Mummelmann said:
Keeps growing? 3DS is on its last legs. I believe the DS was selling at least twice as much weekly when they released the 3DS and the 3DS is currently selling about 1/5 of what the PS4 is doing, and the PS4 isn't the massive beast that many claim it is either (certainly no Wii or PS2). How will the Switch gain any real momentum with developer efforts still being divided between platforms and the 3DS offering a handheld option that isn't a Switch? This is precisely what Nintendo claimed they wanted to avoid in the future. It also makes the new hybrid only half as useful for potential customers. Or are you one of those who honestly believes that people have always wanted to take their home console games on the go? That was a brilliant tactic for the Vita anyway. Things that just started need purchasing incentive and market constants (software in this case). Nintendo were having major issues in the 8th gen when they started making HD games and they were forced to support two platforms at once, seeing their release schedule being filled with one massive hit that shares with the Wii U, one remastered Mario Kart, Splatoon 2 that seemingly has no visible improvements since the first one and perhaps 3D Mario closer to the holidays kind of gives the impression that they didn't learn their lesson after all this. It's not 3rd parties will pump out the big titles to help them between their own releases, despite the famous list of logos and empty promises (that have been given three generations in a row with little to show for it). The plan is looking confusing from where I'm sitting, and I don't see how you aren't a bit confused as well unless you're sitting on some secret inside information. So, yes, it would make a lot more sense. I wonder, have you ever actually realized that Nintendo have made a mistake or made some weird choices over the years? You're allowed to be critical and skeptical about decisions that are made even if you enjoy their products. Heck; you should be, it's good to be a vocal customer who asks questions, it keeps these companies on their toes. |
last year 3DS hardware sales were flat and software sales were up YOY so yes the install base is growing and there is an active userbase. DS & PS4 sales literally have nothing to do with anything so not sure why you brought them up.
Its a transition period, 3DS still sells decently and has a large active install base and likely generates a good deal of profits for Nintendo so it makes sense to continue to give moderate support to the system unlike Wii U which sold like shit and lost money. Think of it like GBA & DS. Nintendo said DS was not a replacement for GBA and that was true for about 1-1.5 years when they both sold well and recieved solid support. Once DS got a price cut, a revision and some big hitters we saw it replace GBA. That is what is likely to happen for 3DS & Switch, 2017 and early 2018 will likely see both devices with mixed support but by mid-late 2018 3DS sales and support will likely have dried up in favor of Switch.
You say console experiences didnt help Vita while ignoring that it helped PSP sell very well. You cant just look at Vita sales and assume people dont want console experiences on the go because it had a ton of things causing it to sell poorly.
Another major thing you are ignoring is that Nintendo main studios have all moved on to Switch while its mostly small, outsourced titles or late localizations that Nintendo is publishing for 3DS.
Switch also has a far more consistent post-launch 1st party lineup than either 3DS or Wii U. Zelda in March, Mario Kart in April, ARMS in Spring, Splatoon in Summer, Fire Emblem Warriors in Fall, 3D Mario in the holidays and possibly Xenoblade with a couple more titles likely to be announced in the coming months. You cant just brush some of these games off as being ports or cross-gen since the majority of big titles in PS4/XBO first year were ports & cross-gen titles.
When the herd loses its way, the shepard must kill the bull that leads them astray.
