11/12/2016

Why I will wait a long time before buying the Nintendo Switch


I have to admit it: for all my past rantings about Nintendo, I am currently interested in the Switch. Ever since the big reveal some weeks ago, I've being thinking that maybe, just maybe, that console could delight me after all. I mean, this is technically a portable system, and I'm a portable console aficionado; so there's really no reason I should write the Switch off, right? Well, things are not that straightforward. Although I am definitely pondering a purchase, that doesn't mean that said purchase has to happen Day One, or even Year One. Or year two, three or four, for that matter.

Here's the thing: I am currently planning to let a good amount of time pass before I do purchase a Switch. In fact, I'm planning no less than to purchase a Switch at the very end of the console's lifetime, maybe even after production has stopped. Not only could I then take full advantage of the Switch's Pit, but that would also allow me to avoid a couple of pitfalls that are likely to be waiting for me if I purchase the Switch Day One. Without further ado, here are my very sound reasons to bide my time to get my paws on Ninty's all-in-one offering:


  • Prices tags: Although I would solely use the Switch as a portable console if I buy one, there's no denying that this is actually a home console/portable console hybrid, with prices to match. The price tag of 300$ for the system alone is currently floating around the internet, and I have to admit that such a price tag is a trifle too high for my taste. I never invested that much money in a gaming system ever and I'm not ready to start now. And that's without even talking about the games, which will probable come with price tags anywhere between 60$ and 80$. I'm really not ready to fork out that much cash to get my paws on the Switch and its gaming library, hence my decision to wait for the end of the console's lifetime and the concomitant price dips to invest in the whole package.
  • Prospective game library: Although many third-party developers have come forward and claimed that they fully support Nintendo and the upcoming Switch, such claims are little more than declarations of intent at this point. Real, actual games still have to be confirmed; and for all we know, the Switch may end up being totally bereft of third-party support and suffer the same fate as the WiiU. Given that 95% of my Nintendo gaming libraries are made of third-party games, I'd rather wait patiently until such games do indeed turn up on the Switch before considering a purchase. Because let's be honest, I'm not a great fan of most of Nintendo's IP and I certainly wouldn't purchase a Switch just to play Pokemon. 
  • Release schedule: Even if third-party developers lavish the Switch with great games and if every single franchise that ever released games for the DS, 3DS and Vita move on to the Switch, it's highly likely that the release pace of all these games will be much slower than it used to be on older portable systems. We're talking about a home console of sorts, after all, and it can be expected to follow home console standards when it comes to development times and release schedule. As a long-time portable gamer, I've been pampered with rapid-fire releases that delivered at least two or three entries of each franchise on every system, sometimes more. That makes one game per year, or one game every two years at the worst; and now that I'm fully used to this release pace, I don't want to switch gears and spend many a year pinning for a series' newest entry. I'd much rather wait until the Switch runs its course and then purchase all the games that interest me at once. And gee, wouldn't that be the most amazing shopping spree of them all. I'm nearly looking forward to it, actually. 
  • Call of the backlog: After five amazing years of intensive collecting, I'm sitting on a nice, big fat collection of games that are begging to be played. And you know what? I'm in the mood to humour themand myself in the process. After five years spent ordering games, waiting impatiently for them and wasting spending unspeakable amounts of money in custom fees, I am now ready to sit back, relax and enjoy my hard-earned games. By the time the Switch bails out, my game purchasing drive will probably have returned full force and it will be a great delight to indulge in a massive orgy of Switch-related purchases. Until then, I'll enjoy my collection to the fullest as a full-time retro gamer. 
  • Once bitten, twice shy: After Nintendo's shenanigans during the 3DS and WiiU era, I know better than to jump blindly on any new console they release. Ninty has a lot to answer for as far as I'm concerned, and they really have to step up their game in a major way if they want to get me on board again. I'm thus waiting, and watching. If they get rid of the cursed region-lock, pick up the pace when it comes to game development and releases, stop cutting games in pieces and releasing them as standalone games, drop the excessive gimmickry and cut the crap with the artificial shortages, then I'll be more than glad to invest in their stuff again. If they don't, then I'm out for good. 

You get the point, dear fellow gamers: if I do indeed end up purchasing a Switch, it will be by the time the Switch is about to go retro. This is actually a bit of a pattern in my gaming life: I'm just as likely to invest and indulge in a console's library after said console's prime is over than during said console's heyday. And when I say "just as likely", I mean it literally: half of all the systems I ever purchased were acquired during the console's official lifetime, and the other half right after the console bailed out. There's something oddly comforting in purchasing a system and its library as another console generation is about to kick in: not only does it spare you the fake hype, the long waiting times between game releases and the sky-high prices, but it nearly makes you feel like a savior of sorts for taking in a forlorn console that nobody wants anymore. Only time will tell if I will end up adopting a Switch; in the meantime, I'll go full retro and keep playing and reviewing games from the last four console generations. Thanks for reading, and be my guest anytime!  

