Official Nintendo Switch Discussion Thread

[SimonBarSinister]

Regardless, the Switch has come out to near universal praise. Analysts are praising the thing to high heaven and stock prices have risen quite a bit in the last day. People in general seem a lot more positive about this than the Wii U at its reveal. I think it's okay to be optimistic here.

And that's cool and all, but I just like to be wary of what Nintendo has in store.

 

[Johnknight1]

And that's cool and all, but I just like to be wary of what Nintendo has in store.

They're combining their home and portable consoles into one.

Their portable consoles have always been money, and the N64, GCN, Wii and Wii U all had stretches where they were amazing.

Combining both into one means that we will likely have nothing but awesome times ahead combined with super awesome times ahead (1st/2nd party title-wise), which is fantastic.

Then you throw in Nvidia and all they have to offer (namely being partnered with basically every studio but EA, who is already partnered with Nintendo and committed to the Switch with the EA Unity support), and you have some super awesome times ahead as well.

This console is going places, and it will be awesome. I can't wait for this ride. As a very hardcore and monetarily invested PC video game enthusiast, I can't wait to see where this console takes the entire console marketplace in the future. There's a very real chance that like the NES, this console changes the entire perspective and future of the home console market from here on out.

 

[PsychoIncarnate]

I'm probably going to use it as a portable console more, what matters to me is what the battery life is going to be, and probably frame rate in it's mobile form

 

[MOI-ARI]

really pleased that the rumour was true. Such a ingenious concept that will be fun and useful. Looks pretty uncanny for a Nintendo device, but it's mostly because the bland color choice. Lets just hope that battery life is at least 5 hours with highest backlight settings.

Im also real happy the screen isn't smaller than the Wiiu gamepad's, which i initially thought. after some closer looks and size references in the footage of the console, i came to the conclusion that it's pretty much the same size as the gamepad screen.

The concluded measurement for the height of the screen, being approximately 4inches. and i just took it from there. Each green line in the pic representing 4 inches and spanning two over the screen it equals the same width as the wiiu gamepad's screen at around 5. something inches across, (fyi i zoomed in on the image until the green lines matched 4inches on my ruler, i then measured the screen independently.) Though alot of people assumed it was the same anyways, so im silly....

 

[Johnknight1]

I'm probably going to use it as a portable console more, what matters to me is what the battery life is going to be, and probably frame rate in it's mobile form

Battery shouldn't be a problem if you get a portable charger. I got one for my phone, and that specific portable charger could probably fill up that Nintendo Switch portable battery 2 times over.

The mobile form is likely going to have a few 30fps experiences though. I wouldn't be shocked if Zelda: Breath of the Wild was 720p/30fps on both the Wii U and Switch portable mode, although that would hardly be the worst fate ever (so many 3DS games are 240p/30fps, which is just abysmal to play when there are massive frame drops lol). Nvidia Tegra tech will probably prevent massive frame drops in the portable variant of the Switch for at least a few years (sans when you first switch, which is quite frankly something no technology maker or console manufacturer can really stabilize).

 

[AEMehr]

Nintendo shows enthusiasm for eSports, but once again, ignores the community that ACTUALLY has a competitive scene already. NEAT.

Japanese company supporting / showing off a Japanese eSport? You do know how the Japanese Smash scene works right? Nintendo has literally nothing to do with them outside of like two events. Why would they not show Splatoon as their eSport platform when they're hosting tournaments all the time for it.

 

[Deleted member]

Nintendo Switch? the fusion of home console and handheld console, the ability to play at home or on the go the games return of cartridges, and even the Nintendo Switch dock and Nintendo Switch Joy-Con Controller and Nintendo Joy-Con Grip So yeah overall I like Nintendo Switch hope it does well!

 

[Johnknight1]

Japanese company supporting / showing off a Japanese eSport? You do know how the Japanese Smash scene works right? Nintendo has literally nothing to do with them outside of like two events. Why would they not show Splatoon as their eSport platform when they're hosting tournaments all the time for it.

To be fair, Manly isn't totally wrong. Smash Bros is by and large ignored. Smash 4 and Melee are among the 5-8 biggest esports in the world right now, and Nintendo isn't using that.

Lesser esport titles like Halo, Heroes of the Storm, Smite, Mortal Kombat XL, Rocket League, Tekken 7, etc. all have esport leagues run by the developers/producers of said game with huge pot bonuses for those games. Smash doesn't have that.

Nintendo could EASILY make a killing off of Smash 4 DLC outfits featuring teams/organizations with sponsored players (say for instance TSM with ZeRo, Cloud 9 with Ally) like what Smite does with their skins to fund events and pay these organizations and players, but Nintendo doesn't.

That's a huge missed opportunity to make all these businesses richer, grow Smash 4 as an esport, and make Smash 4 competitive enthusiasts happy (and yes, there are hundreds of thousands of them!).

Splatoon, while yes it has a scene, is hardly even a bleep on the radar. Heck, the local scene in NorCal here for Smash 4 is bigger than the global scene for Splatoon (and you could say that about many local scenes). It's a comparison of apples and the apple tree almost.

 

[finalark]

none of the DK games were good.

Donkey Kong Jungle Beat is a horribly underrated masterpiece, I agree.

the Sonic Adventure games are practically unplayable bad glitchy ports from the Dreamcast,

Actually, both games are are better than their original DC versions thanks to having less bugs and more features.

Don't get me wrong, the Wii U is a mess and way worse, but don't pretend Gamecube was anything but a disappointment.

I'm still willing to argue that the N64 was a disappointment. Nintendo's been plague by the same exact problems every single generation starting in the mid-90s.

SMM was disappointing.

I don't know what you were expecting. It's litterally a tool to make 2D Mario levels in and nothing else.

Fatal Frame wasn't scary.

I liked Fatal Frame V. No, it wasn't amazing by any means, and no it wasn't scary (IMO most horror games aren't anyway) but it was fun to play.

piss for 3rd party support outside Platinum Games

I will keep hammering this in until the day I die.

