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GameStop Reserves All of Its Initial Nintendo Switch Allocation

udivision

Member
The one thing that keeps coming to my mind when I see the game is "Why isn't this a Warioware game???'" I hate seeing one of my favorite series continually get pushed to wayside.

It really could just be a branding thing. Maybe they think this aesthetic has more appeal.
 

shingi70

Banned
It's interesting that you say that, and then list a bunch of games that appeal to her that will release before the Fall. Most likely, picking the Switch up at launch is what she wants to do, and she can play the games she's interested in until even more games hit in the Fall.

Hell, you listed more games for her around launch than interest me, and I am still picking the thing up...

I noticed that after I hit the post button. I. Was just thinking that Zelda is good enough for me for the next few months, Mario Kart, and eShop games not withstanding.

I'm guessing were going to see

March: Launch
Apirl: Mario Kart 8
May: Arms
July: Splatoon 2
September : Fire Emblem Warriors, Rabbids Kingdom
October :
November : Super Mario Odyessy , Pokemin Stars

Seems enough to keep hardware sales momentum for the year.
 

BeforeU

Oft hope is born when all is forlorn.
Yup as everyone saying, it doesn't mean much. It will do good on day one, just like all the newly released console. But will it hold up? is the question.
 
I can tell you that, from a consumer interest and awareness viewpoint (as measured by market research), the Switch is nothing like the Wii U. It's way, way ahead in all metrics. Does that guarantee success? Nope, but to say it's in the same position as the Wii U was is just not true.

...There could always be the chance they sell below or above their forecast of 2 million.Considering that preorders have filled out fast means Nintendo may consider producing more units to meet demand if retailers order more...

Indeed. In addition to the type of situation noted by jdmonmou, earlier in the thread:
Nintendo is actually losing money by not having enough shipped for launch. I was considering trading in my Wii U to take advantage of the trade in promotion. I called my local Gamestop today and they told me they sold out of pre-orders. Nintendo, you lost a sale!

Apparently there are quite a few folks who are currently willing to pay over $400 for the Switch on ebay:
...Preorders are already going for at least $400 in completed auctions. Not to mention the Zelda Master's Edition that is going for average right now of about $350 or so in completed auctions. Hell, even the Zelda Special Edition is going for around $200...

Those consumers who are overpaying for the Switch on ebay would presumably be less likely to do so, if they were more easily able to place successful pre-orders with major retailers.

To that end, it would presumably help if Nintendo were able to produce more units, and/or simply get more units into the hands of the major retailers.

But KingSnake and z0m3le have identified some of the potential difficulties, with pursuing that course of action:

We're less than 50 days before the launch. I'm not sure how much time is still left for any big adjustments.

...I'd also like to point out that this leak from Foxconn:
https://www.reddit.com/r/NintendoSw...r_someone_who_producing_switch_at_foxconn_is/
Did get an impossibly high number of things right, and where he assumes things like "1080p" screen or talks about prototypes with 4G and a devkit might not be accurate. He does mention that the joycon shoulder buttons when apart are called SL and SR which was only known friday. He also perfectly leaked the battery capacity of 4310mah. The "orange" and blue joycons in the same pack... it goes on and on... Why I bring him up though is what he said about production:

The entire factory can produce 20,000 a day, which translates to 600,000 a month on average. So they just might not be able to produce enough of these things to meet demand. If it launches with 2m and gets it's first shipment of 600k 3 weeks into march, it might only be able to sell 6m by the end of summer, though I doubt that is the only factory they have making the device, it could be that there is 1 or 2 other factories, in which case they might meet demand...
 

Y2Kev

TLG Fan Caretaker Est. 2009
While I completely agree with you in theory (and in fact argued many times on this forum that NSMB U was a great launch title), in retrospect I think you can make a compelling argument that by the time of the Wii U's launch 2D Mario was completely over as a impactful series and the game did absolutely nothing to get early adopters excited about the system.

