• Hey Guest. Check out your NeoGAF Wrapped 2025 results here!

Looking back, was the January Switch event that bad?

I somehow doubt they are going to have a major release every month, even if you include ports, and quasi-ports.

Zelda Breath of the Wild, Super Mario Odyssey, Arms and...?

Xenosaga 2 is clearly not going to happen this year. Splatoon 2 really doesn't look like a true sequel. Mario Kart 8 is just a port. However, even if you include them, what other exclusives are releasing? I just have a very, very hard time seeing this as "jam packed". Especially after we ACTUALLY experienced what a jam packed roster looks like this year with Sony's lineup (which, to be fair, is well into the console's life cycle, so Nintendo shouldn't be expected to replicate that kind of schedule). I would kick up a fuss if the wording had been "better than a typical console launch year".

I just think people are trying to spin a fairly thin year into something that it isn't.

Jam packed might be the wrong word, but we're still set for one noteworthy game every month since Switch release: May is only exception really. ARMS in June, Splatoon 2 in July, Mario x Rabbids most likely in August, Pokkén in September, and then for the remaining 3 months we still have Fire Emblem Warriors, Mario Odyssey and Xenoblade 2 slated. Not everyone will be interested in every game coming but it's a welcome change from Nintendo, since old consoles were plagued with dry spells of nothing. Hopefully year 1 line-up helps build the userbase and then 3rd parties will naturally follow.
 
It was never that bad. It had some ups and downs but also some great announcements and of course ended with what is/will be one of the greatest video game trailers of all time. That BOTW trailer still impresses me. It never seems to end and when the classic Zelda music kicks in...chills.
 
Why do people keep saying the Switch's first party software output this year is 'jam-packed'?

1, 2 Switch
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
SnipperClips
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
ARMS
Splatoon 3
Fire Emblem Warriors
Pokken DX
Xenoblade Chronicles 2
Super Mario Odyssey

That's 10 games. One of which wasn't very well received and was little more than a tech demo (1, 2 Switch). Two that were on Wii U (Mario Kart & Pokken), and one that very likely will be delayed (Xenoblade). Plus, if Fire Emblem is anything like its predecessor...it definitely isn't going to be for everyone. Neither is ARMS based on the testpunch.

I don't know. I guess we shouldn't expect more than one 1st party game per month because Nintendo wouldn't want to launch games that are competing against each other, but the current lineup is pretty bleak from where I'm standing. It's not as if the 3rd party support is offering much at this point, either. It's mostly just games that have been on PC for years.

I finished Zelda. I have no interest in rebuying Mario Kart or Pokken at full price. Unless we get a few new games at E3, it's looking like all I have to look forward to on Switch for the next six months is Splatoon 2 and Super Mario Odyssey. :/

plus, zelda, which isn't very good. If it was called Luigi-da no way it gets those scores. Xenoblade 2, oh boy don't get me started. Splatoon 3 evidently skipped 2 so you know how that is, I won't even say it. Fire Emblem musou, oh man nuh uh no way. Mario Odyssey? 3D world was basically a port so Odyssey is probably a remaster so nuh uh to that one too. ARMS test punch is more like test brunch, yuck! Mario kart is for kids. dumb kids who waste money. Sorry, bank is closed. Most importantly, I don't like these games.


therefore, by conclusive evidence, the switch has a bad lineup. The proof is in the pudding.
 
I somehow doubt they are going to have a major release every month, even if you include ports, and quasi-ports.

Zelda Breath of the Wild, Super Mario Odyssey, Arms and...?

Xenosaga 2 is clearly not going to happen this year. Splatoon 2 really doesn't look like a true sequel. Mario Kart 8 is just a port. However, even if you include them, what other exclusives are releasing? I just have a very, very hard time seeing this as "jam packed". Especially after we ACTUALLY experienced what a jam packed roster looks like this year with Sony's lineup (which, to be fair, is well into the console's life cycle, so Nintendo shouldn't be expected to replicate that kind of schedule). I would kick up a fuss if the wording had been "better than a typical console launch year".

I just think people are trying to spin a fairly thin year into something that it isn't.