This is not new. Nintendo has struggled with third party support since the N64 days. The GCN also had similar issues, as did the Wii.

And the 64 ALSO suffered from having a slow trickle of games come in in the beginning.

So did the GCN, but in reverse. The console didn't get its library overnight, after all.

That being said, I do agree with you on many points. Not as extreme, but I do feel like the Wii U was a ton of rehashed nostalgia bait and platformers. Dear god, the endless platformers. Don't get me wrong, I like the genre and will gladly play them but there's a point where I felt like every single one of the console's heavy hitters was some revival of a SNES-era platformer. And unfortunately for me, most other Wii U games I was looking forward too ended up going in a direction I don't care for.

 

[PsychoIncarnate]

To be fair, Manly isn't totally wrong. Smash Bros is by and large ignored. Smash 4 and Melee are among the 5-8 biggest esports in the world right now, and Nintendo isn't using that.

Lesser esport titles like Halo, Heroes of the Storm, Smite, Mortal Kombat XL, Rocket League, Tekken 7, etc. all have esport leagues run by the developers/producers of said game with huge pot bonuses for those games. Smash doesn't have that.

Nintendo could EASILY make a killing off of Smash 4 DLC outfits featuring teams/organizations with sponsored players (say for instance TSM with ZeRo, Cloud 9 with Ally) like what Smite does with their skins to fund events and pay these organizations and players, but Nintendo doesn't.

That's a huge missed opportunity to make all these businesses richer, grow Smash 4 as an esport, and make Smash 4 competitive enthusiasts happy (and yes, there are hundreds of thousands of them!).

Splatoon, while yes it has a scene, is hardly even a bleep on the radar. Heck, the local scene in NorCal here for Smash 4 is bigger than the global scene for Splatoon (and you could say that about many local scenes). It's a comparison of apples and the apple tree almost.

Maybe they didn't want to confirm a Smash Switch port quite yet

 

[AEMehr]

To be fair, Manly isn't totally wrong. Smash Bros is by and large ignored. Smash 4 and Melee are among the 5-8 biggest esports in the world right now, and Nintendo isn't using that.

Lesser esport titles like Halo, Heroes of the Storm, Smite, Mortal Kombat XL, Rocket League, Tekken 7, etc. all have esport leagues run by the developers/producers of said game with huge pot bonuses for those games. Smash doesn't have that.

Nintendo could EASILY make a killing off of Smash 4 DLC outfits featuring teams/organizations with sponsored players (say for instance TSM with ZeRo, Cloud 9 with Ally) like what Smite does with their skins to fund events and pay these organizations and players, but Nintendo doesn't.

That's a huge missed opportunity to make all these businesses richer, grow Smash 4 as an esport, and make Smash 4 competitive enthusiasts happy (and yes, there are hundreds of thousands of them!).

Splatoon, while yes it has a scene, is hardly even a bleep on the radar. Heck, the local scene in NorCal here for Smash 4 is bigger than the global scene for Splatoon (and you could say that about many local scenes). It's a comparison of apples and the apple tree almost.

You somehow avoided the part in my post where I said the Japanese Company is going to support the Japanese eSport. I don't think comp. Splatoon is much of a thing anywhere outside of Japan but it seems to be huge enough for Nintendo to consistently host events for it.

I don't understand why you're trying to explain why Smash is a better fit to be a supported eSport to a Smash player, but Comp. Smash in Japan to Nintendo may as well be what Comp. Splatoon is in the rest of the world. I was just explaining why that shouldn't be surprising, the Smash community built itself and should manage itself according to Nintendo.

 

[Deleted member]

To be fair, Manly isn't totally wrong. Smash Bros is by and large ignored. Smash 4 and Melee are among the 5-8 biggest esports in the world right now, and Nintendo isn't using that.

Lesser esport titles like Halo, Heroes of the Storm, Smite, Mortal Kombat XL, Rocket League, Tekken 7, etc. all have esport leagues run by the developers/producers of said game with huge pot bonuses for those games. Smash doesn't have that.

Nintendo could EASILY make a killing off of Smash 4 DLC outfits featuring teams/organizations with sponsored players (say for instance TSM with ZeRo, Cloud 9 with Ally) like what Smite does with their skins to fund events and pay these organizations and players, but Nintendo doesn't.

That's a huge missed opportunity to make all these businesses richer, grow Smash 4 as an esport, and make Smash 4 competitive enthusiasts happy (and yes, there are hundreds of thousands of them!).

Splatoon, while yes it has a scene, is hardly even a bleep on the radar. Heck, the local scene in NorCal here for Smash 4 is bigger than the global scene for Splatoon (and you could say that about many local scenes). It's a comparison of apples and the apple tree almost.

Holy ****!

John Knight, long time no see dude.


So I posted this in the other thread, and I thought it was notable enough here to bring up discussion:

Spoiler: Analysis of the Industry, and the Switch

Actually, it's fairly easy to make a reasonable and logical analysis of how the Switch will perform given the information we've been shown, combined with a simply look at the current trends in the market/industry.

I honestly doubt it's gonna do well with how the PS4 is performing. For starters, if it's Tegra (which it most likely is, considering Nvidya already confirmed it's their chipset), at best it'll be 85% as powerful as the PS4 WHEN DOCKED, and it won't even come close to the Neo and the Scorpio, whom both Sony and Microsoft felt were NECESSARY upgrades, due to demand from devs (as well as the advent of VR). So on that front the Switch is already underwhelming. It showed off Skyrim (seemingly remaster), and people are hyping this up like it matters because they believe that normies wanna play Skyrim on the go.

Except there are two problems with this. 1) Skyrim is NOT a game suitable for on the go play. It is a game you sit down, and play for long sessions, getting involved in every minute detail of you environment. So the people who think this is a good idea, will at best try it once, and then realize that it's not all that, and then drop it. 2) The idiots WANTING to buy a remaster of a game that already runs better on PC with EMD mods, are gonna get it on the most powerful machine that will make it look the prettiest, ergo, the Neo. With which, the Switch certainly cannot compete.

