• Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.

The Switch's Success completely vindicates the Wii's Legacy

Dr. Wilkinson

Gold Member
There is nothing to talk about. Hybrid is just marketing for portable with TV out. I'm not sure why the discussion around it has been so contentious since its launch.

….??? It hasn’t been contentious. Maybe you think it’s contentious? Hybrid is just the definition of what it is, as many others here have pointed out. Saying “portable with TV out” is cumbersome and long-winded for no reason. When all that’s needed is just to use the correct word: Hybrid.

See how easy that is? Say it, embrace it.
 

Kilau

Member
The Switch lite is a handheld, and the Switch is a Hybrid, really not all that difficult to understand.
The Switch is also a handheld with TV, really not all that difficult to understand.

….??? It hasn’t been contentious. Maybe you think it’s contentious? Hybrid is just the definition of what it is, as many others here have pointed out. Saying “portable with TV out” is cumbersome and long-winded for no reason. When all that’s needed is just to use the correct word: Hybrid.

See how easy that is? Say it, embrace it.
Yes it has, in this very thread even its lead to name calling from the very beginning, you just see what you want to see. I'm not going to refer to it as a "hybrid" ever, you can and I don't care, you shouldn't care what I call it either.
 

Mozza

Member
The Switch is also a handheld with TV, really not all that difficult to understand.


Yes it has, in this very thread even its lead to name calling from the very beginning, you just see what you want to see. I'm not going to refer to it as a "hybrid" ever, you can and I don't care, you shouldn't care what I call it either.
You seem to have trouble understanding this though, not sure why you should object to it being a hybrid in the first place, the clue is in the name "Switch".
 

Kilau

Member
You seem to have trouble understanding this though, not sure why you should object to it being a hybrid in the first place, the clue is in the name "Switch".
No trouble understanding anything but this push from people insisting I follow the marketing narrative. It's a portable system with TV out. Nintendo can call it whatever they want but it is what it is.
 

Woopah

Member
No trouble understanding anything but this push from people insisting I follow the marketing narrative. It's a portable system with TV out. Nintendo can call it whatever they want but it is what it is.
"Hybrid" is as much a marketing term as "portable". You can absolutely call "a portable/tabletop system with a TV out" or a "TV console that can be taken on the go". But I would say the issue with those descriptions is that they put the emphasis on one mode or the other, whereas most Switch owners use it in both mode frequently.
 

Kilau

Member
"Hybrid" is as much a marketing term as "portable". You can absolutely call "a portable/tabletop system with a TV out" or a "TV console that can be taken on the go". But I would say the issue with those descriptions is that they put the emphasis on one mode or the other, whereas most Switch owners use it in both mode frequently.
I didn’t set these terms in the market, the industry did.
 
Last edited:

Mozza

Member
X+y=250
Y=120
X=?
But totally different things, the Wii and DS generation was lightning in a bottle, and Nintendo were getting in at the ground floor with two very new pieces of tech, motion and touch controls, repeating this success was pretty much impossible, you are better to compare the 3DS and Wii U's sales performance. Of course this is never applied to anyone else than Nintendo, as you do not see the PS3 or PS4 being suggested as a sales flop, just because they did not sell as much as the PS2. ;)
 

Kilau

Member
Which parts of the industry call Switch a "portable system with a TV out"?
I didn’t say they did, it’s a portable system as the market has defined them. Screen, built in controls, battery, no external display needed. It also has TV out like some portable systems have had.
 

Woopah

Member
I didn’t say they did, it’s a portable system as the market has defined them. Screen, built in controls, battery, no external display needed. It also has TV out like some portable systems have had.
It is indeed a portable system, and it is also a home console as the market has defined them, since it plugs into the wall, plays games on a TV, has a standalone controller and is designed to offer local multiplayer by connecting to multiple controllers. It is a system designed to be used as both.
 
Last edited:

SmokedMeat

Gamer™
If you think about it, the Switch is really the evolution of the Wii U.

The guts of the system was moved into the gamepad, and two removable Wii style controllers were added.
 

Kilau

Member
It is indeed a portable system, and it is also a home console as the market has defined them, since it plugs into the wall, plays games on a TV, has a standalone controller and is designed to offer local multiplayer. It is a system designed to be used as both.
If it makes you happy to call it a home console go ahead, I guess a PSP Go is also a home console since it does that. For me, I don't think that added capability transforms a portable into a non portable.
 

Mozza

Member
If it makes you happy to call it a home console go ahead, I guess a PSP Go is also a home console since it does that. For me, I don't think that added capability transforms a portable into a non portable.
I think a much better question would be, why are you so determined for the Switch not to be called a hybrid console?, as surely it's both.
 

