Goodbye NX, hello Switch

[zerocool84]

Nintendo will be announcing the exact release date and pricing on January 12 along with information about titles. (source)

I'm just wondering if this is smart to wait so long before we get even more details. I figured they would have fully announced it before the holiday season to stop people from buying an Xbox or PS4 and wait for the Switch, details, release date, games, everything. Unless they aren't even close to being ready to release it so that's why they don't have all the details nailed down and aren't going to meet the March release date.

Why would they want people buying refreshed versions of our current consoles? Xbox sales jumped once they released their smaller refreshed console, we can expect the same to happen to PS4. Why give away potential sales? They have sales professionals and analysts so they would know more about this then I would but it just doesn't make sense. Give the people a real reason to wait for your console and not buy the competition this holiday season.

 

[purbeast0]

I don't think Nintendo views Sony or MS as direct competition since they aren't really going for the same market. They know their role as a secondary console in the market now a days.

This is including a gaming PC as a "console" too, since many people also seem to have a gaming PC and Nintendo console without a Sony/MS console.

 

[zerocool84]

I don't think Nintendo views Sony or MS as direct competition since they aren't really going for the same market. They know their role as a secondary console in the market now a days.

This is including a gaming PC as a "console" too, since many people also seem to have a gaming PC and Nintendo console without a Sony/MS console.

Of course it's competition though. It's a home console that happens to be slightly portable.

 

[purbeast0]

Of course it's competition though. It's a home console that happens to be slightly portable.

Yeah I am talking about how the WiiU (and Wii) was never a primary console for most people, it was always a secondary one and didn't even directly compete with Sony/MS consoles. I don't think anyone was like "I want Madden or COD or BattleField - should I get it on Wii, PS3, or Xbox 360?" People who wanted that game either got it on PS3 or Xbox 360. There was literally no 3rd party threat to Sony/MS with the Nintendo consoles of the last 2 gens. Plus all of the first party games weren't even targeted at the same demographic. There's a reason that Nintendo has the "kiddy" reputation vs. Sony/MS having the "mature" reputation - they are simply targeting different markets.

And then you have all the (or lack there of) multimedia purposes on all the devices. The Nintendo stuff wasn't even comparable to Sony/MS stuff.

I think Nintendo understands this at this point and is accepting that they aren't going to be "THE" household name when it comes to consoles, but they may be one of them.

 

[MarkizSchnitzel]

I don't think Nintendo views Sony or MS as direct competition since they aren't really going for the same market. They know their role as a secondary console in the market now a days.

This is including a gaming PC as a "console" too, since many people also seem to have a gaming PC and Nintendo console without a Sony/MS console.

This would be my layman view as well.

I'm not a gamer, I just play Civ. But if I was PC+Nintendo would be the way to go.
Or Xbox/PS4 + Nintendo.

 

[cmdrdredd]

I don't think Nintendo views Sony or MS as direct competition since they aren't really going for the same market. They know their role as a secondary console in the market now a days.

This is including a gaming PC as a "console" too, since many people also seem to have a gaming PC and Nintendo console without a Sony/MS console.

True and I also read that Nintendo focuses much more on their local JP region than NA or EU. The Xbox doesn't really sell at all in Japan and I believe I read that the PS4 isn't doing terribly well there either(anyone confirm?). So having new PS4 and Xbox models doesn't bother them since it's a lukewarm reception in Japan when compared to over here.

 

[jpiniero]

True and I also read that Nintendo focuses much more on their local JP region than NA or EU. The Xbox doesn't really sell at all in Japan and I believe I read that the PS4 isn't doing terribly well there either(anyone confirm?). So having new PS4 and Xbox models doesn't bother them since it's a lukewarm reception in Japan when compared to over here.

Console gaming in general is dead in Japan. To give you an idea, the PSVR sold 51k during it's first week in Japan and that's considered a great number.

 

[cmdrdredd]

PSVR isn't a console though. It requires other hardware. I didn't expect it to sell terribly huge numbers anyway. At least not like predictions of hundreds of thousands and Sony saying they wanna ship 6 million of them.

 

[Sonikku]

Japan only seems to care about portable gaming these days.

 

[clok1966]

As a grump 30 something year old, I'm warming up to it. But then I'm a PC gamer who never owned any consoles.

If I bought a console, it would be used 99% in front of TV. But then again, I'm not the target audience. The folks in the vid are millennials.

This will either be a massive success or a failure.

Also why are people so excited about getting Skyrim on Nintendo 7 years later- remastered or not.

