Support NeoGAF

[ajjow]

The lack of games makes this thing dead or alive.

Thats the worst launch lineup ever. I bought every nintendo system at launch, but as zelda is coming to wii u, I'll wait and see.

Nintendo is completely lost in my opinion. They have no idea on how to keep going. The Wii U seems to have destroyed all of their plans and switch seems like a last minute plan.

The lack of games is mesmerizing. No Retro at launch? 5 nintendo games the whole year?!

 

[Jezbollah]

Not this again...

It's a valid point. Trying to stick your head in the sand about these kind of concerns wont get you anywhere. Especially if this is the console to replace DS/3DS, to challenge mobile gaming, and evidently try to challenge home consoles that are cheaper and more capable.

Trying to be a jack of all trades, and a master of none is my impression of what has been announced so far.

The Switch is really a portable supplement to pair up with either a PS4 or Xbox One to round out your gaming library. It will never be your main machine. If it turns out to be a suped up Vita on steriods, I'll be happy.

People said that about the Wii U.....

 

[Matbtz]

The lack of games makes this thing dead or alive.

Thats the worst launch lineup ever. I bought every nintendo system at launch, but as zelda is coming to wii u, I'll wait and see.

Nintendo is completely lost in my opinion. They have no idea on how to keep going. The Wii U seems to have destroyed all of their plans and switch seems like a last minute plan.

The lack of games is mesmerizing. No Retro at launch? 5 nintendo games the whole year?!

Yes if you already have MK8 and Splatoon there is no rush to get this system at launch, for someone who don't this is pretty great.

You really believe Nintendo unveiled all of their games for this year ? For me it's pretty obvious they kept (a lot of) games, for obscure reasons, to show later at E3 for example (especially with their comments on the importance of releasing games throughout the year to avoid droughts)
And there is maybe, for now, 5 Nintendo games for the year but this is Zelda BotW and the new 3D Mario ! Not some New super mario or Mario tennis kind of games.

 

[CecilRousso]

The lack of games makes this thing dead or alive.

Thats the worst launch lineup ever. I bought every nintendo system at launch, but as zelda is coming to wii u, I'll wait and see.

Nintendo is completely lost in my opinion. They have no idea on how to keep going. The Wii U seems to have destroyed all of their plans and switch seems like a last minute plan.

The lack of games is mesmerizing. No Retro at launch? 5 nintendo games the whole year?!

Was the WiiU launch lineup really better?

 

[smashballTaz]

I'm at the London Hammersmith Switch event. Mario Kart 8 a deluxe is good, looks the same as the Wii U version, the joycons are extremely small and light, will take a while getting used to. I love the style of Arms. Waiting in the queue for Zelda, which looks incredible. Played a bit of Super Street Fighter 2, was good fun but you can't change to the classic sprites without restarting the match. The milking minigame in 1 2 Switch is so ridiculous but fun, and shows off the HD rumble very well. The queue for Splatoon 2 is insanely long!

 

[sphinx]

Can it do Skyward Sword?

try Red Steel 2, which is way more complex than SS in terms of Wiimote + usage

 

[Schopenhauerian]

Switch is absolutely the hardware I want but I think they've just priced it too high for the mass market. I'm honestly not sure what they were thinking. I'm sure HD Rumble is awesome and gesture recognition is neat but they should have considered dropping them in favour of a lower price.

Aaaaand I agree totally with you. Console looks cool, it perfectly fits my gaming habits and I'm sure awesome games will come. But that price is insane and they messed up big time with their marketing positioning. I'm ready to be an ambassador though.

Just to be clear: are we making an 'ethical' argument that the Switch should be cheaper (based on what it costs for Nintendo, and what is fair to the consumer), or an 'economic' argument that Nintendo itself would ultimately be better off if the launch price were lower?

With respect to the latter type of argument, the economic one, it seems there is at least some amount of uncertainty, such that it might be worth waiting for additional evidence.

It's not all that clear, for example, what can be inferred from preliminary evidence of how the Switch appears to be selling so far.

 

[Primeau31]

The lack of games makes this thing dead or alive

um
don't you mean dead on arrival? lol

 

[Bert]

Was the WiiU launch lineup really better?

