The 'internet' hated Switch 2 — consumers bought it anyway [Japan Times]

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LakeOf9

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Online, gamers declared the Switch 2 "anti-consumer." In reality, no one cared.
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With Nintendo charging $450 for its new device — and up to $80 for some games — influencers and TikTokers took to their accounts to warn it was too expensive. Across social media, others decried how new terms of service gave the Japanese firm the ability to remotely disable the latest machine if they detected unauthorized activity. Many games sold in physical packages were, they complained, glorified download codes.
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Anyone expecting the backlash to dent sales was disappointed. The Switch 2 is not only Nintendo's best-selling device ever, it has become the fastest-selling games console of all time with 3.5 million units snapped up in the first four days alone. Shares have hit record highs.
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For executives, it's the latest example of an increasingly pertinent lesson: While the internet has given consumers a voice, you must not confuse it for reality.
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Japan Times

Gamers have proven to be the most effective at boycotts yet again
 
LakeOf9 said:
Gamers have proven to be the most effective at boycotts yet again
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wwx5exndw6b11.png

like a fine wine
 
Because it's internet and in internet they love shit on things but the reality is very different.

For me it's very simple, it has games I want to play and thats more than enough reason to buy the system.
 
Anyone thinking the initial sales weren't going to be huge was delusional. People have been waiting and begging for a new Nintendo console for years and die hard fans were going to buy it up regardless of any other factors.

The continued sales figures will be a much better indicator.
 
I think they could sell 20-30 million within a month if they had the stock. So these numbers don't mean much until the diehards all got theirs.
 
The mass consumer doesn't know about frames or refresh times or key cards or most of the things that worry hardcore gamers. They do understand inflation but they probably also know the Switch costs a third of a phone and will last far longer than their phones, buying just a few games during the lifetime. Online forums and social media gave gamers a speaker but they talk in riddles for the mass consumers to understand what they are spluttering about.
 
A ton of people were still super excited for the switch 2 and pre-ordering like meth addicts going through withdrawal. I'm not sure where this narrative that the entire internet was going to boycott the device came from. I wouldn't expect any boycott or backlash to show itself in metrics until the initial demand is met.
 
I don't think selling 3.5 million in 3 days or whatever the mark was is an indication of long-term demand. Moreso an indication that Nintendo properly supplied the market, so that 'most' people willing to jump on board at launch had/have reasonable opportunity to get one. Now before I get tomatoes thrown at me, that's NOT to say Switch 2 doesn't go on to sell 100 million units. I just think it's obvious that there are enough diehards to carry the first several months on the market to some eye-popping numbers.
 
Guys, we tried the whole "Switch's sales will drop once it sells through to existing Nintendo fanboys" thing with the original, it didn't go as we wanted to the first time

You know the definition of insanity?
 
Kronark said:
A ton of people were still super excited for the switch 2 and pre-ordering like meth addicts going through withdrawal. I'm not sure where this narrative that the entire internet was going to boycott the device came from. I wouldn't expect any boycott or backlash to show itself in metrics until the initial demand is met.
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Blame Gamer79 Gamer79
 
ReyBrujo said:
The mass consumer doesn't know about frames or refresh times or key cards or most of the things that worry hardcore gamers. They do understand inflation but they probably also know the Switch costs a third of a phone
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yeah but most people don't have the money to buy a 1000 dollar phone. them shits get financed by their cell service provider



LakeOf9 said:
Guys, we tried the whole "Switch's sales will drop once it sells through to existing Nintendo fanboys" thing with the original, it didn't go as we wanted to the first time

You know the definition of insanity?
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Im Out Not Me GIF

everyone with a brain knew the Switch 1 was gonna do numbers.
 
64gigabyteram said:
Im Out Not Me GIF

everyone with a brain knew the Switch 1 was gonna do numbers.
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G

Thread 'Betting time: Do you think the Switch will be a success?'

I always love to retrospectively read GAF's prediction threads and see how many crows are being served, the thread placing WiiU/XB first and Sony disappearing or failing with the PS4 before this gen started is so much fun!

