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[Hari Seldon]

I don't see this competing well with a phone for a casual westerner. For hardcore gamers this thing is a non-starter. So that is left with the people buying this solely for nintendo first party games which is not a huge amount of people.

 

[Chinbo37]

I was never going to buy it at launch (never buy consoles until a year or 2 into their life) but my outlook has definately turned negative.

Like with the Wii U the most important thing is to get software. Wii U got some great games but there were not enough of them and they went though big dry patches of big time releases.


Switch software line up isnt getting me excited and the peripheral prices are laughable.

 

[vrln]

As a console enthusiast I´ll be buying it day one, but if I had to make a bet I would say this is going to flop just as hard as the Wii U. This is the weakest launch lineup of any major console in recent history.

Where are the Wii U ports that would have been perfect for the launch period until the big new games like Mario Odyssey start hitting? Let´s face it, the console flopped so bad it would be no problem to relaunch most of its late lineup. All missing: Xenoblade Chronicles, Mario Maker, Smash Bros, Pokken Tournament, Super Mario 3D World, Paper Mario, Yoshi´s Woolly World, Donkey Kong Country and the list goes on...

 

[mackattk]

That's not going to happen.
Look at 12Switch, cause that's their attempt at that here. Look at it, closely, honestly and ask yourself. Can i see people lining up like crazy for it, like they did for Wii Sport some years ago ?

Nintendo is never going to catch the Wii Sports market again, I don't think there is a market for that anymore. It was new and exciting and fun at the time, but I think it was just a one-time thing. Nobody is going to want to spend $400+ for a game that they would equate to the game that has been stuck in storage for 5 years.

I really hope they've got some bombs to drop at E3. As of right now, I'm not going anywhere near this console. I love love LOVE splatoon, but Splatoon 2 and a Mario game in the first 9 months are just not enough for me to shell out 300+ bucks.

...and playing Splatoon online will now require a subscription to add more on top of the costs.

 

[Parmenide]

MAYBE after a pirce-drop and a line-up comparable to the 3DS one (Pokèmon etc.)

 

[Alienous]

I can't see the RRP sticking. When that drops, or when Nintendo sells a dock-less version to compensate for the price, I could see it resonating with the handheld gaming market if only because of the lack of competition.

 

[Sephzilla]

Honestly, no.

It doesn't have a strong launch lineup, it seems to still be riding on a few gimmicks, battery life is a concern, and the Switch costs as much as a normal PS4 right now. I'm sure you'll see a surge when Pokemon and Mario come out but that's about it.

 

[filly]

I think this console is going to do great.
Battery power issues will be fixed by an inevitable extender pack, by Nintendo or a third party.

I has a new main line Zelda and Mario (more aligned with Mario 64 than any title to day) in the same year. Mario kart will do well and if they announce Pokemon for holidays it will be just fine.

This console is going to have a tonne of buzz. I hate the price point, but its not like Nintendo is a company that could of produced enough in time anyway. Supply will be less than demand a launch and that price will rip off the earlier adopters and serve to make the late comers feel it is a better value proposition when they drop it later on.

I don't think it is a good strategy, but i don't think it will harm them any where near as much as some of the comments are making out.

 

[nukedeggs]

I'm a huge Nintendo fan, grew up with the Game Boy Color and so on, and I'm probably going to get the Switch day 1. I ride with Nintendo I die with Nintendo.

That being said, I don't think the Switch will do well outside of big Nintendo fans because they aren't offering anything that will appeal to other people. Sure, I think Nintendo is great, and makes spectacular games, but that's not how the rest of the gaming ecosystem sees them. The rest of the gaming world looks at the Switch and sees a weak, odd device that doesn't really know what it wants to be, with, well, nothing big and hype coming out for it on launch other than Zelda, that also costs 300 bucks, that has no free online, no bundled in Pro controller, and so on. I gotta say, the Switch is a real hard sell to people who aren't already big Nintendo fans, and I'm saying this as a big Nintendo fan. It's really too bad, because I wish Nintendo would do well, but I think the Switch will be a really hard sell, unless they pull something like what they did for the 3DS, with a big price drop and ambassador-program things up or something like that.

