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Nintendo Switch (Nintendo's next console)

Tipsy McSwagger

http://kotaku.com/nintendos-next-console-is-code-named-the-nintendo-nx-1691867268

"As proof that Nintendo maintains strong enthusiasm for the dedicated game system business", Iwata adds, "let me confirm that Nintendo is currently developing a dedicated game platform with a brand new concept under the development codename 'NX'."

And...that's it. Iwata says Nintendo will share more information about the new hardware "next year".

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Mr E

I'm long past the days of buying lots of full price games every month (the good old days before mortgage, petrol and bills).

Monthly, I grab some indie games for 10-15 on PC, smaller games on mobile, and I'm very happy to get one or two full price games.

On the Switch, that'll equate to Zelda and Snipperclips in March, 1-2 Switch in April, Mario Kart at the end of April, Rime and Puyo Puyo Tetris in May and so on.... Let me transfer my 15+ VC games across from Wii U, give me Mario Sunshine and other Gamecube games, and I'll be delighted.

I'll be the first to admit that Wii U content dried up, but as long as there is a steady flow of quality content on the Switch, I'll be happy.

Danonino.

johnpatrick81 wrote: »

You guys comparing the launch to Xbone and Ps4, you're making a big omission, both were successors to HUGE successes. This is following up a massive flop.

Nintendo needed to come out of the blocks sprinting. Instead they are crawling.

Think about it. If they had waited til next year or later this year, and launched with a new Mario, an upgraded Mario Kart, a new Splatoon, an upgraded Zelda BOTW, and maybe even some new ones like Arms etc and 1 more big exclusive, it would have been epic. Instead it's a massive deflated disappointment.

Fair enough, but the point I'm making is they are pushing the sonsole out early, their aim is to create a buzz for later in the year. Kids arrive back from the summer holidays and see Johnny got Splatoon 2 and it's awesome.

Who has the money to buy a launch console and a full lineup like the one you listed? Not many that's who. Who might buy a console mid year then purchase games for Christmas? I'd gamble a hell of a lot more. A €50 price drop in November, a Mario title for Christmas.

I think they might be smarter here than we giving them credit for.

I bought Bloodborne march 2015 on launch as I figured there would be enough reason to buy a PS4 and had the special edition preordered. I didn't buy a PS4 till January 2016 as SFV and Dark Souls 3 were on the way and there were enough games to warrant a purchase.

Zelda at launch, Splatoon 2 in summer, Mario by the end of the year. They are trying a staggered launch of sorts. We won't know how it turns out until much later.

Edit: For me personally it will be the first console I bought at launch since the GameCube because I see myself playing it from launch, and a the release schedule I actually like.

Fire emblem warriors, anyone have an idea when we can expect that. Thats a game that makes sense to me. I remember playing Hyrule Warriors and thinking Fire emblem would have made more sense.

CastorTroy

To be honest, the promise of games these days, unless they're near completion, isn't really enough to buy a console for. For example, I saw people who said they bought a PS3 when follow up to Shadow of the Colossus was announced. In Nintendo's case I know there are people who bought a Wii U a couple years ago to play the new Zelda. I know there are more games for each system, but if they're announcing games now that aren't going to be out for at least a year or 2 in order to sell systems now, then it's not the right way.
I've said before that I would like games to be announced within a year, at most, from completion. Now they just announce games because they need sometihing to announce.

Mario Splatoon and Xenoblade are all due to be released this year, I believe, as well as Mario Kart. It may be something for the Santa list.

BrianG23

Just reading some rpevious comments, I have to say I love the nintendo franchises, they're just too few of them to warrant the purchase of a console. I game on anything and everything. Pc, Ps4, xbox and nintendo. Nintendo is generally the last or else bottom of the pile to get due to only having around 10 games I really want per generation. And even then its risky because for example, I found mario galaxy too easy and thus boring! That was highly rated and loved. I liked 64's style alot more. Parents hopped onto the hype of the Wii, quickly left it in the dust so I ended up with a free Wii for smash bros, xenoblade etc etc, but that was that.

I'm still not convinced by the switch, if it was 300 quid WITH the accessories, I might have bitten. But at the moment i'm yet again looking at only a few games I really want to play, the problem i'm stuck with is i'd much rather have Zelda that Horizon zero dawn or many other games on Ps4/Xbox, but theres just a crap load of quality games on those systems.

I'm regretting getting an Xbox One at this point, howver I had fun on the likes of Rocket league and many others. Now Ps4 is having argubly its best year for games let alone the ones I have to catch up on. How can I not get a Ps4 at this point?

