Nintendo Switch

[Mike S]

For what it's worth some casual parents of two kids were convinced to preorder the Switch when they asked me and this other guy what we were waiting for and we explained what it was. If they can nail the actual TV marketing maybe this presentation would just be a bad memory like the PS3 reveal. What sold them seemed to be the hybrid functionality and that their two kids could each play with one of the Joy-Con controllers.

Also if this thing gets the real Pokémon games from here on out and not just spin-offs.

 

[Stitch_101]

For what it's worth some casual parents of two kids were convinced to preorder the Switch when they asked me and this other guy what we were waiting for and we explained what it was. If they can nail the actual TV marketing maybe this presentation would just be a bad memory like the PS3 reveal.

That's pretty awesome. I'm super excited for the Switch, but it comes out literally the week I'm moving, so unfortunately I'm going to put off getting it for a bit. I'm hoping for a Splatoon 2 Combo version (Splatoon was a surprise to me. I thought it looked completely stupid when announced, but has become my go to game when I just want to veg and relax. So addictive!).

As far as the presentation, I don't think it was that bad... If you consider the audience (as in, people actually in attendance). It was held in Tokyo in front of a live audience of mostly Japanese decent. For us it may have seem dull for the most part, but culturally it was pretty much what is to be expected. Although, I had to keep reminding myself of that with how quiet the audience was (again, just a cultural difference and not a sign of lack of interest from those in attendance). For the most part it did what it needed to do in defining the Switch as its own new console experience.

You're absolutely right about the marketing campaign. The Nintendo Tree House event today seems to be going over very well, and the marketing going forward needs to be aggressive and memorable if they want this to really succeed.

 

[Mike S]

That's pretty awesome. I'm super excited for the Switch, but it comes out literally the week I'm moving, so unfortunately I'm going to put off getting it for a bit. I'm hoping for a Splatoon 2 Combo version (Splatoon was a surprise to me. I thought it looked completely stupid when announced, but has become my go to game when I just want to veg and relax. So addictive!).

As far as the presentation, I don't think it was that bad... If you consider the audience (as in, people actually in attendance). It was held in Tokyo in front of a live audience of mostly Japanese decent. For us it may have seem dull for the most part, but culturally it was pretty much what is to be expected. Although, I had to keep reminding myself of that with how quiet the audience was (again, just a cultural difference and not a sign of lack of interest from those in attendance). For the most part it did what it needed to do in defining the Switch as its own new console experience.

You're absolutely right about the marketing campaign. The Nintendo Tree House event today seems to be going over very well, and the marketing going forward needs to be aggressive and memorable if they want this to really succeed.

In all honesty there should've been a separate western conference.

 

[GadgetGuru]

Yeah, I'm thinking they'll be another, more USA focused announcement. There was very little talk about launch titles and US third parties.

 

[captainmoch]

Not to mention there was a lot of focus on games that mainly appeal to Japanese audiences. Stuff like FE Warriors, SMT V, Xenoblade 2 and Dragon Quest are huge in Japan but are fairly niche for western audience.

Overall, the presentation was a mixed bag. The lows... were low. $300 at launch with no pack-in games and two first party launch titles (one of which being on Wii U, the other of which is a $50 tech demo) is laughable, there's no way I'm getting this until there's either a price drop or some sort of game bundle. But the highs... were VERY high. Super Mario Odyssey looks absolutely incredible, Splatoon 2 looks like a ton of fun, I'm personally very excited for Fire Emblem Warriors and Xenoblade 2, and Breath of the Wild... oh man, Breath of the Wild. What else is there to say about that game anymore. It looks amazing.

I'm really thinking E3 is gonna be huge for this system. If they can announce a few more big holiday titles (Gamefreak's unknown Switch Pokemon project, the likely Smash port, Kirby's 25th anniversary game, and Pikmin 4 come to mind...) then I think the holiday season will be huge for this system. Especially if they manage to work in a price drop.

 

[AlexanderMBush]

Not to mention there was a lot of focus on games that mainly appeal to Japanese audiences. Stuff like FE Warriors, SMT V, Xenoblade 2 and Dragon Quest are huge in Japan but are fairly niche for western audience.

Overall, the presentation was a mixed bag. The lows... were low. $300 at launch with no pack-in games and two first party launch titles (one of which being on Wii U, the other of which is a $50 tech demo) is laughable, there's no way I'm getting this until there's either a price drop or some sort of game bundle. But the highs... were VERY high. Super Mario Odyssey looks absolutely incredible, Splatoon 2 looks like a ton of fun, I'm personally very excited for Fire Emblem Warriors and Xenoblade 2, and Breath of the Wild... oh man, Breath of the Wild. What else is there to say about that game anymore. It looks amazing.