Anyways, I do at least think it will do better than the Wii U. I think the Switch has a lot of potential to be great, so I hope things go well.

 

[Count of Monte Sawed-Off]

I think it will do alright for a Nintendo system.

 

[ViciousDS]

not for $299


both PS4 and Xbox One will be lower in price by the holidays with an insane library compared to the switch's paltry one for a bigger price.

 

[Tom Penny]

I cannot see it competing with price dropped PS4 Xbone and Scorpio down the line but for Nintendo I'm sure they can make profit by gouging their consumers with ludicrous pricing.

 

[Bjoern the Smexy]

I say the console will be a success.

The interest in it is extremely high.
It being sold out within minutes almost everywhere is definitely saying something.

Yes, the price is more expensive than most thought. Then again, many thought it'd be $199 and that's just plain old batshit crazy. It was never going to cost less than $249. $299 isn't exactly what I hoped it'd be but it's still a very good price for a new console that seems to be on par with what the Xbox One and PS4 can, albeit on a smaller scale.

What's really missing right now are the games. But since the presentation is over I'm sure we'll get more than enough announcements over the next 7 weeks.

It won't reach Wii levels of success, but I actually think that the Switch is in a good position to place itself at least beween PS4 and Xbox One.

 

[Lifeline]

As a home console it will be a failure, but if there's no new DS and the DS developers move on to the switch, i think it will find new life as the portable audience begins to switch over.

 

[BumRush]

I was never going to buy it at launch (never buy consoles until a year or 2 into their life) but my outlook has definately turned negative.

Like with the Wii U the most important thing is to get software. Wii U got some great games but there were not enough of them and they went though big dry patches of big time releases.


Switch software line up isnt getting me excited and the peripheral prices are laughable.

The unfortunate thing, is that 2 years from now, it'll probably still cost $450+ to get in...

Let's assume...

$200 console
$50 MP
$100 for 2 games
$50 for storage
$50 for an additional controller

I don't see prices getting much better than that, and that is best case scenario...

 

[jts]

No is easy,

I'm gonna go with yes.

 

[Deadly Cyclone]

Wii-U levels of "success." Some people will really enjoy it, it'll have its share of good Nintendo (and Nintendo-related) games, but overall it'll be a second system for those who do buy it, and it won't sell all that well after the first year.

 

[Gai Murakumo]

Should have been at max $250 at launch, $300 is too much. Plus the super lack of software at launch with only Zelda being the frontrunner is a huge mistake. Heck why was there no talk of Smash Bros during that presentation?

 

[Taiser]

the only reason this might do better than the Wii U is because they also forcing this as a 3DS successor.

 

[krazen]

Since the console has 2 controllers and can be played anywhere, the following packs at 300$ would fly of the shelves:

1) Switch + Fifa
2) Switch + Madden
3) Switch + Nba 2k

But would Nintendo stop being stubborn and allow those types of packs? If they do the Switch can sell gangbusters.

This is me.

Honestly the ability to multiplay either competative sports/action or to play OG Wii party games on the go was a big selling point to me. As my friends get into the raising family stage in their lives many don't buy consoles they way they used to; it would have been nice bringing it over to play some madden during visits...or lets say bringing it over to a party for drunken smash bros.

Even that 1,2 Switch thing seems off; no ones cares about one on one livingroom lazer tag.

I REALLY wanted a Switch before the reveal, but ive gone from excited to wait and see. Zelda is great, but its a feat of game design and the presentation showed me nothing that the other modern consoles, Wii U included(!!!) can do better.

At least if there was a 3ds adapter, 1 2 Switch was a pack-in, or they included some mario sports titles as a holdover until FIFA and hopefully other games drop...etc.

Up until Splatoon we just have a Zelda playing machine

 

[Suburban Thug]

Did you miss my whole post that you quoted where I say they just call it so because it's convenient for them?
A 3DS sucessor is not coming any time soon. At best you will get a new version of the Switch that is a little bit more handheld oriented. But it's still going to be a Switch.

So you're ignoring what Nintendo has repeatedly said to hold on to your own idea of what the console is. Thanks for clearing that up.

 

[Kthulhu]

GAF trashed the Wii launch and Wii reveal. Went nuts for WiiU.