Thats the problem with nintendo...third party titles in between their amazing exclusives. Especially with the amount of third party games nintendo miss. The witcher for example.

Osmosis Jones

MilesMorales1 wrote: »

PS3 exclusive solid games? PS4, PSP, 360, Xbox One? Wii, DS?

The only recent console I remember having a solid stand out launch line up was the vita, and look how that turned out.

The one argument I'd go to when it comes to this is that while Nintendo do generally have the most exclusives, there are also a lot of games that are exclusively not on the Nintendo. By that I mean there are plenty of games that exist on PlayStation and Xbox but not Nintendo. They're not exclusives, but they are something that the other consoles have over Nintendo.

Anyway again, maybe it could have been a perfect announcement and people would still be unhappy, but we don't know that and it was far from perfect, people are fully justified in having concerns and to pass it off as "trolling" is negligent.

marcbrophy

If anyone likes to hear John Bain's thoughts, he has a 40 min vid on his Switch thoughts.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aCrjI3O0fWY

Mostly positive, from a generally miserable bastard

ThisRegard

Roark wrote: »

Not really. Nintendo still have a really strong fanbase. The Switch can be a success if they don't make a balls of it like they did with the Wii U. Non regulars coming in here and trying to stir is the same thing that happens in the club threads over at the soccer forum. Trolls be trollin.

Not strong enough to make the Wii U a great success. They need to be expanding their fan base, not settled with what they have.

Apart from 1 or 2 posts I'm seeing very little trolling, but a lot more preciousness.

WeleaseWoderick

I think a big issue is that people have had so long to get used to the idea of Breath of the Wild and a new Mario game being announced due to seeing so much of Zelda so far and Mario being in the reveal trailer.

If Friday had been the very first time these games were announced, I think the reaction would be way more positive.

I think also that Reggie's quote regarding looking back in a year's time is very telling as to how they've mapped out the launch and follow up. There's no way they've announced everything they are working on.

Atari Jaguar

Danonino. wrote: »

Who has the money to buy a launch console and a full lineup like the one you listed?

Basically this. At 69.99 a game (how did anyone expect it to be cheaper?) even if there were 10 games at launch who was going to buy more than one or two anyway? A console plus 10 launch games is €1k.. I'm the same as Mr. E I buy a new game or so once a month, and for that I'd be meticulous with the games I do buy, I won't buy any old ****e and certainly if there was 20 games for launch I wouldn't go in and get one of each, I'd get one (Zelda tbh) and I'm happy till April, I'll buy Mario Kart and a second controller. Then next month Nintendo has me covered again and so on until December and more games coming in 2018.

It's very easy to cry disaster with their line up for the year but you ought to get a grip if you are, the prior systems and the current systems never had a better lineup, a handful of games most of which are first party because why would they rush games out for a brand new system?.. if you buy Zelda and it's a bit toss because it's been rushed out the door, you don't think "awe whit Zelda is rubbish" you think "this console is garbage what a waste". This is how all console launches go, Christ get a grip.

On a side note Nintendo have enough money in the bank to fcuk up 3 console launches in row.

Danonino.

ThisRegard wrote: »

Not strong enough to make the Wii U a great success. They need to be expanding their fan base, not settled with what they have.

Apart from 1 or 2 posts I'm seeing very little trolling, but a lot more preciousness.

I'd argue that the Wii U didn't really play to their fanbase though. It played to the Wii crowd, who had moved on.

Metroid, F-Zero, Fire Emblem, Roaming Mario title (think 64/sunshine), Zelda, Star Fox (Zero with its mental controls doesn't count) etc etc never made an appearance properly on the system. We got Donkey Kong and some Platinum exclusives, a fantastic Mario Kart and later Smash Bros.

The Wii U was a commercial failure because it had no idea what the hell it wanted to be. The switch seems to have a gameplan and it's simple:

Combine Nintendo's home console and Handheld market into one machine.

If they stick to that I see the thing being a massive success and kicking ass in its own market, separate from the overwatch, Battlefield and FIFA playing 4k consoles.

I have been wrong in the past but I called the DS being a massive success when almost everyone else were screaming that the PSP would kill off Nintendo's handheld domination for good. I see the switch doing something similar.

ThisRegard

Retr0gamer wrote: »

Also the people screaming that it's the worst launch line up ever need a reality check. At least one of the games is looking like a bona fine classic and the others might surprise. People are forgetting how bad all PlayStation launches were (PS1 was pretty woeful in Japan outside of ridge racer) and consoles have launched with less games, namely the SNES, Saturn and N64. I'm hearing this nonsense from so called game journalists in pretty big websites.