Ports or no, Nintendo is marketing them as big releases. Xenoblade 2 in 2017 is looking more and more likely. And like it or not, Splatoon 2 IS a true sequel. I think we've seen enough of the game at this point to consider it a sequel. Keep in mind, the PS4's first year had a lot of ports and remasters as well.

I'm not saying they don't.

But it seems a stretch to me to say that the lineup is packed. For diehard Nintendo fans who will play every game they release (or re-release), maybe it is, but I'd wager most people aren't interested in every game on that list.

After the positive buzz on ARMS, I expect it to be another hit. Whether you're interested in these games or not, this year is anything but dry for the Switch. There's plenty of content available, and plenty of content coming.
 
You can take or leave the presentational quality.

But many people here really having at their "DOA" klaxons based the price and launch details, which is at best a mild collective embarrassment for those involved.
 
I'm not saying they don't.

But it seems a stretch to me to say that the lineup is packed. For diehard Nintendo fans who will play every game, maybe it is, but I'd wager most people aren't interested in every game on that list.

For a person who never owned a Wii U nor played those Wii U games, they are better deals.

And how much is most people? Because last time I checked MK8D did pretty great, Snipperclips also sold well as a digital-only title (like 300k or something) and 1 2 Switch also sold well despite the internet hate. Arms currently is getting a lot more positive buzz after the test punch, Splatoon 2 expected to do very well, Fire Emblem Warriors is riding on the Fire Emblem popularity as of late, and Mario Odyssey is the most anticipated title right now for the Switch. The only game I kind of worry about that won't do well is Xenoblade 2 because it's kind of a niche title.

Right now, just about every 1st party announced are expected to sell pretty well. Again, those games may not be for you, but there are a lot of others who may think otherwise. How many of the currently announced titles are you expecting to flop?
 
Yes.

It was vague and not in a good way, it left too much unsaid and it didnt leave people excited for the future beyond 2017. It was time to show not tell, and if you couodnt outright show content then at least tease it.

A great example of this was when Nintendo talked about Fire Emblem. They showed a bunch of Mobile and FE Warriors content, but they also showed a title card teasing a 2018 Fire Emblem game.

Realistically we should have seen Title Cards/Concept art teasers for 20+ games in january to make people feel good about owning a Switch not just for year 1 but going forward.

A solid 2 minute trailer that was a collection of 20-40 games worth of concept art teasers plus solid 5-10 minute segments focused on launch window games (Mario Kart, Zelda, 1 2 Switch, Arms, Snipperclips, Splatoon ect) would have been much better then draging out a bunch of developers to say that they have nothing to show, and/or family members with Nintendo themed names.

Aditionlly Nintendo's Online and Virtual Console plans were stupid/tone deaf.

What Nintendo needed to anounce was Free online for all* and a "NESflix" style supscription service that offered a good value proposition for families in adition to premium online features like Miiverse and Party Chat/Voice Chat/Share features that are standard on other consoles.

*telling parents they have to pay $20 every year per child to play online is less then ideal. Being cheaper then other services doesnt make it good value

** the informal name of a Virtual Console subscription service modeled on Netflix's buisness model where you pay a monthly subscription to have access to every Nintendo virtual console game up to and including the Game Cube Era.
 
To me that was the moment they needed to explode on the scene and it did almost nothing imo. No big announcements, no nothing, they just had Zelda (which was enough turns out). The whole presentation left me wondering what and why they were holding back so much. Their next big opportunity is next week at E3, they need to bring out the big guns, because outside of a few (admittedly important) titles, the Switch really has very little to show for it as of now.
 
To me that was the moment they needed to explode on the scene and it did almost nothing imo. No big announcements, no nothing, they just had Zelda (which was enough turns out). The whole presentation left me wondering what and why they were holding back so much. Their next big opportunity is next week at E3, they need to bring out the big guns, because outside of a few (admittedly important) titles, the Switch really has very little to show for it as of now.

....and what are those big guns?
assuming you don't mean a bunch of late 2018, 2019, 2020, and 2021 games.
 
It introduced us to what would be the best EA Sports™ FIFA™ experience ever*

*
ForNintendoSwitchPlayers

11/10 best conference ever, such an unprecedented partnership.
 
Ports or no, Nintendo is marketing them as big releases. Xenoblade 2 in 2017 is looking more and more likely. And like it or not, Splatoon 2 IS a true sequel. I think we've seen enough of the game at this point to consider it a sequel. Keep in mind, the PS4's first year had a lot of ports and remasters as well.