Going by GAF it should be massive.

GAF too often forgets that it is full of enthusiasts and not average Joes and Jills. When people here start talking about the "casual gamer" as a defense of why something will or won't succeed, it's time to stop listening.

 

[Labombadog]

I love Nintendo. Always been a part of me since a kid but this won't succeed. At least not crazy numbers like the Wii or even the SNES. This will probably do around what the Gamecube did or slightly better.

Edit: I hope to eat crow in the future

 

[Memento]

Absolutely not

At least not until it hits $199 and a new Pokemon comes out exclusevely for it. Even then, I cant see it selling more than 30 million.

I think Nintendo will release a handheld only Switch 2-3 years from now and drop consoles for good.

 

[EarsOfASnake]

It's going to crash and burn as bad if not worse than the Wii U did, Nintendo seems so lost and out of touch with the console market these days.

 

[Hex]

What if they can drop the price to $259 by Christmas and Black Friday gets it down to 230...
And if Nintendo does some hardcore youtube marketing to 8 year olds, maybe a lot of parents will buy it. *shrugs*

At the current price, line-up architecture/power, I don't see it succeed with adults. But you mustn't forget all the people who bought a 3DS and a Wii U and now only have to buy one device for this gen, to them it should be an ok deal if more 3DS-like games will follow.

This is Nintendo.
For price drops to happen it takes an Imperial mandate, and half the time Nintendo still says no

 

[Milly Osworth]

What is Nintendo even going to do if this one (deservingly so) bombs?

 

[Kssio_Aug]

So, let's see....

-Performance clearly superior to a Raspberry Pi 3, probably.
-Built-in storage enough for installing as many as 1-2 games
-Voice comm requiring the use of an app on your cell phone
-Paid subscription online service feature list competitive with Heat.net
-Peripheral pricing so high and bizarrely lopsided with the initial hardware bundle that it makes buying a second Switch for parts a sensible option

...that's pretty dire, but it's still a much more compelling product than the Wii U at first reveal, simply by virtue of being a handheld. Might be somewhat more successful than the Wii U since it's not trying to leverage a poorly thought out archaic tablet as a unique selling point this time, but the cost of ownership is looking *astronomically* high. It's arguably higher than the major console competition, given the peripheral pricing, anemic built-in storage, low value paid online, etc., so it's abandoning a lot of the appeal that would otherwise come with being a handheld.

Handheld form factor and performance, but with $60 game pricing, paid online, tiny storage, and obscene peripheral costs. Worst of both worlds, arguably, and the mediocre mobile SoC isn't going to do it any favors when people hook it up to their living room setups. I seriously doubt I'll want to stretch out Switch games onto my 75" 4K HDR TV.

Not exactly situated to take the market by storm with all that and a very thin launch lineup. Not something that's easy to root for as a consumer, either, since Nintendo loaded up on anti-consumer business decisions here. It's telling that first shipment pre-orders are still available.

No.

I think that it can be worst than Wii U, specially for one reason: Wii U was a table console, and affected only that side of Nintendo. With a hybrid console that supposedly try to be both, this overpriced piece of hardware is gonna affect both sides.

Today you can see 3DS at the top of a chart, while Wii U at the bottom. They're risking to see Switch at the middle - bottom, without the 3DS backing them up (if they decrease or stop supporting it later and deciding moving their hendheld projects to Switch).

 

[mackattk]

I say the console will be a success.

The interest in it is extremely high.
It being sold out within minutes almost everywhere is definitely saying something.

Don't get too ahead of yourself. There are a lot of people who would preorder it so they can think about it between now and launch fi they want to go through with it. If I was able to preorder it (I was sleeping), I would be in that crowd.


Then there are all the scalpers.

Not saying that it won't be a success, but you can't really look at preorder numbers to see how successful a system will be. We don't know how many systems were able to be preordered anyway.

 

[ironcreed]

It aint gonna do PS4 / XBONE numbers that's for sure.

I can't help but think this is what the WiiU should have been.

I think it'll scrape by.

At least the Wii U was an actual home console, which is what many of us love and want from Nintendo. This is not.

 

[Stevey]

Too expensive, too many Nintendoish ideas that are dumb.

