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Nintendo Switch: March 3rd 2017 worldwide, MSRP $300

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Cmerrill

You don't need to be empathetic towards me.
The main issue I have too is that Nintendo has all these R&D teams, yet, Mario is Holiday. Zelda is a Wii U port for all intends and purposes, same with Mario Kart 8.

I think people, including myself, would have been able to justify the price more if Nintendo would have delivered on a killer launch lineup. Its quickly apparent, its going to be the Wii U approach of trickle down games every quarter.

Plus, paid online when Nintendo is so far behind the times with online is ridiculous. This service better be amazing.

I agree. Had they showed up with an insanely good launch line up and a strong year to follow, it would have been easier to dismiss some of the blunders. But alas we're left with the Nintendo we know with all their hubris and out touchness.
 

DR2K

Banned
US players are upset with the price? Isn't the Xbox One and PS4, new, around the same price? Or is this more because of the hardware? Considering it's still a home console AND portable, I don't really see a problem. I can't speak for how pricing works in other countries.

On average you can find them $50 to $100 cheaper with software than what Switch is launching at.
 

Berordn

Member
You know what's really crazy...if you go to the Nintendo site you'll see the Wii U still there...priced for $300.

When you see that the Nintendo Switch price becomes better lol

If we get the digital version of splatoon for the Wii U...can we play it on the switch? have things like this been answered?

Splatoon on Wii U is a different title than Splatoon 2 on Switch. They've said nothing about crossbuy or previous owner benefits but frankly there's no reason to assume there would be.

nothing in terms of achievements right?

Nothing of the sort so far.
 

Neoweee

Member
US players are upset with the price? Isn't the Xbox One and PS4, new, around the same price? Or is this more because of the hardware? Considering it's still a home console AND portable, I don't really see a problem. I can't speak for how pricing works in other countries.

There's a lot of sacrifices for being cross-purpose. The system is too weak with low specs for the price, even if it is pretty normal for Nintendo launch prices. As a handheld, it is more expensive than people are used.

I'm genuinely viewing at as both, so it is worth it. Users looking at using it in only one of the two cases will probably be underwhelmed. I didn't get DS, 3DS, or Wii U at launch, but I'm likely to get this at launch due to the cross-functionality.
 
D

Deleted member 752119

Unconfirmed Member
I wouldn't say that is clear yet. 3DS also started off slow but then had a killer subsequent two years before Wii U stretched them thin again. I think there's a chance we'll see a good 2018 lineup. Edit: Yea sorry, I agree with you that launch is too dry though.

Yeah I'm still very confident the first party and Japanese exclusives line up will end up being great. The Wii U plus 3DS library together was pretty great and we should get at least that type of library on Switch since its their only platform (other than whatever bones they still throw the 3DS owners this year).

Just no reason for me to buy in 2017 since I can pay Zelda on my Wii U and Mario will be just as fun whenever I take the plunge. As above, nothing else shown really interested me, nor does a lot of the rumored stuff like Monster Hunter XX.

I'll reassess where the price etc. is at when there's like 5 exclusives I really want to play.
 

Raptomex

Member
On average you can find them $50 to $100 cheaper with software than what Switch is launching at.
Now or when those consoles launched? I rarely get launch bundles. I usually just get the consoles and games separately, depending on the situation.
 
Preordered via in store and they give about 200 credit for trade in on a Wii U. My local GameStop is getting 60 units, for what it's worth. March 3rd can't get here soon enough...
 

Portugeezer

Member
Wii U was a disaster and still had many games I wanted. Sure I will be getting this for Zelda and Mario Kart shortly after, but it is hard to he disappointed after the Wii U.

People just were too hyped. Speaking of which, what happened to Rabbids x Mario RPG?
 
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Deleted member 752119

Unconfirmed Member
US players are upset with the price? Isn't the Xbox One and PS4, new, around the same price? Or is this more because of the hardware? Considering it's still a home console AND portable, I don't really see a problem. I can't speak for how pricing works in other countries.