They need new IP... Super Mario 8734 and Mario Kart for the 2400th time are seems dull.

What do I know, I never really played any of them past N64 days.

Agree, tablet sales are down 40% and Nintendo wants to start? Now correct me if I'm wrong (probably am) The Wii-U was a console you could play on the control (tablet) or tv, right? the Switch is a console you an play on the Tablet(control) and TV, correct again, or wrong? I really must be missing something here as the Wii-U flopped, Nintendo is hemorrhaging cash (but has deeeeeep pockets due to past success so can sustain it for a long term), and they want to repeat and update a flop? I get they rule handhelds at the time, but phone sales are catching up and cannibalizing handheld sales at a huge rate. it really seems Nintendo is putting the blinders on, tablet sales are down, there #1 area is being overtaken by Phones, you would think they might go back to a more traditional console which seems to be successful for Sony and MS (if you believe the marketing machines who refuse to release actual numbers).

 

[Sonikku]

The Switch is probably the system the U needed to be.

 

[purbeast0]

Agree, tablet sales are down 40% and Nintendo wants to start? Now correct me if I'm wrong (probably am) The Wii-U was a console you could play on the control (tablet) or tv, right? the Switch is a console you an play on the Tablet(control) and TV, correct again, or wrong? I really must be missing something here as the Wii-U flopped, Nintendo is hemorrhaging cash (but has deeeeeep pockets due to past success so can sustain it for a long term), and they want to repeat and update a flop? I get they rule handhelds at the time, but phone sales are catching up and cannibalizing handheld sales at a huge rate. it really seems Nintendo is putting the blinders on, tablet sales are down, there #1 area is being overtaken by Phones, you would think they might go back to a more traditional console which seems to be successful for Sony and MS (if you believe the marketing machines who refuse to release actual numbers).

You are missing a lot - the Wii U was played only on the TV. The controller had a screen but it was gimmicky like everything Nintendo has brought to the table in recent history. The screen would do things like show the map in Mario Kart, whoever thought that was a good idea because you would have to look away from the screen to look at the map. It was just used for gimmicky shit like that.

 

[Aikouka]

http://arstechnica.com/gaming/2016/10/report-nintendo-switch-has-6-2-720p-multitouch-screen/

The current rumor mill has the console with a 6.2" 720p screen with 10-point multi-touch capability.

You are missing a lot - the Wii U was played only on the TV. The controller had a screen but it was gimmicky like everything Nintendo has brought to the table in recent history. The screen would do things like show the map in Mario Kart, whoever thought that was a good idea because you would have to look away from the screen to look at the map. It was just used for gimmicky shit like that.

I believe he's referring to how some games could be played on either the TV or the Gamepad. Unfortunately, this wasn't a given for all games as I don't think any game with Gamepad-specific features (e.g. Zombii-U's inventory management) would let you do that.

 

[cmdrdredd]

http://arstechnica.com/gaming/2016/10/report-nintendo-switch-has-6-2-720p-multitouch-screen/

The current rumor mill has the console with a 6.2" 720p screen with 10-point multi-touch capability.



I believe he's referring to how some games could be played on either the TV or the Gamepad. Unfortunately, this wasn't a given for all games as I don't think any game with Gamepad-specific features (e.g. Zombii-U's inventory management) would let you do that.

720p? We are going backwards. 1080p is pretty standard on phones and such.

 

[jpiniero]

720p? We are going backwards. 1080p is pretty standard on phones and such.

It's not going to be powerful enough for 1080p gaming so that shouldn't be a surprise.

 

[zerocool84]

It's not going to be powerful enough for 1080p gaming so that shouldn't be a surprise.

Plus 1080p would kill battery life even more so. This thing isn't going to have great battery life as it is. Probably around the same as the current 3DS I would assume.

 

[cmdrdredd]

It's not going to be powerful enough for 1080p gaming so that shouldn't be a surprise.

Eh...sure it would be depending on the game. Putting a low rez screen means no games will ever be above 720p. That kind of sucks for when you are playing on the tv.

The more I read about it the more I think they aren't even trying to make a console at all and this will be their future business model. A mobile game device that you can dock to the tv. Probably eventually replacing the 3DS. *shrug*

I might sound like I'm being a downer but man. This stuff matters to me. Especially when I'll have a PS4 pro doing hdr and 4K upscaling of 1440p games before this releases.

 

[jpiniero]

Eh...sure it would be depending on the game. Putting a low rez screen means no games will ever be above 720p. That kind of sucks for when you are playing on the tv.

