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[UnemployedVillain]

PS4: $250 (sale) - $299 (regular) with bundled game
One: $250 (sale) - $299 (regular) with bundled game
Switch: $250 (presumably no game)

So, explain to me how $250 is the perfect price for this thing again? If it's $250 it needs a game packed in. Average consumers will probably not care much that it's a 2-in-1 if their majority use case is a home console and it's surpassed by value by the competition.

I like how so many of you are ignoring the portability just because it doesn't fit into your narrative of the price point being too high.

The average consumer has no problem with laptops being more expensive than desktops for the same performance.
The average consumer has no problem with tablets being more expensive than laptops and MUCH more than desktops for the same performance.

Yet suddenly the Switch will trip them up because reasons. And before you bring up the Vita, it had a number of issues that were only exacerbated by it's pricepoint

1. It was clearly receiving "handheld versions" of console titles. Resistance Lite, Uncharted Lite, Assassin's Creed Lite, etc
2. It wasn't really getting Sony's full support. Looking at the difference between it and the 3DS, even around their launches, was night and day
3. It never really got it's own series that made it worthwhile (i.e. Pokemon, MonHunter, etc) and the few games it did were later ported/moved exclusively to consoles (i.e. Gravity Rush)

 

[Baleoce]

100% guaranteed the grip is included.

Source?

 

[Capella]

Have there been any rumors about the system launching with a game bundled?

 

[phanphare]

Looks like an Ouya controller, though.

looks more like a wavebird to me

 

[Vitor711]

Quick translation of the article below by me for those who still wanted to know what Nikkei was saying directly:

Nintendo, target price of 25,500 YEN.

25,500 YEN. For those people following Nintendo, this price is probably something worth paying attention to.

No, it's not their stock price. It's the sale price of the new Nintendo Switch console that will be revealed on the 13th of this month.

"Whether or not the platform spreads widely will be decided by momentum". Company president Satoru Iwata, who passed away suddenly in 2015, made this comment in relation to aiming for the success of the platform as a family games machine.

 

[Deadpool_X]

Sure. A cramped looking square controller.

I won't lie: it doesn't look comfortable. However, I haven't tried it yet, so I won't bash it(outside of the missing d-pad). The GCN controller looker weird as hell and uncomfortable as all, but that thing melted like butter in my hands when I first touched it. The standard Switch grip controller could possibly be a similar situation. We don't know yet. We'll find out next week when impressions come in.

Source?

Don't be that way. We don't have real sources for ANY of this, since Nintendo hasn't said a damn word. Common sense says that the grip will be included. Nintendo has never sold a console without a controller before, and considering this is a handheld AND a console, you have to have a way to play it in console mode. The grip controller is how that will happen and will be included in the box.

 

[Plum]

This is more expensive than the Wii U when you take into account that damn near every SKU of the latter came bundled with a game (some even two). It's like $10 more expensive.

The Basic was $300 at launch and that came with 8gb of storage and no game.

 

[Trago]

In terms of quantity though, I doubt the Switch will have that many.

In terms of quality however...

No one is about to drop their Xbox or PlayStation for a bunch of late ports. Killer first party software will turn heads. The reason I keep emphasizing that is because the last two Nintendo launches have been an absolute joke.

The idea of having 100% of Nintendo's first party backing will actually means something. We actually have a steady stable of exclusive software to look forward to.

Which is why I said that this price could be fine if the software is there. If it is, then who will be calling the price into question, fucking Zelda and Mario at launch. Literally the only thing I see them screwing us is the launch window. There needs to be promise of software after launch to look forward to.

 

[chromatic9]

So $250 will mean £250 I'm guessing, since electronics companies have never heard of exchange rates and the idea of different currencies having different values is bizarre.

Weren't you around when the PS4 launch was $400 and £350?

XBO $500 £42x. miss this one too?
PS3 $600 £42x

You're getting UK mixed up with the EU as XBO was $500 and 500 euro.