People are willing to pay more for their main platform than for their secondary. I don't think most of the people complaining are Nintendo diehards who will have Switch as their main.

Plus PS4 and X1 slim have often been $250 with a game or two lately, so it's cheaper. Especially when you can argue that you need a second controller more for Switch than those (can't charge joy cons while playing without at least buying the $30 charger grip, $70 pro controller is probably preferable for most) and many will need an SD card.
 

Coffinhal

Member
100% don't understand how people think this is expensive for not only a new console launch, but for a new console that is also handheld capable and replacing both Wii U and 3DS down the line

you thought more features and better graphics would somehow make it not just cheaper than every other console launch, but cheaper than Wii U is now???

You don't understand because you don't try to understand other people's opinions.

Unified Library is cool, but where are the games ? and the games that take advantage of it ?

And we're in 2017. PS4 costs 250/300$ with good deals, same for Xbone, there is far better hardware at 400$, tablets that can run Nintendo games on emulation for 100/200$ with lots of battery life...
So yeah, if you come up with a 300$ machine, 3h battery life, accessories that cost a lot, paid online, almost no games at launch, no potential shown for the future (create hype) and no agressive commercial strategy (bundles, price drops for Wii U owners etc).... people complain and they have the right to do so.

Wow, just like Nintendo I forgot about them.

It's been a decade since the 360, can't believe they messed that up again.

They're not forced to copycat everyone. It ruins the gameplay and has no point, except for a few trophy hunters. Just imagined how it would play with Pokémon or Mario 3D, brrrr.
 

Apath

Member
They priced themselves far too high for me. I was coming around to the $250 price point with the idea that I'd sell my 3DS and games to cover most of the cost.

But paying for Nintendo's terrible online offering, the extraordinairily high priced accessories, poor game showing, and $300 for the console is just far too much.

I can get a PS4 bundled with a game for cheaper, which while not natively portable, is more powerful with a far more robust online offering and a better game line-up (as is to be expected from a more mature, older console).
 

Anoregon

The flight plan I just filed with the agency list me, my men, Dr. Pavel here. But only one of you!
I don't have an inherent problem with the $300 price itself, but the accessory prices and no actual positive information about the network situation make the overall cost for investing in the Switch a lot higher than a lot of people were probably expecting.

It's one thing to buy a moderately underpowered console for $300 when you have free online play and extra controllers are ~40. It's quite another when a pro controller is $70, a complete charging joycon setup is fucking over 100 dollars, and online play will require a subscription despite the fact that we still have no reason to believe Nintendo is capable of offering a service worth paying for.
 
-Aside from Zelda, a Wii U port, and Super Bomberman R, nothing at launch is compelling
-Accessories that are priced up the wazoo
-Paid online service that gives you one trial NES/SNES game per month
-No built in party chat, you must use a paid app on your phone to chat with friends on a game by game basis
-Hardware that is NOT cutting edge priced like it is
-Presentation focused on gimmicks rather than providing answers to questions. UI, achievement system, launch lineup?

I'm still buying one but I'm a realist.

So you aren't, then?
 

mjc

Member
I don't have an inherent problem with the $300 price itself, but the accessory prices and no actual positive information about the network situation make the overall cost for investing in the Switch a lot higher than a lot of people were probably expecting.

It's one thing to buy a moderately underpowered console for $300 when you have free online play and extra controllers are ~40. It's quite another when a pro controller is $70, a complete charging joycon setup is fucking over 100 dollars, and online play will require a subscription despite the fact that we still have no reason to believe Nintendo is capable of offering a service worth paying for.

I think those are very valid concerns. I agree that the cost of the accessories is incredibly high, especially with the joycon sets. Really bizarre. And the Pro controller better be insane quality for being half the cost of the Xbox Elite controller.

And the online situation is a whole different bag of worms. To come out stating that it'll be paid without showing any of the UI or implementation is weird as hell.
 