I'm really thinking E3 is gonna be huge for this system. If they can announce a few more big holiday titles (Gamefreak's unknown Switch Pokemon project, the likely Smash port, Kirby's 25th anniversary game, and Pikmin 4 come to mind...) then I think the holiday season will be huge for this system. Especially if they manage to work in a price drop.

I incline to disagree in the price.

It makes sense, as they have the option if they want to now reduce the price if they need to, and it wouldn't be as much of an issue in the terms of the Switch. And considering that it's trying to do things that haven't exactly been done for a main-console before; it makes sense that they'd want to have it at a modest price in-between the PS4Pro and the Xbox One S. There will be a market that will go for the Switch, and that really also depends on how the hell they market the console.

So-far, they are getting their point across very well; as it is a Hybrid console/handheld device with it using also multiple features from previous generations all into one. As for the games, I guarantee that we'll probably hear a lot more games come out at E3 including Mario, FEW, Xeno, Pikman, Pokemon, and other games.

But; i'd look at what Third-Party offers at E3 for the switch more than the first-party..

..and speaking of FE, a direct will be fully focused on the Fire Emblem series on the 19th of this month.

 

[Stitch_101]

Well, Nintendo has to be pretty happy right about now. Reports are already coming in that most retailers have run out of their allotted pre-orders. Amazon apparently ran out, requested and was given more, only to run out again shortly after. I decided to go ahead and try to pre-order it regardless of my move, only to find out my local Best Buy and both Game Stops ran out within an hour of opening this morning. Oh well... I'm now on a call list at GameStop for when/if they are allowed more pre-orders.

 

[Mike S]

A tech demo and a port of another consoles Zelda is exactly how the Wii launched. Not saying this'll be another Wii, just saying it's not a death knell for the console.

 

[AlexanderMBush]

A tech demo and a port of another consoles Zelda is exactly how the Wii launched. Not saying this'll be another Wii, just saying it's not a death knell for the console.

Keep in mind of this too, would it really be not that much of a surprise to see not that much third party support at launch but then builds over time due to performance of the console? I can see it being a situation to where certain Third Party companies are wanting to wait off on having higher end titles that would be a challenge to port for the Switch until the console itself shows that it has the lasting power.

It's what people should look in that instance, and as for first party; we still have the rumored Pikman, Pokemon Stars, and other games not yet announced; along with any potential second-party deal. The Nintendo Switch is going to benefit off of more than anything, on the region-free aspect of the console; allowing people to get the games early before the localization to the certain country opens up (and that can be patched easily).

They are opening up avenues that will benefit Nintendo on multiple fronts for potential in the next year, and it's going to be important on the hardware sales as it will be a determining factor if people want to support the Switch or not. It's why EA is playing it safe and are doing Fifa first (and I'm not discrediting them), why Take Two is playing it safe with the NBA2K series, why multiple companies are waiting to see so they can determine what is best to do with something like the switch.

Well, Nintendo has to be pretty happy right about now. Reports are already coming in that most retailers have run out of their allotted pre-orders. Amazon apparently ran out, requested and was given more, only to run out again shortly after. I decided to go ahead and try to pre-order it regardless of my move, only to find out my local Best Buy and both Game Stops ran out within an hour of opening this morning. Oh well... I'm now on a call list at GameStop for when/if they are allowed more pre-orders.

In a sense, I am curious about when Japan gets their share of pre-orders; along with hearing about it more from major european outlets as well in performance, as it could show the early response to the Switch and how it could perform.

The Directs are going to be more beneficial now, with bringing more game information out there hopefully on a month-per-basis with over 80 games in development; along with seeing the future of the company. Either way, it's going to be fun to see what happens on that front in my opinion.

 

[Mike S]

Keep in mind of this too, would it really be not that much of a surprise to see not that much third party support at launch but then builds over time due to performance of the console? I can see it being a situation to where certain Third Party companies are wanting to wait off on having higher end titles that would be a challenge to port for the Switch until the console itself shows that it has the lasting power.

It's what people should look in that instance, and as for first party; we still have the rumored Pikman, Pokemon Stars, and other games not yet announced; along with any potential second-party deal. The Nintendo Switch is going to benefit off of more than anything, on the region-free aspect of the console; allowing people to get the games early before the localization to the certain country opens up (and that can be patched easily).

They are opening up avenues that will benefit Nintendo on multiple fronts for potential in the next year, and it's going to be important on the hardware sales as it will be a determining factor if people want to support the Switch or not. It's why EA is playing it safe and are doing Fifa first (and I'm not discrediting them), why Take Two is playing it safe with the NBA2K series, why multiple companies are waiting to see so they can determine what is best to do with something like the switch.