Personally, yes. Lego City and Zombii U were better third party support already. Didn't we get a Zelda port, so that's the same. NintendoLand looks far better than 1 2 Switch.

 

[Space_nut]

People wanted a new powerful Nintendo console, what they got was a powerful handheld

Exactly what I want and more. Hooking up to tv is amazing too. Imagining all the great 3ds game franchises using this thing for many years to come can't wait

 

[oti]

People wanted a new powerful Nintendo console, what they got was a powerful handheld

Nintendo isn't interested in the business of powerful home consoles. Not in the way Sony and MS are. How come some people haven't realised that yet.

 

[Bert]

Nintendo isn't interested in the business of powerful home consoles. Not in the way Sony and MS are. How come some people haven't realised that yet.

Well they're clearly not in the business of cheap consoles either. Having trouble working out what exactly their market is.

 

[oti]

Well they're clearly not in the business of cheap consoles either. Having trouble working out what exactly their market is.

Everyone has. Even their own investors.

 

[Unknown Soldier]

Nintendo isn't interested in the business of powerful home consoles. Not in the way Sony and MS are. How come some people haven't realised that yet.

They are pitching it as a home console and charging as much or even more as the 3-years old much more powerful existing home consoles with 3 years of development software libraries.

Either Nintendo are completely incompetent at marketing or they are just deluded that it's actually a competitor with the PS4 and Bone. I'm not sure which is worse.

 

[oti]

They are pitching it as a home console and charging as much or even more as the 3-years old much more powerful existing home consoles with 3 years of development software libraries.

Either Nintendo are completely incompetent at marketing or they are just deluded that it's actually a competitor with the PS4 and Bone. I'm not sure which is worse.

Nintendo does what it has been doing for a decade. It banks on them balancing out not meeting industry standards when it comes to power with their own quirky features and strong IP. This isn't new. I'm not saying it's a perfect approach or smart, but this is Nintendo 101.

At least it's going to be the most powerful handheld around.

 

[Metal B]

They are pitching it as a home console and charging as much or even more as the 3-years old much more powerful existing home consoles with 3 years of development software libraries.

Powerful is only one aspect of new technology. Size and energy-efficiently are also a part of it and it is sometimes impossible to get all of them. It's wired, how so many people believe, that the only thing which cost money is getting power. For a handheld size and energy-efficiently are always more important, that's why the Gameboy and DS were always so successful.

But it is right, Nintendo doesn't do a good job, communicating those factors.

 

[Matbtz]

Everyone has. Even their own investors.

There is clearly a market for it, the system needs a bundle or a price cut to be attractive though.

And the investors knows shit about video games to be honest.

 

[oti]

There is clearly a market for it, the system needs a bundle or a price cut to be attractive though.

And the investors knows shit about video games to be honest.

It's just a muddled product is what I mean.

 

[Plum]

This just cements my opinion about the device. The hardware is great, the controls are great, the price is something I can look past... but the games are just not there right now. I'll be much happier getting this near or at Christmas with Mario, Xenoblade (ha), Skyrim, maybe Zelda for a 2nd playthrough, etc.

 

[Odrion]

Powerful is only one aspect of new technology. Size and energy-efficiently are also a part of it and it is sometimes impossible to get all of them. It's wired, how so many people believe, that the only thing which cost money is getting power. For a handheld size and energy-efficiently are always more important, that's why the Gameboy and DS were always so successful.

But it is right, Nintendo doesn't do a good job, communicating those factors.

but it's also thicker with worse battery life than other android tablets with similar hardware

 

[oti]

but it's also thicker with worse battery life than other android tablets with similar hardware

Other Android tablets with similar hardware don't play Zelda games. And if they did their battery would die even faster.

For all the flak Nintendo gets for Switch, battery life is not a fair complaint. Nintendo can't magically make better battery tech appear out of thin air.

 

[Zoon]

It deserves a better fate than the desperate, last-ditch mission Nintendo appears to be sending it on.

Nintendo has tried so hard to convince me that it doesn't deserve it. They have learned exactly NOTHING from their past mistakes. Oh, Wii U was expensive, let's launch our console at exactly the same price. You thought our online was worse than what the others had 10 years ago? We'll make it even more backwards and you'll pay for it. Weak launch lineup? Hope you have fun with Zelda till holidays.