Apath

Member
I don't have an inherent problem with the $300 price itself, but the accessory prices and no actual positive information about the network situation make the overall cost for investing in the Switch a lot higher than a lot of people were probably expecting.

It's one thing to buy a moderately underpowered console for $300 when you have free online play and extra controllers are ~40. It's quite another when a pro controller is $70, a complete charging joycon setup is fucking over 100 dollars, and online play will require a subscription despite the fact that we still have no reason to believe Nintendo is capable of offering a service worth paying for.
This sums up my thoughts much better. I admire leading with the cost on online services, but they need to prove that their online offering is worth our money. Every console from the Wii onward has shown that Nintendo is stuck in 2002 for their online offerings.
 
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Deleted member 752119

Unconfirmed Member
I don't have an inherent problem with the $300 price itself, but the accessory prices and no actual positive information about the network situation make the overall cost for investing in the Switch a lot higher than a lot of people were probably expecting.

It's one thing to buy a moderately underpowered console for $300 when you have free online play and extra controllers are ~40. It's quite another when a pro controller is $70, a complete charging joycon setup is fucking over 100 dollars, and online play will require a subscription despite the fact that we still have no reason to believe Nintendo is capable of offering a service worth paying for.

Yep. As I just posted in another thread, I'd have grit my teeth and been their day one even at $300 and 32GB of storage if it wasn't for the absurd controller prices (I need the pro controller) and paid online (with chat and game invites done via a smartphone app!).
 

Raptomex

Member
People are willing to pay more for their main platform than for their secondary. I don't think most of the people complaining are Nintendo diehards who will have Switch as their main.

Plus PS4 and X1 slim have often been $250 with a game or two lately, so it's cheaper. Especially when you can argue that you need a second controller more for Switch than those (can't charge joy cons while playing without at least buying the $30 charger grip, $70 pro controller is probably preferable for most) and many will need an SD card.
I get that but what was the pricing when they launched? In addition, what is the price of the PS4 Pro, new, with and without software? I'm just comparing console prices ar launch to see what's unfair. It's one thing if the PS4 Pro, new, with software is $250, and the Switch is $300. I'm pretty sure I paid around $400 for a standard PS4 at launch but don't remember if I got a bundle. I ended up getting AC and Killzone at that time too. I think they were separate purchases. Still $300 or $400 for a new console alone seems reasonable to me.
 
You know what's really crazy...if you go to the Nintendo site you'll see the Wii U still there...priced for $300.

When you see that the Nintendo Switch price becomes better lol

I've said this before, but it isn't the price of the Switch itself. It's EVERYTHING else. This thing nickel and dimes people unlike anything Nintendo has EVER produced before.

Tech demo game not included and sold separately for $50.

Joycon grip included with system does not have the ability to charge the joycons. Want one that does? Buy an extra one for $30.

An extra set of joy cons, a grip, and an extra dock, all together is $200.

New online service is pay to play online. And the "free" games you get a month are NES and SNES roms that are just rentals.

Chatting with your friends is behind a pay wall that makes you use a cellphone app inorder to talk with your friends on a phone.

Only 32GB internal storage packaged with it.

Some of the launch games or near launch games are downloadable PSN stuff, charged at $40 retail.

With everything stacked together, this thing is a fucking money pit. It's a horrendous price scheme that gives people little to no value for your money.
 
Meh, needs to include games or a 2nd / pro controller before I bite at that price.

Maybe later in the year then.

It's gonna be sold out regardless as is at launch, so I can't really blame Ninty.

And $70 for the pro controller? Nah
 
People comparing this to a PS4 value wise are coming at this side ways. I agree peripherals are a joke, but the Shield TV is $199 without a screen and less storage. The Joy Cons like it or not are more sophisticated.

I'm not day 1 by any means, but this seems like a cool portable system. My favorite use case is from the first trailer. Mount it between the front seats of the car and play games on the go. Seems great for my kids.
 

Neoweee

Member
Meh, needs to include games or a 2nd / pro controller before I bite at that price.

Maybe later in the year then.

