Nintendo Switch

[Kong Wen]

Considering we just got Super Mario Maker, and it's supposedly coming to NX as well

Maybe the NX version can have slopes.

[Jordan]

You're asking for too much.

[The Shoemaker]

Considering we just got Super Mario Maker, and it's supposedly coming to NX as well

Maybe the NX version can have slopes.

Now you're playing with power!

[The Shoemaker]

Continued from the Nintendo Direct topic...

We can discuss NX in the NX thread, but I agree with pretty much everyone who has anything reasonable to say about NX that being this cagey this close to launch is hurting them

I guess my views aren't reasonable I'm definitely the type of person that prefers to hear about things later rather than earlier though. .

6-7 months is not late, but it's getting pretty close to late. Anyway, what's at issue here isn't really just what we like to hear about consoles, but about market preparedness. If Nintendo wants to launch into a very strong stable of competitors at a weird, off-cycle time, they need to nurture the market. One of the reasons people didn't buy the Wii U was because they weren't prepared to want it / didn't know why they needed it.

I'm not saying they have to show us the console right away. But they should at least begin talking about it rather than let leaks do all the work for them. Own the story!

Sony's silence on the PS4 Slim is less problematic because it's just a budget/slimline console revision. They're not staking their generation on it. They don't even care whether people buy that over a normal PS4. It just fleshes out their line a little.

Definitely agree at this point there are too many leaks and Nintendo should at least announce when they will be talking about NX. As long as their initial reveal gives a strong, clear message as to what the console is and why we need it.

[Jordan]

I think Nintendo should push the NX release date back to April 1 and then reveal that it was JUST A PRANK, BRO. At that point they can unveil the NX for the first time, which is just a dildo with multiple vibrating functions.

[The Shoemaker]

I think Nintendo should push the NX release date back to April 1 and then reveal that it was JUST A PRANK, BRO. At that point they can unveil the NX for the first time, which is just a dildo with multiple vibrating functions.

Well I mean, everyone is saying Nintendo needs to move past it's kiddy image...

[The Shoemaker]

Ubisoft had an interview recently where they talked a lot about NX. Mostly vague stuff, but they mentioned how with new hardware consumers are more open to new ideas rather than just sticking to traditional franchises. They said these are the times they like to either do something new with an IP, or create something new - such as the instance with ZombiU. They stated they'll have projects to announce pretty soon.

They also said Nintendo has learned from Wii U and that NX has an attractive interface. Sounds like devs are as ready to talk about NX as we are!

[The Shoemaker]

Topic change to Nintendo Switch, or new topic altogether?

Despite being exactly what the rumors rumored, the trailer released today for the Nintendo Switch got me excited. It was a very simple trailer, I thought the way they came back to the logo "clicking" several times was a great idea.

Nintendo has said that this is a home console first and foremost interestingly, so I guess they're really trying to say that this isn't just a handheld that hooks up to your TV. It will be interesting to see how much they chase the home console market. Skyrim HD is a good start, but will this thing be powerful enough to support future third party offerings? At minimum it needs to be XBOX level to ensure support, but that seems too good to be true.

I've heard a few people say they either strictly play games on the TV, or strictly on a handheld. I think this offers a lot of options, even to those people just due to the ease of use. Watching Netflix while still playing your game, bringing your game on the go but still being able use an actual controller separate from the screen. Even if you're just spending the weekend at a family member's house - Don't have to bring an entire console with you, just the Switch.

In terms of the handheld side of things, I think it offers some cool ideas as well. With previous handhelds to play multiplayer everyone needed a 3DS/DS/gameboy to play. You still have that option here, but you can also detach the controllers and play split screen. I do most of the driving these days, but I still love the idea of hooking the Switch screen up on the back of the car seat and playing split screen.

We saw a new Mario game, hard to say if it's a traditional SM64 style or 3D World style, but it kind of looks like a mix of both based on the two shots we saw. Something I could get into. Mario Kart looks like MK8 - But there's King Boo, and two item slots. I'm still thinking MK8 port with new features, same with Splatoon. Excited to see an actual games showcase.

Nintendo has a lot to prove here, but I think they had a strong initial showing.

[Jordan]

At this point I think I can say that I play handheld exclusively.

The Switch looks like it has potential, but that's true of a lot of Nintendo's ideas. When I had a Wii U, I actually thought the gamepad was one of the best ideas ever. I was definitely in the minority on that, but it got to the point where sometimes I would start playing Wii U without even using a TV. As time went on I hoped more and more that the Wii U gamepad could be portable. That basically seems like their innovation for the Switch.

If the Switch's primary function ends up being some kind of super handheld, I'll be stoked. I think at that point third party developers will get on board (probably mostly Japanese ones though) and we'll have a real winner. Nintendo is always at their best with portables. Ergo, putting all their eggs into one basket by combining their portable and console efforts may work very well for them. I feel like the portability is what they should emphasize. If games are only somewhat playable on the go, it will be a turn off for me. If what we end up getting is a really souped up handheld then I'm all for it though. If that's Nintendo's strategy I think they'll hands-down win the next gen because they'll have carved out their own niche. Sony and Microsoft will probably compete for the runner-up consolation prize while the Switch outsells both, much like how the DS and 3DS did phenomenally well. Given a fair price point and a decent library (the kicker), I think it could sell better than the PS4 and easily surpass the XBONE, as well as probably exceeding Sony and Microsoft's respective sequels.

Put another way, Sony is probably dropping out of the handheld market and Nintendo will regain its monopoly of the Gameboy era. Rather than view the Switch as a sequel to the Wii U, it might be more proper to see this as a sequel to the 3DS, which it will meaningfully far surpass in terms of technological capability.

Ironically, I was one of the most ambivalent people to the concept of the NX before. Now, however, I am mildly excited for it. Obviously, in the end it just boils down to games though. Hopefully it gets the support it needs from both Nintendo and third parties.

[Kong Wen]

The best thing about this (for Nintendo) is the name. Switch is a good name, catchy, simple, memorable, tied to the device, and nothing like the Wii & DS brands.

The system itself has potential. It looks like the concept of the Wii U done properly. A lot of the big third-party devs & publishers on their list are obvious juggernauts that'll release (or port) a game for anything. What remains to be seen is if it continues getting third-party support for simultaneous multi-console launches, and that'll depend on architecture, playerbase, and the online framework. Will Nintendo finally catch up with where its competitors were 10 years ago with their online experience?

The tablet is a little big for me to carry around and use as a portable, so it would be one of those "play around the house" portables for me, which is kind of unfortunate.