Don't get me wrong, I think the Switch's first year is better than the PS4's. I just don't think it is super crazy strong. I was being a bit hyperbolic (I guess that is pretty obvious) when I compared the Switch's first year to a barren desert, but I am a little disappointed that Nintendo didn't come out of the gate even stronger after how badly they managed the Wii-U.

As for Xenoblade 2 coming out this year... I don't believe it, but I will gladly eat crow if that is true.
 
....and what are those big guns?
assuming you don't mean a bunch of late 2018, 2019, 2020, and 2021 games.

Still waiting on Shenmue 3, Kingdom Hearts 3, and Final Fantasy 7 Remake. Probably for at least another 2 years.

Having a blowout event loses it's punch after you realize most of those titles are 5-6 years out still.

Don't get me wrong, I think the Switch's first year is better than the PS4's. I just don't think it is super crazy strong. I was being a bit hyperbolic (I guess that is pretty obvious) when I compared the Switch's first year to a barren desert, but I am a little disappointed that Nintendo didn't come out of the gate even stronger after how badly they managed the Wii-U.

As for Xenoblade 2 coming out this year... I don't believe it, but I will gladly eat crow if that is true.

Having arguably the best Zelda ever made at launch has basically made it the best launch of any console the last two generations. No exaggerations, PS3, PS4, X360, X1, and even Wii had kinda meh launches for titles even if you consider WiiSports catching fire.
 
Don't get me wrong, I think the Switch's first year is better than the PS4's. I just don't think it is super crazy strong. I was being a bit hyperbolic (I guess that is pretty obvious) when I compared the Switch's first year to a barren desert, but I am a little disappointed that Nintendo didn't come out of the gate even stronger after how badly they managed the Wii-U.

Perhaps Jam-packed was a bit hyperbolic on my part too, but it's clear this is a way better first year than the Wii U ever had.

As for Xenoblade 2 coming out this year... I don't believe it, but I will gladly eat crow if that is true.

Considering all the reports of it's progress (they're already scoring the second half), and how Nintendo seems to be sticking with the 2017 release window, I think it's further along in development and coming a lot sooner than we think.
 
The conference wasn't great but it was a lot better than what the internet mob arrived at. I was legit scratching my head for much of January and February. I feel all the price announcements after the conference, where people had convinced themselves this was going to be very cheap, retroactively soured most people on a conference they were feeling a bit unsure of.

That uncertainty wasnt completely unfounded though because the third party section was utter cringe, and I can imagine that made a lot of people uncertain about the success potential of the console.

Why do people keep saying the Switch's first party software output this year is 'jam-packed'?

1, 2 Switch
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
SnipperClips
Mario Kart 8 Deluxe
ARMS
Splatoon 3
Fire Emblem Warriors
Pokken DX
Xenoblade Chronicles 2
Super Mario Odyssey

That's 10 games.
Give me a year where one developer published ten games and you wouldn't call it absolutely jam packed with releases from them.
 
I thought it was good when I watched it. The games they showed looked great, and it was pretty quirky and entertaining. But I loved my Wii U so maybe my opinion doesn't matter that much in the grand scheme of things?
 
No, and as much as some will deny it the backlash to that event and the pokemon direct was related to fake leaks changing expectations.
 
Give me a year where one developer published ten games and you wouldn't call it absolutely jam packed with releases from them.
I was saying the lineup as a whole isn't jam packed. 3rd party support isn't there yet.

Ten games (plus the handful of decent 3rd party games we have) isn't what I'd call jam-packed.

How many of the currently announced titles are you expecting to flop?
Define flop? I expect Splatoon and Odyssey to be huge and have legs for the lifetime of the Switch.

I don't think ARMS will be as big of a success as some people do, but it should still end up as a million seller by the end of the year.

I don't think Pokken, Xenoblade or Fire Emblem Warriors will light the world on fire either.
 
No, and as much as some will deny it the backlash to that event and the pokemon direct was related to fake leaks changing expectations.

I think this should be a lesson. Don't blindly follow a rumor just because it comes from a credible source. Look at it logically, then make your own belief. As Eurogamer has shown today, even credible sources can be wrong sometimes.
 
