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[mrklaw]

So it appears the best combination in gaming will be a PC and a Switch. The Switch is basically a better Nvidia Shield with Nintendo games on it.

Would be so good if the nvidia connection supported streaming from PC to switch. Unlikely though I guess

 

[AmyS]

This is about half a day old: http://www.cnbc.com/2016/10/21/nintendo-switch-reactions.html

Nintendo's long-awaited unveiling of its next-generation gaming system generated a lot of excitement in the gaming community this week, with both the company's loyal fans and even some of the curmudgeonly jaded hardcore gamer audience celebrating the unveiling of Switch.

Some analysts, though, were underwhelmed by what they've seen so far.

"Unfortunately the ongoing gimmicky nature of their hardware configurations seems only to detract," said Mike Hickey of The Benchmark Co. "At the moment, the Switch platform does not feel disruptive or desirable and way too gimmicky for a millennial to embrace."

There are still a lot of unknowns about Switch. Besides the obvious gaps like pricing, exact release data and game launch lineup, one of the biggest questions centers around the battery life of the device. If the Switch is unable to run independently for more than three to four hours, those people cheering the system now could be howling in protest come March 2017, when it's released.

It was concerns about battery life, in fact, that forced Nintendo to not offer Switch-like functionality with the Wii U, something the company debated as early as 2007, when it first began planning the follow-up to the Wii.
"During the roundtable discussions there were such arguments about should we make [the Wii U controller] capable of being a stand-alone system or should we make it work only with the [base console] system," then-President Satoru Iwata said in 2011.

"We came to the conclusion that this controller is only going to show the images generated and processed by this hardware unit — and sent from the hardware unit wirelessly. That means sharper graphics. A battery couldn't do that," he said at the time.
It would seem Nintendo believes today's batteries are, in fact, capable of doing that. But the world has changed dramatically in the past nine years. Mobile phones are omnipresent in society — and games are the most popular apps for those devices.

Demand for Nintendo's 3DS handheld system (which launched in 2011), meanwhile, basically flatlined at the end of 2014. And Hickey said asking people to carry another gaming gadget with them could be a hard sell.

"They are fighting two combative smartphone-related player migrations: a casual console or 'in-home' gamer and/or a dedicated handheld gamer — both are under the gravitational pull to the smartphone/tablet," said Hickey. "The value proposition for a dedicated casual console or a portable game device feel antiquated, so perhaps the idea of combining both markets was a compelling competitive positioning for Nintendo to follow."
Billy Pidgeon, an independent analyst who covers the video game industry, is bullish on Switch, though. Ultimately, he said, it all comes down to the quality of the games — and with Nintendo's rich history of titles that are fan and critical successes and the long list of publishers who have committed to support the system, Nintendo could have a compelling argument for Switch's portability.
"Phone games have been pretty disappointing," he said. "That's not necessarily because of the processing capability, but because of the marketplace. People largely choose free-to-play games — and free to play is shackled creatively. ... It's not necessarily a satisfying experience.[Switch] is a different gaming experience and therefore it's worth carrying around."

If nothing else, the reveal of Switch certainly got people talking about Nintendo again. Online interest in the system seemed to be more U.S.-centric, according to data from audience insights platform Affinio. (The U.S. is, by far, the world's largest market for video game sales.)

A search of Twitter conversations about Switch showed high interest among U.S. hardcore gamers and very high interest among U.S. Nintendo fans (especially those who are fanatical about "Super Smash Bros."). Overall gamer interest, though, was only ranked in the "medium" category.
Japanese gamers and millennials, though, had low interest, said Affinio. And French gamers were at the low end of the medium category.

Full article here.

Edit:

wth is this.. God I hope this isn't true
https://twitter.com/bk2128/status/789353840592072704

Q&A at Nintendo IR
Q: Is NS 3DS' successor?
A: NS is home console (WiiU) successor. Home & Handheld still separate. 3DS successor much later

 

[SinCityAssassin]

wth is this.. God I hope this isn't true
https://twitter.com/bk2128/status/789353840592072704

Why would a rep from the investor's relations meeting answer questions ahead of next week?

