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Nintendo Switch: March 3rd 2017 worldwide, MSRP $300

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Personally I was hoping for $250, but $300 is reasonable. That doesn't make it good, mind you, but I understand. At least there can be some wiggle room in terms of future sales and price drops now, especially if the Switch stumbles out of the gate. Because even if the majority doesn't initially bite at $300, you still have $275 and $250 later on as a backup, and can likely still make a profit. But if they don't initially bite at $250, any price drop you do brings you closer and closer to the danger zone of selling at a loss, and that usually doesn't end well.
 
New Info from Nintendo's website:
  • Touch Screen is 720p
  • Internal Storage is 32GB
  • Can Be Expanded using microSDXC Cards
  • BotW's battery life estimated at 3 hours.
  • Online service includes proper chat lobby
  • Subscribers get one free NES/SNES VC title a month

phones have better specs than that.
 
Did a quick and dirty analysis of resolution and framerates of games shown:

  • Super Mario Odyssey - 720p, 60FPS (no AA)
  • ARMS - 720p, 60FPS (heavy temporal AA - looks like a UE4 game with it's own overly-aggressive TAA solution)
  • Splatoon 2 - 720p, 60FPS (no AA)
  • Mario Kart 8 Deluxe - 1080p, 60FPS (no AA)
  • Fire Emblem Warriors (short game visual snippet shown) - 1080p, 30FPS (light post process AA)
  • Xenoblade Chronicles 2 - 720p, 30FPS (heavy post AA)
  • Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - 720p, 30FPS (heavy post AA used)
  • Super Bomberman R - 1080p, 60FPS (post AA)
  • The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim - 1080p, 30FPS (post AA used)*
  • Shin-Megami Tensei - 1920x540 (horizontal interlacing used), 60FPS

    *May have been PC Footage.
 
720p is one of the few things that is understandable. People are already complaining about the shit battery life. We would have been looking at Game Gear levels for some games.


The graphics on display though didn't present anywhere of a jump from where the Wii U already was.
 

yyr

Member
I've been saying for months, it's going to come down to the launch games and the price.

This launch lineup is just sad. I see people comparing it to the PS4 launch lineup, which was also sad, but I say, look at what the PS4 was competing against: the XB1 which had also JUST launched, the Wii U with its perpetual droughts, and the older, tired, PS3 and 360. The time was right for a new console, and at $100 less than the XB1, of course the PS4 was going to sell, even if the launch games were ho-hum.

The Switch's launch lineup has to compete against the CURRENT PS4/XB1 lineups, not the LAUNCH PS4/XB1 lineups, so that comparison is meaningless. And if you were wondering, it's not a favorable comparison.

The year one outlook isn't so great either. I see Zelda and Mario, okay, good. Then I see the Wii U ports, I see some niche games, I see Skyrim, I see some sports games, I see some indies, and I don't see much else. These launch games needed to kick all kinds of ass. I was hoping to hear about DOZENS of games during this presentation, all of which would make me salivate. That's not what I got, and I'm disappointed.

Okay, so about the price. My previous feelings could be summed up as "They need to compete with the current market. $199 = great, $249 = okay, $299 = DOA." After watching the entire presentation and looking at more details, it's even worse than I expected. We're being asked to pay $299, plus:

- NO pack-in game. None.
- Separate MicroSD card purchase pretty much required, as 32 GB is only going to go so far
- $70 if you want the Pro controller
- $80 if you want another set of JoyCons
- online multiplayer will not be free beyond Fall 2017

I can't believe my eyes. I was really hoping Nintendo would learn from the market reception of Wii U, and really compete on price. This is just...I don't even know what this is. I'm sad, and frustrated, and wondering if this is a bad dream.

I would say something else, but I don't really know what to say, beyond the obvious: I won't be pre-ordering.
 

acm2000

Member
This thing is amazing :D

It's worse than anyone ever hoped, just massive fails left right and center... I need what ever Nintendo is smoking.
 

Persona7

Banned
So because the system is $50 more than the expected price, Nintendo it's doomed to third party? Okay, GAF.......
It's more than that though.

