Nintendo's new console: the Switch (formerly NX)

[evdk]

The new Nintendo console is out and

























it looks like shit. What a surprise! Way to invent another gimmicky console Nintendo! They could just make a powerful, regular console and start making Mario, Castlevenia, Zelda, F-Zero, Starfox game on it, and they would be swimming in money. Instead they combine a handheld console and a home console again. When handheld gaming is transitioning to smartphones and tablets. Great job Nintendo.

True, I also desperately crave graphical fidelity in my Mario games.

PS Castlevania is Konami

 

[Excidium II]

PS Castlevania is Konami

Yeah but those niggers should just make a decent console and then hunt all third parties that made their old consoles good to nostalgia dip the same way they do with mario and zelda.

 

[evdk]

PS Castlevania is Konami

Yeah but those niggers should just make a decent console and then hunt all third parties that made their old consoles good to nostalgia dip the same way they do with mario and zelda.

They can still do that on this one, but most of those old franchises are fucked this days.

 

[Forest Dweller]

It has been officially announced today, and it's basically in line with what the rumors have been saying.

Offiicial trailer:



Some pictures:

So, there's a docking station (top right) which projects it to a TV when inserted. The two "ends" of the console (the stuff with actual buttons) can apparently be either inserted onto the console itself for handheld play, or onto a type of "controller frame" for TV play.

Cartridges are confirmed.

 

[J_C]

Holy shit, calm the fuck down about third party support you assholes.

LOOOOL. Half of these are not even game developers, just engine and utility software makers. You can't expect games from them.

Smartest move from the big companies I saw... Nintendo can now fuse its console & handheld line-up, and focus on what people love about them: simple, fun games.

Now you have a console that plays Skyrim (and likely many other big sellers from the last gen), Zelda, Mario, probably Pokémon, Mario Kart (with local co-op!) and probably big titles like Persona 5...

If they can release it for like $199, that shit will print money.

The same fate awaits it like the Wii U. It's almost the same gimmick. Sure you can take it outside, but who brings a a handheld this big with himself? Maybe people will try it if they sell it for 200 dollars, but you can't make a decent console for 200 dollars.

 

[sullynathan]

My God

 

[Archibald]

But you can expect games from studios that use those tools.

 

[Excidium II]

Assuming they give enough of a fuck to port it to the nintendo tablet.

 

[evdk]

IIRC the WiiU started with some similarly impressive list of 3rd party support.

 

[Nryn]

The dpad being face buttons is a big dealbreaker. Specs wise, it seems grossly underpowered as a home console, but for a 3ds successor, it's a nice step up.

But most curious is what this implies about Nintendo's home console future; a handheld with a hdmi-out docking station suggests that Nintendo is stepping away from the dedicated home console market, at least for now.

 

[Archibald]

Assuming they give enough of a fuck to port it to the nintendo tablet.

Well if tools aren't supported they sure as fuck won't port it.

IIRC the WiiU started with some similarly impressive list of 3rd party support.

Yeah, time will tell if this won't end with couple of ports and bye-bye.

 

[J_C]

Yeah, after big hits like PS4 and XBOX1 we really need more regular consoles.

The PS4 is selling like hotcakes just for you to know. And regular console or not, I want a machine I can play decent game on after coming home from a long day. Not taking the screen with me with 2 controllers. When I can bring a good tablet which is capable to run a lot of great games.

 

[evdk]

Yeah, after big hits like PS4 and XBOX1 we really need more regular consoles.

The PS4 is selling like hotcakes just for you to know. And regular console or not, I want a machine I can play decent game on after coming home from a long day. Not taking the screen with me with 2 controllers. When I can bring a good tablet which is capable to run a lot of great games.

Can the tablet play the latest Zelda? Because that is what we are dealing with here, really.

 

[J_C]

Yeah, after big hits like PS4 and XBOX1 we really need more regular consoles.

The PS4 is selling like hotcakes just for you to know. And regular console or not, I want a machine I can play decent game on after coming home from a long day. Not taking the screen with me with 2 controllers. When I can bring a good tablet which is capable to run a lot of great games.

Can the tablet play the latest Zelda? Because that is what we are dealing with here, really.