Please stop with this utterly ridiculous myth, its utter bollocks.

I can go back to the GTX 480, it was $500 and £360-400 and could list a million more.

I'll do a more recent one. PS4 Pro $400 and £350.

 

[Living the Dream]

$250 isn't a bad price, the issue is that in comparison to stronger hardware the price is equal and may be higher this holiday season when the others are $199.

For most consumers, a $250 PS4 or XB0 will be the better value of hardware and game selection.

 

[TheOnlyOneHeEverFeared]

Does this confirm one SKU or two?

 

[oti]

I mean, you would hope so. But I'm not even going to assume that tbh. Just gonna have to wait and see.

The Grip was the very first thing we saw from the Switch. I think it's pretty save to assume it will be included.

 

[OG_Original Gamer]

At 250 its got to have a new Excite Truck, F Zero, Metroid Prime, Bayonetta 3 and a quality FPS with SNES level third party support. If not its just a WiiU mod to me.

 

[Oregano]

Quick translation of the article below by me for those who still wanted to know what Nikkei was saying directly:

Thanks, still ambiguous but it definitely sounds more confident than "this is what people are predicting".

 

[Caelus]

Source?

Without the grip there is no way for the joy-cons to transform into a traditional controller to present the Switch as a home console, it's also presumably a charging method, and is featured with every marketing material for the Switch hardware. No reason to assume it's not included, really.

 

[Booker.DeWitt]

do you guys think we will have issues placing pre-order for this?

 

[Speely]

Well in the trailer, the first dude holding it seemed a lil' cramped.

Lol ok, Jan.

Source?

Just confidence. There is no way they show it to the world as the first method of control for the switch and then don't include it.

 

[Vena]

Sorry, I thought he meant the Shield TV.

Shield TV throttles to the Switch speeds, so it only clocks higher on paper. Recent indications, appear to suggest the Switch is strictly superior to the TV.

 

[Vital Tundra]

I like how so many of you are ignoring the portability just because it doesn't fit into your narrative of the price point being too high.

The average consumer has no problem with laptops being more expensive than desktops for the same performance.
The average consumer has no problem with tablets being more expensive than laptops and MUCH more than desktops for the same performance.

Yet suddenly the Switch will trip them up because reasons

Exactly.

 

[atr0cious]

Another thing people need to realise is that while we talk about price value, the people who made the Wii a fad and potentially would by the switch are not the same market as the xbone and ps4s. The numbers prove those folks are on phones and/or still on the wii.

 

[Ansatz]

Decent price. Now announce promising games that aren't Mario or Zelda related and I might but it.

Yes they're called Splatoon, Mario Kart and Smash Bros. I know they're enhanced ports, but isn't that what sequels to most franchises are anyway? They're basically just content updates with shinier graphics, without anything truly different about them.

You'll get the occasional Pikmin 4 in between flagship releases but expecting anything beyond that is unreasonable in today's climate where every game in the $60 tier has to be a hit.

 

[pulsemyne]

If specs are true, nvidea shield X1 clocks are way higher. So he's not really wrong.

If you look at the Switch technical discussion thread you realise just why the GPU is clocked at the supposed speed it is. It's the Tegras throttle speed for keeping cool even with active cooling. The shield doesn't run at 1GHz at all times, indeed after a short while it throttle back to a base speed of 768Mhz, exactly the same speed as the Switch does.
Given that the Tegra is pretty much the best mobile chip out there then Nintendo didn't cheap out as people think. They got the best they could and a chip that will likely still be good as far as mobile is concerned for a good few years.
Also the 200 dollar shield doesn't have batteries or a screen and those things bump up mobile tablet prices.

 

[BlastProcessing]

Here are some price comparisons that I think were responsible for the Wii's success.

PS3 - $499
360 - $399
Wii - $249

For averages consumers, back when the market offerings were simpler, this was a hilarious no brainer decision and I don't think we need to read much beyond that.

