1999 Nintendo partnered with IBM to develop a chip called the Gekko. It was a heavily modified version of their PowerPC 750CXe processor. In 2006 the evolution of that chip, the Broadway was used in the original Wii. Then fast forward to 2012, the Espresso used in the Wii U is a multi-core evolution of that. So as you can see the GC was essentially the start of the chipset that would power Nintendo's consoles for the next decade+. It was also what allowed perfect, hardware based, backwards compatibility. In fact, as far as consoles go, the GC was the start of Nintendo's considerations towards BC.

From how Iwata described the NX (Switch), it seems to the first hard reset Nintendo has done since that Gekko, with Nvidia being the new IBM. Every subsequent console will use some evolution of the Tegra line, or its successor. What makes it even more exciting than before is that this will probably also apply to any purely portable devices Nintendo might make in the future. As opposed to 2 separate hardware lines, each with their dev environments, tools, engines, etc, all of that will be consolidated into 1, hopefully allowing games to run on any device (well, at the least all portable titles will also run on the console). It also echos Apple's line of Ax processors.

It'll be exciting to see how it pans out!

purseowner · Oct 23, 2016

Yep, in multiple ways. Here's another:

DeuceGamer · Oct 23, 2016

Pretty good choice going with NVIDIA and ARM, from what I see. As powerful as NS will be, this chip/architecture should give them plenty of options in the future. Whether they continue with hybrids or change course at some point and go with a powerful home console.

nkarafo · Oct 23, 2016

I kind of agree. In the trailer i didn't see young kids or their parents. I only saw their edgy teen/young adult siblings.

Which gives me the impression that, this time, they won't prioritize accessibility like after Gamecube died. Which is nice.

Tarin02543 · Oct 23, 2016

The fact that the system is immediately playable by two persons after unboxing, that in my opinion is the true strength of the Switch.

Going back to its core value, coupled with NVIDIA's expertise must make this system a winner.

Hermii · Oct 23, 2016

Yea. From a chip standpoint it's the first reset since the GameCube and it's about time.

I do agre that choosing Tegra gives them a lot of flexibility in what kind of devices they want to release in the future. Handheld, home console, self driving car, .the sky is the limit.

Discotheque · Oct 23, 2016

Mousnis said:
I kind of agree. In the trailer i didn't see young kids or their parents. I only saw their edgy teen/young adult siblings.

Which gives me the impression that, this time, they won't prioritize accessibility like after Gamecube died. Which is nice.

Who in the fuck was "edgy" in that promo video lmao. I swear that word has lost all meaning online.

I guess if you have a social life outside of your house you're edgy as hell

Vampirolol · Oct 23, 2016

I see it more as the true successor to Game Boy, since that was the first Nintendo device made to bring the console experience outside.
But technology wise, yes, it seems like the same "balance" concept of Gamecube

-Plasma Reus- · Oct 23, 2016

What are the graphics like on the N-Switch?
Looking at the trailer, I can't really tell.

Pifje · Oct 23, 2016

Discotheque said:
Who in the fuck was "edgy" in that promo video lmao. I swear that word has lost all meaning online.

I guess if you have a social life outside of your house you're edgy as hell

I don't know, if you are a 20-something, or pushing 30 already with a career, and you are playing Pokemon in a park, I'd say that counts as being edgy to plenty of people. In Japan, though, that'd probably be a pretty normal sight.

Chittagong · Oct 23, 2016

I agree. GameCube was their second most cutting edge architecture and least compromised, but man did they milk that bloodline to the last drop.

NX architecture is visionary and expandable, I can see it last 10+ years. It's certainly more future proof than Sony and Microsoft with X86.

That logo thing tho, mindblown.gif

SatoAilDarko · Oct 23, 2016

Eh, the ability to play it as a portable and a home console, as well as the removal of its controller sides makes it functionally closer to the Wii and Wii U.

It also using mobile architecture makes it perhaps more of a Gameboy successor than Gamecube.

Discotheque · Oct 23, 2016

Pifje said:
I don't know, if you are a 20-something, or pushing 30 already with a career, and you are playing Pokemon in a park, I'd say that counts as being edgy to plenty of people. In Japan, though, that'd probably be a pretty normal sight.

Is edgy going against the grain? Or being a hipster?

Huh. I always equated it with angst.