 

[mrklaw]

I would argue that $300-400 is a huge life choice, yes. If it's not to you, then congrats! It's more about what I feel is a missed opportunity. It's about the hypothetical future where I know what could have been, where I wish I could instead have spent that same $300-400 on a system that is on par or better than the PS4/XOne. It's about feeling like having no real choice, like feeling coerced, kind of like phone or TV bundles, where there's one this base that you really want (Nintendo software), but are forced to take on tons of channels you don't care (portability, inferior hardware) for a really high price, and having no alternate choice.

Do you find value in off-tv play on the wiiU? I don't play out of the house much, but I still like the wiiU off-tv play and vita for remote play as the TV is often used by the kids/wife for other things. So switch is good for that already

How about 3DS games? Now you'll be able to play Pokemon on the TV, or other games that maybe only used to come to the handheld.

Isn't it good that this will allow Nintendo to focus on a singular platform rather than trying to feed two and having regular droughts?

 

[Ricky 7]

I like me some promos.

Looks so nice💚

wth is this.. God I hope this isn't true
https://twitter.com/bk2128/status/789353840592072704

Probably say this kind of stuff as a safety precaution like they did with the DS and GameBoy.

 

[AdanVC]

Somebody should contact some of the actors on the reveal trailer to ask their impressions about Switch since they're technically the very first people who try it out outside developers

Thirsty for info level x10000000000000 I know.

 

[TechnicPuppet]

I assume we can buy spare docks, id like to have option of up or downstairs.

 

[JimPanzer]

Somebody should contact some of the actors on the reveal trailer to ask their impressions about Switch since they're technically the very first people who try it out outside developers

Thirsty for info level x10000000000000 I know.

by "try it" you mean hold a plastic model?

 

[mrklaw]

Heck, a lot of folks spent the last decade bashing Sony for trying this in their games. 'Console like experience' was like the number one bash used against psp/vita games by a lot of folks, yet here we have a console seemingly designed around that.

I'm actually quite interested to see how games are targeted here. Too handheld like may alienate console gamers, while too console like may not mesh well with mobile play styles.

With consoles getting pause/resume sleep states like handhelds already had, I think the two are actually very compatible. I think the idea of what is a 'portable' game and what is a 'home' game is outdated and not relevant in today's market.

Is it so terrible to pause a game in the middle of looking for collectible #1322 to get off the bus?

 

[HotHamBoy]

wth is this.. God I hope this isn't true
https://twitter.com/bk2128/status/789353840592072704

I fully expected this. I assume the handheld will be a paired down version of the same hardware and run the same games and ecosystem. It will be a no-frills, smaller option that stresses the portable aspect and a bit more battery with no switching elements. But it will probably still function as a screen that pairs with controllers for multiplayer, etc. it will probably be a good deal cheaper, too.

Obviously speculation but that makes sense to me.

 

[Peterthumpa]

Somebody should contact some of the actors on the reveal trailer to ask their impressions about Switch since they're technically the very first people who try it out outside developers

Thirsty for info level x10000000000000 I know.

I could go to the basketball court where they were playing NBA17 (3 minute walk from here) and stand where the Switch was being used. Would that make you feel in peace with your heart?

 

[NippleViking]

I could go to the basketball court where they were playing NBA17 (3 minute walk from here) and stand where the Switch was being used. Would that make you feel in peace with your heart?

Yes.

 

[ShadowFox08]

I fully expected this. I assume the handheld will be a paired down version of the same hardware and run the same games and ecosystem. It will be a no-frills, smaller option that stresses the portable aspect and a bit more battery with no switching elements. But it will probably still function as a screen that pairs with controllers for multiplayer, etc. it will probably be a good deal cheaper, too.

Obviously speculation but that makes sense to me.

I don't know how legit that source is entirely. I got it from SMD's latest video and he had that link(and talked about it).

 

[NimbusD]

why is it only 720p, my phone is 2K and lasts 5 hours

Your phone doesn't last 5 hours playing any intensive games straight.

Also your phone most definitely does not render games at 1080 just because your screen is that resolution.