Now:

PS4: $250 (sale) - $299 (regular) with bundled game
One: $250 (sale) - $299 (regular) with bundled game
Switch: $250 (presumably no game)

So, explain to me how $250 is the perfect price for this thing again? If it's $250 it needs a game packed in. Average consumers will probably not care much that it's a 2-in-1 if their majority use case is a home console and it's surpassed by value by the competition.

I've left off the PS4 Pro because I don't expect the average consumer to know it even exists. If they did they wouldn't pay the extra for it.

$250 is reasonable for us, but what is Nintendo's hope here? If the direct currency exchange indicates $213, to me they'd be wise to price it lower than $250 if they aren't intending a game pack in.

Here' a hint. People buy videogame game consoles to play videogames. The Wii sold because people wanted to play Wii Sports.

 

[mario_O]

250 is ok if it comes with one game. Of you have to spend 300 to get started not so much.

 

[vasametropolis]

I like how so many of you are ignoring the portability just because it doesn't fit into your narrative of the price point being too high.

The average consumer has no problem with laptops being more expensive than desktops for the same performance.
The average consumer has no problem with tablets being more expensive than laptops and MUCH more than desktops for the same performance.

Yet suddenly the Switch will trip them up because reasons

People will not see it as a handheld and I can guarantee you that. I think this is a pretty realistic outlook. People have mental bins for products. This thing will be compared to other home consoles first and foremost, no question.

 

[Coffee Dog]

we haven't seen Mario kart switch though? Unless you're referring to the extremely short clip in the switch intro video where there were several noticeable changes and additions in the span of like 5 seconds

Changes and additions like what? A new character model to drive as? An extra item slot?

You are playing as characters from, driving karts from, and driving on tracks from, Mario kart 8. If they just add Waluigi and a few tracks that does not make the switch port Mario kart 9 any more than the DLC for the Wii U version did.

 

[Vitor711]

Thanks, still ambiguous but it definitely sounds more confident than "this is what people are predicting".

Need to be a member for the full article - will try and create an account now to see if there's more.

EDIT: Need to pay. First two months is free but no Japanese credit card.

 

[Real_Madrid]

There's absolutely no basis to this, except for the mobile device part. If every gamer already had those why do the consoles continue selling? Why is it that when you ask if there's a market for non-Nintendo system, the answer is of course, yet when it comes to Nintendo system, all of a sudden every gamer has a system already. Who are the people buying them month after month? The same small, stagnant group, over and over? Come on now

The Wii U has proven my point. There isn't a big market out there for a Nintendo only console. Why would a gamer who wants a good gaming device, buy a Nintendo only box if you can buy a PS4/Xbox One for the same money or even cheaper (or upgrade their PC).
That's probably why Nintendo went with a hybrid, but I said in my reply that I doubt that there's a big market waiting for such a thing or even why third party developers should use the Switch.

Then answering your sentences about why the other consoles keep selling, well numerous reasons. For example let's take some kid who still has a PS3, why would someone buy a switch if you can buy a PS4 / Xbox one for cheap?
And again, I bought a 3DS and 2 Wii U's last gen, I'm one of the Nintendo hardcore fans, but that doesn't mean I shouldn't be critical of them.

 

[Soroc]

This won't be less than 250 in the states even if the currency exchange has it less than that. Nintendo would love nothing more than to finally get some currency exchange profit since it usually contributes to its losses.

All in all a great price if they hit on everything else

 

[Relaxed Muscle]

Shield TV throttles to the Switch speeds, so it only clocks higher on paper. Recent indications, appear to suggest the Switch is strictly superior to the TV.

The new model?

Were are the benchmarks?

 

[Plum]

People will not see it as a handheld and I can guarantee you that. I think this is a pretty realistic output. People have mental bins for products. This thing will be compared to other home consoles first and foremost, no question.