I think Zelda is a much much better launch game than NSMB U. But of course, the proof will be in the pudding- it will have to carry the system for 4-5 months essentially.
Maybe, but at least it was exclusive!
 

AniHawk

Member
The things they fixed. Is it more behind-the-scenes type stuff (architectural, infrastructure, dev relations?) or is it marketing? It's hard for me to think the software situation is all that different, at least from what is announced publicly. I think WiiU might actually have had a better "mass appeal" launch title. Clearly behind the scenes with the dev community things could be different.

But I think things sort of have to be. This is the Last Hope™. If it fails, they're finished in dedicated hardware. This is the new handheld.

i think the switch has two issues. one is the price of the accessories and the other is the online component. the online hasn't been clarified yet, but what has been made known doesn't sound very appealing. some of the accessory pricing makes sense (pro controller has a lot of stuff in it), while some of it doesn't (why two kinds of grips?). a subcategory here is 1 2 switch. if the noncharging grip was exhanged for thst, the switch would have a better value proposition at launch and thr grip would make more sense as merchandise, since it would serve a function and be a cheaper alternative to the pro controller.

the wii u had titles with more mass appeal. at least, on paper nsmbu is accessible and a nice multiplayer game. the problem was that nsmbu came out a few months earlier on a far more popular nintendo system. while botw is on two platforms, i can't imagine the same issue will plague the switch. botw is more of a spectacle and goes hand in hand with a system launch versus a system death. the wii u version will sell well, but the switch version will provide reason to get the system, especially since the wii u is no longer in stores.

following that, the wii u had a shit ten months. the wonderful 101, game and wario, new super luigi u, and pikmin 3 pale in comparison to splatoon 2, mario kart, and 3d mario. on the third party side, it looks like japan is going to be there. my assumption is that with dev kits only arriving in november, publishers can't commit to time frames. sonic mania is one of those games that clearly should be on the machine, but is happening late and separate of the other versions.

that's my feeling anyway. i am fairly positive about the switch and its chances, which wasn't true of the wii u a couple months before launch... or in the years after.
 
I like how when PS4 was taking pre-orders we got post after post about how "the thirst is real". When it's Nintendo it's nothing but "this means nothing". Yea it'll be a better barometer after launch, but even a good news thread is flooded with negative, wet blanket posts. It seems like a lot of people here want Nintendo to fail and jump at the chance to bash them.
 

noshten

Member
That's delusional, the only reason I'm not outright betting Stars outsells Splatoon 2 is that one is an enhanced port and the other is a sequel.

I'm talking strictly Japan and I think Splatoon 2 lifetime sales will easily be over 5 million in Japan. We have no details about Stars so I don't want to comment on how it will do but it will surely do a lot better overseas than in Japan. Right now Pokemon audience outside of Japan is more interested in the franchise which was signaled by the rise of 3DS hardware with the launch following Pokemon GO. If the Enhanced port utilizes the full capabilities of the Switch I would bet on the Pokemon fad continuing for another year.
 
I like how when PS4 was taking pre-orders we got post after post about how "the thirst is real". When it's Nintendo it's nothing but "this means nothing". Yea it'll be a better barometer after launch, but even a good news thread is flooded with negative, wet blanket posts. It seems like a lot of people here want Nintendo to fail and jump at the chance to bash them.

Well, a lot of the difference is that the PS3 sold 80M+ and PS4 was being put out at a time when there had not been a new PS or XBox for about eight years...

...and Switch is coming after WiiU sold only 13M, the 3DS got about two-fifths of the audience of the DS, and is being dropped into the middle of a market with a strong PS4 and decently competitive XBO as competition.

Oh yeah, and WiiU pre-orders also went fully reserved, and that. Meant. Nothing.

So with respect, you're making a false equivalence.
 
One of the things the Switch has going for it is that Nintendo does not have the option to do with it what it did with the Wii U and choose to let it die to avoid sinking money into it. If it struggles they will be forced to enact measures that will lose them money in the short term to preserve any future they might have in dedicated hardware.
 