Well, no, obviously. If someone wants to play the Nintendo exclusives very much, they will buy every Nintendo consoles anyway. But for this console to be successfull, they need more than the Nintento fanboys.

 

[CryptRat]

I could buy it if it proves to be almost as comfortable to play as a home console and gets all the JPRGs (blobbers especially) which have been traditionnally released exclusively on handhelds recently.

 

[Genma:TheDestroyer]

Well, no, obviously. If someone wants to play the Nintendo exclusives very much, they will buy every Nintendo consoles anyway. But for this console to be successfull, they need more than the Nintento fanboys.

Which has been a problem since the Gamecube days. Each new console we hear from Nintendo and the fanboys that 'This time will be different'. And then it's not.


A year and a half after release many who owned a Gamecube started mentioning it just sat on a shelf gathering dust. Same with the Wii and the WiiU afterwards.

 

[vonAchdorf]

Most likely too gimmicky for the mass-market and playing "on the move" on the small screen with friends using those mini-controllers seems nothing anyone would do. How many people use controller cases or external controllers for Smartphones?

 

[Siveon]

I could buy it if it proves to be almost as comfortable to play as a home console and gets all the JPRGs (blobbers especially) which have been traditionnally released exclusively on handhelds recently.

Good point. If/when Sony and Nintendo pulls the plug on the Vita/3DS, the people who mostly make handheld games are likely to move to this. Unless they just jump ship to another platform like mobile or console. Maybe even PC.

EDIT: I'm not likely to buy into this anytime soon. I'll need to see how their network works, the performance, the battery life, and the releases. It's probably all going to be terrible, but nothing is set in stone.

 

[Theldaran]

I would get it IF it's around the 200 price tag, and IF it gets a lot of JRPG and animu games like PSV/3DS (I mean, if they get to Europe). But I already have a 3DS. Will it be discontinued?

If it's region locked again, though... bye bye, suckers.

 

[Dawkinsfan69]

Lol@Hot girls bringing this to a party
Lol@Competitive Splatoon
Lol@30 yr old dude using this to pick up chicks
Lol@30 yr old dude playing SKYRIM

 

[Ivan]

that girl in the skirt though

 

[Machocruz]

On the move can be anywhere. Hotel room, friend's house, plane, lunch break, on the toilet, etc. The TV will not be the center of things for much longer, so why remain tied to it? Nintendo believes this. I watched Akira on my phone while eating breakfast at a hotel in May. Others do similar with tablets. I'm guessing a robust accounts system where all games can be streamed to the device. And the TV still remains an options. Not just your TV but maybe your friend's or uncle's TV too. Cartridges are only one wing of their strategy. Also they will ditch the idea of having separate handheld and console development, which stretched them thin last generation (meaning 3DS and Wii U). It will be unified on one device, meaning they can focus their development efforts on said device, meaning potentially larger software library on said device.

Their approach reminds me of the modular approach to assault rifle loadouts. This will be a very flexible machine.

 

[Perkel]

yeah no one will bring it to party. It isn't Wii anymore.
If Monster Hunter will be on it (probably yes) i will probably buy it.

This looks to me basically like handheld + tv out + gimmicky slider controls.
I guess when you connect it to dock station system overclocks itself and puts out better res.

Still can't fucking believe 720p for nintendo handheld. That is actually more than Vita (544p). Inards should be beffy for handheld but shit for stationary console so they will get probably shit ports or no ports.

Either way this replaces both their handheld and homeconsole so unlike WiiU and 3DS they won't split their studios to do both.

Question now is price.

If this will be at 299$ then it will sell good (something like 60-100mln)
If this will be more than 299$ like 399 or 499$ then it is KIA

Unknown answer will be 3rd party support. 3DS has some good games but WiiU was "crickets". If they combine libraries then maybe they will be able to convince 3rd party to join as well with their AAA blockbusters garbage.

 

[Caim]

With all these detachable parts and tiny cartridge-based games I can predict that a whole lot of people will start to lose their Switch stuff pretty quickly.

 

[Machocruz]

On the other hand, Nintendo's software marketing is just awful these days. They should have had a killer game reveal. Zelda is not it, everyone already knew about it. Predictability is death. They seem like they are run by effeminate, milquetoast men. Such men can never be unpredictable or interesting.