But the problem now though is the affordable competition, which wasn't such an issue around the time of the launch of PS1. The SNES had been out 3 or 4 years by then so the PS1 was really up against the Saturn.

MilesMorales1

48 days! On a more positive note.

FAILSAFE 00

I think the major issue that trumps all is the price.

A Nintendo console is usually the 2nd or 3rd console in most gamers homes so with this in mind it needs to be at a price point that reflects it as being the second or even third choice. Coming in at a price point above a households primary console is not going to help with generating decent sales.

CastorTroy

I think one of the biggest question marks now is over the Online. How much will it be?

I'm not an online player, but I did play a lot of Splatoon online. So since there's now a paywall to play that, it'll be a hindrance. Think was IGN and I'm sure others that pointed out the trial is for the first few months, but will there be free trials for later adopters like with PS+ and Gold?

PraxisPete

FAILSAFE 00 wrote: »

I think the major issue that trumps all is the price.

A Nintendo console is usually the 2nd or 3rd console in most gamers homes so with this in mind it needs to be at a price point that reflects it as being the second or even third choice. Coming in at a price point above a households primary console is not going to help with generating decent sales.

I think they'll be helped by how poor the Xbox One is though. If you have a ps4 there is no need for an Xbox but the Switch offers something really different as a second console.

CiDeRmAn

PraxisPete wrote: »

I think they'll be helped by how poor the Xbox One is though. If you have a ps4 there is no need for an Xbox but the Switch offers something really different as a second console.

At last, a non-regular who get it!
Also, if you have a decent gaming PC, you don't need any console other than a Switch!

nairy hipples

I honestly think that they won't be killing off the (3)DS line just yet. Watching the reveal trailer they keep mentioning it as a HOME console which can be taken on the move. They stress quite often the "home" aspect of this. I think they're covering their bases so that if Switch isn't that successful (and I sincerely hope it is, we need Nintendo in the home console market to keep it fresh) then there'll be a handheld released in a few years...

MilesMorales1

CastorTroy wrote: »

I think one of the biggest question marks now is over the Online. How much will it be?

I'm not an online player, but I did play a lot of Splatoon online. So since there's now a paywall to play that, it'll be a hindrance. Think was IGN and I'm sure others that pointed out the trial is for the first few months, but will there be free trials for later adopters like with PS+ and Gold?

I assume thats the case, maybe it'll come with a code in the box? Or the trial is a fixed term that starts from day one to day thirty when you make the account.

Edit - the PS4 had a slow start but has really come into its own by now, and has a steady stream of exclusives on it and a fair amount already on them, I love it. The Xbox One doesn't have much on it, and doesn't have much to come. Switch has the potenial to be a great second consolem, side console. I honestly think we're underestimating the local multiplayer aspect, I think it looks fantastic. How often does someone lean over when playing a portable console and ask what you're playing? Happens to me all the time.

I think they're missing a trick by not having something to properly show it off at launch, Rayman or Mario Kart.

Valord

Danonino. wrote: »

I don't think the switches faith lies in 3rd party, or Assassin's creed, COD etc. Who actually buys a Nintendo consoles to play rainbow six online with their friends? Sweet feck all I say.

Well, nobody, because those games don't get released on the console. That's the issue. People don't think of a Nintendo console as one where they can get all (or nearly all) of the games they want, so they don't buy it, because most don't have the luxury of saying "I'll buy one console to do this, and another console to do that".

Vyse wrote: »

Interestingly there are continuing cries for Nintendo to go multi-platform as if they would sell their games by the bucket load. I'm not convinced of this either. If there was such an appetite to play Nintendo games I think this would have been reflected in the WiiU sales.

I do think people tend to overestimate the broad appeal of many of Nintendo's franchise games, the likes of Zelda or Metroid Prime are things I would not expect to be selling like the Call of Duty games at their peak. However, there is no doubt that they probably do very well if marketed properly and games like Mario Kart and Smash Bros would be chart-toppers if they were cross-platform. It would be very different compared to having them on an exclusive console like the Wii U where the barrier for entry is so much higher and the marketing was so poor.

johnpatrick81 wrote: »

It could have had a single solid exclusive game.

You don't consider Zelda to be a solid game? I can scarcely think of another franchise that has such a consistently high-quality.

CiDeRmAn

nairy hipples wrote: »

I honestly think that they won't be killing off the (3)DS line just yet. Watching the reveal trailer they keep mentioning it as a HOME console which can be taken on the move. They stress quite often the "home" aspect of this. I think they're covering their bases so that if Switch isn't that successful (and I sincerely hope it is, we need Nintendo in the home console market to keep it fresh) then there'll be a handheld released in a few years...