Kilau

Member
I think a much better question would be, why are you so determined for the Switch not to be called a hybrid console?, as surely it's both.
Wrong, call it whatever you like, I have said that multiple times in this thread. I'm just explaining why I don't call it a hybrid and why I call it a portable.
 

Dr. Wilkinson

Gold Member
The Switch is also a handheld with TV, really not all that difficult to understand.


Yes it has, in this very thread even its lead to name calling from the very beginning, you just see what you want to see. I'm not going to refer to it as a "hybrid" ever, you can and I don't care, you shouldn't care what I call it either.
An odd hill to die on, but you do you, man. 🤷‍♂️

Again, I think the only person who has a problem with acknowledging Switch is a hybrid is you.
 

DonkeyPunchJr

World’s Biggest Weeb
If you think about it, the Switch is really the evolution of the Wii U.

The guts of the system was moved into the gamepad, and two removable Wii style controllers were added.
I disagree. Wii U was about dual-screen gaming, stylus/touch control, and asymmetrical multiplayer.

I guess Switch is an evolution only in the sense that they said “off screen gaming was the only feature people cared about on Wii U so let’s focus our next system on that”
 

Kilau

Member
An odd hill to die on, but you do you, man. 🤷‍♂️

Again, I think the only person who has a problem with acknowledging Switch is a hybrid is you.
Why and how am I dying on hill? I don’t think you know what that means. Are you implying I am going to suffer negative consequences for my views? I’ve expressed my opinions and explained them, people keep replying to me. Should I just not respond? Even if I were the only person on earth that doesn’t call the Switch a hybrid that would be totally irrelevant to the conversation, it’s my view.
 

Dr. Wilkinson

Gold Member
Why and how am I dying on hill? I don’t think you know what that means. Are you implying I am going to suffer negative consequences for my views? I’ve expressed my opinions and explained them, people keep replying to me. Should I just not respond? Even if I were the only person on earth that doesn’t call the Switch a hybrid that would be totally irrelevant to the conversation, it’s my view.
LOL it's a very common figure of speech, man. Welcome to the Internet.
 

Dr. Wilkinson

Gold Member
If you think about it, the Switch is really the evolution of the Wii U.

The guts of the system was moved into the gamepad, and two removable Wii style controllers were added.

In the sense that Nintendo had to fail so hard with the Wii U to realize that the Switch is what they needed to make, then yes you are correct.

Reggie basically says that in Switch interviews and press before the launch.
 

IAmRei

Member
Yep, that pretty much killed the Wii U. The BC thing is debatable since the switch and ps4 both became super popular without BC, while BC and gamepass are the only thing keeping xbox alive for now.

While I would personally love it if the next switch adopted a similar ds form so that they could possibly play ds and 3ds games.
they can do worse, SWiTCH ME for example, uugh ...
 

zeldaring

Banned
No one advertises a family sedan as a sportscar- and youre calling my arguments dumb.... And the underpowered Wii was what exactly? Was it also not a home console because "it's a cheap piece of plastic you connect to the tv"? Give it a rest. If you can't tell the difference between form factor and hardware performance you have no business opining on what a product is or isn't.

it's being advertised here as some fun sport car when its a family sedan but it doesn't really matter. Can someone use the rog rally or a steam deck as a home console and play it a home, of course they can and those console do a much better job then switch but it doesn't mean someone can't call it out for what it is, really just handheld with all the sacrifices of a handheld that can be connected to a tv. if you wanna call them flat earthers then go ahead but it's some retarded logic.
 
Last edited:

Marvel14

Banned
But totally different things, the Wii and DS generation was lightning in a bottle, and Nintendo were getting in at the ground floor with two very new pieces of tech, motion and touch controls, repeating this success was pretty much impossible, you are better to compare the 3DS and Wii U's sales performance. Of course this is never applied to anyone else than Nintendo, as you do not see the PS3 or PS4 being suggested as a sales flop, just because they did not sell as much as the PS2. ;)
If it makes them feel better that Switch is a failure because:

Switch < Wii + DS

In hardware sales then let them have their victory.

We can wink and remind ourselves of the over 1billion pieces of Switch software sold as well as the unprecedented number of first party titles that have sold 10s of millions.
 

Marvel14

Banned

it's being advertised here as some fun sport car when its a family sedan but it doesn't really matter. Can someone use the rog rally or a steam deck as a home console and play it a home, of course they can and those console do a much better job then switch but it doesn't mean someone can't call it out for what it is, really just handheld with all the sacrifices of a handheld that can be connected to a tv. if you wanna call them flat earthers then go ahead but it's some retarded logic.