It's gonna be sold out regardless as is at launch, so I can't really blame Ninty.

That's my impression as well. It is better to set the initial launch shipment at the actual price and lower the price later in the year, than it is for scalpers to buy up the shipment and make the profit margin.
 
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Deleted member 752119

Unconfirmed Member
Still $300 or $400 for a new console alone seems reasonable to me.

I agree. For my main console/platform. Not for a complementary platform that would get 10% or less of my gaming time. Same if MS hadn't put their games on PC and I was considering an X1 to go with my PS4. No way I was paying $300-400 for that either, but might have gotten one this fall with all the $250 bundles if the games I wanted like Gears 4 weren't on PC.

People just value things differently. I have no problem paying $300-500 for my main console each generation as that's the one I buy early and play the most. Anything else I generally either skip or buy when it's $200-250 for the console a game or two and all the accessories I need.

Nintendo was a good secondary platform in the past as GC and Wii were cheap from the get go, and their portables offered an even cheaper route (other than 3DS which was kind of pricey, especially at launch) to get a Nintendo fix.

As I've said, I could swallow the $300 price and even the 32GB storage (though that's lame) if not for the $70 pro controller that's a must for me and paid online (I hate paying for PS+ even on my main gaming platform, much less paying for worse online on a console I'd use a fraction as much).
 

neoemonk

Member
Really amazed at this thread. Yeah, I thought the show would be better and have more games, but I know the Nintendo games will be coming. Pricing of the console is what I expected, either 250 or 299. The only truly shitty thing is the pricing of the accessories.

Paid online kind of blows for me, but I suppose enough people are normalized to the idea by now.
 

Vorg

Banned
El oh el at the european price. I was pretty excited for the switch but now I'll just wait for the inevitable crash and burn/ambassador program. They are insane. And that classic controller price, holy shit.
 

Ducktail

Member
While I understand the logic behind many people's argument of the console itself being inferior to Ps4 and Xbox when it comes to graphics, we have to understand this has its OWN screen, much like a smartphone.

I don't think the price abusive at all if you compare it to a smartphone.
 
I don't think the price is bad, but the price for accessories is beyond ridiculous. You'll be looking to pay well over $400 if you're buying a game and accessories. That's lame as hell.
 
If we get the digital version of splatoon for the Wii U...can we play it on the switch? have things like this been answered?

It doesn't seem like there's any stuff that we'll be able to transfer over. I have to wonder if they plan on shutting down stuff like the online servers for things like Pokemon, Smash, Mario Kart, Splatoon, etc in few years or so when they have them on the switch so essentially they'd force you to convert.....but Splatoon does raise some interesting questions because arguably 70% of the game is online.
 

BadWolf

Member
I don't think the price is bad, but the price for accessories is beyond ridiculous. You'll be looking to pay well over $400 if you're buying a game and accessories. That's lame as hell.

Also gotta get a decent sized SD card for storage.

Sounds like the 'hidden' cost issue Vita had.
 

Coffinhal

Member
US players are upset with the price? Isn't the Xbox One and PS4, new, around the same price? Or is this more because of the hardware? Considering it's still a home console AND portable, I don't really see a problem. I can't speak for how pricing works in other countries.

Read the posts of people complaining and you'll have answers to your questions
 
I've said this before, but it isn't the price of the Switch itself. It's EVERYTHING else. This thing nickel and dimes people unlike anything Nintendo has EVER produced before.

Tech demo game not included and sold separately for $50.

Joycon grip included with system does not have the ability to charge the joycons. Want one that does? Buy an extra one for $30.

An extra set of joy cons, a grip, and an extra dock, all together is $200.

New online service is pay to play online. And the "free" games you get a month are NES and SNES roms that are just rentals.

Chatting with your friends is behind a pay wall that makes you use a cellphone app inorder to talk with your friends on a phone.

Only 32GB internal storage packaged with it.

Some of the launch games or near launch games are downloadable PSN stuff, charged at $40 retail.