I don't really see this taking off as a mobile device in NA tho. I think it's mobile features will mostly be used within the home.

Defect · Oct 23, 2016

Pifje said:
I don't know, if you are a 20-something, or pushing 30 already with a career, and you are playing Pokemon in a park, I'd say that counts as being edgy to plenty of people. In Japan, though, that'd probably be a pretty normal sight.

Did you know posting on Neogaf is pretty edgy?

In terms of first party output, I'd say the WiiU was a gamecube successor but I can see NS being the 'true' successor.

Principate · Oct 23, 2016

Pifje said:
I don't know, if you are a 20-something, or pushing 30 already with a career, and you are playing Pokemon in a park, I'd say that counts as being edgy to plenty of people. In Japan, though, that'd probably be a pretty normal sight.

That's not being edgy that's being nerdy, being edgy or hipster, is typically referred to borderline offensiveness, teen emo subculture etc, It's derived from being on the cutting edge (originally not being an insulting term, but commonly has become synonmous with try hard and general emo and overly "mature" subculture.

ElTorro · Oct 23, 2016

It's true in one crucial sense.

The Switch is the first Nintendo console since the GameCube that focuses on a conventional gaming setup: one display, dual analogue sticks, four front-facing buttons and four triggers. No focus on waggle or touch control.

Oregano · Oct 23, 2016

-Plasma Reus- said:
What are the graphics like on the N-Switch?
Looking at the trailer, I can't really tell.

Somewhere between Wii U and Xbox One. Might actually be smack dab in the middle.

It's also Nintendo's first cutting edge system since GameCube and probably first cutting edge handheld ever.

UnemployedVillain · Oct 23, 2016

SatoAilDarko said:
Eh, the ability to play it as a portable and a home console, as well as the removal of its controller sides makes it functionally closer to the Wii and Wii U.

It also using mobile architecture makes it perhaps more of a Gameboy successor than Gamecube.

You're looking at the perceived use cases and not from a technological standpoint, which is the point of the thread.

Also, you realize the PS4 and XBO both use "mobile architecture" as well, right? They're using the versions of the Jaguar processor made for notebooks

Hibiki Kurosawa · Oct 23, 2016

I definitely like Nintendo's approach with the Switch. The demo they are going for. The name abandoning Wii, the style/colouring of the system itself. Much better than the last teo gens.

Pifje said:
I don't know, if you are a 20-something, or pushing 30 already with a career, and you are playing Pokemon in a park, I'd say that counts as being edgy to plenty of people. In Japan, though, that'd probably be a pretty normal sight.

I don't see how that's edgy.

E-Cat · Oct 23, 2016

I'm really interested in what the TDP will be in docked mode. Also, judging from the trailer NS will be more powerful than Wii U, but physics dictate it won't be by much.

At least the architecture is modern.

televator · Oct 23, 2016

I don't see a resemblance given that the damned thing hasn't even launched.

ffdgh · Oct 23, 2016

To think duct taped gamecubes are a thing of the past now.

Kathian · Oct 23, 2016

The 3DS was the Gamecube successor and this is the 3DS successor. I mean the 3DS was a huge shift from Nintendo - they tried to keep some of the DS like titles but quickly ditched it - people seem to forget this.

shark sandwich · Oct 23, 2016

televator said:
I don't see a resemblance given that the damned thing hasn't even launched.

Read the OP. It's the successor in that it's their first truly new system architecture since GameCube.

Vampirolol · Oct 23, 2016

ffdgh said:
To think duct taped gamecubes are a thing of the past now.

Next console will be two Switches duct taped together though.

UnemployedVillain · Oct 23, 2016

televator said:
I don't see a resemblance given that the damned thing hasn't even launched.

My OP really isn't that long

Stilton Disco · Oct 23, 2016

Here's hoping. The GameCube is one of my favourite systems ever, and if the Switch can recapture that feeling of expertly crafted hardware I'd be absolutely made up by it.

The softwares is the important thing though. The GC had some really nice, innovative games and experiences that we've not really seen from Nintendo very often since (Splatoon is the only real example I can think of), what with their shift to hardware gimmicks instead.

Hopefully this more conventional, sensible approach to architecture and inputs will encourage that true Nintendo creativity again, as well as easier third party development, will translate to better sales too.

I'm still expecting a drop from the 3DS, but even 40-60 million lifetime would be more than decent after WiiU and when in direct competition with smartphones.