I like how when PS4 was taking pre-orders we got post after post about how "the thirst is real". When it's Nintendo it's nothing but "this means nothing". Yea it'll be a better barometer after launch, but even a good news thread is flooded with negative, wet blanket posts. It seems like a lot of people here want Nintendo to fail and jump at the chance to bash them.

Not the same, this is revisionist history, it launched the same time as x1 so they were being compared head to head, switch is launching against nothing, we also had way more data points then this.
 
Well, a lot of the difference is that the PS3 sold 80M+ and PS4 was being put out at a time when there had not been a new PS or XBox for about eight years...

...and Switch is coming after WiiU sold only 13M, the 3DS got about two-fifths of the audience of the DS, and is being dropped into the middle of a market with a strong PS4 and decently competitive XBO as competition.

Sorry, that's also a blatant double standard since PS3 also only managed to get half of PS2 sales.
 
One of the things the Switch has going for it is that Nintendo does not have the option to do with it what it did with the Wii U and choose to let it die to avoid sinking money into it. If it struggles they will be forced to enact measures that will lose them money in the short term to preserve any future they might have in dedicated hardware.

So much this. Switch needs to sell more than 3DS and WiiU for Nintendo and they have no fallback this time.
 

Kathian

Banned
One thing I feel people really need to note is;

- Most consumers don't own a Wii U including enthusiasts - for them I think the Switch is a fantastic value. Zelda, Mario, Mario Kart, Splatoon, Skyrim on the go, FIFA on the go.

- 3DS is 5 years old and effectively will draw the Vita audience (small but they exist) and also the 3DS audience have shown themselves very ready to buy new hardware.

Still this is all pre advertising. It's not the mainline consumer. Some (remember it got a decent level of US exposure) but not many. That's the real test. Never launch.

As ever launch is nothing to get excited over. 3DS had an initial good launch and it had the DS name in it. But the months that followed were poor (not terrible though) - Nintendo didn't learn that lesson with Wii U but clearly they have with the staggered launch line up (Mario Kart is a completed game already running - they are choosing to delay and the rumour was Mario Odessey was far along too).

Positive to hear anyway.
 

Mik317

Member
So much this. Switch needs to sell more than 3DS and WiiU for Nintendo and they have no fallback this time.

yes and no.

the 3DS "technically" isn't dead yet. Plus they have started to use their IPs in other fields too (amusement parks, TV and Movies). That and mobile probably will be the thing that gives them another cash flow...not the same as their handheld market but still another outlet.
 

Noitshado

Member
They will probably open up a second round of pre-orders sometime in mid feb or something immediately following a direct showing off the OS, touch functions, haptics, touch games etc to round out the launch. Probably not gonna go into much detail about the online service until closer to its inception.
 

Y2Kev

TLG Fan Caretaker Est. 2009
i think the switch has two issues. one is the price of the accessories and the other is the online component. the online hasn't been clarified yet, but what has been made known doesn't sound very appealing. some of the accessory pricing makes sense (pro controller has a lot of stuff in it), while some of it doesn't (why two kinds of grips?). a subcategory here is 1 2 switch. if the noncharging grip was exhanged for thst, the switch would have a better value proposition at launch and thr grip would make more sense as merchandise, since it would serve a function and be a cheaper alternative to the pro controller.

the wii u had titles with more mass appeal. at least, on paper nsmbu is accessible and a nice multiplayer game. the problem was that nsmbu came out a few months earlier on a far more popular nintendo system. while botw is on two platforms, i can't imagine the same issue will plague the switch. botw is more of a spectacle and goes hand in hand with a system launch versus a system death. the wii u version will sell well, but the switch version will provide reason to get the system, especially since the wii u is no longer in stores.

following that, the wii u had a shit ten months. the wonderful 101, game and wario, new super luigi u, and pikmin 3 pale in comparison to splatoon 2, mario kart, and 3d mario. on the third party side, it looks like japan is going to be there. my assumption is that with dev kits only arriving in november, publishers can't commit to time frames. sonic mania is one of those games that clearly should be on the machine, but is happening late and separate of the other versions.

that's my feeling anyway. i am fairly positive about the switch and its chances, which wasn't true of the wii u a couple months before launch... or in the years after.

