16/01/2017

Nintendo Switch: The emperor's new clothes


Watching the infamous Switch presentation didn't change my stance one bit when it comes to acquiring the console: I'm still determined to purchase it further down the line, when prices have decreased and the line-up of games has inflated. Nonetheless, I obviously have an opinion regarding the presentation and the console itself; and that opinion is genuinely mixed. The presentation did nothing to reassure me and make me more enthusiastic about the upcoming Switch; if anything, it made me more worried about the fortunes of Nintendo's newest piece of kitand by extension the fortunes of handheld gaming as a whole.

There were positive points, I must admit. The announcement that region-lock would be removed made me utter a big sigh of relief, and the prospect of getting some RPG titles brought a beaming smile to my lips. But once the joy of learning that I could resume my cosmopolitan collecting endeavours unhindered when I felt like it and that I would have some RPG goodness to enjoy wore out, the harsh and cold reality appeared in all its unholy glory. And boy, did it pour icy-cold water on my newfound enthusiam for the Switch.

That harsh and cold reality is that despite Nintendo's bragging about the heavy third-party support they supposedly managed to secure, the Switch is so far a console bereft of games. The launch line-up is as anaemic as it gets, there are no surefire release dates for big third-party titles in 2017 and most of the appetizing games shown in the presentation seem to be still in the embryonic stages. You might say that this should not matter to me since I'm planning to purchase the Switch much later; and in a way, it does not. However, I'm still worried about the Switch's fortunes as a whole; because if it doesn't perform well from the get-go, some thrilling third-party game releases could be purely and simply canceled or end up never being developed as years go by.

What worries me even more is Nintendo's insistence on showcasing the Switch's motion control gimmick and presenting it as a home console first and foremost. This is the exact opposite of the Switch trailer, which was presenting the system first and foremost as a portable console that could optionally be played on a TV screen; and all this to and fro makes me think that for all their bravado, Nintendo don't actually know what they are doing and what they are aiming for. The segment in which they clumsily attempted to present the Switch as a synthesis of all the Nintendo consoles ever released before is quite telling in that regard. At first, I though they were trying to capitalize on nostalgia for marketing purposes; but then, to my utter dismay, I realized that they may actually have been totally serious and have envisioned the Switch as a fusion of all the Nintendo console gimmicks ever created. That would sure explain the uncanny combination of motion controls, rumble technology, portable display, touchscreen capabilities, local multiplayer and whatnot; and that hotchpotch of features makes me genuinely worried. My fear is that by trying to have a finger in every pie and cater to all types of gamers, they will spread themselves too thin and end up catering to none of them in earnest. We would then end up with yet another WiiU fiascoonly with direr consequences, since it would also affect Nintendo's portable prospects.

Or maybe not. Even if the Switch fails to compete with the PS4 and XBox One on the home console front, it could end up thriving as a portable console. If developing for it is as easy as rumor has it, I can totally envision developers focusing solely on the portable side of the Switch equation and showering it with games tailored for portable playthe type of games that would formerly have been released on the 3DS and Vita. For all we know, the Switch may even become the newest hideway for niche games after the Vita bails out. Now of course, that would imply minimal interference on Nintendo's part, which is not something I'm counting on. But I think we can all safely assume that if the Switch does indeed fail as a home console, Nintendo won't hesitate to hail it as the 3DS' successor and market it exclusively as a handheld.

So yes, I'm worried about the Switch's fortunes and I'm quite sure Nintendo don't really know where they're going with this system. It seems that all rest on developers' shoulders now: they can pretty much make the Switch or break it, depending on what kind of games they will choose to develop for itor on whether or not they choose to develop for it full stop. I think there's not much left to expect from Nintendo themselves: they've proven that far from having a crystal-clear vision of what the Switch should be, they are so lost at sea that they are potentially aiming for all gaming audiences at once and letting developers choose on which gimmick they want to focus. Only time will tell if the all-encompassing Switch was Nintendo's greatest stroke of genius or the final nail in the coffin, and I'll follow the upcoming Switch soap opera eagerly in the months and years to come. Thanks for reading, and be my guest anytime!

