By using this site, you agree to our Privacy Policy and our Terms of Use. Close
Soundwave on 05 November 2016
Edit Thread
Slimebeast said:
RolStoppable said:
100 million, if we are talking about success without any asterisks attached to it. At 75 million it would qualify as moderate success.

Success is something that is determined by previous sales performance, a company's expectations and profitability. Naturally, anything below sales of Wii U and 3DS combined would be disappointing, but equal sales would result in notably higher profitability as long as Nintendo can avoid selling hardware at a loss like they did with both Wii U and 3DS. Nintendo is aiming for more than 100 million units with Switch, they aren't launching this system with the expectation to survive as a niche player. Their smartphone business, which ties into the Switch strategy, is already proof of their aspirations to return to the #1 spot in the video game business, both as hardware manufacturer and software publisher.

100 million is unreasonable. It's absolutely impossible to reach those numbers with a $299 handheld console in this day when everyone has a smartphone.

And Nintendo knows this very well. 50 million units is reasonable and would qualify at least as a moderate success.

And just because you release an endless runner on the Apple phone doesn't mean you strive to reach the #1 spot on the video games business. Nintendo isn't that out of touch with reality.

The price of the hardware is also over emphasized on this board. 

I think in reality equally challenging to Nintendo's approach is people are now used to having free games on the go. Thousands of them. I was just at the mall today and the little kid sitting next to me on the mall bench spent like 45 minutes playing some (probably) free game and he's completely into the game. And I'm thinking this kid paid likely nothing for that game. 

Are people now going to want to go back to paying $40-$60 a game? I think that is actually a more challenging part of the Switch model for Nintendo, the genie of free games has been let out of the bottle and it's never going back in the bottle. 

Switch could be $250 or even $200, and I still think it faces a lot of challenges if the games are priced at even 3DS prices. 

Beyond that, 100 million isn't attainable without a new way to play either IMO. Not unless Nintendo finds a new IP that drives hardware adoption, and I'm talking a huge new IP, like Pokemon, GTA, Minecraft sized IP that drives hardware adoption *for years*. 

100 million in not a reasonable expectation, I'd agree with you. And Nintendo wants to be "market leader" now, big whoop. So does Sony. So does Microsoft. Just because Nintendo "wants" something doesn't mean it happens. I'm sure they wanted the Wii U to be a huge 100 million seller too, and they desperately tried everything to get the 3DS to sell 100 million only to fall waaaaay short.