Secondly, the market right now is almost entirely owned by the PS4. Everyone has one of those, and even Microsoft is struggling to compete with Sony. How on EARTH is Nintendo gonna draw attention from that crowd? The biggest games out right now are Overwatch, Street Fighter V, and to a smaller degree FFXV (which we'll see on FF, as it might flop critically). If the Switch doesn't get any of those, it's not gonna do well. Especially it comes out in 5 months, and Overwatch will certainly still be relevant then. However, there's a catch here. Most gamers are already playing OW on PC, and wouldn't ever bother to play it on console. Meanwhile, most casuals and normies are playing it where most of their friends are playing it, as OW, to them, is a social experience. In other words, they're playing it on the PS4. So even IF OW came to Switch, I doubt it would help much, as most people will already have it on PS4, and if they upgrade to Neo, they can play the same version of the game there, and they won't really bother to shell out $300/$400 one a Nintendo console, with not many other games to play, and no friends to play it with. So here comes our loop. The PS4 ALREADY has a strong install base, and casual gamers will get the games their friends are playing on the consoles their friends have, in order to play with them.

So, Nintendo won't be able to compete with most core gamers again, at least no directly.

So, casual nongamers. The crowd the Wii drew in. Well, LOOK at the Switch, look at how clunky and bulky that thing is. Unless it comes with enough special features to compete with most smartphones on the market, it won't do well. In addition, designwise, it's nowhere near as sleek as most smarphones today. Setting up a tablet on a table, and pulling out two mini controllers is "too much" for your average person. Not to mention, most high end smarthphones ALREADY out already outperform it, and we have much more coming out soon. South Korea is already developing 11k resolution... for MOBILES.

Furthermore, we have the battery life, and this will be the biggest drawback here, as well as what determines the overall cost of this thing. If it's a powerful Tegra X2, or a variant of it, don't expect much in terms of battery life, UNLESS it comes with expensive batteries, which I doubt, as it would drive the price up well over the $700 price range. Meaning, with your average battery, you're looking at 2-3h of gaming time, AT BEST. Since that's what most mobiles can handle with much smaller and less intense games. No doubt, the design of the device, as well as the battery, will be the deciding factor for most casuals. Most would just rather play Candy Crush on their $700 phones, they don't care for ACTUAL gaming. And most gamers are Savvy enough to know that your average Android capable phone is able to emulate everything from the PS2, back. So they sure as hell wouldn't bother on a new Nintendo device that has a questionable future in terms of library (unless it got hacked, but that's a different story).

Which brings me to my next point. The games:

So, in the trailer, the 1st party titles we saw were:
Another Mario platformer
ANOTHER Mario Kart
What's presumably a port of Splatoon, or at best an exclusive sequel
A port of a WiiU Zelda title

And that's really it. People are hyped for Pokemon on console, and Monster Hunter on console. But for one, the latter already exists on WiiU, and it didn't make a difference for it. And second this is a very similar situation to the WiiU. This is NOT how you launch a console mid generation. No one is gonna pay any mind to the Switch if it's got NO exclusive killer apps right off the bat. And I don't mean just one or two, but EVERYTHING. Zelda, Mario, Metroid, Smash, DK, FZero, Kirby, Pikmin, Animal Crossing, Splatoon, new IP. IT ALL needs to come out within the first year to have any relevance among gamers. Without that, no one is gonna buy it, which means most 3rd party devs will bail on it after they keep their one game promise, and it'll fade into obscurity. And Nintendo can't continue to churn out casualized forms of their mature IP. On the contrary, it needs to let gamers know that it has games for them too, as well as get its slice of all the multiplat games that everyone loves, and after that.... You have a Gamecube situation at best. With Nintendo running 3rd leg and getting the worst version of the games everyone else is playing on the Playstation. But hey, it's better than a total flop I guess.

So at the end of it all, when you look at the market, and the industry, you really have to ask yourself, now that the Switch has been revealed. WHO? exactly is this machine meant to appeal to? It refuses to compete directly with Sony, it dropped mid gen and doesn't have a very strong launch considering the leaks, and it's too clumsy for the nongamers who already have smartphones. It also won't do VR.

I'll personally be very surprised to see this console be a sweeping success. My pessimism isn't pessimism, it's me saying what I said when Iwata namedropped this thing two years ago. Killing the WiiU early and releasing a console mid-gen when the PS4 ALREADY has a very large established userbase is a very stupid move. Not to mention Sony already one upped Nintendo by releasing the Neo, just before Christmas too.

I honestly DO think Nintendo should just become a 3rd party software developer at this point, rather than continuing to build underpowered consoles. Because they only thing that matters about them at this point is their games, and even those are suffering in their attempts to appeal to a broader audience.

However, I've slept on things, and had some discussions with friends and in other forums, and there are some things I wanna follow up on. I guess my overall thoughts have shifted from "this will most likely bomb" to "IF Nintendo does this, this might actually be a great success."

So, first off, we need to look at how the gaming industry divides:

So, based on the rumors, and leaks about the NX. Everyone is talking about how this is "Hybrid" console. Something that combines the best of console gaming, with the best of portable gaming. Which would place the Switch as something as a bit of a mix between the Grey, and Light Pink. Which, as you can see, is exactly why I was so initially pessimistic about all this. This is NOT a good idea. It's not innovative at all really, and it really wouldn't penetrate any other markets. All you'd be left with is essentially a console that sacrificed power, for the sake of that slight 2% or essentially a gimmick that tries to get the best of both worlds and ends up with none. Plain and simple, a console lacking in power, coming out mid gen, CANNOT compete with the titan that is the PS4, to whom, the biggest chuck of that grey 29% belongs to. End of story. And, based on what the Switch is, it will most certainly be unable to compete with the PS4 Pro, and the advent of VR.

However, there is another side to this.

If look closely at the chart, you'll see that Mobile, and Portable are two different markets, and the tablet/phone market is essentially cannibalizing the handheld industry.

So, what if Nintendo, flat out decides that it's no longer gonna make consoles where it cannot compete, and instead penetrate a new market with what it's best at?

