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Is Switch potentially becoming the main console for many now?

Creamium said:
I'd add Graceful Explosion Machine to that. It's the system's Geo Wars. Most addictive game on the Switch.
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Really? More addictive than Binding of Isaac (obviously both very different games)? Maybe I need to give it a try...

Amir0x said:
Not the same, but still a Mario game.

Next stop is Super Smash Karting though, then it won't be anymore.
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Well when I read "Mario/Zelda system" I read it as Mario platformer, not any number of the spin-off series that are only similar to Mario games in name. But to be fair that poster could've been talking about Mario Kart I suppose.

And it basically is Super Smash Kart already, but they're never going to give up the Mario Kart name. It's too valuable and recognizable.
 
Skittzo0413 said:
We know From was listed as a developer, so I'm actually fairly sure we will see some Dark Souls games ported. But that's all beside the point, because I'm trying to compare the hardware here, not the libraries. The Switch has shown to be capable of running all of the above games (obviously not at the same visual fidelity) which is what lets me enjoy it far more than any handheld before, since it has the potential to get plenty of huge games, while the 3DS clearly is unable to do so. And that was the point of my post that you quoted- comparison between Switch hardware and previous handheld hardware.

While most of those huge games will be from Nintendo, if it continues to sell at this rate I guarantee we'll see some more developers jumping on board.
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From is a developer, not a publisher - the Dark Souls IP is owned by Bandai Namco and they don't seem overly keen on porting the franchise. Dark Souls Remaster on PS4/XB1 is a no brainer and would be a much more straightforward port and yet there's little sign it'll happen... and Dark Souls III can't even maintain steady performance on PS4, can you really imagine it making the leap to Switch?

Not impossible I grant you, but the publisher hasn't really demonstrated an appetite for this.

Secondly, the potential for 'big games' (which I suppose is to say really high production value titles) on portable has already seen proof of concept on PS Vita, with games like Killzone Mercenary and Uncharted: Golden Abyss comfortably aping the high production values of of its home console contemporaries.

That potential (dazzlingly executed as it was in the case of KZ Mercenary) never translated into the sort of paradigm shift that the OP was alluding to with handhelds surplanting the appetite for home console gaming.
 
Skittzo0413 said:
Since when is Mario Kart the same series as Mario?
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Since it is a game and has Mario on it.

I get what you're saying. It's not the mainline Mario platformer, but do you really think the poster wants to exclude Mario Kart or all those other Mario spinoffs from his list?

A Nintendo fan plays all of those Mario games.
 
Interfectum said:
Got a 9 month old at home, video game time reduced 90-99% so yeah Switch and mobile has become my default gaming these days.
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One infant reduced your gaming time 90-99%?

Breh.. Wait until you see the terrible twos.. and then you'll have another kid..

I have a 5 year old and a 2 year old. I can get in 5 hours a week, maybe 10 if I'm lucky and not too tired, but can generally only play after everybody is asleep (including the wifey). (Aside from playing kid friendly games with my older son; he likes MK8, SM3DW, and Rocket League.)
 
PS4 + Switch = best pair.

They complement each other perfectly. But its worth to note that PC's are seriously gaining ground as the main option for many people.
 
I think Switch has made the most compelling case for a single console since the Gamecube - if you have broad taste, are willing to try something you may not have heard of, consider indie games "games", and don't have FOMO issues.

I think I could do it. I wouldn't want to, but where Switch players will miss out on Battlefront II (oh no!) or Assassin's Creed Origins (good heavens!), they won't be twiddling thier thumbs like during the Wii X generations. I think by TGS we'll have a better idea of if/when a drought will come.
 
ForsakenLotus said:
The Switch will be the main console for two types of gamers: those that just really love Nintendo games and those that not only really like handheld gaming, but through work or school or some mechanism have somewhat consistent time to play it in transit.

Other than that, there is a newness to it that causes people to want to play it when they first get it. Especially if they had a PS4 and somehow played the glut of games from the first half of the year, then they would feel ever more enthusiasm to play the Switch.

