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Aonuma: Switch doesn't mean that the concept of a dedicated handheld will disappear

Legend of Zelda and Nintendo stalwart Eiji Aonuma did a Q&A with Edge in #303. I think it's threadworthy because it's the most direct question about this since the Switch reveal afaik.

How about speeding up development processes? Does the Switch architecture mean you can unify your handheld and console software teams, enabling you to get games out more quickly?

There's an element of that, but it doesn't automatically mean things wil happen more quickly or more easily. Plus, Nintendo 3DS still has plenty of titles in development. The concept of the Switch is that you have a home console that you can take with you on the go, and in that respect it is both home console and handheld, but it doesn't mean for us that the concept of a dedicated handheld will just disappear.

It's possible that he's saying that's the reason they're keeping on the 3DS. Perhaps they'll keep selling the 3DS until they get the Switch architecture down to a dedicated handheld form-factor.
 
Well, it will if the switch is a runaway success.

And if it's not, nintendo release a dedicated handheld and say that people were reading to much in to the unity stuff
 

Hoo-doo

Banned
The consolidation of handheld and console development is the sole thing about the Switch that's genuinely super exciting.

If they walk back on that with making a conventional handheld that won't share the library with Switch, that'll be a huge mistake.
 

massoluk

Banned
This means dedicated home console disappeared or future dedicated home console isn't ruled out? This is headache inducing
 

Perfo

Thirteen flew over the cuckoo's nest
I really don't understand why they're trying to kill Switch so early. Saying it's not a 3ds successor is literally reducing its charm. Should we expect another no-supported home console with Switch? That's the message they're delivering here and now?
 

z0m3le

Banned
When de says "dedicated handheld" I hope he's talking about a Switch lite without the dock or something like that.

Reggie already said Switch is a platform, it will have brothers in a family of systems. Switch lite that is 5inch screen or something similar to that is much much more likely than a whole new platform, especially with Nvidia saying switch is a beginning to a 20 year partnership.

All these threads trying to sell you on the idea that Switch isn't a handheld when it's Sku code is Handheld and Console. Not everyone is going to see it as a handheld, but if you do, I don't think you have anything to worry about.
 

Viewtiful

Member
Sounds like it could just be the Switch in a smaller form factor. The whole point of the switch was unifying Nintendo's developers so that they didn't have to support 2 separate platforms at the same time. It seems like it would be a waste to throw that away and spread themselves thin supporting a 3DS successor and the Switch.
 

Robin64

Member
Not making your next handheld a "Switch Lite" would be crazy, especially given the whole notion of this was to consolidate development.
 

Mr Swine

Banned
I really don't understand why they're trying to kill Switch so early. Saying it's not a 3ds successor is literally reducing its charm. Should we expect another no-supported home console with Switch? That's the message they're delivering here and now?

Let's wait till after Xmas and see if he still says the same or he will say that Switch is the replacement for both 3DS and Wii U
 

upandaway

Member
I don't really get what's a "dedicated handheld". Is it the fact that it doesn't connect to a dock? Why wouldn't every handheld from now on be able to connect to the dock, whether it's a small clamshell or a tablet?
 

zeromcd73

Member
The consolidation of handheld and console development is the sole thing about the Switch that's genuinely super exciting.

If they walk back on that with making a conventional handheld that won't share the library with Switch, that'll be a huge mistake.
this.

Whatever it is it better run the same games as Switch so they don't have to develop games for two separate devices
 

ksamedi

Member
Switch lite on the way. I dont see them releasing a handheld thats too far away from Switch. Just a lighter, thinner smaller switch with no dock. Makes the most sense to me. I think they could go with a chip set that is about as powerfull as the portable switch mode and ditch the dock and get in a price range of about 200 initially.
 

marc^o^

Nintendo's Pro Bono PR Firm
Nintendo France Manager was more specific. He said yesterday 3DS would still be important for Nintendo until 2018. He said they will try to release one big title (1st or 3rd party) for it per month.
 
Time for the Switch Micro.

(If they make a handheld only one, it would have to share switch library to make any sense with the standard Switch on the market)
 
The consolidation of handheld and console development is the sole thing about the Switch that's genuinely super exciting.