I think this should be a lesson. Don't blindly follow a rumor just because it comes from a credible source. Look at it logically, then make your own belief. As Eurogamer has shown today, even credible sources can be wrong sometimes.
I mean...looking at it logically it makes perfect sense to release a port of Ultra Sun & Moon on the Switch.

It's only when you remember that it's GameFreak we're talking about that logic goes out the window.
 
I somehow doubt they are going to have a major release every month, even if you include ports, and quasi-ports.

Zelda Breath of the Wild, Super Mario Odyssey, Arms and...?

Xenosaga 2 is clearly not going to happen this year. Splatoon 2 really doesn't look like a true sequel. Mario Kart 8 is just a port. However, even if you include them, what other exclusives are releasing? I just have a very, very hard time seeing this as "jam packed". Especially after we ACTUALLY experienced what a jam packed roster looks like this year with Sony's lineup (which, to be fair, is well into the console's life cycle, so Nintendo shouldn't be expected to replicate that kind of schedule). I would kick up a fuss if the wording had been "better than a typical console launch year".

I just think people are trying to spin a fairly thin year into something that it isn't.
Haha you're so mad
 
Define flop? I expect Splatoon and Odyssey to be huge and have legs for the lifetime of the Switch.

I don't think ARMS will be as big of a success as some people do, but it should still end up as a million seller by the end of the year.

I don't think Pokken, Xenoblade or Fire Emblem Warriors will light the world on fire either.

Flop as in commercial failure. Because if those become commercial successes then it proves that the a big portion of the Switch audience, present and future, likes the lineup as is.
 
The biggest issue is that a lot of people where hyped by rumors
Games like the new rabbits game , pikmin 4, ... weren't shown based on those rumors.

Anyway, the conference was good as it is.
 
It was bad only for people who follow video games closely, everyone else didn't bother watching and ran out and bought or attempted to buy Switches on March 3.
 
I mean...looking at it logically it makes perfect sense to release a port of Ultra Sun & Moon on the Switch.

It's only when you remember that it's GameFreak we're talking about that logic goes out the window.

I can see the argument for a Switch version of Ultra Sun and Moon. But that Switch exclusive Stars that Eurogamer was reporting was Bullshit from the start. First, releasing a single version of a Pokemon generation goes against the selling point of Pokemon, trading between versions. So by making one version of a Pokemon generation exclusive to a console without the other versions and can't trade with the 3DS games defeats the entire point.

Second, Ultra Sun and Moon actually makes sense for Game Freak, a company who loves to milk old ass hardware to the very last drop, even when a shiny new toy is staring right in front of their face. Case in point, Black and White 2, which released for the DS a whole year after the 3DS launched. Granted the 3DS was backwards compatible, but that's not the point. The point is by this logic, Black and White 2 should've been a 3DS game, but it wasn't.

So while I could maybe buy a Switch version of Ultra Sun and Moon, I don't buy a theoretical Switch exclusive Pokemon Stars because from a business standpoint, it makes no goddamn sense.
 
Just like the Pokémon presentation yesterday, rumors gave people high expectations that made an otherwise fine event seem disappointing. Everyone was convinced it would be $250, that it would have GameCube Virtual Console, that they would announce Pokémon Stars. None of that happened, but in the end it didn't matter.
 
Perhaps Jam-packed was a bit hyperbolic on my part too, but it's clear this is a way better first year than the Wii U ever had.

It's not hyperbolic at all. The Switch's first year line-up is objectively very strong from a sales potential perspective. Nintendo is hands down one of the most prolific publishers in the business. They put out 20+ boxed retail games per year. Many of them go on to be multi-million sellers, even on vastly unpopular hardware like the Wii U.

People can work their way down a big list of games and dismiss them all for a variety of reasons if they want. Doesn't change anything.
 
It was pretty poor imo. I remember going from must have to I'm out.

It wasn't until I got caught up in the hype and attended one of the events that I changed my mind and got one on launch.
 
I was saying the lineup as a whole isn't jam packed. 3rd party support isn't there yet.