No matter what Nintendo does, there really is no chance they'll ever regain themselves as the king of the gray 29% of the chart, and with the small pink 2% just waiting to fully vanish, this might just be their strategy with the Switch. What do I mean by this? Well, look at how big the Tablet/Mobile market is? Combined, they make up over 39% of the total market. Much more than the markets Nintendo handles.

So, what if, instead of making a gimmicky hybrid console, Nintendo is making a GAMING TABLET. Then you have success. However, this depends on two key factors, one, how the Switch is marketed, and two, the specs and features of the machine. If the Switch is a "hybrid console" as has been rumored and hyped by pretty much everyone, it WILL be dead on arrival. As it's trying to become relevant in a market it's struggling to compete, by not competing. But, actual "hard core" video games don't exist on the Mobile/Tablet industry, and if Nintendo is pitching the Switch to those consumers as a "dedicated gaming tablet" as "bringing hard core games, to tablets," then it WILL succeed, IF they do it right.

How well would it do?

Well, if the Switch is trying to penetrate these markets, then it might resurface interest in portable gaming, but it also now competes with ACTUAL tablets, meaning its main competitors are no longer Sony and Microsoft, but Apple and Samsung instead.

Which means that it cannot be a dedicated gaming device anymore, but rather a tablet that has all of the features standard to tablets, and add to that the functionality and library of a dedicated gaming platform. Giving consumers the ability to play ports of Overwatch, Street Fighter, and Guilty Gear on a tablet would be HUGE. Again, Nintendo needs to be BRINGING gaming, to this market, not "combining two devices." But, again, it HAS to be a tablet, it HAS to be. It has to offer all of the features standard to its competitors, Apple and Samsung, in order to be a viable competitor in this market. Imagine a device that like the Samsung Galaxy Note, but with a PS4 library of downsized ports, and NINTENDO games. Everyone and their dog would want that. You can bet your ass all the kids would ask for the Switch as the must have gadget over a Samsung or an iPad, simply because it's a tablet with REAL games. Consumers looking to buy a new tablet, would actually look toward the Switch as a candidate out of the sheer potential to have a massive library of genuine games to play, because believe it or not, a lot of tablet consumers do get these things simply to play App games.

Now, for this to succeed it MUST have the following features:
- it needs an app store that competes with the Google Play store. One which allows access to all the hot mobile games and apps already available on tablets and phones, this includes casual stuff like Candy Crush, but also just general functional apps like Whatsapp and Skype, and Instagram and Facebook and tumblr.
-the app store ALSO needs to open its doors to indie devs like Steam and the Playstation Store have, as well as have sales and discounts on games like both those stores have done.
-it needs to launch with a back catalog of EVERY 1st party Nintendo game from the Wii, backwards, right off the bat, rather than trickle them in
-It NEEDS TO HAVE, and absolutely needs a good OS that can rival Android and iOS and Windows, because again, it has to offer all the features of an actual tablet
-it needs a solid video playback app, as well as a gallery app, etc...
-it needs to have a touch screen, and gyros, and a microphone, and a camera (WiiU gamepad had all these)
-it needs a good browser, or at least the ability to download Chrome or Firefox onto it
-it needs 4G and 5G wireless capabilities, bluetooth, and of course WiFi
-it needs USB 3.0 support, as well as SDHC, but that's a given
-it needs a unified account system (which has been teased already)
-good servers with a variety of online features
-and of course, it needs to be easy to develop for, so that it can get ports of all the hot games coming to PS4, PC, etc... and providing those to the tablet market though its machine, this is KEY
-and finally it needs to have a battery life that lasts more than a couple hours. It can get away with 2-3 hours of gaming, if its battery can last a solid 9 hours of web browsing and stuff, and a good 12 hours on standby.

The machine needs to be focused on being a mobile device first, and the docking aspect needs to be a FEATURE, like "you can play all these games on your TV with a power boost" rather than the central focus of the machine. If it can do this, then Nintendo would be competing in a new market, and draw attention from new consumers, while also opening the doors for 3rd party devs to make games for those audiences as well, as well as bring most hard core games to this new market. If done right, I can certainly see the Switch not only succeeding, but also becoming a solid and dominant force in the tablet market, as the go to "gaming tablet."

Now, this has been tried before, but not to much success. The Nvidya Shield is a common name tossed around, but other companies have tried it as well. Now if Nintendo, with their recognizable brand name, and support from 3rd party devs gives it a go, it certainly has the potential to succeed. If this is the case, the Switch might just be something worth getting excited about.

But we'll just have to wait and see till we get more info on this. If the "Switch" means that you can switch between console and portable, as a dedicated gaming device, then this will most certainly fail imo, but if by "Switch" they mean that they are "Switching" their strategy to open up gaming to a new market, then this might be very successful. But again, it's CRUCIAL that it is a viable tablet, with all of the "portable PC" features that Apple and Samsung offer, and that it has a competitive app store than not only offers apps and app games for casuals to enjoy and play on their Switch, but also a vast library of games available on more powerful consoles like the PS4 and Xbone to play on this machine, that would also appeal to dedicated gamers who would wanna get a portable gaming tablet to play AAA games in. Nintendo needs to bring dedicated gaming, to tablets, if they do that, the that would be the evolution of portable gaming. As this device would pretty much have everything you could want, all in one handy machine. Nintendo games, 3rd party games, a handy portable tablet, apps, social media, etc...

And, considering the massive 3rd party support shown in the trailer, we saw Capcom, and Arc System Works, and From, and Konami, and many many others, I think it's very possible the Switch might be getting a lot of ports of hot PS4/Xbone/PC games, as devs would be very interested in seeing those games try and reach new markets, with a new way to play, sure, not as powerful as the PS4 Pro, but still very powerful as it is, and with all the features of a Samsung tablet.