DOA

 

[Gai Murakumo]

What is Nintendo even going to do if this one (deservingly so) bombs?

I would say pull a Sega. They will get out of the console making business and just work on software.

 

[Holundrian]

What is Nintendo even going to do if this one (deservingly so) bombs?

Hopefully dropping the price to acceptable levels.
I still love the idea but mean the more I read it's like NINTENDO START GETTING IN TOUCH..... so sad.....

 

[Bowl0l]

What is Nintendo even going to do if this one (deservingly so) bombs?

Probably they will spend time delaying games to port again.

 

[StAidan]

I think the Switch will be more successful than Wii U, but honestly this launch isn't going to do the console any favors for starting momentum. If Zelda is the only reason to buy it at launch, well, the Zelda audience just isn't that large these days.

Pokemon could probably give it a decent kick start, but who knows when that'll show up.

EDIT: And I am one of the madmen buying it at launch for Zelda.

 

[SporeCrawler]

It's the biggest third party exclusive series they have. Even the wiiu had a port. Why wouldn't they announce it now if it will be on switch.

because capcom announces those separately

I think the Switch will be more successful than Wii U, but honestly this launch isn't going to do the console any favors for starting momentum. If Zelda is the only reason to buy it at launch, well, the Zelda audience just isn't that large these days.

Pokemon could probably give it a decent kick start, but who knows when that'll show up.

EDIT: And I am one of the madmen buying it at launch for Zelda.

1 year after regular versions

 

[Sho_Nuff82]

The two games they needed to announce for it to not be ignored by Japan - MonHun and Pokémon - were not announced at the reveal.

That is a puzzling PR move for the first three months.

They are banking hard on Zelda (looking good), Splatoon (looking good) and 3D Mario to carry momentum for the first half of the year, with a series of Wii U ports sprinkled in.

1,2 Switch seems like they are desperately trying to recapture that Wii Sports magic but it amazingly seems less interactive and less intuitive. ARMS seems like a better use of the controller's unique features.

The lack of sports, shooters, and 3d action adventure games already clips its wings quite a bit in the west among the core crowd. The lack of Minecraft (fake edit: this should be coming, but why not at launch?), MOBA titles, Overwatch, Destiny, Plants vs Zombies, Lego Anything, Rocket League, or any mobile ports of note just makes it look like Nintendo is out of touch with what's popular with the masses, especially the youth when they get home from playing Pokémon/Go. Street Fighter II at $40 seems like a shameless nostalgia cash grab. I can't tell who is more to blame, Capcom for making it or Nintendo for greenlighting it for retail.

There doesn't seem to a 3rd party plan as such, other than "if we sell a lot we'll get some bones thrown our way". The lack of power and internal memory means even most launch games from this gen can't run on it.

Despite all this, it's still a Nintendo handheld. An exorbitant price point aside, that comes with a certain amount of clout. And the way it's designed, a price drop is as easy as removing the dock and naming a new portable-only clamshell sku by Christmas. I'd say it sells to about 75% of the 3DS audience, and to nearly 100% of the Wii U audience (let's face it, if you roughed it through this gen you're never going to let them go), which should be good for about 60 million units. Which is more than enough for nintendo to sell millions of their various first party titles.

 

[JBuccCP]

What I hope they do if things get bad is put out a sku for as close to $200 as possible, maybe $219, that's just the switch and joycons. No dock or joy con connector thing. This would be perfect for kids and people like me that would only play on the tablet anyway, which is how I use my WiiU.

 

[TimeEffect]

No way can they compete against ps4 and xbox. Theyre launching mid gen and completely out of line here. Ps4s will be cheaper at $300 and $400 and somy simply has all kinds of tiers to appeal to all kinds of gamers


Nintendo games arent the main attraction for kids when blizzard has overwatch. A lot of kids really are into a lot of third party games that nintendo has to compete with. It really feels as if they have all kinds of competition. Id argue more kids are fans of overwatch now because of how popular and engrossed they are with youtube stars who play these games. Nintendo doesn't have that punch

Its insane that their biggest modernization to the big 2 is pay to play online. Their nintendo network is going to be really interesting to watch unfold, especially since u need a phone to do some things like voice chat, and they dont have video recording.