Also also, your phone, I'm assuming you have a decent one, costs significantly more than what this is probably going to cost.

 

[Peterthumpa]

Yes.

Do not fear, I'll do it tomorrow. That's a promise.

 

[AmyS]

Probably say this kind of stuff as a safety precaution like they did with the DS and GameBoy.

A totally separate and smaller handheld would make absolute sense though. It lines up with all of Iwata's statements.

Late January 2013:

Last year we also started a project to integrate the architecture for our future platforms. What we mean by integrating platforms is not integrating handhelds devices and home consoles to make only one machine. What we are aiming at is to integrate the architecture to form a common basis for software development so that we can make software assets more transferrable, and operating systems and their build-in applications more portable, regardless of form factor or performance of each platform.

https://www.nintendo.co.jp/ir/en/library/events/130131/05.html

March 2014:

Still, I am not sure if the form factor (the size and configuration of the hardware) will be integrated. In contrast, the number of form factors might increase. Currently, we can only provide two form factors because if we had three or four different architectures, we would face serious shortages of software on every platform. To cite a specific case, Apple is able to release smart devices with various form factors one after another because there is one way of programming adopted by all platforms. Apple has a common platform called iOS. Another example is Android. Though there are various models, Android does not face software shortages because there is one common way of programming on the Android platform that works with various models. The point is, Nintendo platforms should be like those two examples.

https://www.nintendo.co.jp/ir/en/library/events/140130qa/02.html

 

[Peterthumpa]

I think it all depends on the Switch success. If this thing explodes in popularity, there's no point for Nintendo to risk a second "portable" with worse specs into the market.

 

[Solid SOAP]

What's really cool about this is that it would make a PS4 Pro-style upgrade way easier because you're buying into an ecosystem, not just one device so any part can be changed out as you see fit.

This is a great point actually! I can see trade-in deals and such working very smoothly and the "Switch" brand maintaining itself for a while after release.

 

[GustyGardens]

So, the fact that Nintendo partnered with Ubitus for this thing means that there's going to be some form of cloud based gaming, right? That's kinda what that company is known for...

 

[LordKano]

Seems like the indie publisher FDG Entertainment (Oceanhorn, Monster Boy) has a devkit and two games planned for the first half of 2017.
https://twitter.com/FDG_Games/status/789700410189766657

 

[NimbusD]

wth is this.. God I hope this isn't true
https://twitter.com/bk2128/status/789353840592072704

I literally wouldn't understand the point of this console if they don't actually treat it like a true hybrid single platform.

It's too fucking complicated to just be one aspect if their development. They'll fall into the same exact trap as the Wii u.

 

[mrklaw]

I fully expected this. I assume the handheld will be a paired down version of the same hardware and run the same games and ecosystem. It will be a no-frills, smaller option that stresses the portable aspect and a bit more battery with no switching elements. But it will probably still function as a screen that pairs with controllers for multiplayer, etc. it will probably be a good deal cheaper, too.

Obviously speculation but that makes sense to me.

Yeah it'll still be switch but optimised for portable use and lower cost

Wait for die shrink for power savings, smaller screen to better support 'portable first' use case, possible clamshell for protection, built in non-removable controls.

But ultimately the same machine running the same games, with the same home docking capabilities. Probably buy the dock as an accessory at that point

 

[OrbitalBeard]

I think it all depends on the Switch success. If this thing explodes in popularity, there's no point for Nintendo to risk a second "portable" with worse specs into the market.

I've said it in a number of other threads, but I'll repeat it here.

Holiday 2018. Switch Mini. Smaller version of the tablet with both joycons built in. No dock included, but available as an optional accessory. This will replace the 3DS and become a new option for those who care more about portability than anything else.

There's basically zero chance Nintendo releases another dedicated portable with its own software ecosystem after the Switch launches .

 

[GinoFelino]

I'd almost argue that the Switch takes almost everything that made Nintendo successful and coalesces it all into this handheld. The small controllers are giving major Famicom vibes, the logo looks like the GameCube's revenge, the fact that it's a handheld at all etc.