14 comments:

  1. "Even if the Switch fails to compete with the PS4 and XBox One on the home console front, it could end up thriving as a portable console."
    Not with that horrible battery life it won't, I don't care how many good games it ends up having. That Zelda game? Yeah, it's been confirmed it lasts 3 hours at most in portable mode. Three hours! I've seen some speculation that the NES/Snes tittles will be the ones who last 6 hours, lower tier games will last about 4, and everything else in the 2-3 hour mark. And that seems very possible given their history with the 3ds and that the biggest game they're pushing for the console right now is such a horrible game for handheld purposes.

    "But just carry a power bank up your butt all the time! Use it only in docking mode! Play it only at home!" I've heard the defenders say. But no, screw them. A portable console should not have such a pitiful battery and force me to work around it or nor it use for its intended purpose, end of conversation.

    And even if no one else but me thinks its a big deal, here's another piece of good news: this is their first handheld to not come with a replaceable battery! So not only are you not allowed to get a better 3rd party battery, but once the Switch's battery inevitably goes belly up due to recharges (which will happen a lot faster than usual due to it needing to charge more often), you have no choice but to buy another switch. Which is not only scummy IMO, but it's going to be a pain in the ass 10 years from now on when the Nintendo doesn't produce the switch anymore.

    I already hated this when Sony did it to the Vita, but at least they had the excuse that they were very affected by piracy with the PSP, and the first piracy method for that was through replacing the battery. Nintendo never had to deal with that. Plus, Sony went back on that with the Vita Slim, so they recanted their ways. And oh, there's also the fact that my Vita lasts me 7 hours at least, 10 hours most of the time. Unlike the damn Switch, which will last 6 hours at most.

    Ugh, I just don't like the switch as a handheld at all more and more. Feels like I'm back to the old days of the gameboy and having to carry batteries all the damn place. But at least the gameboy had a nicer battery life (that I remember), plus, batteries were cheap, disposable and convenient. A good power bank that can charge the switch more than once can set you back 100$ easily, and you have to keep the damn thing charged too. "I don't want to have to charge so damn often." "Well just get something else that you also have to charge as well, problem solved!". Yeah, what a great solution. I mean, it will save me in a pinch during a trip, but it's still a pain. There's a reason I don't use my phone for gaming on the go, besides most of the games on there being crap. If I just use it for its initial purpose of calling and texting, plus as an alarm, my phone last me for almost 5 days. And I'm happy with it like that. If I'm not using my handhelds for internet browsing or online play, and the screen brightness is set to low, I expect the damn thing to last.

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    1. On the other hand, forgot to add, this is also another reason to not buy a switch right away. I'm pretty damn sure Nintendo will release a 2.0 version of it with a better battery, or at least the option to replace the battery again like Sony did with the Vita. Couple that with its pitiful launch lineup, and there's no reason for being an early adopter. I mean, they don't even have a Mario tittle to launch with. Not even the updated version of Mario kart 8, a game already available on the Wii U for a long time. WTH?

      It might get a price cut like the 3DS too if it has a bad launch. And actual colour options. Really, it's amazing how there's no reason to buy the switch at launch.

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    2. 3 hours playing Zelda isn't the worst thing ever. 1) It has a mini USB charging port, so no annoying proprietary things to carry around. Everyone has a USB mini charger, and 2) the 3DS battery life is bad enough as it is, and that's on a 240p screen. I just went from full battery to redlined in about 3 hours myself, on my brand new New 3DS playing Planet Robobot with full brightness and half-3D. The Vita on the other hand somehow mastered battery life. That thing needs to be charged like once a month, it doesn't even make logical sense how it manages that.


      It's funny how, like Isleif said in the post, Nintendo seems to be doing a classic flip-flop on whether the Switch is a portable or a home console first and foremost. Reggie made plenty of comments to support the latter, but initially based on the teaser from October, the whole point was to bring it to your friends houses and basketball courts and rooftop parties.