High Price
Low Specs
Paid Online
Outrageous accessory costs
Very poor software lineup
Limited third party support


I am not willing to dump $500 dollars on day one for a system, game and controller.
 
I was really looking forward to this but the paid online service, poor lineup and expensive peripherals are disappointing for me.

They have it barely running on xbox1.

They barely got it to run on Xbox as it is.

Barely? It runs pretty well and features no frame pacing issues.

Final Fantasy 15 Xbox One Gameplay Frame-Rate Test (Digital Foundry)

Performance Analysis: Final Fantasy 15

Let's discuss the Microsoft console version first. There's a dynamic resolution scaling solution in place that gives the title a softer look than its siblings, and in effects-heavy scenes, there are also performance dips you won't see on PlayStation hardware. Square-Enix has realised that this may be an issue, so it has implemented a semi-adaptive v-sync. If a frame is just a few milliseconds late for the next display refresh, the framebuffer flips a little later, resulting in a tear that is only ever seen at the top of the screen. But otherwise, frame-times are an absolutely rock-solid 33ms - a new frame is presented on every other display refresh. It's 30fps the way it's meant to be seen and it feels smooth and consistent.
 

MGrant

Member
I'm going to buy one because I have the money and why the fuck not, but they're really leaving a lot of money on the table by making it that expensive. And its accessories. And removing free online. And not announcing any games for fall. Basically I'm getting a vibe that they're just doing the Wii U again under a different name. As if the name was Wii U's only problem. Extremely conservative launch, even for Nintendo.
 

Haunted

Member
If they dumped all their roms at once and made the entire NES/SNES VC library available to subscribers, people might think about paying for online.


Like this? Nintendo is going to get wrecked by the backlash.
 

Usobuko

Banned
God, that price for such underwhelming features... Damnit, Nintendo No! no ! no ! Brand loyalty doesn't work that way........

Mmm actually, after reading some posts I'm not so sure right now.

Paid online, low spec, expensive accessories, underwhelming launch titles, $300 MSRP

They are testing brand loyalty no doubt.
 

Instro

Member
So because the system is $50 more than the expected price, Nintendo it's doomed to third party? Okay, GAF.......

That's really ignoring the overall problem. At $299 it doesn't even come with a pack in, or a pro controller.

If I wanted to buy this, Zelda, and a Pro Controller to have a decent home experience I would have to shell out ~$450. That's insane. Which doesn't even speak to all of the other legitimate issues so far.
 

Kusagari

Member
This is the Wii U in terms of appeal with the added plus of Nintendo now thinking they have the swagger and capital to act like MS or Sony when it comes to online and accessory prices.

They're in for a very rude awakening.
 
I am shocked how bad this is...like there was barely any third party presence at all, devs are clearly not on board. The lineup is embarassing for a console launch, the hardware is overpriced, as are accessories. Online features not ready for launch WTF? Disaster.
 

ZehDon

Member
At $250.00, the Switch was going to be a very hard sell. At $300.00, for what it is, the lack of third party main stays, and that confirmed launch line up? No one who didn't buy a Wii U is buying this. That price is just not inline with how the mass market perceives Nintendo's hardware.
 
Despite not being into it, I still expect the Switch to do well. Not Wii numbers but people say it's going to be another Wii U are being way too hasty.
 

Piggus

Member
Most flagship phones also cost $600-$900.

They cost that much because phone companies make a huge profit margin on them. They're not actually that expensive to produce, and traditionally consoles either sell at a loss or, in Nintendo's case, a small profit at launch and then get the bulk of their revenue from game sales and services.
 

DrkSage

Member
Fucking paid online is what's pissing me off. Fuck Microsoft for starting it, fuck Sony for following suit, and fuck Nintendo for following them both.
 
At $250.00, the Switch was going to be a very hard sell. At $300.00, for what it is, the lack of third party main stays, and that confirmed launch line up? No one who didn't buy a Wii U is buying this. That price is just not inline with how the mass market perceives Nintendo's hardware.
You forgot that there is also no pack in
 

Griss

Member
I've been saying for months, it's going to come down to the launch games and the price.