So no, I don't think there is a shift in what the main console of choice is for more people. It's still PS4, or to a lesser extent Xbox One.
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Actually i think it's a little bit more to it than what you expressed. I've said it before, but the Switch really makes gaming convenient. That's he biggest take away. The power sacrificed for versatility is more than comparable. I'd argue though wanting UHD Hi-Fi graphics are more of a niche market than those who just want games they can enjoy.

Versatility almost always wins out. Wired connection is always better than Wi-Fi, but Wi-Fi is MORE than accepted as standard. a land line will always have better call quality than a cell line, but Cell phones are used in homes more than land lines these days.

Even though what the switch does has been done in the past in various fashions, none has been executed this well to make it mainstream.
 
I'm interested in getting one when the price comes down a bit (or I can find a good used model), but I can't imagine it being my preferred gaming experience. If I can play the game on my PC I'm going to play it there; the Switch will be for a couple Nintendo exclusives and the three or four times a year I'm out of town.
 
PritheeBeCareful said:
From is a developer, not a publisher - the Dark Souls IP is owned by Bandai Namco and they don't seem overly keen on porting the franchise. Dark Souls Remaster on PS4/XB1 is a no brainer and would be a much more straightforward port and yet there's little sign it'll happen... and Dark Souls III can't even maintain steady performance on PS4, can you really imagine it making the leap to Switch?

Not impossible I grant you, but the publisher hasn't really demonstrated an appetite for this.

Secondly, the potential for 'big games' (which I suppose is to say really high production value titles) on portable has already seen proof of concept on PS Vita, with games like Killzone Mercenary and Uncharted: Golden Abyss comfortably aping the high production values of of its home console contemporaries.

That potential (dazzlingly executed as it was in the case of KZ Mercenary) never translated into the sort of paradigm shift that the OP was alluding to with handhelds surplanting the appetite for home console gaming.
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Regarding Dark Souls, I'm pretty sure Bandai Namco does not own the IP. There's a very complex relationship between From and Bamco for that IP last I've heard, where Bamco has the rights either outside of Japan or just for NA. They may own the specific trademark though. It's confusing as hell.

Regarding the Vita, it may have seen the same sort of potential for console style gaming on handhelds but it was never going to be able to realize it to the same extent the Switch will because it was very, very secondary for Sony. The Switch has become Nintendo's primary focus and will get their primary home console output, which is a much better way to actualize that concept and bring out its full potential.

WaterAstro said:
Since it is a game and has Mario on it.

I get what you're saying. It's not the mainline Mario platformer, but do you really think the poster wants to exclude Mario Kart or all those other Mario spinoffs from his list?

A Nintendo fan plays all of those Mario games.
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Like I said above I guess I just view generic "Mario game" as referring to the platformers (2D or 3D) rather than any of the spinoffs. Mario Kart plays absolutely nothing like Mario Odyssey, so I don't lump those games together.

And what is the bolded supposed to mean? I haven't been interested in a Mario Party since the N64, does that make me not "a Nintendo fan"?


Kureransu said:
Actually i think it's a little bit more to it than what you expressed. I've said it before, but the Switch really makes gaming convenient. That's he biggest take away. The power sacrificed for versatility is more than comparable. I'd argue though wanting UHD Hi-Fi graphics are more of a niche market than those who just want games they can enjoy.

Versatility almost always wins out. Wired connection is always better than Wi-Fi, but Wi-Fi is MORE than accepted as standard. a land line will always have better call quality than a cell line, but Cell phones are used in homes more than land lines these days.

Even though what the switch does has been done in the past in various fashions, none has been executed this well to make it mainstream.
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This echoes my view of it too. It may not do much (or anything) to other console's sales but there is a clear reason why it will be preferable to a lot of people, purely speaking hardware-wise. Which is a first for a Nintendo console in a very long time.
 
