Nintendo Switch Thread (March 3 2017 worldwide, US$299)

[Matisfaction]

"That imprisoned" is even a pain on Hyrule Warriors.

So they're releasing a new console just a few years after their last console which is almost on par with a current gen console that will have a mid gen upgrade itself.

Good call...

Considering Nintendo's ability to put out stellar-looking games on the Wii U, I am not really concerned about the power of the NX.

That's probably one of the most annoying things about modern gaming, people just look at the numbers and think that's all that counts.

[Skynet]

"That imprisoned" is even a pain on Hyrule Warriors.

So they're releasing a new console just a few years after their last console which is almost on par with a current gen console that will have a mid gen upgrade itself.

Good call...

Considering Nintendo's ability to put out stellar-looking games on the Wii U, I am not really concerned about the power of the NX.

That's probably one of the most annoying things about modern gaming, people just look at the numbers and think that's all that counts.

RAM CEILING!

[melancholy]

See, I think focusing on the specs of the Wii U misses the point. The Wii U, like the Wii before it, was built to run a particular kind of game style. Bright, family-friendly, cartoonish...a style that works perfectly fine on a system with less horse power. I never had intentions of playing GTAV or Skyrim on it. I bought it for awesome Nintendo games, and they have not disappointed.

The problem with the system has been and always will be the Gamepad crutch. Every aspect of the Gamepad's existence has dragged the Wii U into a pit of failure. Let's just mark off the missteps:

• It's ugly and cheap looking. It's a device that came more than a year after Android tablets had already become a staple the average person's house. Showing off that Gamepad next to sleek capacitive touchscreen tablets made the Gamepad look like a VTech toy.
• It's expensive. It is half the cost of the Wii U's package and somehow more expensive than a low-end Android phone. Without it, Nintendo could have priced their console well under $200 and made it a great partner system to the PS4/XBOne (ya know, like Wii was to the PS3/360).
• It's not even a tablet. It's just a controller with a screen. It literally cannot be used without the Wii U, which is crazy considering how expensive the damn thing is (seriously, the 2DS is cheaper and it's a full-fledged handheld).
• All of the Wii U's marketing has been around this ugly non-tablet controller. The marketing was so bad the casual audience from the Wii days literally thought it was just a $300 add-on to the Wii.

So yeah, the Wii U's failure wasn't because it couldn't keep up with the next gen systems. I guarantee that if I told you four years ago that Nintendo was making a 1080p Wii with a normal controller for $150, every person here that isn't named Ian would likely be talking about buying one.

[Skynet]

See, I think focusing on the specs of the Wii U misses the point. The Wii U, like the Wii before it, was built to run a particular kind of game style. Bright, family-friendly, cartoonish...a style that works perfectly fine on a system with less horse power. I never had intentions of playing GTAV or Skyrim on it. I bought it for awesome Nintendo games, and they have not disappointed.

The problem with the system has been and always will be the Gamepad crutch. Every aspect of the Gamepad's existence has dragged the Wii U into a pit of failure. Let's just mark off the missteps:

• It's ugly and cheap looking. It's a device that came more than a year after Android tablets had already become a staple the average person's house. Showing off that Gamepad next to sleek capacitive touchscreen tablets made the Gamepad look like a VTech toy.
• It's expensive. It is half the cost of the Wii U's package and somehow more expensive than a low-end Android phone. Without it, Nintendo could have priced their console well under $200 and made it a great partner system to the PS4/XBOne (ya know, like Wii was to the PS3/360).
• It's not even a tablet. It's just a controller with a screen. It literally cannot be used without the Wii U, which is crazy considering how expensive the damn thing is (seriously, the 2DS is cheaper and it's a full-fledged handheld).
• All of the Wii U's marketing has been around this ugly non-tablet controller. The marketing was so bad the casual audience from the Wii days literally thought it was just a $300 add-on to the Wii.

So yeah, the Wii U's failure wasn't because it couldn't keep up with the next gen systems. I guarantee that if I told you four years ago that Nintendo was making a 1080p Wii with a normal controller for $150, every person here that isn't named Ian would likely be talking about buying one.