I certainly think it is an interesting device. I think it will do better than the Wii U (I mean...it has to), but I see a few unique challenges that I don't yet see answers for. The real challenge is that they have to thread the pricing needle in the handheld space, which is where they are strong and where they are differentiated compared to competition. I think they totally blew it at $299 with very expensive accessory pricing, but it remains to be seen whether any erosion in the handheld space is countered by growth in the console space.

I wanted Nintendo to target a very conservative device that would sell for $129. It would run a modified Android operating system with a Nintendo sheen. It would basically have access to the Android ecosystem though it would not be a phone. It would basically be the DS again, whether it had two screens or one I dunno. But it would be in the right place to attract buyers of all ages. It would have a subscription service that gives you access to a limited selection of virtual console games however long or however many you want, and you could buy them (and the full collection) separately from that. It would have had two tiers of software-- your F2P and cheap stuff and your Fire Emblems and Pokemons that cost $39.99. I don't really care what Nintendo does in the console space...I buy their machines for their games and the one or two unique third party games they get a gen (though the wii U was a total and complete failure in this regard for me, frankly, as there was no new Zelda and I really disliked the Mario game).

I actually do think you're going to see Nintendo upsell Pokemon and such at $59.99 and I think this is a dangerous move considering the base is children. But whatever, just guesswork.

But this is why I think Nintendo has focused so much on Switch as a console. They have to at that price point. It's a ridiculous price point for a handheld, particularly when (realistically) the largest demographic is children. So I think the other major issue is just making sure they get meaty experiences that hold up visually compared to the other consoles.

So those are the two issues I see. I do think we will see discounting on the hardware by Christmas.
 
Franz Brötchen;228444078 said:
Sorry, that's also a blatant double standard since PS3 also only managed to get half of PS2 sales.

No, I don't think that's quite fair.

Nintendo's handheld business at 60M down from 150M comes with a clear reason - the mobile market is destroying the handheld business. There are many other markers for this, like the Vita selling 14M after the PSP sold 80M. Otherwise, were that market stable, I think arguing that the Switch will do at least 3DS numbers would be fair, and I'd agree with you.

On the other hand, PS4 came into a much healthier market, and sure, it's contracted too, but not in the way that the handheld market has. The PS4 was markedly more likely to have legs past launch because it was coming into a market that actually had millions of consumers who desired a new home console.

The Switch comes into a market where people (sadly) don't give a shit about dedicated handhelds and where the last two Nintendo consoles struggled out of the gate.

Not a double-standard - just different situations for Sony and Nintendo.
 
So much this. Switch needs to sell more than 3DS and WiiU for Nintendo and they have no fallback this time.

That's not strictly true because Nintendo still makes the bulk of its money from software sales and because the software/hardware ratio has been always greater for the home console, only matching 3DS numbers would probably already mean larger revenue.
Not even mentioning the cost reduction by having all internal studios work on only one system and definitely non-zero profit from mobile.
-> Nintendo will be fine, all that can be questioned, is if they change their focus in software output.
 

Matt

Member
I certainly think it is an interesting device. I think it will do better than the Wii U (I mean...it has to), but I see a few unique challenges that I don't yet see answers for. The real challenge is that they have to thread the pricing needle in the handheld space, which is where they are strong and where they are differentiated compared to competition. I think they totally blew it at $299 with very expensive accessory pricing, but it remains to be seen whether any erosion in the handheld space is countered by growth in the console space.

I wanted Nintendo to target a very conservative device that would sell for $129. It would run a modified Android operating system with a Nintendo sheen. It would basically have access to the Android ecosystem though it would not be a phone. It would basically be the DS again, whether it had two screens or one I dunno. But it would be in the right place to attract buyers of all ages. It would have a subscription service that gives you access to a limited selection of virtual console games however long or however many you want, and you could buy them (and the full collection) separately from that. I don't really care what Nintendo does in the console space...I buy their machines for their games and the one or two unique third party games they get a gen (though the wii U was a total and complete failure in this regard for me, frankly, as there was no new Zelda and I really disliked the Mario game).