This launch lineup is just sad. I see people comparing it to the PS4 launch lineup, which was also sad, but I say, look at what the PS4 was competing against: the XB1 which had also JUST launched, the Wii U with its perpetual droughts, and the older, tired, PS3 and 360. The time was right for a new console, and at $100 less than the XB1, of course the PS4 was going to sell, even if the launch games were ho-hum.

The Switch's launch lineup has to compete against the CURRENT PS4/XB1 lineups, not the LAUNCH PS4/XB1 lineups, so that comparison is meaningless. And if you were wondering, it's not a favorable comparison.

The year one outlook isn't so great either. I see Zelda and Mario, okay, good. Then I see the Wii U ports, I see some niche games, I see Skyrim, I see some sports games, I see some indies, and I don't see much else. These launch games needed to kick all kinds of ass. I was hoping to hear about DOZENS of games during this presentation, all of which would make me salivate. That's not what I got, and I'm disappointed.

Okay, so about the price. My previous feelings could be summed up as "They need to compete with the current market. $199 = great, $249 = okay, $299 = DOA." After watching the entire presentation and looking at more details, it's even worse than I expected. We're being asked to pay $299, plus:

- NO pack-in game. None.
- Separate MicroSD card purchase pretty much required, as 32 GB is only going to go so far
- $70 if you want the Pro controller
- $80 if you want another set of JoyCons
- online multiplayer will not be free beyond Fall 2017

I can't believe my eyes. I was really hoping Nintendo would learn from the market reception of Wii U, and really compete on price. This is just...I don't even know what this is. I'm sad, and frustrated, and wondering if this is a bad dream.

I would say something else, but I don't really know what to say, beyond the obvious: I won't be pre-ordering.

Thanks for saving me typing up my thoughts but I'd add three things:
The paid online is a killer. Could add 200 dollars to the life of the system and is totally unexpected. Way more meaningful to me than the jump from 250 to 300 and the single worst news that could have come out of the conference.

At least it is launching with a killer app in Zelda. That makes a difference, despite the weak launch.

Lastly, the quick turnaround from reveal to launch could bite them in the ass because they can't adjust based on consumer reaction to this like Microsoft did with XB1.

Very worried.
 

suaveric

Member
At $250.00, the Switch was going to be a very hard sell. At $300.00, for what it is, the lack of third party main stays, and confirmed launch line up? No one who didn't buy a Wii U is buying this.

Don't forget this is also the replacement for the 3DS. So it will sell better than the Wii U for sure. The better question is will it sell better than the 3DS + Wii U?
 

StereoVsn

Gold Member
Despite not being into it, I still expect the Switch to do well. Not Wii numbers but people say it's going to be another Wii U are being way too hasty.
It will take a price drop and more games from Nintendo and Japanese partners before sales start being good beyond launch. Now launch will sell out between scalpers, hardcore Nintendo fans, and likely constrained supply by Nintendo.

Edit: Good point below. Switch is not likely to be attractive at least initially to most Wii-U owners for obvious reasons and probably too pricey for a lot of 3DS owners
 

Instro

Member
At $250.00, the Switch was going to be a very hard sell. At $300.00, for what it is, the lack of third party main stays, and confirmed launch line up? No one who didn't buy a Wii U is buying this.

More to the point, which 3DS owners are going to be jumping for this thing? I mean, maybe they actually have more hardware to announce at E3 or something, but that price is crazy for handheld gamers. Particularly in Japan. Truly shocking, and I except some sub 3DS numbers after launch for sure in all regions.
 

GAMETA

Banned
NINTENDO IS ARROGANT!

The only launch game that really matters is Zelda.

$300 for a console that has WiiU graphics (Hello, Nintendo, $300 is a PS4!!!)

Expensive as f*** accessories/controllers.

Ass quality presentation...



I really don't know what the fuck is wrong with this company.
 

StereoVsn

Gold Member
Do they have better games running on fancy phone specs then? Obviously not.
Eh, I would argue that iOS has a much better library then what Nintendo has in 2017. That is a silly argument though since utility of a smartphone and Switch is incomparable to the detriment of the latter.
 
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