I woud have been sold on a 1080p Wii with normal controls in a heart beat. Admittedly I did get the Wii U at launch, I'm just sick of the gimmicks. I like having the tablet for playing off TV but I prefer to play with the controller, not the pad.

[Matisfaction]

I don't think its fair to call the GamePad a gimmick, especially when the dual screen has been so successful for Nintendo going all the way back to the game and watch series. Even Sony knew this which is why they included a touch pad with the PS4 controller and started bundling the system with the Vita early on.
The biggest problem with GamePad was the battery life, unless you had the extended battery it was a major pain in the ass constantly charging the damn thing up.

What hurt the Wii U was having an ad budget of £7.50, going through the whole of 2013 with practically no software and launching with a bunch of old, crappy third party titles that no one asked for.

[pixel]

Whatever happens, I really hope off-TV play is still in the cards for the NX. These days, I rarely play my Wii U on the TV.

[Dr. Zoidberg]

[Matisfaction]

Whatever happens, I really hope off-TV play is still in the cards for the NX. These days, I rarely play my Wii U on the TV.

I think it's a safe bet with Zelda Wii U coming to the system, It'll most probably require Amiibo support and support for Mario Maker and Splatoon in some form, those games aren't even 12 months old yet so it would make sense to bring them over to NX.

[melancholy]

If I had to take a guess at what the NX is, I would say it's probably a reverse Wii U. Basically a PSVita-style handheld with a miracast adapter that sticks in the back of your TV.

[pixel]

If I had to take a guess at what the NX is, I would say it's probably a reverse Wii U. Basically a PSVita-style handheld with a miracast adapter that sticks in the back of your TV.

Which I think would be a killer app.

Portables aren't a thing anymore. The Vita is a great idea, but it's a niche product. The 3DS is doing well only by the graces of Nintendo.

I have a 3DS XL and I'm totally disinterested with it. There just isn't enough a differentiation between that and the Wii U. It'd probably help if I played it on the go, but I'm rarely traveling where I want to play it.

[Dr. Zoidberg]

Nintendo NX mass production postpones to early 2017

Nintendo's next-generation game console, the Nintendo NX is scheduled to enter mass production in early 2017, delaying about half a year from the company's original mass production plan in the mid-2016. Sources from the related upstream supply chain pointed out that the delay was because Nintendo wished to enhance the game console's video-game/handheld-game-integrated gaming experience and add virtual reality (VR) function into the system to gain advantages in the upcoming video game and mobile game competitions.

The Nintendo NX will be assembled by Foxconn Electronics (Hon Hai Precision Industry), but Foxconn declined to comment on matters concerning its clients or products.

The sources pointed out that the Nintendo NX combines the video gaming experience with the mobile gaming experience. The device features a 5- to 7-inch display, controller and joystick for users to play as a mobile gaming product, but it is also able to connect to a TV for users to play as a video game system. Nintendo is now planning to add VR function to the device to satisfy the popular trend in the gaming market.

Nintendo's smartphone games have received positive feedbacks from gamers. Since Nintendo's launch of its Miitomo, the number of player of the game has already surpassed 10 million, while Nintendo's Animal Crossing, which involved social activities, also sold over 20 million units on the company's 3DS system.

The sources pointed out that the supply chain received Nintendo's notification to start developing mold for the Nintendo NX in the mid-2015 and was told that the system would enter mass production and launch in the mid-2016. However, Nintendo has recently given them a new mass production schedule and asked them to start mass producing some key components at the end of 2016.

Nintendo's order volume for the game console has also been reduced. Nintendo originally planned to order 20 million units for the first year, but its shipment target is now only 9.5-10 million units. The sources believe the reduction was due to the fact that video game console market has been shrinking and concerns triggered by its Wii U's unsatisfactory shipment performance of two million units in 2015.

Although Pegatron Technology has been aggressively looking to take some of the Nintendo NX orders from Foxconn, Nintendo still decided to give Foxconn over 40% of the orders, while the remaining is handled by Japan-based Misumi and Hosiden. Taiwan-based component suppliers for Nintendo NX include Foxconn Technology, Macronix International, Pixart Imaging and Delta Electronics.

