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[Ten_Fold]

I feel they will always try to make a handheld version of whatever system they try to make next. Something cheaper for the kids. Having mainly one type of console is much better. I think that’s really part of the switch’s success, games like Pokémon S&S and link’s awakening remake would’ve been on a handheld only if they didn’t do that. Right now I still think the switch has the best line up of games overall.

 

[Vow of Silence]

if we're being honest here all consoles are toys. We use them to play games. If you spend a load of cash on a super PC rig and only use it to play video games then I hate to break it to you but that's a toy, too. We probably shouldn't delude ourselves into thinking that buying a PlayStation or Xbox somehow makes us a more sophisticated gamer than if we're playing a Switch in the park. There's a good possibility that the Switch gamer at least leaves their room more frequently and doesn't pee in bottles.

True, but the portability of the Switch and the bright detachable joycons are much more physically toy-like than a box sitting in a corner.

 

[Fbh]

Keeping the 1 ecosystem concept doesn't necesarily mean they can't have multiple consoles. They are already doing that, you have the hybrid OG Switch and the Handheld only Swith Lite, but they are part of the same ecosystem and do play the same games (except for rare exceptions like 1-2 Switch).

I think now that the Switch happened it would be hard for them to go back to a system where if I want to play the Next Pokemon but also the next mainline Zelda I need to own 2 different consoles.

 

[Lionel Richie]

Also, they would sell a huge amount of consoles combined. I believe there's no way Switch (even doing as well as it's doing) could sell as much as Wii and DS did when combined. Both in hardware and software sales.

Why does this get repeated so much? Should we judge the PS4 on the sales of the PS3 and PSP combined? Or, let me frame a different thread: Do you think Sony's single console strategy will be sustainable in the long run?

 

[Vandole]

I do think Nintendo could have success with a second console, but it would really need to be a completely different market. Like if they made a plug-and-play system that was a follow-up to the Wii, I think that could be very successful. Something that just caters to that casual Wii audience that never played anything other than Wii Sports and used it to watch Netflix. There are a lot of those people out there.

Personally, I loved those first party motion-based games - Wii Sports, Wii Play, etc. I'd love a chance to play those or games like them again. And I think of Nintendo had a dedicated console just for that, their development team could continue to work on their main franchises on the switch or whatever the main console is, and then devote a smaller set of resources just for those games. Maybe have them automatically update three or four times a year just to keep people coming back to them.

 

[ReBurn]

True, but the portability of the Switch and the bright detachable joycons are much more physically toy-like than a box sitting in a corner.

Then they have a product for you! Gray joycons!

 

[deafmedal]

Yeah, but who cares about generations if the games have charm and are fun?

I do. Cannot stand the Switch in handheld mode and it looks like ass on 4k tv’s, way too cloudy and jaggy. I think I’ve played my Switch less than the Wii U (my kid plays the shit out of it though). I would love a more traditional/current version to play at home as I just don’t gel well with any portable devices at my age- tiny buttons and weird shapes combined with years of tearing my hands/wrists/arms up at work make extended sessions painful. Shame, as I love Nintendo games (and the Vita too).

 

[Raploz]

Why does this get repeated so much? Should we judge the PS4 on the sales of the PS3 and PSP combined? Or, let me frame a different thread: Do you think Sony's single console strategy will be sustainable in the long run?

That's a good point. And yes, I still believe it would be better for Sony to have two consoles instead of only one. The amount of sales they got on the 7 gen era wasn't good, but if you look at their PS2 + PSP sales you'll see they sold much more than they could ever hope to achieve with only the PS4 or PS5.

PS2 + PSP combined: 158 millions + 80 millions = 238 millions.

I'm not talking about releasing another portable necessarily, but look at Xbox Series S and X. Two consoles with different target publics in mind (people that just wanna play the latest games vs hardcore gamers). I don't know if Microsoft will outsell Playstation this generation, but I think they'll do better now than they would do by releasing only Series X.

Now answering your question directly, I think Sony and Nintendo are in very different positions. Sony is more than just Playstation, so they already have other revenue streams they could still rely on to make profit, like their TV's. So my answer is yes, even if I believe it could be better for them to make 2 consoles, their single console strategy is sustainable in the long run. Nintendo on the other hand is mainly focused on gaming, if they don't do well with it what else could they do to make money? I don't know if parks and licensing their characters for movies would be enough for them or their stockholders.

Some people brought up Switch and Switch Lite. Well, if Nintendo manages to market them well enough for their target public then I think it could be enough for them (it's basically like Microsoft with Series X and S), however I still think they could sell more (or at least be safer in case their future consoles fail) if they made two completely separate products like before.

 

[LittleBusters]

Nintendo has and WILL ALWAYS remain an entire generation behind in tech.

That said, they have the Nintendo exclusives. So whatever they cook, people will eat.

Without exclusives, they’d be like Sega and be a software company.