Oh, no doubt. I didn't mean to suggest they forgot everything that made them great.

But it's no overt nostalgia-pandering. They want this thing to feel new and fresh. No blatant callbacks.

 

[Durante]

why is it only 720p, my phone is 2K and lasts 5 hours

If your phone was running games that made use of its hardware as well as an average console game makes use of the console hardware, it would a) downclock heavily after less than a minute and b) still last nowhere near 5 hours.

 

[Peterthumpa]

I've said it in a number of other threads, but I'll repeat it here.

Holiday 2018. Switch Mini. Smaller version of the tablet with both joycons built in. No dock included, but available as an optional accessory. This will replace the 3DS and become a new option for those who care more about portability than anything else.

There's basically zero chance Nintendo releases another dedicated portable with its own software ecosystem after the Switch launches .

Exactly. A Switch Mini is totally a feasible idea down the road. Another handheld with different specs? No freaking way. It's a Switch-only future from now on folks.

 

[-shadow-]

I like the look of the that shape mid-bottom of the console. It looks like USB-C.

Just hope it's not the only charging port so that it can be charged while in kick-stand mode. I mean come on.

That's what I'm guessing they're using going by the picture. Should be able to charge the system and transfer enough data from it towards the HDMI. If true Nintendo's a lot further into tech than I thought they'd be.

 

[Peterthumpa]

If your phone was running games that made use of its hardware as well as an average console game makes use of the console hardware, it would a) downclock heavily after less than a minute and b) still last nowhere near 5 hours.

There's also the fact that his phone has a 2K screen but the only game running natively on it is probably Cut the Rope. Heck, I tried Asphalt 8 on a god damn iPhone 7 and the thing STILL goes way below 30 FPS territory, and that's supposedly running natively on a phone with an HD screen.

Graphics and performance wise, 3D heavy mobile games are pathetic, save for a few exceptions.

 

[18-Volt]

wth is this.. God I hope this isn't true
https://twitter.com/bk2128/status/789353840592072704

They said they'll continue to support 3DS through 2018, though I doubt anyone besides Nintendo and Level-5 actually makes games for it in the future.

If they're planning to keep 3ds alive, a system revision is needed. XL is the shit.

 

[LordKano]

They said they'll continue to support 3DS through 2018, though I doubt anyone besides Nintendo and Level-5 actually makes games for it in the future.

If they're planning to keep 3ds alive, a system revision is needed. XL is the shit.

They will continue to support it just like they will continue to support the Wii U once Switch is released...They won't. Pikmin will probably be the last Nintendo game on 3DS. And Level-5 will probably move all the previously announced 3DS games (except maybe The Snack World) to Switch.

 

[AdanVC]

by "try it" you mean hold a plastic model?

True. And obviously acting like if they we're playing when they we're not in reality.

I could go to the basketball court where they were playing NBA17 (3 minute walk from here) and stand where the Switch was being used. Would that make you feel in peace with your heart?

YES! What if Nintendo forgot something there like a cable, a cartridge or a completely sealed retail ready box of Nintendo Switch or something.

Spoiler

Mad props for living on Vancouver. Such a gorgeous city.

 

[Deleted member 10571]

I've got a feeling this thing might just become the second most successful modern Nintendo console, only very closely behind the Wii. So hyped.

I mean, Nintendo Handheld library for my home? Phoenix Wright? Pokemon? 999? Plus what seems like a ton of 3rd party support from the get go, hopefully?

I love the whole concept way more the more I think about it. Still a bit worried about the size of the joycons, but that's about it.

 

[Peterthumpa]

True. And obviously acting like if they we're playing when they we're not in reality.



YES! What if Nintendo forgot something there like a cable, a cartridge or a completely sealed retail ready box of Nintendo Switch or something.

Spoiler

Mad props for living on Vancouver. Such a gorgeous city.

Not trying to be a party pooper, but if they did, the last 2 weeks of constant, non-stop rain already crushed our dreams. And yeah, even with all the water falling from the sky, Vancouver is awesome.