We'll see though. The key lies in the specs and features of this machine, and how Nintendo markets it. Again, if it's a hybrid dedicated console, it's dead on arrival. But if it's gonna be pushed as a gaming tablet... then it might just become a huge hit. Personally, I'm not too stoked about another gimmicky machine with only Nintendo exclusives, and most gamers feel this way, just look at the trend in Nintendo console sales. Now, if they offer a portable tablet than can play most AAA games, as well as Nintendo games, then that's a different story.

Those are my closing thoughts on this until we get more info on this.

 

[Ura]

The thing i'm worried about mostly is the price point. The Wii U was like $300 dollars when it first came out so the Switch is likely to be $350-$400 (don't know if this is including accessories and stuff). Combine that with Canadian video game prices being higher than it is in the States and i'm looking at something close to $500 after tax.

Other than that i'm really looking forward to potentially getting the Switch. The concept looks really fun and the lineup looks to be very promising. Especially the new 3D Mario game that looks amazing. Just really hoping for an Advance Wars game at launch. If there was ever a time to bring the series back it's now with the Switch being perfect for a new AW game and all the Amiibo's that can be made from the various units.

 

[Deleted member]

The thing i'm worried about mostly is the price point. The Wii U was like $300 dollars when it first came out so the Switch is likely to be $350-$400 (don't know if this is including accessories and stuff). Combine that with Canadian video game prices being higher than it is in the States and i'm looking at something close to $500 after tax.

Other than that i'm really looking forward to potentially getting the Switch. The concept looks really fun and the lineup looks to be very promising. Especially the new 3D Mario game that looks amazing. Just really hoping for an Advance Wars game at launch. If there was ever a time to bring the series back it's now with the Switch being perfect for a new AW game and all the Amiibo's that can be made from the various units.

Depends. The tablets out the market out now range from between $250 and $700 on average. If the Switch has all the features of a tablet on it, then an asking price of about $400-500 is actually reasonable as a "gaming tablet" (500 might be a little steep, but it depends on the specs vs price really), but if it's a dedicated gaming device, then anything above $350 is too much. Hell, even that is too much, as now it's hardly offering anything worthwhile, for 50 bucks less than the PS4 Pro.

 

[PsychoIncarnate]

Sources are saying the battery life of the Switch is only 3 hours

I don't see people being able to take it on airplane rides realistically like the commercial shows with that battery life

 

[LancerStaff]

You are pretty much my polar opposite, aren't you?


You still have the 3DS chugging along.

Seems so. What systems did you grow up on? I had a barely functional NES, a SNES, and a N64 when I really started. I feel like the only Nintendo fan from that era that didn't like the N64 sometimes...

The whole point of the Switch here is to merge the two lines so we don't have ridiculous droughts again... Well more like it's axing Nintendo's consoles and giving us some console features on the handheld. Judging from how most of their handheld devs are listed as developing for the NX, I'm pretty sure support's going to dry up soon.

 

[finalark]

Sources are saying the battery life of the Switch is only 3 hours

I don't see people being able to take it on airplane rides realistically like the commercial shows with that battery life

This was one of my biggest fears.

 

[Deleted member]

Sources are saying the battery life of the Switch is only 3 hours

I don't see people being able to take it on airplane rides realistically like the commercial shows with that battery life

Again, if it's a dedicated gaming console, it's absolutely ****ed. It basically becomes an underpowered home console, with a near useless portable aspect to it, and ZERO 3rd party support.

If it's a fully functional tablet, then 3 hours of battery for gaming is fine, if the web browsing and youtube, and apps last for a solid 9 hours. That's the standard for this market.

The only chance this thing has at being successful, is if it manages to get a very large install base as "the gaming tablet" so that 3rd party devs will port all of their big hitter games to it, and the only way it'll have mass appeal, is for it to corner a new market. As a dedicated gaming console, this thing is gonna have a hard time retaining those 3rd party devs. Like with the WiiU, they'll all jump ship once it starts underperforming in sales. Reception for the Switch is already mostly lukewarm at best outside of Nintendo communities, a lot of people are skeptical, and many faces of the gaming community like Maximillian Dood, and PewdiePie have even **** on it straight up. These are people the consumer LISTENS to. Most gamers aren't interested in a gaming device that will have half the games as the PS4, half the power of the Neo, and the usual factory line Nintendo exclusives that everyone has gotten pretty tired of at this point. Nobody wants to pay premium to play Nintendo exclusives and a handful of 3rd parties anymore.

It needs to do the PS2 strategy, and appeal to a broader base through a variety of nongaming features that are the hottest items in the tech industry today, and then add the gaming aspect onto that. But if Nintendo's gonna try to compete with Sony and Microsoft head on with an underpowered hybrid console, with three hours of battery life and a fraction of the performance of its competitors, it's a guaranteed flop. Because no matter how much Nintendo and its fans like to argue that "Nintendo doesn't compete directly with the rest of the console manufacturers" it most definitely does so long as it's in that Grey 29% of the chart, and their ignorance of this fact has been bleeding them support for decades now.

 

[Ura]

I bet Nintendo is banking on the fact that somehow their mobile games and whatever movies they're releasing will make people want to buy the Switch. Might work in the short term but won't last very long.

That being said i'm really excited for the console. Just thought that could be Niny's mindset with this console.

 

[Big-Cat]

I'm not gonna lie guys...

It sounds like you want a Nintendo Gamecube 2 more than anything else...

Sources are saying the battery life of the Switch is only 3 hours

I don't see people being able to take it on airplane rides realistically like the commercial shows with that battery life

Maybe there's a battery pack you can use. I will say though, this thing will be a lifesaver for anyone with kids on a road trip.

 

[Deleted member]

http://boards.4chan.org/v/thread/355438895

Japanese reception of the Switch reveal from 2ch, translated into English.

They don't seem to thrilled about it.

 

[Big-Cat]

Doesn't seem any more different than the typical comments on this side of the ocean.

 

[Deleted member]

Pretty much. You have your enthusiasts who are hyped about it, you have your naysayers, and you have the middle crowd who has a very "it MIGHT be good, if..." kind of attitude. Not many of the posts seemed like they felt it'd be particularly successful.

