Tagging. But b4 I read....Gosh I hope not. I would respond fully right now, but I'm tired, and wrestling with my laptop AND my phone, which has the VGC app is so cumbersome. I wish there were another way, but that's for scientists of the future to figure out.

That's the insinuation I hear a lot of that Switch is not a "real" Nintendo handheld because it doesn't have a DS design ... I'm just pointing out that Nintendo made portables that weren't that design for 14 years prior to the DS, a lot of people who are younger probably don't really grasp this. 

Form factors change with time and perhaps the fact is the DS/3DS style form factor is due for retirement. It doesn't invalidate the Switch as a portable system just because it has a different design. 

I gotta admit, I'm a big fan of the clamshell design, but it isn't an absolute must for a handheld. The PSP's form factor was perfectly comfortable. 

What you just described is my ideal Nintendo Platform. With the naming scheme they've gone with now, I just don't know if they'll actually do it. What'll the standalone system? The Switch Blade?

...actually that's not so bad...

The Joycon grip with the "puppy ears" removed could likely be turned into a clamshell design with a few tweaks. You'd likely have to flatten the joysticks to be a bit more like 3DS sticks, but otherwise just slap a screen with a battery underlay onto this and you have a relatively small portable machine that doesn't break compatibility with any Joycons. 

Likely they'd have to wait for a die shrink, but it's probably doable at 14nm or 10nm. 

Not that I'd disagree, but just pointing out, that Nintendo's been using the clamshell since 1982 (or 1981) in Game&Watch.

Lmao whoever made that did a bang up job :)

Well, there's that Nintendo had basically two consoles to save, 3DS and Wii U. It's pretty obvious that even if they'd been willing to spend the money trying to save both of the devices, Nintendo's development resources could not keep up. I think this is what woke Nintendo up to unify their development resources.

Why they coudn't just ditch the gamepad, I could see two reasons: the time Nintendo figured out Wii U isn't going to pick up steam, they already had locked themselves with the software to the gamepad, and also that manufacturing contracts Nintendo had, extended so far into Wii U's life with the sales rate it had, that it hadn't save money, and it had not been sensible to ditch at that point anymore.

And yet you are still here. And will be for the next installments.

I certainly have, I feel the price, clamshell design and long battery life were 3 major attributes of the DS success as a portable. I don't believe its the be-all, end-all but I think it definitely is advantageious for a portable making it easy to protect and more compact to fit into a pocket easily. 

Certainly the Switch doesn't have any of those attributes at all and as a portable will suffer because of it. However that said the landscape has changed and people now have more versatile mobile phones and tablets anyway even children so its a harder sell to produce a dedicated portable gaming device even if you do get the format and pricing right. The clamshell format was especially good for children who treat devices roughly with little respect or care.

No doubt in future months we will most likely debate why the Switch has failed and we will frankly be spoilt for choice with regard reasons for its low sales; console itself, game line-up, prices, performance level, market having moved away from dedicated portable game consoles etc.

I hate to burst it to you, but the switch is a home console. Nintendo themselves said so in the Fire emblem direct where they said the switch fire emblem marks the return of the series to home consoles.

Give it up, its a home console. It just has the bonus you can take it with you for a while, but it's main use is on your TV.

I'm pretty sure a sucessor to the 3DS will come.