      I'm giving them the benefit of the doubt and, given my love for Zelda and my preexisting game backlog, almost like a vote to say "I'm trusting you. Please don't F this up Nintendo." In a few months, if this thing tanks, you all can point at me and laugh! ;)

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    3. Sheesh, I keep forgetting about the battery life issue. Now that's certainly not going to help matters, nor will the fact that the battery is not replaceable.

      Playing the switch solely at home or next to a power source is not going to cut it, I'm afraid. My handhelds hardly ever travel beyond my flat's threshold and I've quite tolerant towards crappy battery life due to my past experience with the Game Gear; and yet, even I am annoyed by the poor battery life performances of the 3DS and New 3DS. I have to charge my New 3DS pretty much everyday lately and that's quite a hassle, not to mention having most of my playing sessions interrupted by that cursed blinking red light. And the Switch is supposed to have even worse battery life than the New 3DS! I honestly don't know how I'm going to deal with that. Playing with a power cord makes the console heat up, so it's not really an option in that case... Sheesh, guess I'll have to get used to shorter gaming sessions!

      All in all, there are indeed more reasons to wait a couple of months before purchasing a Switch than to rush to stores Day One, and that's a pretty dangerous situation that could compromise the Switch's future. I wonder if the suits at Nintendo are aware that there are really no incentives to be an early adopter or if they're just completely oblivious and relying on hype and artificial shortage to boost the Switch's sales. Gosh, how I hope that the former is true.

      But for all the doom and gloom, we have to admit one thing: even if the Switch is not as successful as we hope and becomes a legacy console instead of a smashing hit, there will always be a at least a handful of games worth playing and purchasing the system for. Now, Nintendo may go belly up if the Switch goes legacy, but that's another problem.

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    4. A usb mini charger doesn't mean anything if you don't have any place to charge it on the go. I don't work an office job and all the places I have to wait on (doctor's appointments, train trips, etc), don't have wall sockets available for the public to use. I don't know how it is in other countries, but in mine not even many libraries have places to charge electronics and people are expected to bring laptops there. So once again, I either buy a power bank or GTFO. And if I don't keep that power bank fully charged at all times, then I'm screwed too.

      The Vita Slim has a wonderful battery life even though it has a lot of powerful games too, so there's no excuse for Nintendo to do this. 5 hours battery life for any game is the bare minimum. This is Nintendo being Nintendo again, trying to do something new and gimmicky, and failing. The switch does not have the specs to be a good console, but it does not have the size and the battery life to be a good handheld either. So far, it just looks awkward, and given how Nintendo cannot decide how to market it primarily as, I'm guessing they know this. Not a good sign.

      Also, have you seen the prices for the games Isleif? Yep, 60 buckaroos. Now, this may be because all the games showcased were primarily console games (thanks for that Nintendo), so we don't know how much Pokemon Stars, for example, would cost. But given that 1-2 switch is 50 bucks this....doesn't bode well at all. Half of my 3ds and Vita library would have not come into my possession if they had come out at 60 bucks. I have many games I would have not given a chance at that Price. I'm worried for our niche tittles again.

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    5. The price of the games is a serious issue, that much is sure. I already find current physical portable games quite expensive with their 40 bucks price tags, and I'm definitely not willing to shell out 60 bucks for each and every game. Hopefully there will be price variations on the long run depending on the type of games, and not only on the digital front...

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  2. As much as it pains me, I totally agree with the fact that Nintendo is flip-flopping from one side to the other. I went into the presentation hoping I'd hear more about the portability only to hear more console stuff.
    And Reggies comments in interviews aren't helping. No streetpass, no miiverse. No free online play... no thanks, I'll stick to my combo of 3 did and Vita. Although the pay online service will surely effect the 3ds too.
    And the lineup: I made the mistake once before with buying the 3ds at launch for a price that was too high. Not again. And I don't need another console collecting dust next to my WiiU!

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    1. The line-up for 2017 isn't enticing, that much is sure. There are actually more reasons to wait a couple of months that to purchase the Switch Day One, and that's not a good situation. I hope die-hard Nintendo fans will flock to stores en masse and keep the ball rolling in the early stages so that the Switch will get a good momentum. And gosh, do I also hope that there are more game releases slated for 2017. This console needs games, and good ones at that! Fingers crossed!