 

[Cheezey Bites]

2ch isn't exactly indicative, but I follow a bunch of Japanese gamers and less thanhalf have evem mentioned it. Only one has been negative per se, most have voiced concerns bu interest, and a handful are positive (mostly for Splatoon), but what's said isn't that important when people aren't even talking about it.

 

[dream1ng]

I wonder if the Japanese perception has anything to do with the fact that the reveal trailer was pretty western-focused. Really Splatoon is the only thing comparatively more popular in Japan that was shown afaik, which is probably why it apparently received the brunt of the positivity.

 

[finalark]

http://boards.4chan.org/v/thread/355438895

Japanese reception of the Switch reveal from 2ch, translated into English.

They don't seem to thrilled about it.

Don't forget that /2 chan is like 4 chan but apparently worse according to my friends across the pacific.

Although that being said, after skimming the comments it appears that our Japanese counterparts have just as much nerd rage as we do.

 

[Swamp Sensei]

https://pvplive.net/c/third-party-developer-planning-to-abandon-ps4-in-s

Uh... Wow.


That's fairly big if true.

 

[LancerStaff]

https://pvplive.net/c/third-party-developer-planning-to-abandon-ps4-in-s

Uh... Wow.


That's fairly big if true.

We don't know who it is, if it's true, or if it'll stick even if true...

Honestly this means next to nothing to us.

 

[SimonBarSinister]

Seems so. What systems did you grow up on? I had a barely functional NES, a SNES, and a N64 when I really started. I feel like the only Nintendo fan from that era that didn't like the N64 sometimes...

As far as I can remember there was an NES and SNES around, though I didn't have many notable games on them. When I finally nabbed it, most of my play time went to the N64. Enjoyed many hours on games like SM 64, MK 64, Paper Mario, Kirby 64, Ocarina of Time and many of the other well-known Nintendo titles. I don't know, I've always felt like there was a lot of good stuff on it. Same goes for GCN.

The whole point of the Switch here is to merge the two lines so we don't have ridiculous droughts again... Well more like it's axing Nintendo's consoles and giving us some console features on the handheld. Judging from how most of their handheld devs are listed as developing for the NX, I'm pretty sure support's going to dry up soon.

Seems to me more like a console with improved handheld features. Similar to the Wii U I might add. Well, either way, I hope this truly ends the practice of console-to-handheld games because all that does is hamper development just to make games function similarly between platforms.

Speaking of which, there's rumors floating around about a successor to the 3DS coming sometime in the future, but I'm not sure how likely that would be considering what the Switch is meant to be. And honestly, where would Nintendo actually go from the 3DS feature-wise? Would they continue the dual screens thing?

It sounds like you want a Nintendo Gamecube 2 more than anything else...

I won't lie, that would make me VERY happy.

People enjoy stuff they remember fondly. Just a fact of life, I guess.

 

[Cheezey Bites]

Speaking of which, there's rumors floating around about a successor to the 3DS coming sometime in the future, but I'm not sure how likely that would be considering what the Switch is meant to be. And honestly, where would Nintendo actually go from the 3DS feature-wise? Would they continue the dual screens thing?

I'm not sold but there's plenty of features to add, haptic touchscreens, especially fluid, would add a lot to touch based DS line. Foldable screens instead of hinges, the free-form display tech they've patented in gaming, let alone just being more powerful.

If Switch blows up I doubt we'll see a DS successor, but if it's only moderate then I think they have plenty of space to go.

 

[Deleted member]

https://pvplive.net/c/third-party-developer-planning-to-abandon-ps4-in-s

Uh... Wow.


That's fairly big if true.

...Taking clickbait articles at face value.

C'mon buddy. Look into the source material.

I saw the tweet get spread around yesterday, that is not what Mochizuki is saying at all. Here's the tweet he posted, right here:


He said, "they are moving PS4 titles, to Switch." Notice how the word "upcoming" is intentionally left out. What this means is that they are porting some of their titles, from PS4, to Switch, which is entirely expected tbh. It also happened with the Wii U at launch, many successful games like Bamham, and Deux Ex, and Darksiders, got Wii U ports. Which isn't particularly exciting news, and why the article is essentially clickbait.

Media is always out for a hot story to generate views m8, that's why the story got spun into an outlandish lie.

I mean, just look at it from the POV of a 3rd party dev. You're gonna take your upcoming exclusive, and move it from a platform with an install base of 40 million users, and put it onto one, with ZERO. It would be the stupidest move any company could do. Not to mention, when it comes to exclusives, and semi exclusives, there are often contracts involved, so it's not like a company could just up and take their game to a competitor after royalties have been paid. It's just common sense m8.

 

[Big-Cat]

I won't lie, that would make me VERY happy.

How are those rose tinted glasses?

 

[N3ON]

I certainly wouldn't complain if we got something like the Gamecube again. It might not have done too well for Nintendo but it was pretty awesome for the consumer, and the Nintendo fan. And that's coming from someone who prefers several other Nintendo consoles to the Gamecube.

That said I'm also looking forward to the Switch because taking console games on the go sounds great and a consolidated library is heaven. Though that rumoured battery life is kinda abysmal. :/

 

[Big-Cat]

If there's a USB charger, we're good.

 

[LancerStaff]

Just a friendly reminder that all footage of gameplay on the NX was simulated.
https://m.reddit.com/r/nintendo/comments/58tfqr/so_the_game_footage_is_edited_after_they_filmed/

Any apparent quality/quality issues or even wether or not certain games will even appear on the system cannot be judged from the trailer.

 

[SimonBarSinister]

How are those rose tinted glasses?

Still nice and shiny, thanks for asking.

 

[Johnknight1]

Holy ****!

John Knight, long time no see dude.

So long you forgot it is "Johnknight."

So I posted this in the other thread, and I thought it was notable enough here to bring up discussion:
*lots of words, just go to the post if you want to read it on your own by clicking here*

1: Don't underestimate Nvidia. Nvidia made Sony pay a premium for that powerful PS3. Sony hated the price, so they made the PS4 far less technologically sophisticated for the time with their AMD partnership.