Source: Digitimes

Sounds like it's a bit of a mess if it's true.

[melancholy]

On the one hand, these NX announcements are beyond stupid. A month ago they announced the release date of a console that we don't even know what it is yet. And now it's already delayed and we STILL don't know what it is! Just stop fucking talking about this thing until we have something to see.

Buuuut...on the other hand, if they plan on making a handheld that can hook to a VR headset, then I'm totally cool with a delay.

[Dr. Zoidberg]

Ubisoft: We believe NX will recapture the Wii audience

Ubisoft is confident that the Nintendo NX will recapture the lost Wii audience, Ubisoft has told MCV.

The Wii was one of the most successful games consoles in history, with over 101m consoles sold. By comparison its successor, Wii U, has been a failure, shifting just shy of 13m units.

Ubisoft is the first Western third-party publisher to pledge support to the NX by announcing a Just Dance title for the platform. The announcement was made on stage during Ubisoft’s E3 press conference and EMEA boss Alain Corre told MCV that the firm is working closely with Nintendo on the project.

“We have always appreciated the relationship with Nintendo, the co-creation and the fact that they are really concentrating on quality - they have fantastic brands,” he told MCV at Ubisoft's E3 booth in Los Angeles.

“And they are addressing the family market in a very different way, their own way, which we appreciate. We have done a lot of products and successes with Nintendo in the past, and we believe that the NX will recapture a lot the lapsed Wii players. So we will see when they release it, but we are confident.”

Nintendo is showing The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wind at E3, but the game on display is the Wii U version, and not the NX edition which is set to launch at the same time.

Source: MCV

[Matisfaction]

With the Sony & MS machines becoming more and more expensive, it makes a lot of sense to keep the NX affordable.

[OrangeRibbon]

So, it is going to come out in 9 months AND the majority of people don't know anything concrete about it? Heck, until 1 month ago I thought it was a phone.

[Matisfaction]

The smart money would be on a Handheld/Home Console hybrid, as it basically solves most of their problems.

1. Being a portable device means it doesn't have to compete technically with PS4/Xbone
2. They can keep the price of the NX affordable (See 1)
3. Can pool all software development together and focus on one device. (Add the Wii U + 3DS software libraries together and you've got a hell of a lot of content.
4. Working with one device means that you're gaining existing third party support usually exclusive to 3DS like Monster Hunter Final Fantasy, Dragon Quest etc.

This time around I hope they sort the virtual console service out. apart from a handful of releases it's been fairly crap overall.

[Matisfaction]

Warner Bros Says They Will Support Nintendo NX

US publication GamesBeat has run an extensive interview with David Haddad, president of Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment. During the interview Haddad is asked about the firm’s support of the next consoles from Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo. He says that they will be supporting all three, so I guess that means we shall certainly get the LEGO titles and hopefully a few other surprises too.

GamesBeat: How do you start making decisions now about which of the new consoles to support? Microsoft’s already announced theirs. Nintendo is coming.

Haddad: We have great relationships with all the console platforms. We believe we play a role in each of them. What I saw with the announcements that were made at the show — I’m fairly bullish about he console cycle, about gamers spending time on them and finding great content, about publishers being able to find returns on increasing investments in that space. We’re constantly deciding how to navigate that, but supporting them is not a question for us.

mynintendonews


Lots of Lego games for the NX then

[Dr. Zoidberg]

[melancholy]

If the system is actually going to be a handheld hybrid, then of course it's going to use cartridges. Considering how cheap SD cards are, carts might just make more sense in a modern console anyway. Here's what I propose:

-If you purchase a physical copy, you get a durable cart with faster load times and enough room on it to hold all the patches (so exactly like Vita carts were supposed to be).

-If you purchase the digital version, you get a $5 discount to offset the cost of the cart.

As long as Nintendo isn't stupid and allows standard SD/Micro SD cards to be used in the system, I think this would be a great idea.

[Matisfaction]

The CD Projekt Red guy has apparently reconfirmed this on twitter.