So now that we have enough details about the price, specs, launch line up and upcoming games, how do you think the Switch would fair? will it be Nintendo's last console? will it be a big success and their strategy going forward for the next good years?

To make it more specific and interesting write down how many units do you expect this to sell through its...
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kazuyamishima said:
54k yen is a great deal for the bundle.

Considering inflation and a very weak yen, I would run to get a couple of bundles.
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Don't run too fast - the Switch 2 is region locked in Japan. It's locked to just the Japanese language (cannot be changed) and only works with Japanese eShop accounts.
 
These generations have life spans of 6-8 years....

I think we're all jumping the gun a little about screaming huge success or huge failure.
 
LakeOf9 said:
Guys, we tried the whole "Switch's sales will drop once it sells through to existing Nintendo fanboys" thing with the original, it didn't go as we wanted to the first time

You know the definition of insanity?
Click to expand...
Shush Shhhh GIF by MOODMAN

Let them talk. It's gonna be way better this way. Trust me. In a year's time we will be so glad we let them talk that shit, lol.

We let Xbox talk this shit and even Jason talked that shit. Never forget "Go woke, go bro— err, top the charts" has put more smiles on gamers faces than Nintendo.

We are always 1 year later from somebody who talked that shit being fabulously proven wrong. It's a wonderful life. We don't want to screw up the pipeline by warning them now.
 
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LakeOf9 said:
G

Thread 'Betting time: Do you think the Switch will be a success?'

I always love to retrospectively read GAF's prediction threads and see how many crows are being served, the thread placing WiiU/XB first and Sony disappearing or failing with the PS4 before this gen started is so much fun!

So now that we have enough details about the price, specs, launch line up and upcoming games, how do you think the Switch would fair? will it be Nintendo's last console? will it be a big success and their strategy going forward for the next good years?

To make it more specific and interesting write down how many units do you expect this to sell through its...
  • Like
  • LOL
  • Love
  • Fire
Click to expand...
I didn't vote in that poorly aged thread. I saw that trailer back in 2017 and knew this was Nintendo's grand return.

Everyone who saw that trailer and wasn't influenced by GAF's negativity bubble knew the Switch 1 was going to sell. It was too good of a concept not to at least do good. Now reaching the heights it did is a shocker, but that's what happens when you have a pandemic and Animal Crossing aiding your console sales
 
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Nintendo fans just operate differently. Nintendo could release a 480p Pokemon remake at $60 and a mobile handheld console without YouTube and Netflix and people would still buy it .. wait a minute
 
Ribi said:
Nintendo fans just operate differently. Nintendo could release a 480p Pokemon remake at $60 and a mobile handheld console without YouTube and Netflix and people would still buy it .. wait a minute
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PlayStation fans ust operate differently. Sony could release a $700 console with disc drive and plastic stand sold separately, and a third TLOU remake priced at $70 and people would still buy it... wait a minute
 
64gigabyteram said:
yeah but most people don't have the money to buy a 1000 dollar phone. them shits get financed by their cell service provider
Click to expand...

True, but they do know the phone they are using is +$1000 so they extrapolate and think $450 for a non-subsidized handheld console with PS5 graphics (yes, they mostly can't distinguish them) is fine.
 
I think folks are getting a little carried away with the victory laps. Maybe it does do great still, but this initial wave is largely a function of great supply (one of the few and best examples) + die-hard early adopters, likely with a hunger for something new after a prolonged generation.

I just wonder how well it'll follow through in the coming few years given the cost/s and the less technically-concerned Nintendo playerbase. It's a highly iterative console that probably should've come out 18 months ago (the chip literally taped out 4yrs ago); and I'd argue it was the bare minimum of upgrades for then, let alone now.

Ultimately the Switch 2 titles you can't get on Switch (1) in the coming years will be the driver of whether the average Nintendo gamer jumps in. Hopefully Ninty can push the boat out a bit.
 
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