Skittzo0413 said:
For me all previous handhelds suffered from three major problems that really hampered my enjoyment of them:

1) Size. For the 3DS and 3DSXL the control layout and the screens were just way too small for me. The Wii U gamepad was basically my ideal "handheld" size for both handling and viewing comfort and voila, that's basically what the Switch is.

2) Resolution. I never had a Vita because I really wasn't that interested in any games for it, but the 3DS resolution is just so bad these days. I really think it's been showing its age for years now, and it's frankly kinda annoying that I need to pick it up again for Metroid Samus Returns in a few months.

3) Library. Previous handhelds have had excellent libraries when it comes to RPGs and puzzle games, but there haven't really been any with a game like Breath of the Wild or Mario Odyssey. I've never thought of being a handheld-only owner because I knew I'd miss out on all of the excellent console games. Now with the Switch, that doesn't seem to be a problem- I can enjoy all of these huge games on a handheld.

3 is probably the most important here, and it's why a lot of people are just beginning to see why handhelds can be so convenient I think.
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Isn't 3 just a by product of Nintendo getting out of the home console business. What other platform were you going to buy to play Zelda and Mario?
 
Skittzo0413 said:
Really? More addictive than Binding of Isaac (obviously both very different games)? Maybe I need to give it a try...
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Well I haven't played BoI yet, out later in Europe. I've played the original on Steam, but never finished it. GEM is absolutely fantastic though. I didn't rest til I beat every stage.
 
For the die hard Nintendo fans i can see that being the case, but w/o the 3rd party heavy hitters i just don't see it happening for Johny Q. Public... and even if it got dumbed down versions of them, why settle for the (almost certainly) inferior versions?
 
It'll probably be my main current generation console in the future. Nintendo + 3DS like support would probably be enough for that.

It hasn't seen too much use yet though, and I'm mostly working on DS/3DS back-catalog and the recent wave of PS4 Japanese support atm.

I'll probably always play a lot of classic titles I missed though, so legacy systems will always eat a large chunk of my gaming time.
 
Nope. I stopped playing Nintendo systems after the SNES. As I grew older, Mario, Kirby, D Kong doesn't attract me anymore. Plus there are sooo many AAA third party titles that are not on the Switch and they are on PS4/Xbox. If I am still like 5-14 years old, then yes I would prob also own a Switch.
 
pixelation said:
For the die hard Nintendo fans i can see that being the case, but w/o the 3rd party heavy hitters i just don't see it happening for Johny Q. Public... and even if it got dumbed down versions of them, why settle for the (almost certainly) inferior versions?
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Probably for the same reason people play on consoles in general compared to the PC version they could play ? Convenience.

Also there are many customer groups between Nintendo die hards and people who only play big 3rdParty AAA - i always find it weird when people deal in absolutes, like there are more shades than Black and White. So yeah you can spend alot of time with the Switch even if you arent a die hard Nintendo fan...hell you can even enjoy thos games if you havent been exposed to them in the past.

"Nintendo Games" ist just one genre. Their are plenty of people who love Zelda or Pokemon but dont want anything to do with Splatoon or Pokemon - people argue that there is No 3rdParty support...for plenty of people Minecraft or Fifa,2K is all there play a whole year long on their consoles.

Formosa said:
Nope. I stopped playing Nintendo systems after the SNES. As I grew older, Mario, Kirby, D Kong doesn't attract me anymore. Plus there are sooo many AAA third party titles that are not on the Switch and they are on PS4/Xbox. If I am still like 5-14 years old, then yes I would prob also own a Switch.
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Damn.
 
Kind of early to make that assumption, isn't it? Bare in mind that Switch is having a hell of a first year and probably one of the best first years Nintendo has had for a new console. That said though, let's wait and see before we start to do the comparison since someone from Camp Sony or Microsoft could make a few fair arguments of how the Switch is far from the "Main Console" in comparison. Is it a fun system though? It is and I enjoy it.
 