10 comments:

  1. Noooooo!!! Sorry Elisa, I unwillingly deleted your comment by pressing the wrong button. ;____; And it was such a long and lovingly written comment... Oh boy, I'm crestfallen. So sorry!!

    Fortunately, I had the time to read it, and you make very valid points. It seems that we will both give the Switch some time to prove itself and wait until games are here for the taking, and I'd wager that we won't be the only ones!

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    1. I'm personally pinning for Switch entries of series such as Etrian Odyssey, Pokemon Mystery Dungeon and Sonic Boom. I woudn't be against a new Tales game either, although I'm not a die-hard fan of the series. The news that Dark Souls 3 might be released on the Switch has me all hyped up, because I've been wanting to play this game like, FOREVER. And if a couple of current Vita franchises could move on to the Switch, I would be a very happy gamer. Fingers crossed! ^____^

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    2. Oh don't worry, it happens, the important thing is that you read it.

      It's interesting that you bring up the vita, I had been wondering what would happen to some of its franchises if Sony is truly out of the handheld game (which makes me sad. I truly hope that the switch is a humongous success so Sony can try to copy it with the PS5 or some spin off console). Most of them are also available on the PS4, so those just become PS4 exclusives. Others like Senran Kagura just switch over to being Nintendo exclusives, or also start releasing for the PS4. The ones I'm most curious about is Experience Inc. tittles and visual novels. Visual novels will most likely switch to PC and mobile (which is terrible IMO), but the dungeon crawlers....on one hand they were born to be on handhelds, but on the other hand Experience Inc. does not seem to be interested in nintendo. I'm a bit worried about the future of both genres that seemed to be reemerging thanks to the vita.

      TBH, as much as I'm excited for the switch, I'm also worried about the smaller studios if Sony truly is out of the game and there's no more "traditional" handhelds. We both know that the reason handhelds could have so many JRPGs, risky IPs and variety in general, was because of the lower production costs. It was easier for a studio to recover if a game wasn't a success, and simpler games were well accepted on the system. With the switch being a hybrid console comes higher production costs due to better graphics and higher demands from gamers who expect "meatier" experiences on a console. It is a bit worrying, we could start seeing the same thing that happened on consoles, genres dying out and originality being sucked away in favor of "safe" games that reach a wider audience, while the games we traditionally enjoyed on handhelds move over to mobile (and become worse as a result).

      On the other hand, it could re-introduce the wider gaming audience to the games that triple A companies forgot about, making the higher production costs not matter as much, especially if the damn thing isn't region locked and wonderful ratio of western releases we got for japanese games on the vita continues. And the general Nintendo console audience already enjoy genres that were not mainstream with the hardcore gaming audience. It's just that RPGs apparently isn't one of those genres...

      I think in the end, the success of the less popular games we love will depend on the price tags. People will not be happy to spend 60 or 80 euros on a game and get the experience we get from most handheld games, and I can't blame them. But the 40 euros price tag that the vita and most 3DS games get seems to be the sweet point. But there's no way games like Skyrim and Dark Souls will sell for that price. The ideal is that every game would be priced based on its content, but we both know that that won't happen if companies think they can get away with charging more "because that's the price of all the other games in the console", even if it ruins them in the end. So I truly fear for the smaller and niche games.

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    3. Geesh, that rant ended up long. Sorry about that. I truly am worried though....

      But moving back to being hopeful about the switch, I would love to see the Pokemon Mystery Dungeon games on the switch. The franchise already made such a beautiful leap from the DS to the 3DS, I cannot fathom how prettier it could look on a console. Plus, it's been a good long while since Mystery Dungeon games were released on a console, I believe the last one was the Shiren tittle for the Wii. I also want at least one new spin off or a sequel to pokemon contest, a new pokemon rumble (that is not free to play *grumble*), a new pokepark and at least a port of Pokken or a sequel. I'd also like to see the return of pokemon that follow the player to a main pokemon game, like in the Gold and Silver remakes. With the added power the switch will bring in, Gamefreak has no excuse anymore. I don't care if they can't make the pokemon's sizes accurate, I want my cute mons to follow me damn it! Digimon has almost always done it, so why is Pokemon so behind on this?

      As for EO, I only tried the third entry on the DS and did not like it, so I can't comment on that. I do think they should at least remake the third game on the switch if they don't do it on the 3DS, so all games in the series can have the improvements that EO4 brought. Then I would love to give the franchise another chance. Though I think I would prefer for it to be on the 3DS over the switch, so all games could be played on that system :p

      As for Sonic Boom, yikes, I'm not excited for that. I thought Sonic Boom was alright on the 3DS, but I saw the the Wii U version and dear god....worse than Sonic 2006. It was so bad that it delayed me playing the 3DS version for the longest time, which was unfair to the game. And I don't think I can be blamed, since the horribleness of the Wii U version largely overshadowed the 3DS version in the media. I fear that bringing it back to consoles would ruin Sonic Boom's already fragile state, making them want to change the whole damn thing again. And I genuinely want them to keep exploring the concepts in Sonic Boom and improve on them, instead of trying to change everything all the time without working on perfecting anything first.