But this is why I think Nintendo has focused so much on Switch as a console. They have to at that price point. It's a ridiculous price point for a handheld, particularly when (realistically) the largest demographic is children. So I think the other major issue is just making sure they get meaty experiences that hold up visually compared to the other consoles.

So those are the two issues I see. I do think we will see discounting on the hardware by Christmas.
Nintendo would never want the Play Store on any of their devices.
 
Franz Brötchen;228444078 said:
Sorry, that's also a blatant double standard since PS3 also only managed to get half of PS2 sales.
Yea PS3 was a complete failure compared to PS2 and lost them so much money. And if you look at it compared to direct competitors, 3ds was far and away the most popular handheld of the generation. Switch is really the follow up to both the 3ds and Wii u, so it's disingenuous to assume it's going to flop like the Wii U and not be a success like the 3ds. It's been 6 years since the 3ds launch, perhaps people are ready for a new portable.
 
One thing I feel people really need to note is;

- Most consumers don't own a Wii U including enthusiasts - for them I think the Switch is a fantastic value. Zelda, Mario, Mario Kart, Splatoon, Skyrim on the go, FIFA on the go.

- 3DS is 5 years old and effectively will draw the Vita audience (small but they exist) and also the 3DS audience have shown themselves very ready to buy new hardware.

Still this is all pre advertising. It's not the mainline consumer. Some (remember it got a decent level of US exposure) but not many. That's the real test. Never launch.

As ever launch is nothing to get excited over. 3DS had an initial good launch and it had the DS name in it. But the months that followed were poor (not terrible though) - Nintendo didn't learn that lesson with Wii U but clearly they have with the staggered launch line up (Mario Kart is a completed game already running - they are choosing to delay and the rumour was Mario Odessey was far along too).

Positive to hear anyway.

At 299 I don't think switch is "Fantastic" value for casuals at all nor is that even remotely enough software.
 

Kathian

Banned
So much this. Switch needs to sell more than 3DS and WiiU for Nintendo and they have no fallback this time.

3DS is a big success for them. Sure theyd like phones to be terrible at games and multi touch not to exist but that's where tech went.

On 3DS they've had great software sales. In the history of Nintendo it's a really great seller and frankly the fact they've remainded competitive in the portable world is a testament to their software.

At 299 I don't think switch is "Fantastic" value for casuals at all nor is that even remotely enough software.

If you think people play more than three or four games a year then we disagree. Secondly am not talking casuals if you read my post (their not going to be drivers at launch).

299 is expensive but if people want the portable side of things then that's the cost. I'd say that's a strong line up of big Nintendo franchises - which whatever your own opinion clearly have selling ability. Now the Wii U shows that being able to shift software does not mean you'll be a big success - but I cover that in my post as well.

What is your feeling has driven the quick preorders and early interest?
 

Y2Kev

TLG Fan Caretaker Est. 2009
Nintendo would never want the Play Store on any of their devices.

I'm thinking more along the lines of what Blackberry did a few years ago. Using some kind of software translation layer (like Rosetta or whatever), they can quickly and easily have developers port over their Android apps to their own storefront. Nothing super graphics intensive makes it over but you immediately have access to a sea of really popular F2P and free to start content that helps fill out the library.

(I don't know what indie sales are like on the 3DS app store but I can't imagine they are all that great, some high profile cases notwithstanding.)
 

Atheerios

Member
The things they fixed. Is it more behind-the-scenes type stuff (architectural, infrastructure, dev relations?) or is it marketing? It's hard for me to think the software situation is all that different, at least from what is announced publicly. I think WiiU might actually have had a better "mass appeal" launch title. Clearly behind the scenes with the dev community things could be different.

But I think things sort of have to be. This is the Last Hope™. If it fails, they're finished in dedicated hardware. This is the new handheld.