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    2. Sorry for intruding, but I looked up the Miiverse thing Yvonne mentioned, and I found this quote:
      "Young said that the lack of StreetPass plays into the idea of the Switch as a home console, not a portable system (even if it offers on-the-go playing). "

      You can find this quote on gonintendo and in other sites.

      So there we go, straight from Nintendo. The switch's focus is as a home console, not a portable. Well, this explains the deplorable battery life and the whole presentation. Colour me uninterested. At least it doesn't say it lacks the Miis themselves, so games that use them can still exist. Too bad most of those games (tomodachi life, disney's magical world, etc) are meant to be played on the go. Which the Switch isn't focused on.

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    3. Oh crap. A portable console kept Nintendo afloat during the last console generation, and yet they are ready to diss faithful portable gamers in such a way? Now I'm pissed off, I really am.

      But that makes me wonder: could there be a successor to the 3DS in the pipeline after all, or are Nintendo planning to ditch dedicated portable gaming entirely and churn out mobile games instead? Given the poor performance of Super Mario Run, they would have to make a lot of adjustments for such a formula to work out...

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    4. I truly don't know if they could make a 3DS successor if the switch fails. This is probably the most retarded thing Nintendo has ever done. It'd be like Sony abandoning the console market for the handheld one, and I love their handhelds to death, you know I do. But their main audience is with the console gamers. If they have to give up one market, well I'm devastated, but it's the smart choice to give up the handheld market.

      Nintendo has been held up by the handheld market for the past 2 generations (Wii games were 90% shovelware). Focusing on an audience that has mostly left them is ridiculous and a huge betrayal. This whole console hybrid thing is looking more and more like a trap to their handheld audience. It looks like a 3DS successor, then when they buy it they are screwed over because the console is not suited for portable experiences and Nintendo won't develop any games suited as such. All we can hope is that the developers ignore that and focus on handheld side....but what can they do with the crappy battery life for example? And who knows if there are other restrictions that harm portable game development that we don't about. And if they charge the same 60$ price for almost all the games then it's over. I can't see Nintendo surviving as a mobile developer either...

      Man, I wish Sony hadn't left the handheld market. They were complete dumb asses with the Vita, but their handhelds were good dammit! If they were still around, then whatever, most of the franchises on the 3DS would switch over. Maybe even Pokemon could survive if another company bought the IP, or they could separate from Nintendo on their own. So all we would lose would be the Nintendo IPs, of all I would only miss Kirby.

      But without Sony or a 3DS successor, things can go very badly. Frankly, I'd rather hope for a Vita successor than a 3DS one at this point. Sony is crap, but Nintendo is just all over the place.

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    5. Nintendo are being so dumb and clueless right now that they make me wanna scream and tear my hair out. Why are they trying to complicate everything? The WiiU failed partly because it was too gimmicky, and yet they go back at it with a system that's even more fussy and loaded with useless gimmicks? Do they have a bankruptcy wish or what?

      Gosh Nintendo, it's not that hard. Just drop home consoles entirely and release a powerful and unfussy portable system with a giant screen and stellar battery life. Bring over all your IPs to it and let the thing soar. Heck, the Pokemon franchise alone would guarantee the success of such a machine. Too bad Nintendo execs are too blind to realize it.

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  3. I just find hilarious that it seems like Nintendo itself doesn't know what to do with the Switch. How to market it, the target audience, if it's primarily a home console or a portable, how to make the gimmick interesting this time, etc. It's like only Iwata knew what it exactly was and, since he died, they don't know what to do with it at all. While I don't have any interest in the Switch (except that HD SMT game of course), I still hope Nintendo either actually does something about it or releases a new portable (with no gimmick this time, please).

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    1. It IS hilarious indeed... And pretty blatant to boot. Maybe they are simply not fit to operate in the manufacturing industry anymore. Heck, if the Switch fail and if they go belly up, they'll only have themselves to blame... But we're not there yet. Let's wait and see! And I sure hope they switch back (ha-ha) to portable gaming if the Switch turns out to be a massive failure.

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