Ten games (plus the handful of decent 3rd party games we have) isn't what I'd call jam-packed.
Well no you said the first party lineup was not jam packed. But if you meant the total lineup was not jam packed, it's undeniable there's a smaller quantity of games released than other platforms. Personally that's not really a problem for me, because I only have time for one big game a month anyway, and I have three platforms. If you still need more games do something useful with your life slacker and Switch is your only platform (why?) then I can imagine you're ho hum on it. Even then I would be surprised if Nintendo doesn't nab 50% of my GOTY list, which is jam packed in any meaning of the word.
 
I thought it was awful at the time and believed the switch would fail miserably.

But then, the zelda reviews came out and i bought a switch day one.
 
I think the January Switch event was the reason I cancelled my preorder.

I waited quite long for the Switch and bought it it with BotW and when MK8D was around the corner. Otherwise it would have been day 1 for me..
 
It was pretty messy regardless, a lot of weird signaling about what the machine was gonna be. Honestly a lot of the things that were said there are still reason why I don't think I will get one till a price drop at least.

This is probably the cringiest thing I've read this week

It's only cringe if you're new to the internet. "for mature gamers such as myself" has been a punchline since 2007 at least.
 
Only the games made it okay. Everything else presented was absurdly bad.

It's why there were tons of bomba posts during the reveal.
 
I don't think it hurt, but it didn't help. The price was higher than expected, a large focus on motion controls and stuff like 1,2 Switch, a lot of people coming on stage and not announcing games... it wasn't until I got the Switch in my hands that I understood the benefits of the system. And yes, Zelda was just that good. Even ARMS, a game I'm now interested in, was largely unimpressive at the stage show.
 
The presentation itself was awful.

Critical information was left out which created tons of confusion. There was no indication that Xenoblade 2 and Fire Emblem Warriors were planned for 2017. That combined with the many far-off games like NMH, SMT, and Octopath, made it easy for people to think there was nothing between ARMS/Splatoon and Odyssey.

They spent way too much time on motion controls and gimmicks which created concerns about it being yet another Wii/Wii U 2.0, rather than the crystal-clear laser focus of the October trailer.

Pretty much every Switch news thread was stuff clarifying things related to the conference and/or people going "Why wasn't this in the conference?"

Then there was the obviously weird shit like "I named my son Luigi", the Suda51 translator goofups, and having the guy from Sega come up and do absolutely nothing, having Sonic Mania only be confirmed for Switch outside the conference.

I have to admit it was a real speed bump for the system. A lot of the information in it was okay. But the way they presented it was just plain clumsy, and it says a lot that the conversation around the Switch for the days after it was dominated by complete confusion. The Switch reveal trailer exuded confidence. The presentation just flat-out didn't.


Yuuuuup. It said "hey, check out the launch window and then Holiday 2017." And what it said for the launch window it said clumsily.
 
It was OK, but suffered from some insane decisions. Starting the event with "Hey guys, you have to pay for online now" kinda marred everything that followed.
 
the presentation itself was awkward as hell but it had a new SMT and Xenoblade and potentially a new NMH, so I was more than taken care of
 
It was bad, why put someone on stage that doesn't announce any game? That gives no thrust...

Sega, suda and EA where weird. Nintendo self didn't show much new, even after 1,5 year of almost no releases. So.... people thought is was bad.
 
It was pretty stupid, and even if the Switch goes on to sell 150 million units, it will still be pretty stupid. I don't think the Switch's current success has anything to do with the debut of "Ice Cube Shakin' 17."
 
Perhaps Jam-packed was a bit hyperbolic on my part too, but it's clear this is a way better first year than the Wii U ever had.

Based on that you like the game that have come out and have been announced so far? So in your opinion?
Because Wii U imo had better first year based on what games I like. Hell for me the 2 first month had more games on Wii U I wanted then the entire 2017 (so far) for Switch.
 
Started off pretty slow and suffered from moments of awkwardness but new Xenoblade, SMT, and a cool looking throwback RPG (Octopath)? Got me real hyped about the system.
 
The major problem with it was that everyone's expectations were sky high due to all the leaks beforeheand. I don't think it would've been received nearly as badly if we weren't supposed to be expecting Retro's game, a $250 price point, Mario at launch, Mario x Rabbids, etc...

When you take for what it actually was it really wasn't too bad. Not great for sure, but not even close to a disaster.
 
Top Bottom