The entire switch and joy con thing is a gimmick and unlike wii or even wii u, its completely useless. I wonder why they didnt just make a Wii Sports sequel, that would have been better than this 1 2 switch game.

I still love the idea of off tv play, but this thing isnt portable enough to replace a 3ds, and i hope we see a proper 3ds sequel

By the way, since wiiu did the off screen stuff, whats the big new feature? I feel casual fans arent seeing it. The big thing I see is taking your tablet out of the home but with that seems like a mistake as its directly trying to compete with phones with a worse battery and worse portability

I wanted this for the nintendo games and playing on my bed. When the price goes low, Ill love to jump on but I cant help but think nintendo has another WiiU on its hands

I cant imagine that they will use the same hardware for another generation. Theyll probably ugrade the battery down the line.

 

[bwakh]

I was never going to buy it at launch (never buy consoles until a year or 2 into their life) but my outlook has definately turned negative.

Like with the Wii U the most important thing is to get software. Wii U got some great games but there were not enough of them and they went though big dry patches of big time releases.


Switch software line up isnt getting me excited and the peripheral prices are laughable.

Ditto. Except that I was looking forward to Switch as a second console to the PS4. Main reasons being SMT and Pokemon games. But I have kind of soured on it as well.

The best thing to come out of this has to be the Region Free nature of the console.

 

[jmdajr]

Looked at strictly as a console, no.

 

[krazen]

GAF too often forgets that it is full of enthusiasts and not average Joes and Jills. When people here start talking about the "casual gamer" as a defense of why something will or won't succeed, it's time to stop listening.

Whatss there for the casual gamer tho?

Wii Sports was the perfect party game; 1 2 Switch seems not so much particularly since the focus seems to be playing without the screen (i remember casuals at party being geeked at making their avatars and people cheering on the game on screen).

The Wii U was a beacon call to th faithful, abet underpowered. This? Who's the market?

 

[Wickerbasket]

Going by past performance, it's going to sell worse than the Wii U.

I'll still have a ton of fun with it though.

 

[Sloane]

Even if they pushed the handheld angle really hard and lowered the price relatively quickly, I just don't see it "succeeding" in the sense of doing much better than the Wii U. And it's almost like Nintendo itself wants this thing to fail or at least isn't really prepared for its launch at least. Wish it wasn't so but -- It's dead, Jim.

 

[ironcreed]

I would say pull a Sega. They will get out of the console making business and just work on software.

I never thought I would say this, but I honestly think it's time. They would be far better served at just making games and putting them on all platforms. They are so woefully out of touch on the hardware front and where the market is that it boggles the mind.

 

[7Th]

300 dollars would be a perfect price if it came with 1, 2, Switch!; not sure why it doesn't.

 

[rochellepaws]

Given their rapid price cut of the 3DS and abandonment of the Wii U I'd say it's clear Nintendo have no issue trampling over their hardcore following. I wouldn't dismiss the possibility that this launch window is an intentional cash grab on those same people and we'll see a price cut within the next 12 months along with bundles to make the value prospect much more palatable.

 

[tskeeve]

I don't really see the value proposition here when put up against a PS4/XB1, especially once Fall 2017 rolls around. The standard PS4 and XB1 will likely get a price drop down to $200, and their game libraries are going to be incredibly dense by that point.

How can Nintendo even compete with that?

 

[Son of Flounder]

Outside of Asia, I can't see it being a big success. In the West, most Nintendo fans will probably stick with their 3DS and WiiU apart from the Nintendo hardcore.

The problem is the Switch is a jack of all trades, master of none. It is an OK handheld/portable and an OK home console, it does not excel at either.


Also:
- A new PS4 slim and a used Vita costs less than a Switch
- A new PS4 Pro costs less than a Switch + Pro Controller
- The PS4 has a great library with lots more coming this year, the Switch has Zelda (also on WiiU), Mario (late 2017) and a few mini games and a handful of 3rd party games

 

[etking]

At this price point, and with such a weak hardware and still missing 3rd party support, it could sell even less units than the Wii-U. You will get a much more powerful PS4 with hundred times more games to choose from for less money.

It is not a real console and not a real handheld device, so I see no market for it at all.