Funny, first time I've seen someone equate a go Kart and a remote controlled car with a sports car. Go Karts are fun for racing but they go much slower than sports cars. And remote control cars are also fun for racing but they are just toys, they don't have the power of a go Kart, let alone a sports car- and neither can carry passengers either, while a sports car can.

You've provided incontrovertible proof that you don't understand what a form.factor is when it comes to simple vehicles. No wonder you're struggling with the Switch.

Want another crack to embarrass yourself further?
 
Last edited:

zeldaring

Banned
Funny, first time I've seen someone equate a go Kart and a remote controlled car with a sports car. Go Karts are fun for racing but they go much slower than sports cars. And remote control cars are also fun for racing but they are just toys, they don't have the power of a go Kart, let alone a sports car- neither can carry passengers either.

You've provided incontrovertible proof that you don't understand what a form.factor is when it comes to simple vehicles. No wonder you're struggling with the Switch.

Want another crack to embarrass yourself further?
stick to your retarded logic then that anyone who thinks handheld that makes every sacrifices to be handheld can't be called a handheld because it connects connects to a TV. look at this AD for rog rally. it shows people playing on Tv and they call it handheld they must be some flat earthers. Damn you are so smart.

 
Last edited:

Woopah

Member
If it makes you happy to call it a home console go ahead, I guess a PSP Go is also a home console since it does that. For me, I don't think that added capability transforms a portable into a non portable.
I'm not calling it a home console. I'm saying (and I think this is something me and you can agree on) that:

1. The Switch and Switch OLED are a portable systems as the industry has defined them
2. The Switch and Switch OLED are home systems as the industry has defined them

Therefore any description of them needs to take both aspects into account.

As you yourself say, the term "portable with a TV out" is a good term for the PSP Go, a device which is very very different from what the Switch is. That's why its a not an accurate term to use.
 

Drew1440

Member
It's a shame people hate on the Wii for it's motion controls, after playing a few Call Of Duty titles, the Wii remote is surprisingly accurate for shooting. It's difficult to go back to using analog sticks.

Only thing to hate is that damn sensor bar that would fall off the Tv if you even breathed near the console.

As for the switch, I'm just gonna annoy both parties and say its neither console or handheld, it's is own thing and it does it well.
 

Rykan

Member
Because that’s just marketing and some of us aren’t drones for corporations.

Show me the “hybrid”.
It's not just “Marketing”. The switch is specifically designed to be played both in handheld mode and as a standard home console.

The switch comes with a dock that allows you to use it as a homeconsole and, most importantly, comes with a controller that is specifically designed to be used both as a handheld and as a traditional controller.

Arguing that it's a "handheld that has an output" is just as silly as saying it's a home console that happens to have a screen and battery.

The fact that a handheld only variant exists, that specifically excludes the aspects that make it a hybrid, doesn't change that.
 

Marvel14

Banned
stick to your retarded logic then that anyone who thinks handheld that makes every sacrifices to be handheld can't be called a handheld because it connects connects to a TV. look at this AD for rog rally. it shows people playing on Tv and they call it handheld they must be some flat earthers. Damn you are so smart.


Dude you're not even arguing coherently anymore. Switch is a Hybrid console with two main form factors: home console AND handheld. YOU SWITCH BETWEEN THEM FFS!

Give up. You are probably a young un in over his head. Grow up a bit more before you try debating with adults ....
 

zeldaring

Banned
Dude you're not even arguing coherently anymore. Switch is a Hybrid console with two main form factors: home console AND handheld. YOU SWITCH BETWEEN THEM FFS!

Give up. You are probably a young un in over his head. Grow up a bit more before you try debating with adults ....
Don't insult adults by calling yourself one. you are butt hurt cause you wanna see your favorite toy be recognized as home console, It's fine if you see it as one, i dont' care but comparing it to the earth is flat just shows how stupid you are.
 
Last edited:

ChoosableOne

ChoosableAll
But totally different things, the Wii and DS generation was lightning in a bottle, and Nintendo were getting in at the ground floor with two very new pieces of tech, motion and touch controls, repeating this success was pretty much impossible, you are better to compare the 3DS and Wii U's sales performance. Of course this is never applied to anyone else than Nintendo, as you do not see the PS3 or PS4 being suggested as a sales flop, just because they did not sell as much as the PS2. ;)
I love the Nintendo Switch, and I haven't considered it a flop; on the contrary, I believe it sold very well. A Nintendo console with the power of a PS5 could potentially outperform the Xbox and take a share from the PS5. I found it interesting that they chose to focus solely on handheld gaming instead of competing in the home console market. However, after reading some messages here, I realized that Nintendo has been more profitable in this approach. We'll see if they achieve similar success with the Switch 2.
 