 

[papercan55]

wth is this.. God I hope this isn't true
https://twitter.com/bk2128/status/789353840592072704

I know i'm alone in thinking this but this reveal has been an absolute mess.
Sure the trailer was nice but it left far too many questions unanswered and after the confusion of wii u they should be avoiding all of this.

All these snippets of confusing answers coming after only make this situation worse.
Just wait for a few weeks and most people will just be left confused as to what it actually is.

 

[JoeM86]

I know i'm alone in thinking this but this reveal has been an absolute mess.
Sure the trailer was nice but it left far too many questions unanswered and after the confusion of wii u they should be avoiding all of this.

All these snippets of confusing answers coming after only make this situation worse.
Just wait for a few weeks and most people will just be left confused as to what it actually is.

Aren't you hyperbolising a bit?

There are always questions for every company after a reveal. Come on.

 

[GinoFelino]

I know i'm alone in thinking this but this reveal has been an absolute mess.
Sure the trailer was nice but it left far too many questions unanswered and after the confusion of wii u they should be avoiding all of this.

All these snippets of confusing answers coming after only make this situation worse.
Just wait for a few weeks and most people will just be left confused as to what it actually is.

It's the best possible reveal for mainstream appeal. Only the tech enthusiasts have a lot of remaining questions, but that's intentional. They didn't want to answer the technical questions yet.

This talk about it not being the next handheld is nonsensical. Just ignore it.

 

[AmyS]

What's really cool about this is that it would make a PS4 Pro-style upgrade way easier because you're buying into an ecosystem, not just one device so any part can be changed out as you see fit.

This is a great point actually! I can see trade-in deals and such working very smoothly and the "Switch" brand maintaining itself for a while after release.

Oh yeah! Absolutely agree with both of you. I'd be all over a "Super Switch" in 2020.

Keep the resolutions the same (1080p docked, 720p portable) using a 7nm shrink of the next gen Tegra 'Xavier' (512 cores, Volta architecture) which will be on 16nm.

By cutting the CPU core count on Xavier from 8 to 4, made on a smaller node, it might be reasonable in a consumer product. Plus, something like that low-cost HBM recently shown on SK Hynix' HB roadmap;

Super Switch could be around base PS4 level, in 3-4 years.

4 years ago, Nintendo Switch would not have been possible on then-existing tech for a reasonable gaming product. Not for the portable aspect anyway. Now it is.

 

[SinCityAssassin]

I know i'm alone in thinking this but this reveal has been an absolute mess.
Sure the trailer was nice but it left far too many questions unanswered and after the confusion of wii u they should be avoiding all of this.

All these snippets of confusing answers coming after only make this situation worse.
Just wait for a few weeks and most people will just be left confused as to what it actually is.

I still question how an IR rep would answer questions ahead of a financial meeting on the 26th.

 

[Deleted member 10571]

I know i'm alone in thinking this but this reveal has been an absolute mess.
Sure the trailer was nice but it left far too many questions unanswered and after the confusion of wii u they should be avoiding all of this.

All these snippets of confusing answers coming after only make this situation worse.
Just wait for a few weeks and most people will just be left confused as to what it actually is.

The reveal itself has been the opposite of a mess for Nintendo, very clean, very effective, giving out exactly the information that should be given out.

I'd love some official specs and future plans, but if you remember the "third pillar" that was supposed to be the Wii, I'm not sure if that would be much better. If (and of course that's a big if) the Switch will be incredibly successful, it would be crazy for Nintendo and 3rd party to not take advantage of the heavy mobile factor and start treating it as the next handheld generation.

 

[papercan55]

Aren't you hyperbolising a bit?

There are always questions for every company after a reveal. Come on.

I honestly don't think i am.
If it was just the trailer and then no news till later then that would be slightly disappointing but ok.
Problem is it took only hours for confusion to start and every day more confusing news.
One of the main games shown, skyrim might not actually be coming to platform.
Dock does not upscale for tv, only charges.
Not a replacement for handhelds, might not actually be a replacement for console.

This talk about it not being the next handheld is nonsensical. Just ignore it.