This is also something I think. If Switch becomes a success, then it's a must-have console. If it fails, then it becomes Nintendo's last console, which in my opinion every Nintendo fan should have.
 
Switch is really the follow up to both the 3ds and Wii u, so it's disingenuous to assume it's going to flop like the Wii U and not be a success like the 3ds. It's been 6 years since the 3ds launch, perhaps people are ready for a new portable.

Sure, it could be. Look, I love high-fidelity dedicated handhelds. I own a Vita and really love it. I hope that the Switch proves that there is a healthy market for dedicated handhelds.

However, I don't think that's likely. I think that market is quickly contracting and that a three hundred dollar dedicated handheld is a niche product in this country. In Japan, I think it will be fine at $260 US, but in NA at $299 US? I will be glad to eat crow on this one.
 

Matt

Member
I'm thinking more along the lines of what Blackberry did a few years ago. Using some kind of software translation layer (like Rosetta or whatever), they can quickly and easily have developers port over their Android apps to their own storefront. Nothing super graphics intensive makes it over but you immediately have access to a sea of really popular F2P and free to start content that helps fill out the library.

(I don't know what indie sales are like on the 3DS app store but I can't imagine they are all that great, some high profile cases notwithstanding.)
If someone is so inclined, it's already incredibly easy to port a mobile game to the Switch. I see what you're saying, I'm just having a hard time seeing the business upside for Nintendo.
 

Kathian

Banned
I'm thinking more along the lines of what Blackberry did a few years ago. Using some kind of software translation layer (like Rosetta or whatever), they can quickly and easily have developers port over their Android apps to their own storefront. Nothing super graphics intensive makes it over but you immediately have access to a sea of really popular F2P and free to start content that helps fill out the library.

(I don't know what indie sales are like on the 3DS app store but I can't imagine they are all that great, some high profile cases notwithstanding.)

Wii U I don't think will be great but considering the size of the 3DS user base I think indies must do alright. Plus tbh most 3DS indies have been high profile.

Also why would they want mobile games? Everyone has those on their phone. It's a totally worthless addition and won't sell hardware. Everyone owns that hardware already.
 

Y2Kev

TLG Fan Caretaker Est. 2009
If someone is so inclined, it's already incredibly easy to port a mobile game to the Switch. I see what you're saying, I'm just having a hard time seeing the business upside for Nintendo.

I think at $129 and a lot of the software, it makes it more competitive vs. phones and tablets for kids. Though I guess lots of kids just get handmedown phones these days.

Wii U I don't think will be great but considering the size of the 3DS user base I think indies must do alright. Plus tbh most 3DS indies have been high profile.

Also why would they want mobile games? Everyone has those on their phone. It's a totally worthless addition and won't sell hardware. Everyone owns that hardware already.

Again, lots of kids don't have their own phones. I think there is value in the Nintendo ecosystem and storefront for kids with some mobile software.

I mean, I got my first phone in seventh grade. This was like...maybe 16 years ago, I guess. If I remember the age you go to 7th grade in, lol. I guess kids get them earlier than 12 or 13 maybe but I would imagine a lot of the Pokemon demo is even younger than that.
 

AniHawk

Member
I certainly think it is an interesting device. I think it will do better than the Wii U (I mean...it has to), but I see a few unique challenges that I don't yet see answers for. The real challenge is that they have to thread the pricing needle in the handheld space, which is where they are strong and where they are differentiated compared to competition. I think they totally blew it at $299 with very expensive accessory pricing, but it remains to be seen whether any erosion in the handheld space is countered by growth in the console space.

I wanted Nintendo to target a very conservative device that would sell for $129. It would run a modified Android operating system with a Nintendo sheen. It would basically have access to the Android ecosystem though it would not be a phone. It would basically be the DS again, whether it had two screens or one I dunno. But it would be in the right place to attract buyers of all ages. It would have a subscription service that gives you access to a limited selection of virtual console games however long or however many you want, and you could buy them (and the full collection) separately from that. It would have had two tiers of software-- your F2P and cheap stuff and your Fire Emblems and Pokemons that cost $39.99. I don't really care what Nintendo does in the console space...I buy their machines for their games and the one or two unique third party games they get a gen (though the wii U was a total and complete failure in this regard for me, frankly, as there was no new Zelda and I really disliked the Mario game).