Marvel14

Banned
Don't insult adults by calling yourself one. you are butt hurt cause you wanna see your favorite toy be recognized as home console, It's fine if you see it as one, i dont' care but comparing it to the earth is flat just shows how stupid you are.
Your insults prove your immaturity. Go run to mommy and tell on me...she will make you feel better.(btw Switch is a Hybrid console and the earth is a squashed sphere- your feelings have jackshit to do with either)
 
Last edited:

Kilau

Member
It's not just “Marketing”. The switch is specifically designed to be played both in handheld mode and as a standard home console.

The switch comes with a dock that allows you to use it as a homeconsole and, most importantly, comes with a controller that is specifically designed to be used both as a handheld and as a traditional controller.

Arguing that it's a "handheld that has an output" is just as silly as saying it's a home console that happens to have a screen and battery.

The fact that a handheld only variant exists, that specifically excludes the aspects that make it a hybrid, doesn't change that.
I just don't see it that way. There is nothing "hybrid" about the Switch. If the dock contained some processing power or could enable discs then I would consider it a "hybrid", as it is now it just an elegantly handled way to connect AC power and TV out. The Lite is Nintendo doubling down on the portable aspect, if home play was a bigger priority they would have made a TV only version but instead they went all portable. Maybe we can all just agree on "handheld" like you said, I can go with that.
 

zeldaring

Banned
Your insults prove your immaturity. Go run to mommy and tell on me...she will make you feel better.(btw Switch is a Hybrid console and the earth is a squashed sphere- your feelings have jackshit to so with it)
Lol you started with the insults by saying don't argue with adults, but even worse you basically called everyone who that calls the switch a portable that can be connected to a tv a idiot but comparing them to people that think the earth is flat. The comparison just shows how immature you are by not being able to accept different view points with out calling people idiots.
 

Rykan

Member
I just don't see it that way. There is nothing "hybrid" about the Switch. If the dock contained some processing power or could enable discs then I would consider it a "hybrid", as it is now it just an elegantly handled way to connect AC power and TV out. The Lite is Nintendo doubling down on the portable aspect, if home play was a bigger priority they would have made a TV only version but instead they went all portable. Maybe we can all just agree on "handheld" like you said, I can go with that.
The dock may not contain any processing power, but it does allow the Switch to run at higher speeds to deliver better performance. I believe you need to consider the entire content of the package, and it's really the Joy-Cons that make it a hybrid system. The Joy-Cons are as crucial to the system's identity as the gamepad was for the Wii U and are somewhat comparable to the Wii's motion controls, though maybe not to the same extent. They enable the system to be played as both a handheld and a home console right out of the box, and the entire system is designed to facilitate seamless switching between the two modes.

This sets it apart from handheld systems that offer an output option but require additional purchases or even third-party components to function properly.

I don't think the Lite should be viewed as "doubling down" on the portable aspect. It's more like creating a separate product for those who aren't seeking the hybrid functionality. They probably didn't produce a home-only version to avoid having too many SKUs and options that might confuse consumers. Also, it's doubtful whether a home-only SKU would lead to increased sales. The only advantage of a home-only SKU would be a slightly lower price. The Switch Lite offers other benefits beyond the lower price: it's much more compact, lighter, and portable than the regular Switch in handheld mode.

I understand the point you're making, but when you take into account all the contents of the box (including the dock and the Joy-Cons), I think it's fair to categorize it as a hybrid system rather than simply a handheld with an output function.
 
Last edited:

zeldaring

Banned
"The dock may not contain any processing power, but it does allow the Switch to run at higher speeds to deliver better performance. I believe you need to consider the entire content of the package, and it's really the Joy-Cons that make it a hybrid system. The Joy-Cons are as crucial to the system's identity as the gamepad was for the Wii U and are somewhat comparable to the Wii's motion controls, though maybe not to the same extent. They enable the system to be played as both a handheld and a home console right out of the box, and the entire system is designed to facilitate seamless switching between the two modes.

This sets it apart from handheld systems that offer an output option but require additional purchases or even third-party components to function properly.

I don't think the Lite should be viewed as "doubling down" on the portable aspect. It's more like creating a separate product for those who aren't seeking the hybrid functionality. They probably didn't produce a home-only version to avoid having too many SKUs and options that might confuse consumers. Also, it's doubtful whether a home-only SKU would lead to increased sales. The only advantage of a home-only SKU would be a slightly lower price. The Switch Lite offers other benefits beyond the lower price: it's much more compact, lighter, and portable than the regular Switch in handheld mode.