On the flip side from a consumer standpoint the third parties "playing it safe" could be viewed negatively and push them more towards PS4/XBO where they know those games would be. The only way to know if games are gonna sell is to put them out there. I'm honestly shocked that we haven't been seeing game after game that uses UE4 announced for the system since this event with how easy it's supposed to be to use on Switch to port games. I thought games like Kingdom Hearts 3 and Marvel vs. Capcom had a pretty good chance since they're from Japanese companies and we all know how Japan loves handhelds.

We need these kinds of confirmations ASAP.

In a sense, I am curious about when Japan gets their share of pre-orders; along with hearing about it more from major european outlets as well in performance, as it could show the early response to the Switch and how it could perform.

The Directs are going to be more beneficial now, with bringing more game information out there hopefully on a month-per-basis with over 80 games in development; along with seeing the future of the company. Either way, it's going to be fun to see what happens on that front in my opinion.

I'm looking forward to all Switch directs too. It was so annoying when we were constantly seeing 3DS stuff when what was really needed was Wii U. That's now a thing of the past now that it's all in one.

 

[Nick]

Casey Neistat uploaded a quick video from the NYC Switch event... nothing we don't know, but it's a nice look inside the event and up close at Switch. His commentary at the end is actually the most insightful part.

 

[epcyclopedia]

I cant watch that video because i find his look morally reprehensible.

 

[epcyclopedia]

*starts video, makes it to 44 seconds*

Yup.. can't do it.

*goes to clean himself with lye soap*

 

[Mike S]

How exactly does YouTube trending work? The new Breath of the Wild trailer is a little over 3 million and sits at #2 while the Mario Odyssey trailer is closer to 4 million but isn't there at all. A small thing I just noticed.

 

[Nick]

How exactly does YouTube trending work? The new Breath of the Wild trailer is a little over 3 million and sits at #2 while the Mario Odyssey trailer is closer to 4 million but isn't there at all. A small thing I just noticed.

There's probably an algorithm they use to get a mix of different topics in the trending tab.

Either that or it's pay to play.

 

[Mike S]

I give this a year at most.
Nintendo’s Boss Promises the Switch Won’t Have the NES Classic’s Supply Issues | WIRED

Fils-Aime: 3DS has a long life in front of it. We’ve already announced games that will be launching in the first couple quarters of this year. There are a number of big games coming. And in our view, the Nintendo 3DS and the Nintendo Switch are going to live side-by-side. You’re going to be meeting different price points, you’re going to be meeting different types of consumers, you’re going to have the newest, freshest content available on Nintendo Switch, you’ve got a thousand-game library available on Nintendo 3DS, plus some key new ones coming. They’re going to coexist just fine. We’ve done this before, managing two different systems.

I think there’s a sense that Nintendo Switch is a portable device. It is portable. But at its heart, it’s a home console that you can take with you on the go.

Some people still have the idea that the 3DS could have its own successor based on the wording here. Personally I think that would be a very stupid move and completely undermine the Switch.

 

[yankees13]

I give this a year at most.
Nintendo’s Boss Promises the Switch Won’t Have the NES Classic’s Supply Issues | WIRED

Some people still have the idea that the 3DS could have its own successor based on the wording here. Personally I think that would be a very stupid move and completely undermine the Switch.

We'll see about the availability. I held off on preordering since I'm not sure if I want it at launch. Guess it all depends on how the reviews for Zelda are.

 

[Parkscope Joe]

Overall, the presentation was a mixed bag. The lows... were low. $300 at launch with no pack-in games and two first party launch titles (one of which being on Wii U, the other of which is a $50 tech demo) is laughable, there's no way I'm getting this until there's either a price drop or some sort of game bundle.

I agree, Nintendo could have done some "people familiar with the situation" drops in WSJ to report around a $300 price. Having Mario not for launch was a momentum killer for me. 1, 2, Switch screams 'pack in' game not a $50 purchase.

 

[Mike S]

I agree, Nintendo could have done some "people familiar with the situation" drops in WSJ to report around a $300 price. Having Mario not for launch was a momentum killer for me. 1, 2, Switch screams 'pack in' game not a $50 purchase.

Not excited for Zelda?

I could see their reasoning for having Mario as a holiday title. If Pokémon is as well as was rumored the Switch could be a very hot item this Christmas.

 

[Parkscope Joe]

Not excited for Zelda?

Hey, never that. I'm just explaining the lows of the presentation. Still pre-ordered (might still cancel).

Anyway, GiantBomb uploaded a good coverage of their time at the NYC press conference.