With everything stacked together, this thing is a fucking money pit. It's a horrendous price scheme that gives people little to no value for your money.

Agreed. I know a lot of people here were on the "$250 or bust" train, but $300 seems perfectly reasonable. But everything else is a downer. The accessory pricing is absolutely bonkers.

And you left out the biggest one: where the hell are the games? GAF's been saying for two years (at least) that Nintendo's lack of compelling software was because they were preparing for the NX / Switch to launch firing on all cylinders. But the lineup is weak, to put it nicely. Aside from Zelda, which was supposed to be out on Wii U in 2015, then 2016, there seems to be nothing that says "this is what they've been working on while starving their current systems".

I've been saying "don't count on it" the whole time, knowing Nintendo's always behind the 8 ball on game development, and even I am still floored by how few games were shown, or even announced. This thing is supposed to have the combined backing of all of Nintendo's teams - no more splitting their resources between handheld and home consoles. It does not show, at all. It's disappointing.
 

Takat

Member
I'm such a huge Nintendo fan, and this really kills me. I didn't buy WiiU or 3DS because I thought the concept wasn't there.

Switch is a great concept, and when you see it in action the transfer of tv to handheld is really great and smart.

And as I was watching the presentation I kept thinking, they are mudding the water. All the joy can do is irrelevant, show the games you play and that's it. Who cares about rumble and motion, everyone know about it. Show the games, people will get it. It all felt convoluted especially compared to the October reveal which was so simple.

Such a shame, and that price doesn't help. At $250 this would be flying regardless of launch line up. They should really take the feedback now and reduce the price before a need for an ambassador program. They must listen.
 

yyr

Member
$300 is a fantastic price, I don't know what y'all are smoking.

The truth.

$300 is more than PS4 and XB1. Both are more powerful, both include a pack-in game, and both have a kick-ass slate of releases this year. Both have great games that can now be had for cheap. Both have accessories that regularly go on sale, including controllers for $40.

$300 is only a good price if you plan to use the Switch as both a console AND portable. Many of us do not.
 

Future

Member
I'm not seeing any killer apps or features that sell the switch idea. I mean I like the concept. But what will I be able to do that's so amazing minute one? Decide to continue to play Zelda while taking a shit? I mean I will definitely do that but not sure it's worth the $300

If somehow this came with an awesome retro library to bring with me on the go, or something I can do that's unique and interesting while on the go, maybe I would be more excited. Right now I'm only excited about Zelda because that looks like game of the decade material
 

BadWolf

Member
GAF's been saying for two years (at least) that Nintendo's lack of compelling software was because they were preparing for the NX / Switch to launch firing on all cylinders.

It's the same story as the Wii and WiiU. Nintendo pretty much abandoned the Wii towards the end and people assumed that it was because of WiiU and nope.
 
For someone more in the know on the Wii U, any idea how much Nintendo profited off of it?

CNN Money reasoned a few years back that the basic Wii U cost $228 to make for Nintendo. I'm pretty sure the original price of the basic white wii u was $250 so they probably made about $20 on each console. Which isn't great at all.

I would believe Nintendo probably made their money and profit from the sales of the actual video games, not the hardware. And with the introduction of amiibo, that also probably made them a ton of money since those likely have a much larger profit margin. Those of us in the Skylanders community argued it probably cost around $3 or less to make a single Skylander and they sell for (at the time) $10; now that they're $12-$15 there's significantly larger margins.
 
I agree. Had they showed up with an insanely good launch line up and a strong year to follow, it would have been easier to dismiss some of the blunders.

I'm in the same boat. I could've probably made the bullshit accessory pricing and gimmickery work, or just look the other way, if it had a killer lineup. I see Mario Odyssey, that's it. If Zelda turns out to be a 10/10 revelation, I'll borrow my friend's disused WiiU instead.
 
Well, my brother ended up pre-ordering one from Best Buy so I will personally hold off for now. We live in the same house for the time being which will give me ample time with the system and Zelda to see if it's worth purchasing for myself.
 
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