 

[Ont]

The lack of games makes this thing dead or alive.

Thats the worst launch lineup ever. I bought every nintendo system at launch, but as zelda is coming to wii u, I'll wait and see.

It is a very solid launch lineup when I compare it to Xbox One and PS4.

My favourite Xbox One launch game was Killer Instinct which was a low budget download only game. The first big X1 game was Titanfall, which we had to wait few months until it was released. PS4 was mainly carried by the multi-platform games, otherwise its launch year offering was really dry.

For someone like myself who never bought Wii U, Zelda, Mario Kart and Splatoon 2 is a very appealing lineup for the launch window.

 

[plagiarize]

Personally, yes. Lego City and Zombii U were better third party support already. Didn't we get a Zelda port, so that's the same. NintendoLand looks far better than 1 2 Switch.

And Rayman Legends.

Third party Japanese support looks good down the line, but western third party support looks terrible.

I hope thoughts of twice the Nintendo output bear fruit as 3ds development winds down.

 

[barneystuta83]

I'd love to see a side by side next to this:

The switch will be smaller and more compact with the Joy Cons attached. I have a Linx Vision and the 'dock' controller can be a bit cumbersome but the tablet is a good size for carrying around in a Satchel/Backpack.

 

[JimiNutz]

I agree that it's probably best to view the Switch as a pimp handheld and that's exactly how I do view the product at the moment but £280 or $300 plus tax is too much for a handheld in my opinion.

When it's at a handheld price I'll buy it.

 

[schuelma]

I think from the impressions we can say pretty clearly that Switch does have one fundamental advantage over Wii U- it appears that the tech itself is very well done and is a selling point on its own. IIRC no one was actually wowed by the Game Pad etc. when Wii U was unveiled.

The games are certainly lacking and I suspect paid online is not going to last, but it does appear that they have made a compelling product.

 

[oti]

I think from the impressions we can say pretty clearly that Switch does have one fundamental advantage over Wii U- it appears that the tech itself is very well done and is a selling point on its own. IIRC no one was actually wowed by the Game Pad etc. when Wii U was unveiled.

The games are certainly lacking and I suspect paid online is not going to last, but it does appear that they have made a compelling product.

And Switch doesn't look or feel like a Fisher Price toy. Maybe Nintendo's short-term plan here is to sell Switch to grownups while keeping the 3DS supported for the kinds plus the new mobile games for all ages and wait for prices to drop in the mid-term to make Switch more interesting to kids.

 

[PLASTICA-MAN]

What do the SL, SR buttons and IR Motion Camera do?

 

[Hermii]

My Nvidia Shield tablet has a 1920x1200 screen and thats from 2014 and I gwt about 3 hours solid gaming out of it which given the screen size isnt to bad.

How many games runs native res?

 

[ethomaz]

A 720p tablet display in 2017 is really pushing it though, especially at that price.

Why did you want a 1080p if there is no power enough to delivery that.

Native 720p graphics is the best scenario you can get... Nintendo nailed it in that aspect.

 

[MoonFrog]

You're 100% right. Why anyone thinks it's primarily supposed to be a home console is beyond me. Everything minus the joycons could be done in the Wii U. I think a lot of 3DS fans are a bit subdued which is why we are not hearing more but sometimes it's clear that GAF is not the home of the people who bought 50 million 3DSs.

Nintendo should have been showing off more of their portable collection. Heck Mario should have been more in line with those as well (I think it was originally a U game personally). It just looks like the Wii U strategists got to take control and the 3DS (Nintendos current success and financial life blood) got told to leave the room.

Right now the 3DS is Nintendo's handheld. I suspect we'll see software announcements confirming it.

RE: GAF. Vita has its very vocal GAF fans, but I think that's just a defensive minority; even more defensive than NintendoGAF gets, which is bigger. 3DS scene is pretty quiet. I do think GAF is mostly biased against handheld gaming, if less than it is against mobile gaming. You do see a ton of posts dismissing anything that's been going on since DS/PSP as if it didn't happen. I think handheld is a smaller scene here than PC, which is also marginalized in my experience. Basically anything but PS home console is.