Why?

 

[vasametropolis]

The Wii U has proven my point. There isn't a big market out there for a Nintendo only console. Why would a gamer who wants a good gaming device, buy a Nintendo only box if you can buy a PS4/Xbox One for the same money or even cheaper (or upgrade their PC).
That's probably why Nintendo went with a hybrid, but I said in my reply that I doubt that there's a big market waiting for such a thing or even why third party developers should use the Switch.

Then answering your sentences about why the other consoles keep selling, well numerous reasons. For example let's take some kid still has a PS3, why would someone buy a switch if you can buy a PS4 / Xbox one for cheap?
And again, I bought a 3DS and 2 Wii U's last gen, I'm one of the Nintendo hardcore fans, but that doesn't mean I shouldn't be critical of them.

I completely agree with your position.

 

[Vena]

The new model?

Were are the benchmarks?

The new model is the same as the old model.

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=227882760&postcount=8788

 

[Currygan]

heck yes

now be it region free and I'm in paradise

 

[Spiral Insanity]

250$ is fine!

Do we know what the max capacity will be? I'd want at least 64GB storage.

 

[Neoxon]

They didn't ? I mean, it's not like Wii U is their worst selling system ?
Yes, it is a hard concept to grasp: These games didn't make Wii U take off. Moreover, Nintendo had time to actually developp new games, new iterations of these rumoured ports. I don't see how it is a selling point, at that price point; but I guess time will tell.

For Mario Kart, maybe. For Splatoon, that's debatable. For Smash, don't expect a new one for another 4-5 years.

Also, having all 3 on Year 1 is a great selling point. And by your logic, they should port Brawl instead, which is considered to be the worst Smash game in the franchise, if you believe these games were what made the Wii U tank.

 

[UnemployedVillain]

People will not see it as a handheld and I can guarantee you that. I think this is a pretty realistic outlook. People have mental bins for products. This thing will be compared to other home consoles first and foremost, no question.

People have mental bins because things fall cleanly into bins. There hasn't been another system like this, so assuming people will treat it exactly the same makes no sense. It's the same reasoning people used to claim tablets were stupid back when the iPad came out

 

[Oregano]

Need to be a member for the full article - will try and create an account now to see if there's more.

EDIT: Need to pay. First two months is free but no Japanese credit card.

Thanks for trying anyway!

 

[Emitan]

The port thing has a point: These are ports of Wii U games. These games didn't make Wii U a success. Why would they make Switch one ?

Considering how few people owned a Wii U ports are a great way to give the Switch a decently sized library with little effort. And to a lot of people they're basically new games because they didn't own a Wii U

 

[InfiniteCombo]

Nice price but I'd also like to know what the launch SKU includes. Just the system or a game? Any peripherals (probably not too many)? Can I use a Wii U Pro Controller or Gamecube adapters, because that would save me from having to run out and add a Switch pro controller to that purchase. Just a few more days, at least.

Ninja Coach continues with the quality posts...

I would very much like to know the answers to these questions as well...

 

[Hoo-doo]

Good price for the hardware. Might consider jumping in at 250 if it takes off with third parties and/or has a Pokemon game.

 

[Starchasing]

And why didn't these games make people get a Wii U ?

Because the wii U was a very bad console.

Nintendo fans had to suffer through it just to play Nintendo games.

On the other hand the Switch looks like a great console with a new value proposition.

 

[TyMiles2012]

$250 isn't a bad price, the issue is that in comparison to stronger hardware the price is equal and may be higher this holiday season when the others are $199.

For most consumers, a $250 PS4 or XB0 will be the better value of hardware and game selection.

If the Switch can play the same games (Optimization goes a long way if development is as good as rumored) the luxury of portability is a steal. Current gen games had old gen ports using very complicated hardware and decade old APIs. I don't think we'll have issues with third party support if the sales are there.

