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[L*][*N*K]

If SW1 had failed... Nintendo would 'survive' with Pokemon Licenssing, basically, and would be what disney was MANY years ago ('survive' with quotes because pokemon is by far the most lucrative brand in the world...). That's why, IMHO, Breath of the Wild is the most important game in Nintendo story, becuae it showed that the Switch concept could work (and it worked) and 'we are still here, motherf...'

Absolutely, I really don't want to live in a world that Nintendo isn't thriving in it so I am glad we are still here motherf…..

 

[rodrigolfp]

If SW1 had failed... Nintendo would 'survive' with Pokemon Licenssing, basically

Nintendo had enough cash to survive 2 or 3 consecutive failed generations. Now they have enough to survive more than 3.

 

[PauloRoberto]

Nintendo had enough cash to survive 2 or 3 consecutive failed generations. Now they have enough to survive more than 3.

You skipped the part i said survive with quotes

 

[Spirit Icana]

Why anyone listens to Reggie anymore is a mystery. Not sure you could have anything bigger than Mario Kart to launch a Nintendo Console.

He played a pivotal role in Wii's success in America so I'm interested, but yeah, this read like such a scripted/uninterested take from him. The Wii U also didn't launch with the "one-two punch." A brand new Mario Kart, like you said, was the single biggest release they could've put out. Donkey Kong and the rest, though, I would've cautioned on. Pokemon Legends beat my expectations for Switch 2 so far this year, but I'm still puzzled by Kirby Air Riders. I think that and Metroid's release dates should be switched.... but Sakurai is on Kirby, and Metroid is from the studio who haven't put out a new game in a decade!

 

[rodrigolfp]

You skipped the part i said survive with quotes

Still doesn't make sense as they didn't need pokemon to "survive". They could still literally survive for a long time with their past profits only.

 

[Hyet]

The Wii U also didn't launch with the "one-two punch."

In their heads Nintendoland and Pikmin 3 were the one-two punch and the Zombie U was icing on the cacke.
If anything, WiiU proved Software sells Hardware wrong. You have to make hardware people want to play on first. That's why WiiU games did so much better when ported to Switch.

 

[Fbh]

The first 3 months of the Switch 1 consisted of a slightly enhanced cross gen game, an overpriced tech demo, an indie-style puzzle game and a port of a 3 years old Mario Kart.
It was only good because Zelda an Mario Kart basically felt like proper new exclusives to everyone but the 5 people that bought a WiiU. If the WiiU had sold like 100+ million units it would have been a pretty shitty launch IMO.

 

[Mister Wolf]

For me, nothing will ever top BOTW, Mario Odyssey, Mario + Rabbids, and Xenoblade 2 in the first year.

 

[NeoIkaruGAF]

Switch was Nintendo in "anything goes" mode. Coming off their worst-selling home system of all time. Launching poor hardware at a very reasonable price. Of course they would go all in with software. And we're conveniently ignoring what is instead brought up in every Switch success thread, ie, a good third of the first year's lineup was WiiU games, plus most games had been in development for years.

Switch 2, at its launch price, couldn't be expected to sell that well even of it had a couple of heavy-hitters heavier than MK.
It has access to 99% of S1's enormous library, while of course Nintendo wants to milk S1 users a little longer still.
And surely no one could expect a new mainline Zelda after TOTK in 2023 and Echoes of Wisdom in 2024.
Best they could do would've been a new mainline Mario, but it's pretty clear they don't need to rush things when the first 5 months have been this good.

2017 was pure desperation for Nintendo, and it was a very different world and economy. Can't really compare that time and place with today.

 

[6502]

People idolize Reggie too much, under him NoA decided not to localize Xenoblade, The Last Story, or Pandora's Tower in North America.

Mario Kart's the biggest IP they have and it's not even close.

True on MK, best franxhise to launch with imo. Shame on the price / execution.

I loved the Wii, especially the year I bought those 3 games in a shop in the channel islands on holiday. Them not getting to NA is criminal.

 

[Dacvak]

I miss Reggie, man. That was a pretty fuckin rad Nintendo time. What's he up to these days? Consultant stuff?

Yeah, mostly board and consultant stuff. I've been thinking about reaching out to him. I've got his personal email, but I only ever met him once, so I don't think he'd remember me.

But someday I really want to buy him lunch and just shoot the shit.

 

[tr1p1ex]

He was the one responsible for giving a free pack-in of Wii sports with every Wii, unlike a Switch 2 with Welcome Tour that you had to pay separately for, at the very least, so I'd say he had quite the impact.

"The Wii will debut in Japan on December 2, 2006 at a price of 25,000 yen. This converts to about $213 US. However, it will not include the Wii Sports..." - IGN

"The console first launched in the United States on November 19, 2006, priced at US$249.99."

 

[cinnamonandgravy]

"Nintendo, in my opinion, will never position themselves as a direct competitor to PlayStation. It's not in their DNA."

they lost market share to PS so bad for so long theyre tying to act like they never wanted it

the snes was PS before PS existed

 

[asdasdasdbb]

Nintendo said that if they were prepared (had been working on) a true successor to the 3DS had the Switch 1 failed.

 

[nnytk]

I was excited for Xenoblade 3 and Xenoblade X updates and still waiting.

Same.

 

[Kamina]

I would say MP4 is a big release, and Nintendo did release the Switch 2 Upgrades for Zelda BotW and TotK. Yes Donkey Kong is not Mario, but it wasn't a bad release either. Plus they had Mario Kart.
Could the launch have been stronger? Surely. E.g. a Zelda OoT remake for launch would have caused a collective collapse.