dartmonkey

Modest Tech: The NX Generation (Nintendo Switch)

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Seriously, what games are even coming out for the 3DS anymore? Dragon Quest 8 is this week and it's majestic and marvellous, but other than that I know only Boxboy 3 and Dragon Quest 11 that are upcoming.

 

Finnish Switch price was announced today. 379.90€. They can just fuck off with that price. I just knew Nintendo and retailers would mess this up just like Wii U pricing. :tfart:

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I know it wouldn't be feasible for them to do this, but I think if they were to drop the price to $200 it would make a world of difference and a whole lot of people would probably be going ape shit over the Switch (given the price of everything else, I think even $250 would be a bit too much for a lot of people when you consider the cost of extra controllers and other accessories.). That would put it in the standard handheld price range and would probably instantly bring a whole lot of that 3DS install base over as well as lapsed Nintendo fans that didn't feel that they could justify the price point of the WiiU. I know it would definitely be enough to make it a day one purchase for me and would make the cost of an extra controller sting a whole lot less. It seems like, historically, $200 is the golden price point where people will just drop the money so they can have the latest Nintendo. Even with the Wii, that was a big factor in why it was so successful. $250 for a new console and a game was a pretty killer deal and I think it had the added benefit of still being in the price range of a lot of popular toys, which I'm sure helped convince a lot of parents to purchase one for their kids.

 

I doubt we'll see a price point like that any time soon, or ever. But if they chip away at the price of the console and also bring down the cost of the accessories a bit, I could see this garnering a lot more enthusiasm from consumers than the WiiU ever managed to do.

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Between the price and the thin launch lineup, most of the current gripes are pretty solvable things, which is why I'm still relatively optimistic about the Switch. The Wii U was kind of a solution in search of a problem, whereas I think the core "gimmick" of the Switch is much more appealing, and by most accounts it pulls off the console/portable stuff pretty well.

 

But man, Nintendo really needs to work on its messaging. Like... they announced their online service by revealing the negatives (monthly charge, ending Miiverse and StreetPass, weird phone integration, the limited monthly game thing) with zero explanation of how it actually works or why anyone should care about it. It's no wonder people are down on this thing.

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Does the Switch seem like an impractical handheld to anyone else? It looks massive and even if I had an hour or so commute by train/bus/subway, I can't imagine playing it in a situation where someone was sitting next to me. Have they listed the actual measurements anywhere?

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Naw it's about the size of a Wii U gamepad and I've used that while lazing around the apartment before.

 

I dunno exact measurements.

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8 hours ago, Twig said:

I actually wanted the colored JoyCons, but ended up getting gray because that's all that was available when I finally found some available preorders. O:

I figure I'll just buy the neon ones whenever I buy a second pair of JoyCons a year down the line.

 

This. Put in my pre-order ASAP but as I was only able to check on my lunch break at work all the coloured ones were sold out already. Grey sold out about an hour later, and I have a coworker who is pretty bummed she missed the boat on that.

 

1 hour ago, Patrick R said:

Does the Switch seem like an impractical handheld to anyone else? It looks massive and even if I had an hour or so commute by train/bus/subway, I can't imagine playing it in a situation where someone was sitting next to me. Have they listed the actual measurements anywhere?

 

Also this. It's actually (combined with battery life) my main concern with the thing. Even my New3DSXL can fit in my pocket if I move my keys to the other one, but between 2.5 hour at the low-end battery and how big it is, this seems like a portable that's meant to only be ported around your house. Still, I'll have fun playing with it in bed or on the TV, but I worry that this is the end of me taking Nintendo systems on the road with me.

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I think I'm rarely in a position where I won't have the ability to charge a device for more than 2.5 hours, let alone the probably more likely average of 3-4. That and I basically already carry a bag with me everywhere, if I intend to do any sort of idle activity, so fitting it into my pocket isn't a necessity for me.

 

It definitely would NOT fit in my pockets, though! Maybe if I still had them classic JNCO jeans from my childhood hehehe.

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52 minutes ago, Twig said:

Naw it's about the size of a Wii U gamepad and I've used that while lazing around the apartment before.

 

I dunno exact measurements.

 

I guess my point is there is a difference between lazing around your house and the frequently more cramped spaces of transit. On Giant Bomb they talked about how Nintendo's mock airplane seats at the Switch event seemed laughably large, so I will be curious to see how people feel about it once it's in the wild.

 

On the other hand, as someone who lives in a one bedroom apartment and shares a single TV with my partner, a console you can just grab and take into the other room (without the Wii-U's apparent connection problems that I've heard of) seems like a good concept.

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Yeah those seats. I wish they were that big. Maybe I wouldn't be in perpetual physical pain! ;_;

 

I get it, but I don't think there's a situation where I'd feel too cramped to play a Switch that I wouldn't also feel too cramped to play my 3DS. YMMV tho, obviously.

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Battery wise there's been speculation that you could use those smartphone battery packs to charge the Switch, since it has that standard USB socket. Is there any battery specs yet, indicating what the literal capacity is? 