If they walk back on that with making a conventional handheld that won't share the library with Switch, that'll be a huge mistake.
Clearly not.

A new dedicated handheld from Nintendo will retain some backward compatibilty with the Switch. That's a given.

The part of the busyness that they are more likely to retain is the handheld part with something new or interesting like the Switch but under a same architectuire umbrella.

That's what i speculated before the unveil. The differecnce been that instad of coming out of the gate with the handheld and hybrid they chose to retain the 3DS for a while longer in the short term untul they have ready a Switch revision.

http://m.neogaf.com/showpost.php?p=208398846

Nintendo sells their Handheld and sells this hypothetical device. The above contraption will have games excluevly made for it since it's more powerful than the handheld. The Hardware would cost 250/270 US and feautres whatever stronger SOC they can afford at that price margin.
 
It kind of should. Regardless of a smaller handheld losing the feature to output to a screen, even at a lower resolution would be backwards. That's like the one features I'm absolutely behind for handhelds.

That being said I would be very receptive to a switch console with Joy-cons that are just analog input devices if they can bring the overall cost down that way. I mean I'm getting a Switch at launch. But I think it's a good idea for a portable focused one.
 
I really don't understand why they're trying to kill Switch so early. Saying it's not a 3ds successor is literally reducing its charm. Should we expect another no-supported home console with Switch? That's the message they're delivering here and now?

It's a bad time to be playing the coy 'third pillar' game they were with the DS, as everybody knows that if the Switch bombs, Nintendo are going to be in real trouble. But I guess they're worried about prematurely killing their 3DS cash cow, which is understandable.
 

Sizzel

Member
It better or Switch will die in a fire if they split development again. WTF Nintendo. Say in a year or two we are making mini portable only Switch not a 3ds successor.

I sincerely believe any Gaffer would have a decent shot of steering Nintendo better than Nintendo management currently if they pull this happy horseshit and save a pivot back to handheld safe space if switch bombs. It already has a WiiU vibe and no one I know outside of gaming boards knows what it is or is interested.

The Wii poisoned Nintendo's mind.

EDIT: IF Nintendo had announced say a Scorpio level console at like say 400 ish with full 3rd party support, no handheld fuckery and all Nintendo exclusives at sony first party levels of technical quality(assuming they have or can acquire the talent), robust VC for Nintendo..how many people would seriously consider it as a primary? At worst I feel it would be #2 to PlayStation.
 
My guess is that the handheld will have a different name than Switch Lite/Micro/whatever, because it likely won't have Joycons and so it won't be compatible with Joycon-heavy games like 1-2 Switch.

Games made for this handheld will be compatible with Switch, but games made for the Switch aren't necessarily compatible with the handheld.

How they'll be able to communicate this effectively is beyond me.
 

VegaShinra

Junior Member
I really don't understand why they're trying to kill Switch so early. Saying it's not a 3ds successor is literally reducing its charm. Should we expect another no-supported home console with Switch? That's the message they're delivering here and now?

They are covering their ass. If Switch bombs then they will say it obviously wasn't replacing the handheld line of product. If Switch sells well then they keep focused on it. Same shit as with the DS. If DS bombed then GameBoy Super would have been released.
 

DiscoJer

Member
I really don't understand why they're trying to kill Switch so early. Saying it's not a 3ds successor is literally reducing its charm. Should we expect another no-supported home console with Switch? That's the message they're delivering here and now?

I know. I want to play console games on a handheld as well as play handheld games on the handheld.

The PSP was very close to being that (getting a lot of PS2 and even Xbox ports) until the PS3 established itself, but the Vita really failed at getting PS3 ports
 
This is not a third pillar situation at all. It is obvious that a vita sized (or smaller) Switch is on its way. Probably without console.

And then less obvious but very likely... A Swtich Ouya style.
 

Zaventem

Member
lol at all the people that swore up and down otherwise. I think like a couple folks said we'll have a switch lite/mini only, which i think is a real possibility.
 

Theonik

Member
Can't say the same about dedicated consoles. :(
Nintendo is completely irrelevant in that space anyway.

Time for the Switch Micro.