As to 3DS successor: I harp on this all the time. Must be like 50% of my posts are the same stuff about how Nintendo needs to position this thing as 3DS successor and succeed at home and abroad on those terms and how they aren't doing enough to do that. The conference was a step in the right direction with its heavy JRPG focus, but those all seem a ways off (with DQXI looking the most likely to hit 2017 to me).

Still, where is Monster Hunter? Where is Pokémon? Where is Phoenix Wright? Where is Level 5? If Nintendo cannot get them on Switch, they have fumbled the Switch, which could be such a great device, especially for people who like Japanese games and want Japan to game on consoles.

 

[Metal B]

but it's also thicker with worse battery life than other android tablets with similar hardware

White tablet can run a game like Zelda longer than 3 hours and cost 300 (including controllers and dock).

 

[KingSnake]

I think from the impressions we can say pretty clearly that Switch does have one fundamental advantage over Wii U- it appears that the tech itself is very well done and is a selling point on its own. IIRC no one was actually wowed by the Game Pad etc. when Wii U was unveiled.

The games are certainly lacking and I suspect paid online is not going to last, but it does appear that they have made a compelling product.

Yes, the device itself looks and feels good. It's an enticing product. That's why a price cut might work as opposed to Wii U. And software will come at some point.

I fully expect a price cut at E3 and very hot holiday sales for Switch having Mario and Pokemon as drivers.

But until then we're facing some disastrous marketing and very average sales post March.

Paid online and forcing this to go through another device (smartphone) is the part that remains to be seen how it will work. Especially Pokemon for kids might be hindered by this.

 

[Sword Of Doom]

A 720p tablet display in 2017 is really pushing it though, especially at that price.

Nope. It actually is not. Maybe you should see one before making a comment like this

but it's also thicker with worse battery life than other android tablets with similar hardware

Are you people for real? This thing is a console

 

[Bruce Springsteen]

Hybrid Nature
The above price comparison brings us to another uncomfortable truth, however. Nintendo is marketing Switch as a home console you can take with you, presumably to underline the fact that it provides a console-quality gaming experience on the move, which it inarguably does. But that pits it directly against PS4 and Xbox One, which are both cheaper and manifestly more capable. Experienced as a pure home console, Switch feels underpowered and outdated - a minor advance on Wii U, which was underpowered in its own day.

It is perhaps better to think of Switch as the ultimate luxury handheld, with a huge screen, bags of power, TV-out and support for local multiplayer on one unit. Or, perhaps, as a quirky alternative to those junior tablets, custom-designed for a great gaming experience. That seems like a fairer and more advantageous comparison, but it's a much tougher and muddier message to sell.

Such a BS copout, Nintendo themselves says it's a home console and should as such be directly compared to other home consoles. So it's more expensive than the PS4 and X1 and a generation behind in technology. Going to be Wii U level sales after the initial early hype wears off. That launch lineup is atrocious, and Zelda isn't exactly a casual friendly game compared to a launch Mario game.

 

[Fahzgoolin]

A luxury handheld that you can play on your TV is exactly the way it seems.

I always wanted to play my 3DS on my TV (Zelda OoT), so this is the appeal for me. It will probably spend a lot of time out of its dock while being charged.

 

[mr teaspoon]

I fully expect a price cut at E3

Isn't WiiU still, like, $500? No way in haaaaaail does this get a price cut before its first holiday season.

 

[Zyae]

Such a BS copout, Nintendo themselves says it's a home console and should as such be directly compared to other home consoles. So it's more expensive than the PS4 and X1 and a generation behind in technology. Going to be Wii U level sales after the initial easy hype wears off. That launch lineup is atrocious, and Zelda isn't exactly a casual friendly game compared to a launch Mario game.

Because they cant market it as a souped up handheld with the 3ds still on the market.

 

[FinKL]

A 720p tablet display in 2017 is really pushing it though, especially at that price.

You have to realize the more pixels it's pushing, the more power it's taking when it's on the go.

No one complained about how pixely the 3DS game are and there are a lot of great games on it.