I can see the Switch being marketed as a home console that you can use on the go, right up to the run up to Christmas and, sure as eggs is eggs, there'll be a portable version released, with a new colour scheme and no dock.
It'll still work with a dock, but it's primary purpose will be as a portable console. They could market it for N3DS:XL money, around €230, and make a killing with a superior Pokemon title for the holidays, possibly the Pokemon Star title, associated with Sun/Moon, that has been mentioned in these parts.

Picture it, with a custom casing/screen protector, on the shelf in Smyth's, could be the must have device of Christmas 2017.

Digital Solitude

MilesMorales1 wrote: »

I assume thats the case, maybe it'll come with a code in the box? Or the trial is a fixed term that starts from day one to day thirty when you make the account.

They said it was a trial period until the fall? Presumably it's a free for all until September or so. If you buy at launch, six months free, buy in August and you only get one or two.

That's what I read from it

MilesMorales1

But they'll assumedly (obviously I don't know anything) still have a trial period of sorts once the general free bit ends. For people who buy in September or October or for christmas, whatever.

It's smart they haven't said anything yet till they can gauge reactions and work out a good plan. Just very frustrating.

Digital Solitude

Probably, I'd expect 2 weeks to a month free if you buy the console after that, but this is Ninty.

Osmosis Jones

MilesMorales1 wrote: »

But they'll assumedly (obviously I don't know anything) still have a trial period of sorts once the general free bit ends. For people who buy in September or October or for christmas, whatever.

It's smart they haven't said anything yet till they can gauge reactions and work out a good plan. Just very frustrating.

According to the TB video it'll be $5 a month and the free trial actually runs until Fall 2018, although I don't know where he got the information.

Digital Solitude

Osmosis Jones wrote: »

According to the TB video it'll be a month and the free trial actually runs until Fall 2018, although I don't know where he got the information.

So $60 a year?

Oh christ.

CiDeRmAn

Valord wrote: »

Well, nobody, because those games don't get released on the console. That's the issue. People don't think of a Nintendo console as one where they can get all (or nearly all) of the games they want, so they don't buy it, because most don't have the luxury of saying "I'll buy one console to do this, and another console to do that".

And yet, CoD Black Ops 2 and Ghosts, and Assassins Creed III and IV came to the WiiU.
And most people have to make a choice when they buy a console.
Buy an XboxOne and you'll never play Bloodborne or Mario Kart 8
Buy a PS4 and you'll never play Halo 5 or Super Mario 3D World
Buy a Switch and, well, we don't really know yet what EA/Activision/Ubisoft are or aren't bringing to the table.

And, to repeat what has been said but doesn't seem to be sinking in with a lot of people, the 3DS:XL seems to have made massive inroads into peoples homes, and most of those homes also have a Playstation or an Xbox in it. I expect that the Switch is going to share space in much the same way.

I do think people tend to overestimate the broad appeal of many of Nintendo's franchise games, the likes of Zelda or Metroid Prime are things I would not expect to be selling like the Call of Duty games at their peak.

Pokemon Sun/Moon, on one format, the 3DS, easily out sold Call of Duty Infinite Warfare which released over three formats, PC/PS4/XB1.

However, there is no doubt that they probably do very well if marketed properly and games like Mario Kart and Smash Bros would be chart-toppers if they were cross-platform. It would be very different compared to having them on an exclusive console like the Wii U where the barrier for entry is so much higher and the marketing was so poor.

Those games have been chart toppers, even though they were only on the WiiU.
Mario Kart 8 sold 8 million copies.
Smash Bros on the 3DS sold 8.35 million copies, and on the WiiU it sold 4.99 million copies.
This isn't in CoD territory, but it is, again, on a single format compared to the plethora of formats the CoD titles came out on.
To suggest that Mario Kart 8 would do better elsewhere reminds me of the bitterness about Bloodborne only coming to the PS4, with the explanation that the game is funded by Sony, which is a company that is hardly likely to see their investment used to sell Xbox consoles.
Nintendo are a hardware manufacturer, why would they consent to their games being used to promote someone elses hardware?
PS4/Xbox1 are little more than PC hardware in a fancy box, at least Nintendo have attempted to bring original experiences to the public with each console they make. And they have been consistently successful, with only two real failures in their history, the Virtual Boy and the WiiU.
A world left to MS and Sony is a dreary thought.

nairy hipples

I've made up my mind. Definitely getting a Switch. From watching the trailers again it's just sold me. The question now is whether to get it in March on launch or wait until Summer/Christmas, I have exams in April/May so I probably wouldn't get much time with it!

