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Forums - Nintendo Discussion - Switch games are not all TV compatible (VOEZ)

Didn't see that here yet, but interesting info about the Switch games:

Switch games can be handheld mode only. It's like that for the game VOEZ, a rythm mobile game releasing on Switch in Japan on March 3rd. Being a mobile tactile game, it can be played only in handheld mode with the touchscreen, but just can't be played in TV or table mode. We don't know yet if games can also be TV mode only, but it's clearly a possibility.

Link (in French):

http://www.gamekult.com/actu/voez-quand-la-switch-zappe-le-mode-tv-A173739.html

My opinion on this is that we can expect quite a bit of games to use that kind of limitation. Developers will try to limit development costs and won't all create 2 different modes for their games. So the Switch will surely get a lot of handheld games without TV mode optimization or even without TV mode at all. I guess the good news about it is that the Switch can get mobile games more easily with almost no work needed for the port (except maybe for F2P games using microtransactions, it would need some work).

Anyway, good news for the devs, less work for them, but I think it could really restrict the hybrid interest of the Switch.

 

EDIT: English link: http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2017-02-27-nintendo-switch-has-its-first-touchscreen-only-game



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I don't see how this restricts the hybrid nature of Switch. Surely the point of a hybrid is that it can do both 'either' as well as 'and'? Either portable or home, or portable and home.

Partially though I guess that's down to Nintendo positioning the Switch as a home console you can take on the go, which is a message I expect will change later this year.



I guess that could happen if developers want to use tactile controls.



Well it makes sense if they are making a game that requires touchscreen.

If there is no touchscreen required, I can't see how transmitting to the TV would cost $1 more to do.



Asriel said:
I don't see how this restricts the hybrid nature of Switch. Surely the point of a hybrid is that it can do both 'either' as well as 'and'? Either portable or home, or portable and home.

Partially though I guess that's down to Nintendo positioning the Switch as a home console you can take on the go, which is a message I expect will change later this year.

By "limit the hybrid interest", I mean the "start your game on your TV and finish it on the go". If more games are exclusive to a mode, the nice transition between TV and handheld is useless. You could have a handheld library, and a home console library, but without being able to play one library on the other mode. Wasn't that the point of the Switch?

Obviously this answers the question "what about touchscreen in TV mode?" and should be only about touchscreen. But this possibility exists for any dev. I always thought that quite a lot of developers would do minimal work for the TV mode and just display the handheld game on the TV. But they can do even more if they really don't want to put any work in the Switch version of a game.



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Makes sense for touchscreen based games.
I have a hard time thinking why someone would make a TV only game, maybe a few genres like horror, that do rely on a deeper immersion.



so much for being a home console first.



Faelco said:
Asriel said:

By "limit the hybrid interest", I mean the "start your game on your TV and finish it on the go". If more games are exclusive to a mode, the nice transition between TV and handheld is useless. You could have a handheld library, and a home console library, but without being able to play one library on the other mode. Wasn't that the point of the Switch?

Obviously this answers the question "what about touchscreen in TV mode?" and should be only about touchscreen. But this possibility exists for any dev. I always thought that quite a lot of developers would do minimal work for the TV mode and just display the handheld game on the TV. But they can do even more if they really don't want to put any work in the Switch version of a game.

So after one game there is no point to the Switch anymore? You are really jumping to conclusions here! How many other games have been announced to be only playable in handheld mode? How many major games? Because I don't know of a single one besides this one. Or am I missing something? 



vkaraujo said:
Makes sense for touchscreen based games.
I have a hard time thinking why someone would make a TV only game, maybe a few genres like horror, that do rely on a deeper immersion.

Well, if your game don't run properly on handheld mode...

Louie said:

So after one game there is no point to the Switch anymore? You are really jumping to conclusions here! How many other games have been announced to be only playable in handheld mode? How many major games? Because I don't know of a single one besides this one. Or am I missing something? 

How am I jumping to conclusions by saying "If more games are like that, then it could...."?

The console is not out yet, and one of its first third party games is like this. We can safely assume that more games will release like this one. I'm not saying it will be a lot of games, but the devs have that possibility if they want, so we'll see how they use it. If devs can reduce development costs, I think some of them will do it.



bananaking21 said:
so much for being a home console first.

And if the game scores a 58 on metacritic we will say "so much for the Switch being about quality games"?