The majority of people who said yes probably have Wii U or 3DS as their primary console anyway, so it's not a very good indicator if you are asking "many". If you ask is Swtich becoming the main console for many Nintendo fans then the answer will be yes.
 
For me, if there was a multiplat which was substantially better on the X1 I would get it there. So like, CoD, Madden, etc. Especially something that I would want online multiplayer for.

For an indie game or more casual game or single player experience that I think would take longer (i.e. a JRPG) I would seriously consider the Switch as my primary option since I travel a ton for work and can play on the road.

For example: Snake Pass was purchased for my Switch instead of X1.

It's hard to explain the methodology but there are games that I would seriously put the portability above the graphic fidelity. Maybe even FIFA and Madden will wind up finding homes on the Switch as fun 30 minute distractions on a plane or on the road.
 
With Rocket League and a slew of the media apps I use in the UK on the device (iPlayer, 4OD, Netflix, Amazon) then yeah it might.

Would make a nice low power media player rather than using my PS4 all the time. And also very nice to be able to pick it up and carry on my viewing on the toilet. In fact yeah that would be awesome.

Rocket League is what I play 95% of the time right now as well so yeah, it really could for me. Multi-plats that don't lose too much in translation might tempt me to buy on the Switch in future too, but anything graphics heavy I'd need to go PS4.

Do need a wireless headphones set for the Switch even if it's proprietary (but ideally they let you use Bluetooth headphones), that's about the only thing lacking for me from the experience. Love my PS4 headphones and the ease of use there, especially with that amazing Spotify integration.
 
Tutomos said:
The majority of people who said yes probably have Wii U or 3DS as their primary console anyway, so it's not a very good indicator if you are asking "many". If you ask is Swtich becoming the main console for many Nintendo fans then the answer will be yes.
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I think a less reductive question is 'will Switch become the main console for people who prioritise the option of the convenience of portables over the power of home consoles?', to which the answer would be yes. 'Prefer portables for convenience' isn't always synonymous with 'only play Nintendo games'. When I get a Switch it'll effectively be a consolidation of my gaming time on 3DS/Vita/iPad.
 
Switch will be a huge hit for people who want to take their games out of the house, but I think the majority of people who want a powerful console are just playing at home on the TV.
 
Formosa said:
Nope. I stopped playing Nintendo systems after the SNES. As I grew older, Mario, Kirby, D Kong doesn't attract me anymore. Plus there are sooo many AAA third party titles that are not on the Switch and they are on PS4/Xbox. If I am still like 5-14 years old, then yes I would prob also own a Switch.
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Oh?
 
Not even close. Right now, the only games I own for my Switch are Zelda and Bomberman. Since my favorite games tend to be JRPGs and action RPGs, the PS4 is far and away my favorite current gen console. The portability of the Switch means absolutely nothing to mean outside of the possibility that the Switch will probably start getting some of the same types of RPGs that were released for the DS and 3DS. Right now my Switch is gathering dust until the Zelda DLC and Xenoblade Chronicles 2 arrive.
 
Heavy_D206 said:
Switch will be a huge hit for people who want to take their games out of the house, but I think the majority of people who want a powerful console are just playing at home on the TV.
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Most of the time when I'm playing my switch it's around the house. Bathroom. Waiting for tea to boil. Lazy and want to stay in bed. And when I'm done I pop it into the dock and use it like it were any other console. Hell, I even like the grip controller. I only rank it behind the XB1 controller for this generation.

It's just nice to take my game wherever I want. And it's not a highly compromised experience, like with the 3DS. And it's not a predatory mobile experience with shitty controls. It's a compromise. One that I like a lot more than I thought I would.
 
To the topic title: If 'many' meant 3DS and Wii U owners, absolutely. Switch could definitely become a primary machine for the primarily Nintendo gamer.

For non-primarily Nintendo gamers, lolno.
 
I love the Nintendo Switch to death but honestly I don't think it will ever be my main gaming system.
You see, I play almost all kinds of games besides racing and sport, the Switch is awesome but it's just not very diverse when it comes to the game library.

