Nintendo Switch details: $300, March 3 release, online service requires paid subscription, more

[ScubaRhys]

You're only paying for online play... just like all the other consoles....Nintendo HAS learned - apparently YOU haven't...

Well maybe. But are you so sure this is the best pricing model they can come up with?

 

[Squid Surprise]

Well maybe. But are you so sure this is the best pricing model they can come up with?

I'm not.... But I'd bet that Nintendo is... And so is MS and Sony....

 

[CaptainTom]

Why would you expect this? Nintendo has never offered their consoles based on "strength of hardware".... Why would they start now?

Perhaps they would do this so they don't have yet another flop on their hands?

I'm sorry but Playstation conceived of, and continues to dominate with the ultimate console model: Sell console at cost, wait for manufacturing costs to go down so you start profiting off of each console, and then make most of your money from software sales.

Besides the Wii, every Nintendo console has done worse than the previous one. This will likely beat the Wii U, but now it needs to sell more than the 3DS + Wii U (75 million) since it is replacing both. My money is on this thing not breaking 35 million, marking a new low for Nintendo.

 

[Squid Surprise]

Perhaps they would do this so they don't have yet another flop on their hands?

I'm sorry buy Playstation conceived of, and continues to dominate with the ultimate console model: Sell console at cost, wait for manufacturing costs to go down so you start profiting off of each console, and then make most of your money from software sales.

Besides the Wii, every Nintendo console has done worse than the previous one. This will likely beat the Wii U, but now it needs to sell more than the 3DS + Wii U (75 million) since it is replacing both. My money is on this thing not breaking 35 million, marking a new low for Nintendo.

"antoher" flop?

Yes, the Wii U was a flop... but the Wii and DS have been quite successful. There's no reason to immediately assume that the Switch will be a flop... certainly not because of a payment model that is no different than its competitors!

Again, the Switch will sink or swim based on the quality of its games - not because of online payments or hardware...

 

[CaptainTom]

"antoher" flop?

Yes, the Wii U was a flop... but the Wii and DS have been quite successful. There's no reason to immediately assume that the Switch will be a flop... certainly not because of a payment model that is no different than its competitors!

Again, the Switch will sink or swim based on the quality of its games - not because of online payments or hardware...

Great.

-1 successful home console in two decades. What an accomplishment.

-The 3DS is "Successful", but it is a far cry from the OG DS' success.

Furthermore I take issue with calling the Wii a wild success. It only seems successful if you ignore how much it set up the Wii U to fail. You can't uncouple them. The Wii alienated third parties, failed to expand its first party studios to compensate for lack of games, and started basically no new major series. In fact it sold less software than the PS3.



P.S. Payment model is the same as its competitors huh? LMAO the free version of PSN (This does exist) offers FAR more content and features than even the paid-for version of Nintendo Online will offer.

 

[Squid Surprise]

Great.

-1 successful home console in two decades. What an accomplishment.

-The 3DS is "Successful", but it is a far cry from the OG DS' success.

Furthermore I take issue with calling the Wii a wild success. It only seems successful if you ignore how much it set up the Wii U to fail. You can't uncouple them. The Wii alienated third parties, failed to expand its first party studios to compensate for lack of games, and started basically no new major series. In fact it sold less software than the PS3.



P.S. Payment model is the same as its competitors huh? LMAO the free version of PSN (This does exist) offers FAR more content and features than even the paid-for version of Nintendo Online will offer.

Well... how many consoles do you want in 2 decades?

They only released 4... Nintendo 64, Nintendo Gamecube, Wii and WiiU.... 2 were successful, 1 was "meh" and one failed...

If you include portable systems, we can add the Gameboy Advance, DS and 3DS.... all of which have been pretty successful...

The Wii still DOES have a pretty extensive library - the problem is that most non-Nintendo software were ports and therefore didn't really take advantage of the Wii's (and later the WiiU's) full capabilities.

And as for "selling software"... that's NOT what Nintendo is doing or has ever done - that's what MS and Sony were doing... It is why Nintendo now fills a niche in the market and it's why Sega doesn't make hardware at all any more....
Nintendo has never really wanted to sell software - that might change in the future - but their software exists solely to promote hardware sales, NOT vice-versa.

Oh... and I don't recall ever saying the Wii was a "wild success"...

 

[CaptainTom]

Well... how many consoles do you want in 2 decades?

They only released 4... Nintendo 64, Nintendo Gamecube, Wii and WiiU.... 2 were successful, 1 was "meh" and one failed...

The reality of the consoles you just listed: Passable, fail, Ok, HARD fail (Worse than Dreamcast).

That's a downward trend buddy. In fact if you combine portable with those consoles it is STILL a downward trend.

Thus we get to my core argument: Even if the Switch sells 50 million in 5 years, that is less than the Wii U + 3DS. Flop.


Thus Nintendo really needs this thing to sell 100 million to both be a success and make up for their recent catastrophes. No, I don't see a $300 handheld with no software support selling that well; especially not when the market has clearly migrated from PSP's/Gameboys to smartphone gaming. Furthermore I see even graver days ahead with how continually out of touch they are with things regarding first party studios and network infrastructure.

I used to think it wasn't that realistic to think they will just become a third party game studio like Sega, but at this point I wouldn't call that prediction premature..

 

[Squid Surprise]

The reality of the consoles you just listed: Passable, fail, Ok, HARD fail (Worse than Dreamcast).

That's a downward trend buddy. In fact if you combine portable with those consoles it is STILL a downward trend.

Um... Nintendo 64 was not "passable"... it was a fairly large success... and I don't see your downward trend so much as a series of spikes (up, down, up, down)... while Nintendo's market share is clearly down from the early 90s, their revenue (and more importantly, their PROFITS) are up. The video gaming industry has grown exponentially since the Super Nintendo...

Thus we get to my core argument: Even if the Switch sells 50 million in 5 years, that is less than the Wii U + 3DS. Flop.

So... you have access to Nintendo's financials? Can you prove this... and where did you pull "50 million" out of? Why do you assume that this will be their future sales?

Thus Nintendo really needs this thing to sell 100 million to both be a success and make up for their recent catastrophes. No, I don't see a $300 handheld with no software support selling that well; especially not when the market has clearly migrated from PSP's/Gameboys to smartphone gaming. Furthermore I see even graver days ahead with how continually out of touch they are with things regarding first party studios and network infrastructure.

I used to think it wasn't that realistic to think they will just become a third party game studio like Sega, but at this point I wouldn't call that prediction premature..

So your conclusion is based on.... what? You've arbitrarily stated that you think 50 million is the max sales of this device... then arbitrarily stated that even double that will still make it fail...

Are you trying to tell us that you are vastly more intelligent and market savvy than an entire company of people that have been pumping out consoles and games for decades? Maybe you should ask them to hire you...

Saying all this, I'm not saying that I'm 100% sure that the Switch will be a success. IT HAS NOT EVEN BEEN RELEASED YET.

I'm just a bit sick of people declaring that Nintendo is doomed without even seeing what they are offering...