I actually do think you're going to see Nintendo upsell Pokemon and such at $59.99 and I think this is a dangerous move considering the base is children. But whatever, just guesswork.

But this is why I think Nintendo has focused so much on Switch as a console. They have to at that price point. It's a ridiculous price point for a handheld, particularly when (realistically) the largest demographic is children. So I think the other major issue is just making sure they get meaty experiences that hold up visually compared to the other consoles.

So those are the two issues I see. I do think we will see discounting on the hardware by Christmas.

regarding the price, i think it was conservative in that they had built in a price drop if necessary and by the holiday. a new sku with a bundled game like mario kart (an old game and near launch title) and an online subscription makes sense at 299.99 and maybe 249.99 during the holidays.

i think a cheap little game boy thing could have been an option and still might be, but it could even come from the switch. there is probably going to be an all in one variant with a tv out that doesn't have joycons and acts more like a gba.

truth of the matter, the hardware part of the industry has been in pretty sharp decline. i think we will only be able to measure success against expectations of the hardware maker moving forward. expecting 80 million hardware units in a generation is out of reach aside from ps4. i think there have to be some longterm backup plans to dedicated hardware for all the big three at this point.
 
Ah. Well like I said before, the consumer awareness and interest figures are completely different. People are far more aware of the Switch and what it is than they were for the Wii U. Also the core idea of the Switch (a home console you can bring with you) is hitting people much harder than the Wii U did.

Otherwise, the dev environment is much much better than it was on the Wii U. It's made of good, familiar hardware with straightforward APIs.

The software situation is where it struggles the most. Publishers weren't very interested after the Wii U, and on top of that Nintendo kept kits and information very close to their chest. I can say that after the reveal a few months ago and the positive consumer feedback that engendered, pubs and independents became a bit more interested, but you won't see the effects of that at launch, and if the system doesn't start out strong it could evaporate again.

Ah, that does makes sense. A wave of good third party games may come, but Nintendo has to primarily hold the fort and prove that there is an interest for this system to ensure that they will actually arrive.
 

Kathian

Banned
I think at $129 and a lot of the software, it makes it more competitive vs. phones and tablets for kids. Though I guess lots of kids just get handmedown phones these days.



Again, lots of kids don't have their own phones. I think there is value in the Nintendo ecosystem and storefront for kids with some mobile software.

I mean, I got my first phone in seventh grade. This was like...maybe 16 years ago, I guess. If I remember the age you go to 7th grade in, lol. I guess kids get them earlier than 12 or 13 maybe but I would imagine a lot of the Pokemon demo is even younger than that.

I think the product for that audience though (and forgive my Mattrick hat) is the 3DS. They likely have been a big part of it (then the young adults for RPGs but important both audiences clearly overlap anyway).

I doubt there is much F2P money in kids. Better to sell a £30 game. Nintendo did a lot with Devs last gen to make it easier - including creating tools like you suggest.

So I suspect they will make it as easy as possible for phone Devs to come over. I also think that whatever they do - some just won't care - until the thing gets a user base they see as attractive but again I suspect the dedicated gaming audience are not looking for another device to play F2P games.

Certain Devs will certainly but not a lot imo.
 

KingSnake

The Birthday Skeleton
Ah, that does makes makes sense. A wave of good third party games may come, but Nintendo has to primarily hold the fort and prove that there is an interest for this system to ensure that they will actually arrive.

Which makes even more puzzling the fact that they don't have the games ready for the period that they should hold the fort.
 

jdstorm

Banned
Starting to feel better about my preorder. Not sure if i want it at launch. But if it guarentees i get to play Mario Oddessey at release without much hassle.
 
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