One thing I hope Nintendo do is market the bloody thing. It needs television adverts, paper adverts etc. Nintendo are notoriously poor on the marketing front. They need to get their message out there. If they nail the marketing I think Switch will be a success

orubiru

Regarding the price, how much did people actually expect it to cost? How does that compare to other gadgets/consoles?

Regarding games, how many games to consoles generally have available at release? How many of those games are actually any good?

My experience has pretty much always been that buying a console on release day is quite expensive and there are very few games that are actually any good at launch. You probably end up with 1 or 2 great launch games and a load of games that you only play because there's nothing else.

Looks like Nintendo will have the same problem here as they had with the WiiU. There is a loyal fanbase that will buy the console and will end up looking back on it fondly but most other people will just ignore it.

I don't get the "Nintendo is finished" point of view as you can't really say that without comparing how much it costs them to make the console against how much revenue they actually make. I'm not sure I've seen anyone doing that.

Tangent : Watching the TotalBiscuit video there. How the hell can anyone tell whether they are playing a game at 30 fps versus 60 fps?

BrianG23

CiDeRmAn wrote: »

And yet, CoD Black Ops 2 and Ghosts, and Assassins Creed III and IV came to the WiiU.
And most people have to make a choice when they buy a console.
Buy an XboxOne and you'll never play Bloodborne or Mario Kart 8
Buy a PS4 and you'll never play Halo 5 or Super Mario 3D World
Buy a Switch and, well, we don't really know yet what EA/Activision/Ubisoft are or aren't bringing to the table.

And, to repeat what has been said but doesn't seem to be sinking in with a lot of people, the 3DS:XL seems to have made massive inroads into peoples homes, and most of those homes also have a Playstation or an Xbox in it. I expect that the Switch is going to share space in much the same way.

Pokemon Sun/Moon, on one format, the 3DS, easily out sold Call of Duty Infinite Warfare which released over three formats, PC/PS4/XB1.

Those games have been chart toppers, even though they were only on the WiiU.
Mario Kart 8 sold 8 million copies.
Smash Bros on the 3DS sold 8.35 million copies, and on the WiiU it sold 4.99 million copies.
This isn't in CoD territory, but it is, again, on a single format compared to the plethora of formats the CoD titles came out on.
To suggest that Mario Kart 8 would do better elsewhere reminds me of the bitterness about Bloodborne only coming to the PS4, with the explanation that the game is funded by Sony, which is a company that is hardly likely to see their investment used to sell Xbox consoles.
Nintendo are a hardware manufacturer, why would they consent to their games being used to promote someone elses hardware?
PS4/Xbox1 are little more than PC hardware in a fancy box, at least Nintendo have attempted to bring original experiences to the public with each console they make. And they have been consistently successful, with only two real failures in their history, the Virtual Boy and the WiiU.
A world left to MS and Sony is a dreary thought.

Those games all came way later, just like Skyrim is coming to the switch. It's a long time apart. Xbox has plenty of games even though theres barely any exclusives left. It still gets the likes of FFXV, MGS, resisdent evil etc etc. The problem with it, theres not much to separate it from Ps4 anymore, which gets all of those AND a crapload of exclusives. Ps4 definitely holds the best value for money. Nintendo are almost becoming a niche over the last couple years. Especially as someone with multiple consoles. If you had to choose between an Xbox, Ps and Nintendo, the Nintendo will always have the least amount of quality games. Ps and xbox fluctuate though Ps is certainly jumping ahead this time.

MilesMorales1

Valord wrote: »

Well, nobody, because those games don't get released on the console. That's the issue. People don't think of a Nintendo console as one where they can get all (or nearly all) of the games they want, so they don't buy it, because most don't have the luxury of saying "I'll buy one console to do this, and another console to do that".

I do think people tend to overestimate the broad appeal of many of Nintendo's franchise games, the likes of Zelda or Metroid Prime are things I would not expect to be selling like the Call of Duty games at their peak. However, there is no doubt that they probably do very well if marketed properly and games like Mario Kart and Smash Bros would be chart-toppers if they were cross-platform. It would be very different compared to having them on an exclusive console like the Wii U where the barrier for entry is so much higher and the marketing was so poor.

You don't consider Zelda to be a solid game? I can scarcely think of another franchise that has such a consistently high-quality.

Zelda is fantastic. Not exclusive though, cheaper to buy a Wii U if you only wanted that.