 

[Nairume]

Here are some price comparisons that I think were responsible for the Wii's success.

PS3 - $499
360 - $399
Wii - $249

For averages consumers, back when the market offerings were simpler, this was a hilarious no brainer decision and I don't think we need to read much beyond that.

The weird thing here is that while you include the lower priced model for the PS3, you ignored that the 360 also had one for $299. Sure, you'd have to deal with the memory situation, but you'd still get the console for only $50 more than a Wii was at launch, and you'd have access to the system's year long headstart in building up its library (which did, at that point, include several really big system sellers).

 

[kubus]

OK I've fully read the article and I understand 80% of it. I was about to go to bed so I'm not gonna bother with a full (or elegant) translation, but these are the main points of Nikkei.

Let me get this out of the way first, and sorry for highlighting but I'm afraid no one will pay attention otherwise and this thread will reach 200 pages based on nothing:

In no way does Nikkei state that they understand this is the price Nintendo will ask for the Switch. They say this is the price that is more or less expected.

These are the arguments for this speculated price from their article:

- Mr. Iwata's once said in the Jan 30 2014 investor meeting when pressed by an investor about how the Wii U failed to take off: "Whether a platform can achieve great market penetration or not depends on its momentum". In other words, the starting price is an deciding factor in the succes of a console. Nikkei follows up by saying that the Switch's starting performance can thus be somewhat predicted based on what Nintendo announces the price will be on Jan 13th.

- Nikkei says that the Super Famicom, Nintendo 64, GameCube, Wii and Wii U all started with a pricing of 25.000 yen. Meanwhile, Sony's PlayStation 4 has already received two price cuts and currently costs 29.980 yen (500GB model). Within the game industry there seems to be a consensus that the Switch will be around 30.000 yen.

- Nintendo CEO Mr. Kimishima has said that "There are no plans to sell [the Switch] at a loss". Within the stock market, an analyst at Rakuten has said: "If we take market penetration in mind, I'd expect around 20.000 yen". Market penetration influences the sales of software > if the Switch is sold at a higher price than 25.000 yen, investors will be wary.

And that's basically it. They also mention that Nintendo has said that not everything about the Switch has been revealed so it is possible that they will reveal another secret about the Switch on Friday. But Nikkei also mentions that "special features" (gimmicks) make third party support difficult and they name the Wii U as an example.

Disclaimer: I am N2 level in Japanese, I don't really read Japanese newspapers and absolutely no financial newspapers like Nikkei. So maybe I'm misenterpreting all of this, in which case I hope anyone with a better understanding of Japanese to correct me. Also maybe Nikkei has a tendency to post things like speculation but in reality they really have sources for this. Idk

Tldr: As far as I can tell Nikkei is just speculating about the price just like everyone of you is on GAF. This isn't a scoop or leak or rumor.

 

[vasametropolis]

Why?

Because of where it sits on the shelf.

 

[Neoxon]

250$ is fine!

Do we know what the max capacity will be? I'd want at least 64GB storage.

Supposedly it's 32GB for $250, & more internal storage (+ Splatoon) for $300.

 

[Relaxed Muscle]

The new model is the same as the old model.

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=227882760&postcount=8788

So are those based on the new model or not? I mean both uses the X1, but dosn't mean it has the same cooling or exactly innards.

 

[Newtype-001]

Rumour is £200. Gameseek have a preorder price guarantee at that price and it's the price Game threatened LKD over reporting.

Real nice price if true

 

[LordRaptor]

People will not see it as a handheld and I can guarantee you that. I think this is a pretty realistic outlook. People have mental bins for products. This thing will be compared to other home consoles first and foremost, no question.

If by "people" you mean "certain GAF members", then sure. Things are hilariously binary here.

Meanwhile in the real world "People", as in average consumers, as in the people hardcore gamers look down their noses at as being morons, seem fairly at ease with understanding what a laptop is, or what a tablet is, or what a smartphone is.