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Without having actually held it, to me it looks like they've nailed the dimensions. No, it's not pocket-sized but neither are

most smartphones or tablets. For full 'TV' games I don't want a GB Micro and it's small enough to throw in a bag. Depending on what you want to play on-the-go, I guess it's possible you won't even take the joycons, although you'll be neutering you're impromptu b-ball party possibilities.

 

Grey is for people worrying about the resell value of their car - I'm all about the colours. I'll supplement them with the inevitable yellow/green pair in the future (or the Famicom/SNES editions...)

 

I'm concerned about Nintendo's success inasmuch as it impacts their ability to make games in the future. Hopefully their newfound mobile app business can prop up the stall if Switch does pull a Wii U. Or maybe this just paves the way for the incremental update model everyone else is adopting - throwing your existing (and expensive) joycons on the upgraded Switch2 tablet makes more sense than buying an entire box to replace the one under your telly.

 

As it is, although the price could be improved, it looks fun.

 

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https://mynintendonews.com/2017/01/16/syrenne-mcnulty-a-nintendo-switch-developer-shares-further-details/

 

Here's apparently some details regarding the joy-cons and other details.


The size of Switch looks to me to be thinner and lighter than Wii U gamepad, screen about the same size, but overall physical size is a tiny bit smaller than Wii U.

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1 hour ago, SuperBiasedMan said:

Battery wise there's been speculation that you could use those smartphone battery packs to charge the Switch, since it has that standard USB socket. Is there any battery specs yet, indicating what the literal capacity is? 

 

IIRC they specifically confirmed that you could use an external battery with a USB-C cable during the presentation. They also said that the expected battery life would vary depending on what kind of game you were playing - between three to six hours, I think. For Breath of the Wild they said it'd be more like three hours. Puyo Puyo Tetris might get you a bit further.

 

Battery life doesn't concern me too much. Like @Twig said, I'm rarely in a position where I won't be able to charge something for that length of time. I'm also rarely in a position where I can play games for more than three hours at once! It's only the 'damn I forgot to plug it in last night' moments that I'd worry about...

 

On the subject of size, Polygon have a 'Switch Next To Other Things' set of comparison photos; it's pretty good, although I wish they had at least ensured every device was compared to the Switch with the Joy Cons in place. As you can see the screen is about the same size as a Wii U gamepad, though it's a lot sleeker/more compact too. The most illustrative one for me is seeing it alongside the 3DS XL. I think I'd be happy playing something that size in public. I still feel like a bit of a dork carrying around my 3DS / Vita, but I think that's less about size and more because it looks like I'm saying 'luv 2 play my video gaem' rather than 'I am a serious person looking at my iPad'. True fans know we're the coolest.

 

(I should also note that one of the things that spurred me to buy a 3DS was seeing some guy on the tube playing Fire Emblem Awakening and thinking 'mein gott, that game is beautiful'. And now I'm some guy on the tube, playing Fire Emblem Fates endlessly. The same thing could and probably will happen with the Switch. Nintendo hardware still has a strong and mysterious gravity.)

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No idea on the reliability of the source but a couple of interesting points in Kolzig's link.

 

  • Her theory on VC is if you bought a VC game on 3DS or Wii U you’ll pay an upgrade fee like you did ON Wii U. However, if you bought the same VC game on both Wii U and 3DS you’ll get the Switch VC game for free. If you only bought it on Wii VC you’re SOL.

 

Sounds fair enough. If this were the case, it could be worth keeping an eye out for sales on Wii U/3DS if you've got any VC games on either.

 

  • The free game a month is exactly like PS+. As long as you download within that free month it’s yours to keep as long as you’re subscribed.
  • The free download a month is chosen by Nintendo because if they offered all VC games with online the player base would be split and you’d never find enough people for a match. Whereas with this method, everyone who’s downloading the game is part of the same player pool.

 

Also sounds fine. I agree with rohlfinator about the messaging of the online stuff. What's the benefit of keeping quiet about any of the above (assuming, for the moment, that it's true)?

 

Edit. The boxart on amazon suggests Switch games will come in PSP-style, narrower cases. Has anyone heard anything about that?

Edited by dartmonkey

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18 hours ago, Kolzig said:

Finnish Switch price was announced today. 379.90€. They can just fuck off with that price. I just knew Nintendo and retailers would mess this up just like Wii U pricing. :tfart:

 

Yeah, I considered buying Switch at one point despite being quite sure that it would be collecting dust for long periods of time, but at that price.. naah.

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1 hour ago, dartmonkey said:

 

  • The free game a month is exactly like PS+. As long as you download within that free month it’s yours to keep as long as you’re subscribed.
  • The free download a month is chosen by Nintendo because if they offered all VC games with online the player base would be split and you’d never find enough people for a match. Whereas with this method, everyone who’s downloading the game is part of the same player pool.

 

Also sounds fine. I agree with rohlfinator about the messaging of the online stuff. What's the benefit of keeping quiet about any of the above (assuming, for the moment, that it's true)?

 

 

NOA has said that it does not work like PS+.  The game is free for that month only, after which you must pay to keep playing.