      Also, I pray that switch has a touch screen and a stylus. Because I adore the art academy games and almost bought a Wii U once I saw the new game for it. It was the only time that the dumb gamepad looked any good. And I just like touchscreen controls for stuff like menus on RPGs, makes things much faster.

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    4. I'm also a bit worried, to be honest. I think the survival of our favourite portable franchises will entirely hinge on developers' attitudes and reactions to the Switch. If they choose to focus on the portable aspect of the Switch and consciously ignore home console standards, then there is a chance that portable gaming as we know and love will endure. On the other hand, if they aim for home console standards first and foremost, then we can probably say goodbye to many of our beloved portable franchises, if only because they will become entirely different games. Jeez, I would never play a Pokemon entry with an open world and a non-fixed camera.

      On the other hand, there are some encouraging signs that portable gaming as we currently know it could indeed endure. A increasing number of games that would rightfully have been at home on portable systems have been released on home consoles these last years, and it seems that more low-fi games are growing in popularity. A good number of PS4 exclusive would have been perfect on the Vita, and many developers have even pull off conjoined Vita/PS4 releases, something that had not happened on a regular basis for decades. Just like you, I do hope that the Switch turns out to be a smashing success that encourages other hardware manufacturers to follow suit.

      Overall, I'm really eager to see how things will turn out for portable gaming in the years to come. While bracing myself for the worst, I keep hoping for the best! ^^

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    5. That is true, I have seen how much the PS4 fanbase love indie games. Heck, Digimon was a Vita exclusive and it's now a PS4 exclusive in the west. Going by the sales of the previous game, there's no doubt in my mind that it will sell like hotcakes, even if we Vita fans are disappointed.

      No Man's Sky, as disappointing a game as that was, did really well on PS4. Birthday's the beginning, a game I don't even know how to describe, is coming out to the PS4 too. Yooka Laylee is surprisingly being hyped the PS4 now that it has a release date. This shows that the console fanbase has grown the past few years. Heck, Digimon doing so well in the first place after it had stopped coming to the west for poor sales altogether is a sign that the times have changed. The triple AAA industry may keep on doing the same crap over and over, but gamers have started looking outside the box. One of the most beloved games in 2016 is Stardew Valley, an indie farming sim. I couldn't see this happening 10 years ago.

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    6. Oh gosh, Stardew Valley looks so much like a portable game that my jaw kinda dropped when I learnt that it would not be released on any portable platform. I mean, it's basically a DS game when it comes to looks. And mind you, I find myself reacting like that more and more often, as games that would have been perfect on portable systems wind up solely on home consoles... But if this means that the kind of games we love will endure, be it on home consoles, then it's fine by me. I would take that anytime over being forced to witness the death of all the niche genres that have entertained me for years.

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    7. True...which is another reason to hope that the switch is a huge success despite all our worries; and that is has an awesome digital store, great variety in price, great digital sales and games that cater to both spectrum of the console. Because then Sony will totally copy them down the line (and you know they will *cough*the move*cough*) and we can be happy forever. And they already have more variety in price and awesome digital sales (at least in the EU they do), so they're halfway there already. Come on Sony, I still believe in you despite all the crap that you pull. I mean, remote play is amazing. Just take that extra step and forget the VR crap.

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    8. Finger crossed! Let's hope our dream vision of the future of niche gaming will come true and that Sony and Nintendo won't disappoint us.

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    9. Oh, and I managed to retrieve your initial comment. I put it down there for future reference:

      "No shame in buying late, that's what I've been doing ever since I became the one to buy my own consoles. I waited 3 years after the 3DS came out, 3 after the Vita came out, and more than 2 and a half after the PS4 came (and I would have held out on it if the new digimon game wasn't a PS4 exclusive in the west :/).

      Despite the fact that I've also been very burned by the 3DS, I will also be buying the Switch. I have an urge to buy it right away since I adore its concept and I know that no matter how shitty nintendo is, their handhelds always get the best support. And make no mistake, the switch will be their new handheld (and console) line, their promises to keep supporting the 3DS are as empty as their promises to support the GBA when the DS came out were.

      But I will refrain. I will wait until there's at least one story of seasons game for it, a pokemon game and a SMT game. In europe of course, because I'm pretty damn sure the damn thing will be region locked, and I suffered enough with the eternal SMT4 and RF4 in Europe. Even though both franchises have reliable EU publishers now, I'm still wounded over those years.

      So, it'll be about 1 or 2 years until I buy a switch. Which should be enough time for Nintendo to release a new version of the damn thing. Still sour over buying a 3DS and then having the New 3DS announced a month later. Not that the new 3DS ended up mattering in terms of exclusives, but still. Salty. I'm just so sour over Nintendo, even if I'll still keep giving them money.

      *Sigh* I hope there's some Wii U ports for the switch so I don't feel I've missed out on the Wii U. The only games I want for it are Fatal Frame 5, Xenoblade Chronicles, Tokyo Mirage and Pokken Tournament, but we'll probably get none ported. Xenoblade and Pokken at the most."

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