(If they make a handheld only one, it would have to share switch library to make any sense with the standard Switch on the market)
The problem is that the Switch's current formfactor is a result of its technical capabilities so shrinking it while allowing it to run the same games might be difficult
 

Zaventem

Member
Nintendo please for the love of god FOCUS only on Switch right now.

Would you be ok with the switch having the ability to get every single game the purely dedicated handheld gets? I feel like people are freaking out for no reason.
 

KingSnake

The Birthday Skeleton
Nintendo is trying to actively sabotage Switch's launch. I have no other explanation for these statements.
 

Hoo-doo

Banned
Nintendo please for the love of god FOCUS only on Switch right now.

They got to have a back-up if Switch ends up tanking though. And handhelds are the one space left Nintendo is actually super successful in.

So it only makes sense to keep working on dedicated handheld hardware while Switch's future is still up in the air.
 

18-Volt

Member
I knew it. I knew that second screen is too good feature to abandon. I'm guessing next handheld will be in line with DS, two screens and some gimmick. I'm hoping they won't give up on 3D and invest for a better tech for it.
 

jonno394

Member
I think people are reading too much in to these comments, but yeah, they're not helpful with regards to Nintendos Switch communication.
 
My guess is that the handheld will have a different name than Switch Lite/Micro/whatever, because it likely won't have Joycons and so it won't be compatible with Joycon-heavy games like 1-2 Switch.

Games made for this handheld will be compatible with Switch, but games made for the Switch aren't necessarily compatible with the handheld.

How they'll be able to communicate this effectively is beyond me.
It'll probably still have a kickstand and support (detect and sync) joycons from the Switch, but it just obviously won't have detachable joycons because it's portable only.
 

Eumi

Member
I don't get what's supposed to be surprising about these comments. Of course they're going to say this. If the Switch fails, and boy is that a possibility following the Wii U, Nintendo need to be able to backtrack with a new DS. Right now they're seeing if the hybrid works, because if it doesn't and they can't make a dedicated handheld they'll be in an awful position.
 
I'm one that firmly believed (and still do for some part) that the Switch will replace both consoles and handhelds. But I can't shake the feeling that Nintendo will be stupid enough to fuck it up again and go with two machines, even though it will be completely redundant.
 
It'll probably still have a kickstand and support (detect and sync) joycons from the Switch, but it just obviously won't have detachable joycons because it's portable only.
Maybe....I figured they wouldn't be compatible because you'd have these ARMS-like games and you'd have to play them on a tiny screen. But it's possible, sure.
 

Frodo

Member
I would welcome a New Nintendo 3DS 2 and a New Nintendo 3DS 2 XL. But only if they are called that way.
 
If they did release a new dedicated handheld I would imagine they would just use the SOC and Dev tools from Switch. Could play the same games. In a year or two I would expect they could release a $149 version with only TV out and no dock.

I can't imagine they release a dedicated handheld with different archeticure, tools, games, etc... Would seem to be a strange decision after combining their Console and HH teams.
 

KingSnake

The Birthday Skeleton
I don't get what's supposed to be surprising about these comments. Of course they're going to say this. If the Switch fails, and boy is that a possibility following the Wii U, Nintendo need to be able to backtrack with a new DS. Right now they're seeing if the hybrid works, because if it doesn't and they can't make a dedicated handheld they'll be in an awful position.

They shouldn't talk about other coming devices right before the launch of their newest device. It's ridiculous.

Also the question was about speeding up development processes, unifying the software teams and being able to develop games faster and the answer was "meh, not really" and "we're thinking about dedicated handhelds". In relations to developing games.

What does this means, that Switch won't get all Nintendo games during its lifetime?
 
I don't get what's supposed to be surprising about these comments. Of course they're going to say this. If the Switch fails, and boy is that a possibility following the Wii U, Nintendo need to be able to backtrack with a new DS. Right now they're seeing if the hybrid works, because if it doesn't and they can't make a dedicated handheld they'll be in an awful position.

But the problem with that is that how would they differentiate a next-gen DS from the Switch? I think it would look very similar technology-wise, and it's only really the addition of an extra screen (and the removal of a lot of the Switch's versatility) that would separate them.
 
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