Nvidia was angered they couldn't land the Xbox One or PS4. So angered they made the Nvidia Shield to expand into the console market a bit (with moderate success). But Nvidia hates moderate success, or moderately strong. They want it all.

That's why if you look at the most powerful graphics cards... they're all Nvidia cards. Nvidia in the last 5 years has slowly left AMD in the dust at the high end (and even in regards to market share), but in the last 3 years has done so especially effectively at the high end. They don't want to be just the bargain or the entry level brand, but the everything brand.

And nothing says "everything" like the cutting edge. And the next Tegra chip... is going to be stronger than whatever weak sauce GPU is in the PS4, Xbox One and even the PS4 Pro (aka a GPU weaker than 2010's GTX 580; let that heatsink in).

Nvidia is upset at Sony and Microsoft. They want Vengeance. Blow up your entire solar system vengeance. Nvidia isn't hyping this Tegra chip in the Nintendo Switch up to be the Maxwell Tegra we all know. No, they're hyping it up to be the Pascal Tegra. And if we have learned anything from the Pascal GTX 10/1000 series line, it is "holy crap this beat my expectations" (unless you are an enthusiast for graphics cards with insane expectations, like 4k everything). Nvidia is all about that right now.

And despite being a mobile chip, the Tegra 2 GPU is on pace to be at worst around where the PS4 Pro GPU will be at. If that is indeed what we get, the GPU performance will be on par with the PS4 Pro (although the current generations' performance issue isn't GPU or RAM [well sort of RAM], but CPU).

2: That's just the graphics card. Nintendo is going to have a CPU too, definitely from Intel. Now, while Nvidia vs. AMD in GPU's may have been a recent blowout in regards to variety and high end, Intel vs. AMD in CPU's is wayyyy more extreme. While Nintendo won't get a high end CPU (i7-4790k, i7-6700k, i5-6600k), it will likely get something worthy of an entry level PC build.

Now while that may sound disappointing, that's actually great in comparison to the PS4, PS4 Pro, and Xbox One. All those consoles essentially have 2 generations outdated $20 CPU's. Literally bargain bin level. The PS4 and Xbox One have 4-core, 1.75 and 1.70GHz CPU's respectively that are 2 generations old. That's pathetic by any modern standard. The cheapest Best Buy laptops have better CPU's then that. The laptop I got in 2009 had a better CPU than that.

Something like an Intel i3-6100 would be expected of the CPU if it is Intel (maybe a tad weaker, but I doubt any stronger). If it is custom made, expect it to be about there. Nintendo has historically been very good with CPU's and understanding them (as well as optimizing energy performance).

3: Remember the key difference between handheld and stationary devices. The reason a desktop performs better at gaming than a laptop is a variety of reasons. For one, a better power supply (since a desktop must ALWAYS be plugged, thus it is focused on performance). Secondly, better cooling (more space for fans, thus cooler temperatures. GPU's tend to max out around 90 C). So while the Nintendo Switch will likely keep the CPU, GPU and RAM intact while moved, it may lose fans (that are in the base) and whatnot.

This is the biggest reason for power drop offs, lowered resolution on the portable element (likely 720p vs. 1080p in the home variant), and less frames (along with frame drops when switching, which is inevitable). Now Nvidia has experience thanks to the Shield here on the mobile part. For the home system, both Nvidia and Nintendo have fantastic records with keeping their consoles cool (also in having low amounts of faulty systems/parts).

The Xbox One and PS4 have some issues in that department, although not as bad as their faulty predecessors. Given Nintendo being ahead of the curve there, that's another positive.

4: Don't underestimate Nvidia's partners. Capcom, Konami, Square Enix, Epic Games, Activision Blizzard, Bethesda, Ubisoft, 2K (and by extension Firaxis and Rockstar), etc. etc. etc. The only major studio I can think of partnered with AMD is EA.

Nvidia has cornered the partners market in PC gaming. Nvidia is going to bring that into the Nintendo Switch. Combine that with Nintendo's loyal 3rd party partners in Ubisoft, Capcom and Square Enix, and that covers pretty much the entire 3rd party video game industry. Because of Nvidia driver updates likely happening on the Nintendo Switch and Nvidia graphics cards simultaneously, expect video games on PC to come to the Nintendo Switch easily. Overwatch, Tekken 7, Quake Champions, Doom 4, Fallout 4, Dishonored 2, Dark Souls III... are all in play.

5: Don't underestimate Tegra support. Both the Unity and Unreal Engine 4 support Tegra. You know what runs on Unity? All kinds of mobile and card games, including Hearthstone.

You know what runs on Unreal Engine 4? Dragon Quest XI, the FF VII Remake, Kingdom Hearts III, Gears of War 4, Paragon, Shenmue III, Street Fighter V, Tekken 7. Heck, tons of game run on the Unreal Engine 3. With the Unreal Engine team at Epic Games working hand and hand with Nvidia and thus Nintendo, ports will be easier than with other systems. All of these listed games (well probably sans SF V, Shenmue III and Gears 4) could come to a Nintendo console.

6: A new console demands a new price point. At lowest, this console will debut at $400 (which is pretty cheap; maybe $50 more than the Wii when it launched at $500 about 10 years ago when adjusted for inflation in US Dollars).

Nintendo could debut this system for as high as $600. This isn't a console made to be a cheap one-off (like the PS4 and Xbox One are becoming) aka a "console being a bad PC." No, this is a console becoming a great hybrid. And it won't have a competitor. It will be able to maintain the 720p/30fps (maybe 480p/60fps as well) mobile and 1080p/60fps home mark very consistently for half a decade. Because it is a solid investment and will last at that mark almost definitively, this is a fantastic thing.

Yes, people short on money may be mad. But hey, is it worse than hearing the PS4 is outdated instantly after dropping $400? No. At worst, you can wait until it drops to $400 or $300 or $200 and you'll still have a few great years out of it.