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Dartmonkey: the Switch boxes will be similar in height to regular Wii (U) ones (i.e. standard DVD box), but smaller in width. Should look pretty sleek, and also save on retailer space, possibly getting more Switch games up front in the store.

 

The My Nintendo News report is VERY interesting, since it basically contradicts the current report that the 'one free game' deal is a limited time offer. In theory, that's a big thing. I'm also crossing my fingers for that long-fabled unified Nintendo account where all your games are tracked unbound from the machine.

 

Also, I took the jump and for the first time ever, I preordered a console. The Switch for 330 euronions. I made up my mind that I want the colored ones, since grey is just too drab, but the major gaming chain here only accepts preorders for grey Switches, with the possibility for changing once they know how many in color they get. That's fine. And yes, it'd be great if Nintendo started producing sets of Joycons in all sorts of crazy colors and combinations. That'd get me to buy a new pair.

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Also what that link I posted says to be interesting is that the pro controller would have analog triggers. That's what would enable the rumoured Gamecube Virtual Console support in Switch.

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44 minutes ago, Roderick said:

I'm also crossing my fingers for that long-fabled unified Nintendo account where all your games are tracked unbound from the machine.

 

Technically this already exists - eshop purchases are tied to your Nintendo Network ID (NNID) nowadays. If you log in at https://accounts.nintendo.com/ and select 'Account Activity', you should see a complete list of everything you've ever bought on the eshop. You can even buy digital games and trigger downloads remotely on the Nintendo website these days. (Do they provide a consolidated list of all your digital games with links to re-download them? Of course they do not! You have to find each game's page individually on the Nintendo website and click the 'Download' link there!)

 

The problem with the 3DS and Wii U has always been that if your console gets lost/stolen or fails, there is no way for a user to remotely get their NNID off the old system so they can register it to a new system. It's not impossible - Nintendo customer support has to do it for you - but that usually means a telephone call, which is immensely tedious in the twenty-first century. Also you can't assign your NNID to more than one system - irrespective of whether you want to put your digital games on it - which is madness.

 

I would imagine that if they could fix this at this stage, they would, but the NNID stuff is probably baked in to the 3DS/Wii U firmware in a way that would make it super difficult. Hopefully they'll fix this with Switch.

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2 hours ago, SecretAsianMan said:

 

NOA has said that it does not work like PS+.  The game is free for that month only, after which you must pay to keep playing.

 

That was my impression, too. Every site that I follow that reports on console news contradicts that and has said it's a single game for one month, contrary to that article.

 

Honestly I would almost be in if it was just solid hardware with decent around the house battery life with a netflix-style back catalog. I don't know how well that would actually do for Nintendo, but anecdotally it seems like that's a thing a lot of people would happily pay for even without the prospect of new games. If it was $200 without all that goofy motion stuff (and a real d-pad) with a solid online catalog I'd have been in for it pretty much right away, and maybe even considered it at $250.

 

Nintendo is not interested in that, though.

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Keep in mind the information from that article is from a developer and not a reporter.  Nintendo has told outlets that the free game is only free to play for that month.  Also she has stated that her comment on the triggers being analog was incorrect, they are in fact digital which aligns with other reports as well.

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Why would "a developer" know all the details about virtual console and the subscription model. They wouldn't need that information, nor would Nintendo just give it to anyone who happens to be "a developer". That's not how this works... Unless they've got some other inside information...? This article seems like speculation out the ass based on half-information.

 

I, too, wish they would do a goddamn Netflix style subscription for their Virtual Console offerings. ):

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The more I learn about Switch, the less I'm liking it.

 

The messaging is all over the place - is it aimed at the casual market or the hardcore? They seem split between the two, stretched a bit thin - 1-2-Switch and Arms for the Wii-like experience, but nothing else. Hardcore types get Zelda and some JRPGs. Both groups get Mario Kart and Mario Odyssey. I think they should have chosen to focus the message on one group. That probably would have meant the more casual players (since most diehards will buy on Day 1 regardless - the Wii proved that).

 

Then there's all the hardware features that haven't been justified.  Why does it need an expensive IR camera in the Joy-Con? What's up with the touchscreen? What's the killer app for all this tech? At the moment it's just adding cost where simplicity is needed. Nintendo haven't told us why we need this stuff.

 

I'd like it if the big N developed a tool to make it easy for devs to port Android games to Switch. The touchscreen then makes sense. The catalogue of games grows. The casual (and kids, let's not forget the kids) market would have another reason to buy the console.

 

Then there's the messaging around online. If the online is paid only, there's got be something to pull people in, then keep them hooked. One free game (of Nintendo's choosing) to rent all month seems miserly. A "Netflix" model would work well, as would the proposed online play for old games like Smash Brothers or the other N64 greats (please Nintendo, buy the rights to Goldeneye or Perfect Dark - nostalgia-soaked twenty- and thirty-somethings would sell their souls to play those online). It's still expensive though - you'd have to be really into Splatoon to get your money's worth.

 

Are we really just waiting for more announcements from Nintendo? There's about 7 weeks to launch, so are they holding out on us? Or is what we know what we're going to get?

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