The more I read about it the more I think they aren't even trying to make a console at all and this will be their future business model. A mobile game device that you can dock to the tv. Probably eventually replacing the 3DS. *shrug*

There's still no confirmation that docked mode is any more powerful. I'm sure there will be some sort of upscaling for when you are playing on the TV but that might be the extent of it.

And yes this is replacing the 3DS... unless it really bombs then you might see a 3DS successor.

 

[cmdrdredd]

There's still no confirmation that docked mode is any more powerful. I'm sure there will be some sort of upscaling for when you are playing on the TV but that might be the extent of it.

And yes this is replacing the 3DS... unless it really bombs then you might see a 3DS successor.

Yeah that seems like the deal.

 

[gus6464]

Eh...sure it would be depending on the game. Putting a low rez screen means no games will ever be above 720p. That kind of sucks for when you are playing on the tv.

The more I read about it the more I think they aren't even trying to make a console at all and this will be their future business model. A mobile game device that you can dock to the tv. Probably eventually replacing the 3DS. *shrug*

I might sound like I'm being a downer but man. This stuff matters to me. Especially when I'll have a PS4 pro doing hdr and 4K upscaling of 1440p games before this releases.

If you cared about graphics you would be playing games on a real pc instead of a gimped one dressed up like a console.

 

[MarkizSchnitzel]

If you cared about graphics you would be playing games on a real pc instead of a gimped one dressed up like a console.

Exactly. There are plenty of people who want console and don't have 4K TVs. In fact, in my experience (from a backward EU country though), almost nobody has 4K. I myself have only 720P TV and see no reason to upgrade.

I also still play Civ4. A 2004 game. On my 720 Atom T100 2-in-1 with everything on medium and all animations and effects off (to make it faster. not framerates, game itself).

Now, I'm an outlier, but power to the gameplay.

 

[purbeast0]

If you cared about graphics you would be playing games on a real pc instead of a gimped one dressed up like a console.

This is such a stupid and tired argument. Perhaps some people want good looking hi-resolution Zelda and Mario games, did you ever take 2 seconds to think about that? You know, like how people enjoy incredible looking games like Uncharted 4 or the new God of War game coming out?

But I'm sure your "real pc" can play those games too right?

 

[cmdrdredd]

If you cared about graphics you would be playing games on a real pc instead of a gimped one dressed up like a console.

I'm with purebeast here. This is dumb argument. Where can I play Uncharted? Where can I play God of War? Where can I play Zelda? Where can I play a real Mario game (the mobile title seems more like an endless runner)? Not on a PC unless you're content to play old versions of some of these titles on an emulator.

Also if you bothered to read signature lines, you can see my PC specs and they aren't a bargain bin laptop specs. It's not the latest and greatest(I have GTX 970s) but I do use it for gaming. Still the whole point is that consoles have games that you will never get on PC.

 

[cmdrdredd]

Exactly. There are plenty of people who want console and don't have 4K TVs. In fact, in my experience (from a backward EU country though), almost nobody has 4K. I myself have only 720P TV and see no reason to upgrade.

I also still play Civ4. A 2004 game. On my 720 Atom T100 2-in-1 with everything on medium and all animations and effects off (to make it faster. not framerates, game itself).

Now, I'm an outlier, but power to the gameplay.

I didn't say 4k I said 1080p. I only mentioned it because when this releases it will be compared against other gaming devices in the market. Mainly the PS4 Pro which would have been in the market for 4 months by the time the switch launches and even the PS4 Slim and XB1s both do 1080p. It's nice that 720p is ok for you and low power is ok to you but for me it's kind of not. It means lower quality textures, lower polygon counts, more aliasing, shorter draw distances etc. Things that do matter to many people. Look at the reception for games like Horizon Zero dawn and God of War. They are fantastic looking games and that draws the eye to them even before you play it. Like it or not how a game looks visually does a lot for it's mass appeal. The power to create huge game worlds with vast landscapes and lots of animations and realistic looking textures and character models engrosses you into that world better than it would if these things were of lower quality. The idea that gameplay is more important than graphics doesn't apply any longer. You can have both and many games do have both fantastic graphics and are fun to play. These days it's just an excuse to me. You can build a better looking game than ever before and that does not mean you sacrifice in the game play department to do it.

 

[gus6464]

I like how Nintendo hasn't even said if the switch is 720p or 1080p when connected to the TV yet here we have all these armchair console design engineers in here.