I hope your correct. I'm praying that nintendo can do this correctly as the wii u library of games was amazing but the actual console and reveal was a mess.
I just don't want a repeat of last time and would rather they just come out and answer all technical questions now, save games and pricing news but don't leave people confused and guessing.

 

[mrklaw]

I know i'm alone in thinking this but this reveal has been an absolute mess.
Sure the trailer was nice but it left far too many questions unanswered and after the confusion of wii u they should be avoiding all of this.

All these snippets of confusing answers coming after only make this situation worse.
Just wait for a few weeks and most people will just be left confused as to what it actually is.

It's basic stuff really
- reveal is focusing on the 'switch' mechanic and showing lots of variations on that theme
- statement about 3DS is just marketing trying to protect sales coming up to Christmas and means nothing in reality

We still have lots more to learn which is absolutely normal after a first look
- touch/multitouch (capacitive?)
- if touch can games have touch requirements that can't be used when docked - e.g. Mario maker course creator
- gyro support
- OS UI
- will they be supporting mobile games on it
Etc..

 

[Joelstinton14]

I know i'm alone in thinking this but this reveal has been an absolute mess.
Sure the trailer was nice but it left far too many questions unanswered and after the confusion of wii u they should be avoiding all of this.

All these snippets of confusing answers coming after only make this situation worse.
Just wait for a few weeks and most people will just be left confused as to what it actually is.

Think it is important to make a distinction between the thirst for new information, and the device being confusing.

The trailer pretty much nailed explaining the virtues of the switch.

Obviously, there are a lot of unanswered questions, but this was only meant to be a preliminary introduction anyway. More news will come

 

[UnemployedVillain]

Pokemon Eclipse isn't an unrealistic expectation. In fact it really should happen.

It won't happen. Just like we didn't get a Pokemon Z, or a typical third game for BW either

 

[Shahadan]

I really don't understand why people are convinced there won't be a handlheld released after that. They won't forget about the millions of people buying handhelds or their dual screen library.

Releasing a home console with a portable function doesn't magically add sale numbers of two separate machines.

 

[Speely]

I really don't understand why people are convinced there won't be a handlheld released after that. They won't forget about the millions of people buying handhelds or their dual screen library.

Releasing a home console with a portable function doesn't magically add sale numbers of two separate machines.

But then they would still face the problem of supporting two platforms. The whole idea of the Switch is to consolidate development. That's, like, the thing.

 

[UnemployedVillain]

The only way I see a handheld being made is if it's using a much weaker chip of the Tegra line, meaning ALL of its games can be played on the Switch as well

 

[Durante]

I really don't understand why people are convinced there won't be a handlheld released after that. They won't forget about the millions of people buying handhelds or their dual screen library.

Releasing a home console with a portable function doesn't magically add sale numbers of two separate machines.

They might eventually release a cheaper, smaller handheld-only version of Switch with 100% software compatibility, once hardware progress allows for that.

Releasing a separate platform with a separate software library would run completely counter to their strategy.

 

[Principate]

I really don't understand why people are convinced there won't be a handlheld released after that. They won't forget about the millions of people buying handhelds or their dual screen library.

Releasing a home console with a portable function doesn't magically add sale numbers of two separate machines.

Nintendo used term 3rd pillar to describe this that's code for there is no other 3DS successor planned if this succeeds, the last time they used that terminology was in regards to the DS and the gameboy, do you see any other gameboy successors outside of the DS? It's dead jim unless this bombs

 

[Arnas]

I never was a Nintendo fan more of a Playstation guy myself, i only bought Gamecube because of resident games being exclusive to the platform at that time, but once Nintendo revealed the Switch it immediately got my interest. The name sound's snappy i think it could catch on and i like how the console looks ,hopefully the gamepad is going to be comfortable. Probably going to pick one up if there's going to be some interesting games for me.

 

[MrGerbils]

Sorry if this has been asked and answered already (hard to keep up with the multiple threads that are going), but is there any word on whether the Switch in portable mode has a standard HDMI out and a standard charging port (micro USB, etc)?

I'm imaging a scenario like playing it on the train to work, then during lunch hooking up to a tv and playing it like a console, etc.