Nintendo is the In N Out Burgers of consoles. They make very little, but what they do people adore. Microsoft = Five Guys. Sony = Fine Dining.

 

[butane bob]

Nintendo has and WILL ALWAYS remain an entire generation behind in tech.

Simply untrue. Only from generation 7 onwards.

 

[CertifiedKiwi]

Yes - Blue Ocean strategy. Why fix what is not broken

 

[Lionel Richie]

Nintendo on the other hand is mainly focused on gaming, if they don't do well with it what else could they do to make money? I don't know if parks and licensing their characters for movies would be enough for them or their stockholders.

Questioning Nintendo's ability to make money is a tried and true formula to going insane. Even when they were at their absolute lowest point with the Wii U, they somehow pulled the Amiibo out of nowhere and still turned a profit. They can materialize stuff like Pokémon GO out of the blue and make crazy bank. Mario Kart 8 Deluxe had a budget of like 5 bucks and it has sold 50 billion copies. And besides, if they really felt any pressure to grab some extra bucks, they could always release the next Mini console.

 

[Vow of Silence]

Then they have a product for you! Gray joycons!

I love the bright joycons.

 

[Woopah]

That's a good point. And yes, I still believe it would be better for Sony to have two consoles instead of only one. The amount of sales they got on the 7 gen era wasn't good, but if you look at their PS2 + PSP sales you'll see they sold much more than they could ever hope to achieve with only the PS4 or PS5.

PS2 + PSP combined: 158 millions + 80 millions = 238 millions.

I'm not talking about releasing another portable necessarily, but look at Xbox Series S and X. Two consoles with different target publics in mind (people that just wanna play the latest games vs hardcore gamers). I don't know if Microsoft will outsell Playstation this generation, but I think they'll do better now than they would do by releasing only Series X.

Now answering your question directly, I think Sony and Nintendo are in very different positions. Sony is more than just Playstation, so they already have other revenue streams they could still rely on to make profit, like their TV's. So my answer is yes, even if I believe it could be better for them to make 2 consoles, their single console strategy is sustainable in the long run. Nintendo on the other hand is mainly focused on gaming, if they don't do well with it what else could they do to make money? I don't know if parks and licensing their characters for movies would be enough for them or their stockholders.

Some people brought up Switch and Switch Lite. Well, if Nintendo manages to market them well enough for their target public then I think it could be enough for them (it's basically like Microsoft with Series X and S), however I still think they could sell more (or at least be safer in case their future consoles fail) if they made two completely separate products like before.

Nintendo will make more money this year than they ever have before, even in the Wii and DS days. Splitting you're development resources between two platforms is no longer viable when games now take so long to make.

 

[German Hops]

Simply untrue. Only from generation 7 onwards.

 

[AV]

I honestly don't think they can go back now. The model is too popular.

 

[RoadHazard]

Yes. It's a runaway success, and I personally vastly prefer not having to buy two Nintendo consoles to play everything.

 

[Agent X]

Let's say Nintendo keeps making only a single console in their next generation.

Do you think only focusing on a single console is better for them (business wise) or do you think that could end up hurting them in the long run?

For now and the foreseeable future (at least the next 2-3 years), I feel they're on the right path. Their current system works well as both a powerful portable and a not-so-powerful home console. Nintendo stopped chasing high-end power on home consoles 14 years ago, instead focusing on high-quality games along with some innovative controller/peripheral options.

The purpose of merging these two product lines is to streamline software development. Developers now don't have to make a separate "watered-down" portable version of the game--the same game works well on both. They might not sell as many systems as having two separate product lines like they did with Wii and DS, but by having a unified platform, they could ultimately end up producing and selling more software than both.

Also, while the Switch is a unified platform, it does not necessarily rule out having different hardware variations geared towards certain sectors of the market. The original Switch model is a hybrid of portable and home console. Later, Nintendo introduced the Switch Lite, which is strictly a portable unit. The door is open for Nintendo to release a strictly TV-based console (without portability) for a very low price, kind of like Sony's PlayStation TV was produced as a spinoff of the PlayStation Vita.

 

[RAIDEN1]

Nintendo isn't interested in the hardware wars anymore, so they wouldn't mind if the Switch 2.0 is only slightly less powerful than the PS4...

 

[dcx4610]

Since they don't seem to care about power, I'd say the hybrid mode is the way to go and keeps them unique. Even better, I think having the Switch and Switch Lite co-exist is the way to go. For people that want both, they have that option and for those that simply want a portable, that's there too at a reduced price.

I hate to say it but I'd much rather at this stage Nintendo just release games as a 3rd party develpoer. While I still buy their stuff (mostly out of loyalty), I really don't see the need of buying low powered hardware just for their first party content. Outside of the new Mario Kart, there's nothing on their console where you should need their specific system to play their games. I'd like to see what Nintendo could do when all they had to focus on is the game and not be restrained with hardware.