I aslo love triple-A games too much to adopt the Switch as my main console, the fact that most upcoming Japanese and Western triple A games ignore the Switch doesn't really help either.

Think about it, almost all of the Japanese triple-A multiplatform games are neither released nor planned for the Switch. It's crazy.
Resident Evil 7, Nier Automata, Toukiden 2, Final Fantasy XIV, Tekken 7, Metal Gear Survive, Ni no Kuni 2 (no longer PS exclusive), Danganronpa V3, Kingddom Hearts III.....hell, not even Monster Hunter: World!

As the biggest Monster Hunter fan, there's no way I could ignore Monster Hunter World in favor of Monster Hunter XX on Switch. It's just not in the same league, not even close.

I love Japanese games, but I also love Japanese triple-A games like Resident Evil, Persona, Yakuza, Bloodborne, Nier, Metal Gear...
As much as I want the Switch to be my main console, there's just no way I can.

As of right now, the PS4 is the first choice for Japanese game lovers like me. Just my opinion.
 
redcrayon said:
I think a less reductive question is 'will Switch become the main console for people who prioritise the option of the convenience of portables over the power of home consoles?', to which the answer would be yes. 'Prefer portables for convenience' isn't always synonymous with 'only play Nintendo games'. When I get a Switch it'll effectively be a consolidation of my gaming time on 3DS/Vita/iPad.
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For me when you say convenience of portables I associate it with ipad. You can watch Netflix, browse the web, social media and play games on it. It's interesting that you narrow it down to binary choices and compare convenience vs power and only for consoles. I think I can't comprehend how that can be a deciding factor for "many". I understand for some people that may be the case.
 
For weirdos like me who mostly play handhelds over home consoles and who's most played system this gen by a country mile is the Vita, sure. For everyone else lol no not with that dire third party support.
 
I'm that weird guy that had Vita as his main console, so I definitely think Switch might take that place sooner rather than later. I'm loving it so far.

edit: this seems like the start of a beautiful friendship, lol
 
Creamium said:
Well I haven't played BoI yet, out later in Europe. I've played the original on Steam, but never finished it. GEM is absolutely fantastic though. I didn't rest til I beat every stage.
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Interesting, I watched some videos and it seems like a fun game for that price. Thanks for the tip.

Calm waterfall said:
The PS4 sold much more in the same time period. It was selling a million a month from January until April.
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That article is explicitly talking about Japan where the Switch is outpacing the PS4 quite heavily.

And worldwide the Switch will likely be at 4.75-5m units shipped after 4 months while the PS4 was at 6m sold after 4 months. So it's really not that far ahead. Not that I think it'll catch up worldwide.
 
FloatOn said:
Zelda BOTW
ARMs
Puyo Puyo Tetris
Bomberman
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
Binding of Isaac Afterbirth +
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Calm waterfall said:
The PS4 sold much more in the same time period. It was selling a million a month from January until April.
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I'm confused as to what you're saying. The link simply shows the switch isn't selling as much as the Wii in Japan. It's definitely outpacing the PS4 there even with the shortages. And we have no numbers to solidify, but the switch isn't that far from 4 million, if it hasn't passed it already, which would be a 1 million per month average. We know that Japan and USA is at 2.5 million systems combined. as of April 27th the rest of the world was at 940k. SO it's pretty safe to that another 500k would have been sold int he last 2 months in the rest of the world.
 
I've actually been a Nintendo main console household for a while now, back to the Wii. (Obviously though, with the 3DS/DS). I've never really wanted another system, a majority of the games I wanted to play were either on Nintendo's handheld or home console.

I recently bought an Xbox One and I really enjoyed it. I got a Switch earlier in the year and now I can see that I basically have access to any game I want, no matter the system. Since stuff is cross play, the friends I have who only have one or the other are able to play with me too which is nice.
 
It's the new Nintendo machine alongside my Sony machine (PS4). My indie purchases will pretty much be going straight to switch if they're available though.
 
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