Nightbird · Oct 23, 2016

I came into this thread thinking it would be like "yay, they aren't advertising to kids anymore!"

But I agree with everything you said OP. The Switch is the first Nintendo home console that isn't basically a beefed up GameCube in terms of Hardware.

I'm very excited to see where this will lead to in the future.

JoeM86 · Oct 23, 2016

Not to mention it was a portable home console

televator · Oct 23, 2016

shark sandwich said:
Read the OP. It's the successor in that it's their first truly new system architecture since GameCube.

UnemployedVillain said:
My OP really isn't that long

Yeah, I read it, but I still don't think it warrants the use of the term "successor." It's new architecture, sure.

Lux R7 · Oct 23, 2016

you'll need a new Eternal Darkness for this to be true.

nintendo pls

KratosEnergyDrink · Oct 23, 2016

E-Cat said:
I'm really interested in what the TDP will be in docked mode. Also, judging from the trailer NS will be more powerful than Wii U, but physics dictate it won't be by much.

At least the architecture is modern.

Even NVidia Shield was much more powerful than Wii U. Switch is more powerful than Shield.

Switch CPU is likely more powerful than the one in PS4/XOne but the Switch GPU and RAM should be slower.

Zedox · Oct 23, 2016

Chittagong said:
I agree. GameCube was their second most cutting edge architecture and least compromised, but man did they milk that bloodline to the last drop.

NX architecture is visionary and expandable, I can see it last 10+ years. It's certainly more future proof than Sony and Microsoft with X86.

That logo thing tho, mindblown.gif

You are crazy.

DXB-KNIGHT · Oct 23, 2016

The GameCube days were very dark for Nintendo that I don't think they want it repeated,
The Wii on the other hand was GameCube done right

Kouriozan · Oct 23, 2016

UnemployedVillain said:
What makes it even more exciting than before is that this will probably also apply to any purely portable devices Nintendo might make in the future. As opposed to 2 separate hardware lines, each with their dev environments, tools, engines, etc, all of that will be consolidated into 1, hopefully allowing games to run on any device (well, at the least all portable titles will also run on the console). It also echos Apple's line of Ax processors.

It'll be exciting to see how it pans out!

That's exactly what Iwata said and wanted, stop wasting making games for 2 different consoles. Comparing indeed like to how iPhone 4 apps can be played on iPhone 7/iPad Pro.
When Nintendo release a "portable console first and foremost", I assure you the "home console first and foremost" games will be compatible.

Zvonimir Boban · Oct 23, 2016

I'll believe it when I see Super Monkey Ball on it.

Omnii-chan · Oct 23, 2016

I got this vibe too. It seems to be for the gamers.
Most of the people using it in the trailer were adult gamers and they displayed a game like skyrim to show their target audience along with the Nintendo favorites.
If it is anything like the Gamecube, I'm fucking in.
I'm also excited with Nintendo focusing on this one console. It means a lot more games for the one system instead of a weak spread over two systems.

Chû Totoro · Oct 23, 2016

Yep that's the idea OP. But they went a step further this time with scalable hardware and NX being a platform also adds the possibility to have games being compatible with different devices in the future.

So clearly things will be very interesting in the near future.

Jonneh3003 · Oct 23, 2016

purseowner said:
Yep, in multiple ways. Here's another:

Wow didn't even occur to me, interesting thread!

Wii U also somewhat returned to the Gamecube's branding:

6a00d83452033569e201761718c9ac970c-600wi

Sadist · Oct 23, 2016

The more I see the logo, the more I appreciate it.

Thud · Oct 23, 2016

It's a good sign.

ModBot · Oct 23, 2016

Maybe use one of the other 500 Switch threads.

Support NeoGAF

The Nintendo Switch is the true "successor" to the Nintendo Gamecube

Member

Member

Member

Member

Member

Member

Banned

Member

Service guarantees member status

Member

Gold Member

Member

Banned

Member

Saint Titanfall

I wanted to dominate the living room. Then I took an ESRAM in the knee.

Member

Member

Member

Member

Member

Member

Banned

tenuously links anime, pedophile and incels

Member

Member

Member

Member

Member

Member

Member

Member

Member

Member

Member

Banned

Member

Member

Banned

Member

Member

Not a mod, just a bot.

Similar threads