I understand the point you're making, but when you take into account all the contents of the box (including the dock and the Joy-Cons), I think it's fair to categorize it as a hybrid system rather than simply a handheld with an output function.
it really gonna depend how you view it. if you are gamer that find the joycons useless as well as the the joy con controller which most gamers do it's just gonna be half assed attempt at being a home console. As for the dock it isn't anything special basically like plugging in a mobile device and getting more power out of it. The good news is kids aren't picky and will think the joycons and joycon controller are great.
 

Kilau

Member
"The dock may not contain any processing power, but it does allow the Switch to run at higher speeds to deliver better performance. I believe you need to consider the entire content of the package, and it's really the Joy-Cons that make it a hybrid system. The Joy-Cons are as crucial to the system's identity as the gamepad was for the Wii U and are somewhat comparable to the Wii's motion controls, though maybe not to the same extent. They enable the system to be played as both a handheld and a home console right out of the box, and the entire system is designed to facilitate seamless switching between the two modes.

This sets it apart from handheld systems that offer an output option but require additional purchases or even third-party components to function properly.

I don't think the Lite should be viewed as "doubling down" on the portable aspect. It's more like creating a separate product for those who aren't seeking the hybrid functionality. They probably didn't produce a home-only version to avoid having too many SKUs and options that might confuse consumers. Also, it's doubtful whether a home-only SKU would lead to increased sales. The only advantage of a home-only SKU would be a slightly lower price. The Switch Lite offers other benefits beyond the lower price: it's much more compact, lighter, and portable than the regular Switch in handheld mode.

I understand the point you're making, but when you take into account all the contents of the box (including the dock and the Joy-Cons), I think it's fair to categorize it as a hybrid system rather than simply a handheld with an output function.

The bit about the dock enabling higher speeds and better performance is true but also just PR speak for “it’s plugged in so we don’t have to worry about the battery” Honestly I had never read the bit about the Joycons being the “hybrid” defining part of the Switch, that’s interesting.
 

zeldaring

Banned
The bit about the dock enabling higher speeds and better performance is true but also just PR speak for “it’s plugged in so we don’t have to worry about the battery” Honestly I had never read the bit about the Joycons being the “hybrid” defining part of the Switch, that’s interesting.
Yea when you are 6 to 12 year old kid with small hands and not picky those things work as actual controllers I know it's hard to believe but I have seen with my own eyes.
 

64bitmodels

Reverse groomer.
as for the hybrid thing, yeah the switch is basically a handheld that can be adapted to a TV. It's not anything special tech wise, it's the design. The controllers are made to work in handheld and docked mode. That's why it was able to get away with calling itself a hybrid, even if it doesnt do anything special on the tech side of things, it designs itself around the idea of being a handheld that also works as a console. Yes you can plug a Steam Deck, PSP, 3ds into a tv. But you need peripherals to make that happen, a lot of which are sold seperately. And you still don't get free controllers with them too.

The issue is that they had to gimp everything else about the console to make that concept work. Power is shit. Controllers are shit and terribly designed. you can use the Joycons as a standalone home controller, but who does? Everyone buys a pro controller. Super fragile machine thanks to the screen, when if you dropped a PS5 it wouldn't suffer as much damage. The Switch design is simultaneously genius and also fucking abysmal. And even areas which they could improve on, such as giving the Switch a better GPU in docked mode, does not work. You get more power in docked mode it's not enough to offset the weakness of the system as a whole, so its a subpar console experience in comparison to a PS5 or Xbox.

The Switch IMO ultimately works better as a handheld than as a hybrid which is why they sprung to make a handheld only revision of the console rather than a console only revision of it.

Basically, it is a hybrid but i don't think it's a very good one. It's probably the best rendition of this concept we will see though until Switch 2 comes out
 
Last edited:

Marvel14

Banned
Lol you started with the insults by saying don't argue with adults, but even worse you basically called everyone who that calls the switch a portable that can be connected to a tv a idiot but comparing them to people that think the earth is flat. The comparison just shows how immature you are by not being able to accept different view points with out calling people idiots.
Calling someone young is not an insult

I didn't call anyone an idiot. Now you're putting words in my mouth.

Flat earthers exist and they deny established fact, just like "it's a handheld" folk do.

You don't engage with points that challenge your point of view.

Dishonest ad hominem attacks and insults is all you've got left.

And I'm guessing you're a teenager with plenty of growing up still to do.

We're done here.
 
Last edited:
Top Bottom