In this weeks episode we babble about the Nintendo Switch: is it a home console, or is it a portable device? Will there be a shortage of consoles at launch? And what’s going on with its price and the cost of the peripherals? We also discuss the games announced and our hopes for Nintendo’s future.
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Post by Patrick
15 replies on “Double Jump: The Nintendo Switch”
The fact that voice chat, multiplayer, matchmaking requires an app on your smartphone is beyond retarded and clearly shows Nintendo is losing its way.
If only Satoru Iwata was still with us….
This is what Nintendo always do. They innovate and create some of the most interesting hardware but when it comes to online services, they don’t take risks. Under Iwata, Friend Codes were introduced and the online functionality of the Wii was weak compared to the PS3 and Xbox 360. The Switch in that regards isn’t as backwards as people make it out to seem, because at least they’re offering those services.
At the end of the day they want to create a safe product for their target audience: Families, casuals and fans of Nintendo games.
Makes sense that they don’t offer readily available online access because the target audience is younger, and online is a cesspool. They still give you the option, but for a younger child that will automatically give the phone owner (parent) control. Its a great console that I can confidently buy for my 4 year old.
And it’s understandably so. It might suck for us but people do take advantage of this stuff. On the 3DS there used to be a messaging app that they removed completely because they found out that older men were messaging kids and sending them inappropriate pics and messages.
Iwata was president when they launched the Wii U which is the biggest home console flop they ever had, not sure what you’re basing that on.
The Wii U flopped for multiple reasons, I think it was out of Iwata’s hands, but look farther back. The DS and Wii were huge successes but looked incredibly weak compared to their competitors, the Wii especially. It didn’t have friends lists or voice chat, or any kind of social system. So not sure how people think Nintendo is “losing its way”. This is in-line to what they always do. At least the Switch offers these features lol
When the Wii was released, HDTVs weren’t widely available. Nintendo (rightfully at the time) said that HD is not a big deal yet – but part of the reason that Wii support dropped off so heavily near the end of the lifecycle was that people with their brand new expensive TVs were not going to play 480p games on it, and Wii games eventually were a hard sell even though there were so many consoles out there. Nintendo didn’t do HD until 2012! Uncharted 2, God of War 3 were coming out around 2009 already.
With the 3DS it started off poorly because of the price and launch games, but eventually they had a great library and exclusives that won over a large crowd for a while… but now the majority of Japanese people play mobile games, you don’t see handhelds on the metro like you used to. The 3DS still sells very well during Black Friday when it’s $99 and a new Pokemon game just came out, I dunno if it’ll sell the same at $300.
Basically they didn’t have to adapt in the past because things like HDTV and Mobile came about afterwards – but the point is at some point you are competing with modern tech and have to at least look at the stuff around you.
Either way I think unifying the console/handheld system is the best chance they have.
You’re right but I was mainly referring to their online services. But yeah, I agree with everything you said 🙂
Is it available for preorder anywhere in Kuwait
The only way to find out is to go to individual stores in Rihab and check with them. I know some stores do take pre-orders (I pre-ordered by 3DS when that first came out), but it might be trickier with the Switch.
Xcite usually takes preorders on consoles.
“Will their be a shortage”
*There
thanks fixed!
I’m just curious on how will Virtual Console is going to work on the Switch.
I think we all are. They’ve been dropping hints that you don’t have to pay for games you already own on the VC, but I’m not going to trust anything until they officially come out and tell us the direction they’re going in.