 

[Nicktendo86]

The impression I keep getting from reading comments is that they have done a great job with the hardware but it just currently lacks software.

No way I could possibly justify getting one for at least a year but I really hope beyond hope it is a success.

 

[abbyabs]

Edit: nevermind...

 

[Somnid]

I fully expect a price cut at E3 and very hot holiday sales for Switch having Mario and Pokemon as drivers.

That's some imagination, a price drop in 3 months prior to a second round of software unveils? That's barely enough time to get a sales trajectory especially when you're expecting spikes and have heavy hitters like Splatoon lined up. 3DS was a really short one and it took 6 months. I don't think you'll see any price movement until the holidays at best and that probably won't be a drop but a pack-in.

 

[Schnozberry]

The impression I keep getting from reading comments is that they have done a great job with the hardware but it just currently lacks software.

No way I could possibly justify getting one for at least a year but I really hope beyond hope it is a success.

Lots of games yet to announce. I have a feeling that after the indie games start announcing and Nintendo gets it's major announcements out of the way at E3, 2017 will look a lot busier. Blowing all the information out in January would have left their E3 presence a few months after launch a disappointment.

 

[Schnozberry]

Yes, the device itself looks and feels good. It's an enticing product. That's why a price cut might work as opposed to Wii U. And software will come at some point.

I fully expect a price cut at E3 and very hot holiday sales for Switch having Mario and Pokemon as drivers.

But until then we're facing some disastrous marketing and very average sales post March.

Paid online and forcing this to go through another device (smartphone) is the part that remains to be seen how it will work. Especially Pokemon for kids might be hindered by this.

Who do you expect a price cut 3 months after launch? That would signal they have no confidence in the Switch or their software lineup. Investors would flee.

 

[Panajev2001a]

I hope you are being sarcastic because that is exactly what happened.

Sure the launch lineup for the first year was just like the NX, except it had way more games.

 

[Adam Tyner]

Personally, yes. Lego City and Zombii U were better third party support already.

Lego City Undercover was published by Nintendo (so not really third party), and it wasn't a launch title (maybe "launch window" if you go out four months).

Who do you expect a price cut 3 months after launch? That would signal they have no confidence in the Switch or their software lineup. Investors would flee.

FWIW, the steep 3DS price drop in 2011 was announced 4 months after it launched in the U.S.. I'm not expecting the same for the Switch, but an almost immediate price drop wouldn't be unprecedented, nor would it necessarily ring any sort of death knell. (I think even if it underperforms initially, Nintendo might wait until there's more software before taking any action. If they drop the price early on but there's still very little software on the immediate horizon, even a cheaper Switch would still be a tough sell.)

 

[noshten]

I'm at the London Hammersmith Switch event. Mario Kart 8 a deluxe is good, looks the same as the Wii U version, the joycons are extremely small and light, will take a while getting used to. I love the style of Arms. Waiting in the queue for Zelda, which looks incredible. Played a bit of Super Street Fighter 2, was good fun but you can't change to the classic sprites without restarting the match. The milking minigame in 1 2 Switch is so ridiculous but fun, and shows off the HD rumble very well. The queue for Splatoon 2 is insanely long!

Why are people lining up for a game that barely qualifies as a sequel?

OT: Splatoon 2 - Barely a squidlel

 

[Kingpin Rogers]

Why are people lining up for a game that barely qualifies as a sequel?

OT: Splatoon 2 - Barely a squidlel

We know barely anything about the game. The single player hasn't even been mentioned at this point, what a silly post.

 

[Leatherface]

This is good news to me. After seeing the UI, which is impressively elegant, my only real concern was the tiny controllers and screen on the portable unit. It's nice to see they both are better than expected. Honestly 720P for a handheld game system is absolutely fine. If Nintendo can wrangle in those 3rd party game gems this can be a hit. I have absolute faith that Nintendo themselves will make fantastic games for the system. For me it all really comes down to a few things. Those 3rd party games, how much I will be charged for upgrading ports of games like Mario Kart 8, which those who own it with the DLC should absolutely NOT have to pay full price for. Also I want to make sure that VC game purchases are tied to my account NOT my hardware! I shouldn't have to buy Super Metroid 14 times!!