7: Cartridges are your best friend. They can fit any game on them, are cheap to make, and can store DLC. Oh, and best of all, they load A LOTTTTTT faster than discs or HDD memory. It's near SSD speed for consoles. The only way it could be better is if the system came with an SSD or had the option of adding one (I would love putting a 1GB SSD in a system!).

Faster loading times are always a positive. Combine that with Nvidia graphical power and likely a much better CPU than the PS4, PS4 Pro, Wii U or Xbox One, and that's a ton of appeal. That's always a positive. I think video game enthusiasts worldwide have come to dislike loading screens, and this is one FANTASTIC solution to it. And unlike with the N64, cartridges now nearly as cheap as discs, and can fit roughly as much memory! That's fantastic times, and this was the perfect time for cartridges! It's the best of both worlds!

8: The Appeal of Nintendo handheld systems. Nintendo has NAILED every handheld system (the Virtua Boy notwithstanding). Each system has made billions of profits and had a userbase of tens of millions, with over a dozen true classic titles that stand the tests of time. Combine that with the power of the home console and the Nintendo home console exclusives plus all the big 3rd party titles on consoles and PC, and expect huge growth.

Just imagine this: You can get the tradition big 3D Mario platformer, the cool 2D Mario platformers, the 2D small Zeldas, the vast 3D Zeldas, everything Phoenix Wright, big 3D first person Metroid, Donkey Kong Country, Xenoblades RPG action, Stunning Smash Wii U action and details, Bayonetta 2 hack and slash awesomeness, Splatoon rapid fire third person shooting...

...all on the go and at home. You are literally combining the best of both worlds and can mix and match.

As a kid, didn't you ever wish you could play Pokémon Red and Blue but with greater detail on the N64? You're gonna get a modernized version of that. Or what about the idea of playing Zelda: Ocarina of Time, Mario 64, or Smash 64 on the go? You're gonna get a modernized version of that.

Heck, you'll be able to do both with the Virtual Console alone! This is the perfect marriage of both of these things. Both the dreams are real. This is the best of both worlds.

\\

TL;DR: Overall this is the success of Nintendo handhelds meets the power of Nvidia meets Nintendo's efficient home consoles and the ability to customize how you play all-in-one.

How is this anything but the next major console revolution in video games and likely a gigantic box office hit? This could be bigger than the Wii and even the DS.

Sony and Microsoft can pretend to get 4k gaming down (my GTX 1070 sort of has 1440p down at max settings/60fps; these consoles won't hit 4k solidly until like 2028 lmao. The Pascal Titan X barely does 4k/max settings/60fps universally). Nintendo is going to nail 1080p@60fps home console gaming/720p@30 or 60fps mobile gaming for years to come with the Nintendo Switch.

This is the iPhone or iPad that doesn't need updating. The console that doesn't need a Pro version because it is outdated in 2 years and can't handle 1080p. This is the future.

Nintendo didn't find their niche in the home market, so they decided to destroy the old ones by combining everything. This is the power smartphone users wish their portable devices had. This is the portability console and desktop gamers wished they had. This is the best of both portable and home consoles, and this is what we all in the back of our heads wished we had when the Game Boy first came out. I don't think most of us have realized it yet.

Edit: I also didn't mention experts are saying developers and producers for PS4 Pro titles are now moving over to the Nintendo Switch because of Nvidia + the Switch likely being a stronger system. That's a very positive sign, since the Pro isn't that much stronger than the standard lackluster PS4.

 

[finalark]

Sony and Microsoft can pretend to get 4k gaming down (my GTX 1070 sort of has 1440p down at max settings/60fps; these consoles won't hit 4k solidly until like 2028 lmao. The Pascal Titan X barely does 4k/max settings/60fps universally). Nintendo is going to nail 1080p@60fps home console gaming/720p@30 or 60fps mobile gaming for years to come with the Nintendo Switch.

I have no idea what any of this means. I just buy consoles with games I like.

This is the portability console and desktop gamers wished they had.

I don't wish I had portability. I wish I had a new Metroid game.

 

[Johnknight1]

I have no idea what any of this means. I just buy consoles with games I like.

1080p = 1080 x 1920 pixels. 4k = 2060 x 3840 pixels, aka double the resolution, which takes about 4-6 times the power and cost to have run roughly as well. That's why aiming for it is so bad. Very few people would fork out $2,500-,$3,000 for a 4k/60fps Xbox One. They'd rather have a $400 Xbox One at 1080p/60fps, especially since most don't have a 4k monitor.

While the frame rates may not look to matter to you, they do, and you want at least 60 frames per second (at least on home consoles). Here's a good eye test to compare frame rate differences visually.

I don't wish I had portability. I wish I had a new Metroid game.

Nintendo didn't even get a game presentation. All Nintendo put out was a 3 1/2 minute ad. Given Federation Forces' ending, Monster Games and Retro Studios both having unannounced projects... we are getting Metroid, maybe even as a launch year title (if some rumors are to be believed).

The thing i'm worried about mostly is the price point. The Wii U was like $300 dollars when it first came out so the Switch is likely to be $350-$400 (don't know if this is including accessories and stuff). Combine that with Canadian video game prices being higher than it is in the States and i'm looking at something close to $500 after tax.

It is going to be a $400-$600 (US) system (probably $400-$500 more specifically), which is about right for what it is.

Stable at 1080p/60fps without much fidelity loss (sans tessellation, which graphics software technology isn't there yet for) for home console gaming, and 720p/60 or even 30fps gaming for portable gaming (with more limiters, but not too much).

That's perfect for everyone. This isn't an identity crisis like what the PS4 Pro will likely be (marketed to shareholders as a 4k system, while realistically sold to console gamers as still not a true 1080p console), nor whatever the Scorpio is (marketed as a 4k console, but won't even touch 1440p).

There's no identity crisis. Nintendo went for the mass market while also having power and Nvidia backing, all with a mobile element to make it unique and give it so much added value.

 

[N3ON]

I don't see this thing going above $400. I'd be surprised if it was more than $350 tbh.

Also I want portability and Metroid. Maybe I'm just greedy.