My take on the Switch


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Having spent a few days thinking about Nintendo's new console, my initial positive reaction has gone negative. I simply do not see this new system as a winner long term. 

 

Going by the usage scenarios outlined in their promotional video, most of them were things that the average person isn't going to do in real life. I just don't see groups of people huddled around a little screen, gaming. I can see a someone getting kicked off the TV and then continuing the game from the handheld unit, but really, how often will that happen? You're not going to lug this thing around in your messenger bag, and whip it out in some nature filled location. This role has been taken over by smartphones. While phones suck at real gaming, they serve their purpose as a short distraction. Console games that demand mental investment, do not lend themselves to this. A single use device of this size, isn't going to find its way into your daily loadout for long after the novelty has worn off. 

 

Nintendo has once again completely ignored what people actually want and instead created yet another gimmicky system. I commend them for originality but this is a long term failure in the making. They should've make an adequately powered home console with renewed focus on single player, local multiplayer. The only real positive new feature that I see  is the return to cartridges. Now that capacity isn't an issue, discs can go away. 

 

* Bad battery life makes for a bad portable gaming device

* Single purpose device

* As a portable, its rather large

* No forward thinking whatsoever in regards to 4K. 

* I don't trust Nvidia for anything other than desktop graphics cards. I feel Nintendo (and us) will get the shaft at some point. 

 

This is thing is going fly off the shelves initially and then sales will drop off once people realize its practicality. The dedicated will buy it for the occasional first party title. It'll keep a kid entertained in a minivan and on a toilet, and that's about it. Nintendo will trickle out first party titles at half the speed of smell as per protocol and third party support will not be at the same level as Xbox/PS. 

 

 

 

 

Edited by slamfire92
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Some of that "first look" video was super-cringe. e-Sport dudes practising on the ground with their Switch tablet thingys? Yeah, no. Playing Skyrim? Yeah, I can't wait to play a 5 year old game on my brand new console. The Switch represents more pointless gimmicks, I think. Sony just proved that people don't want consoles with a bunch of other ###### in them, they want something that plays their games well. With Nintendo's strong first-party IPs you'd think they'd do that too.

 

I think this looks like a gimmickey console that replicates some of the problems the Wii U had. The second/portable screen thing is dumb. Small, limited, detachable controllers which look like they are designed for children, despite their conspicuously being no kids in the promo, is dumb. I hope that isn't the last design of that screen because the bezel is ######## huge. Although it probably has to be because it probably houses all of the electronics needed to attach the controllers. I am just holding my breath for the pricing announcement. This is the only area where they can redeem themselves, imo.

 

 

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On 10/22/2016 at 11:20 PM, slamfire92 said:

Having spent a few days thinking about Nintendo's new console, my initial positive reaction has gone negative. I simply do not see this new system as a winner long term. 

I guess it depends on what you call "a winner".  Is it going to catch PS4 in sales, absolutely no.  Is it going to repeat the phenomenal success of the Wii, no.  That said it doesn't need to do these things.  Is it going to be sold at a profit on day one, sure.  Is it going to sell better than the PS Vita and Wii U, absolutely.  Is is going to bring back 3rd party developers for Nintendo, it's looking good.  Is it going to bring on profit for Nintendo, sure... unless Nintendo makes WAY more than what they're able to sell it should be quite profitable and that's a win long term.  It's not going to put Nintendo at the top of the console world but it may very well keep them in it where they wouldn't have been had they not released it.

On 10/22/2016 at 11:20 PM, slamfire92 said:

Going by the usage scenarios outlined in their promotional video, most of them were things that the average person isn't going to do in real life. I just don't see groups of people huddled around a little screen, gaming.

Maybe my local area is strange or something because I've heard other people say that but I can drive over to the local mall or hop on the D.C. metro and see plenty of people lugging around much larger tablets.  I don't think this is going to be an issue at all.

On 10/22/2016 at 11:20 PM, slamfire92 said:

A single use device of this size, isn't going to find its way into your daily loadout for long after the novelty has worn off. 

I'm not convinced this is a single use device.  I could be naive but I'm looking for this to have a bit of nVidia Shield DNA as well.  Not the full on Android experience mind you but Tegra can do 4k@60fps video (NOT games) which the current Apple TV and Amazon Fire TV cannot (heck the launch PS4 and Xbox One can't even do that) so I'm hoping at the very least Nintendo allows for streaming services like Netflix, YouTube, etc.  Likewise hopefully a web browser, basic cameras, email support, etc. Again, maybe I'm just fooling myself but I'm still hopeful on these points.

On 10/22/2016 at 11:20 PM, slamfire92 said:

They should've make an adequately powered home console with renewed focus on single player, local multiplayer. The only real positive new feature that I see  is the return to cartridges. Now that capacity isn't an issue, discs can go away. 

I can't see how Nintendo would have could have made a console that's better than the PS Pro and Project Scorpio which already have a huge library of games.  Also the 3DS has sold over 4x what the Wii U has and so I think this is more intended to hold and even regain the mobile gaming market more than take over the home console market.  Due to the rise of smartphones though they could just make a basic evolution of the 3DS they needed to do something big and so they merged the portable gaming device like the Vita and 3DS with the micro console like the Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, PlayStation TV, etc.  In my opinion that's a very good idea to try to stay relevant in mobile and not just give up entirely on their highest selling platform.

 

On 10/22/2016 at 11:20 PM, slamfire92 said:

This is thing is going fly off the shelves initially and then sales will drop off once people realize its practicality. The dedicated will buy it for the occasional first party title. It'll keep a kid entertained in a minivan and on a toilet, and that's about it. Nintendo will trickle out first party titles at half the speed of smell as per protocol and third party support will not be at the same level as Xbox/PS.

If they can get the majority of multi-platform games (i.e. games that release on BOTH Xbox and PS) to release on Switch as well I think that will be enough for them to be successful (again, not come in first but be a commercial success).  I think to do that all they have to do is make sure the specs are at least close to the launch Xbox One (the current baseline for multi-platform games).  Again I'm hopeful this will also pick up a little Shield DNA from nVidia and not be JUST a gaming device.  There is NO WAY a portable 3DS successor (dockable or not) was going to be pushing 4k gaming... not for under $300 and if you're already complaining about battery life that would have made it MUCH, MUCH, worse.

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Everyone has different tastes. I think it looks awesome. I want one. That being said I do have to admit we really don't know enough yet for me to fork down any kind of money on it.

 

I guess I'm just very cautiously optimistic.

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