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Forums - Nintendo Discussion - Don't Assume Nintendo Will Drop its 3DS/Handheld Line: Here's Why

LipeJJ on 22 June 2017
Johnw1104 said:
torok said:

I don't see it as a 2 platform approach. If we consider a slightly smaller Switch as a new platform, then PS4 Pro and XBX are new platforms. And 3DS had the base model, New 3DS, 2DS, New 2DS and a XL variant for most of them.

Perhaps I should have clarified, while I see a smaller, less powerful Switch filling the handheld void alongside it's full-fledged "portable console" counterpart being a possibility, in that instance the console would have to feature exclusives which fully utilize its superior hardware to justify its claims of being a console, as well as the higher price point.

Basically, it wouldn't just be the minor difference you see between the PS4 and PS4 Pro, but instead would feature exclusives and the like. To do otherwise would be to hamstring a console that is already on the tail end of console hardware capabilities.

And why the hell would the current Switch be significantly more powerful than a Switch mini? 2 years from now it will be pretty easy for Nintendo to make a smaller version as capable as the original one, actually they could make it even more powerful if they wanted to. 

It makes 0 sense to develop something weaker and spread development teams and resources between 2 different systems when you can have a Switch mini as capable as the current Switch sharing the whole library. Even if it's a bit less powerful it could have a shared library... look at how much more powerful the Xbox One X is when compared to the OG Xbox One. It's quite a jump and they will still have a 100% shared library.



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NintendoPie on 22 June 2017

The only possibility I see in your statements is that Nintendo may introduce a Switch Mini in order to carry on an emphasis of that mobile experience and enable a lower end market to buy into their ecosystem. Even suspecting Nintendo to release a non-dockable Switch (which wouldn't be a Switch in the first place) is below 10% probability, as it ruins the purpose of the console in and of itself. 

Nintendo has their handheld successor. Everything Reggie says is business-talk to coerce people into feeling security about buying a 3DS in order to squeeze out the last bit of sales they can get from it.



Cerebralbore101 on 22 June 2017

 

Nintendo doesn't have any 3DS games in the works for 2018. /thread 



Dulfite on 22 June 2017
StarDoor said:
This argument would have made a lot more sense before we learned that the eighth-generation Pokémon games are going to be on Switch.

All they said was a Pokemon RPG with catch, train, and battle. That may sound like mainline, but they didn't technically say that. I'm hoping they make a more hardcore rpg new series while the handheld retain the main.



Heavenly_King on 22 June 2017

in order for the switch to have crazy sales, is for it to have lots of great 1st quality games. In order to do that, their handheld making games teams must make games for the switch.

Also they have to say that, because hey want to have the most 3DS sales as possible.



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StarDoor on 22 June 2017
Dulfite said:
StarDoor said:
This argument would have made a lot more sense before we learned that the eighth-generation Pokémon games are going to be on Switch.

All they said was a Pokemon RPG with catch, train, and battle. That may sound like mainline, but they didn't technically say that. I'm hoping they make a more hardcore rpg new series while the handheld retain the main.

In the Nintendo Spotlight, Ishihara said that Game Freak is developing a "core RPG Pokémon title" for the Switch. How can that be interpreted as anything other than mainline? He called it a core RPG, and Game Freak has never made any Pokémon games other than the mainline ones.



MegaDrive08 on 22 June 2017

I cant see it, one will eat into the others sales, going to miss dual screen gaming though, would be amazing if they could co exist, but i just dont see that happening, we are coming to the end of an era, thankyou Mr Iwata for your greatness RIP :(



 

Bajablo on 23 June 2017

remember that they have combined their handheld & console software divisions..



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Miyamotoo on 23 June 2017

Totally disagree with OP.

Nintendo itself admitted they cant anymore effectively support two different platforms, thats why they merged their handheld and home console software divisions in one, and their hardware handheld and home console divisions in one. To be able to work much more effectively just on one platform.

With Switch there is no reason to continue with DS line or to release separate handheld platform because Switch is already both and gaves the great opportunity to release tons of different versions of Switch hardware.
Only reason why they still somehow suporting 3DS (if you look at current Nintendo 3DS games all are done by external teams), is beacuse 3DS is still selling good and it has low price point for market compared to Switch.
You can bet sometime at end of next year or in 2019. when 3DS dies, Nintendo will release Switch Mini, smaller Switch just for handheld play with price point of around $200 for start.



Miyamotoo on 23 June 2017
Johnw1104 said:
torok said:
Well, 3DS is on its 6th year. It won't stay around for long. They will either launch a successor (unlikely) or wait until Switch becomes cheap enough to make 3DS obsolete, probably with a dockless SKU and a revision to make it more portable (smaller bezels).

The reasoning to say that a successor is unlikely is that, when the Switch reaches less than 200 bucks, it makes a portable completely useless. The home console gets the best titles, handhelds get cheap spin-offs. The few franchises that were handheld-only are going to the Switch.

A mini Switch as you said, is a likely scenario. We just don't know if they will want to release a SKU incompatible with the dock, so it can have the size of a 3DS.

Yeah, in that situation though Nintendo really hasn't abandoned their two platform approach. That's really the key observation here: Nintendo has always provided two different platforms at different price points via the handheld and console markets, and while the 3DS will inevitably be retired there's definitely a chance that some variation of the Switch takes its place.

 

Johnw1104 said:
radishhead said:
Nintendo are definitely not currently designing the successor to the 3DS - it already exists, and it's called the Switch. Nintendo may release a smaller Switch further down the line to help with portability, but it will still contain the ability to dock into the TV, and will share the same library as the current Switch.

Nintendo have already combined their handheld and home console development teams together, there's no way they're releasing another non-Switch handheld before the end of this generation.

To an extent I agree, which is why I suggested the likely future involves a mini Switch filling that handheld void. The key point is that there's a very good chance Nintendo will continue to support multiple platforms as opposed to only supporting one. That could certainly be two variations of the same overall design, with one featuring stronger hardware and a higher price point than the other, perhaps mimicking to a degree the current mid-gen refresh trend but with the superior hardware being the focus of AAA games.

 

It sounds like you don't know what platform exactly means. If Nintendo release (almost certain scenario) Switch Mini/Pocket, or Switch Pro/XL, it will be still part of same Switch platform not seperate platform, it will have same OS, same tech/architecture and most important it will play same games. Similar like 3DS, 3DS XL, 2DS, New 3DS, new 3DS XL and 2DS XL are all part of same platform, while 3DS and Wii U are different platforms. So it's obvious that would be same platform, not seperate.