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Mummelmann on 24 April 2017
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Soundwave said:
Mummelmann said:

This is pretty much what the Vita aimed for though, like a small PS3-ish device for on the go gaming with some "big gaming" titles to help it sell (no, it won't sell like the Vita, of course, I'm just saying that this in and on itself isn't a selling point from a marketing perspective). The fact that you add the possibility to dock it to your TV doesn't sell the other concept by default. I rememeber seeing the reveal trailer, the guy playing Skyrim on the plane with the joy-con's looked absolutely ridiculous and I can't imagine there being any sort of huge market for this type of gaming. Sure, you could use a pro controller instead, but then you're starting to make it rather inconvenient when you carry so much stuff around (same goes for the attachment to weld two joy-con's into one controller, this becomes seriosuly bulky to wield for on-the go gaming). I just can't see how the Switch will convince people who want "big gaming" with this concept of taking it to the bus of coffeeshop or school, nor can I see how they'll capture the "small games" market, who only wants the very simplest and most convenient for their quick fix. I fear that once again, Nintendo have placed themselves squarely between two or more markets and that this will limit the appeal long term.

It's also worth noting that, despite the times we live in, Nintendo have once more opted to promote local multiplayer as a main selling point and they've made the process and practical sides of online multiplater needlessly cumbersome with many design choices and lack of features. You know what; I'm not seeing this being the amazing comet on the market that many seem to think. It's perfect for Japan though, but to me there's no sense in expecting another Wii, they're not creating a blue ocean, at best they're tossing a somewhat bipolar lure into a rather orange one.

Problem with that whole situation is Vita could not run PS3 type games. They had to be scaled down to a large degree to the point where they never really felt like playing a PS3. 

It's like saying you want to be a model but not being all that good looking. It makes a difference if you actually are good looking. Vita couldn't cut the mustard, Switch does though. It's obviously not the most powerful hardware but IMO it just makes the cut off to be able to play relatively high end games that go beyond what people expect of portable games. 

I think if you own the system too, the appeal of it becomes more immediate when you actually have it. Being able to just pick it up off your nightstand and be playing a game as robust as Zelda: BotW or Mario Kart 8 Deluxe really feels ... I dunno. It's different. It does not feel like a 3DS or Vita. 

It's actually a fairly core product. 

But that's a huge issue as far as perceived value goes and kinda supports the point I'm trying to make. The superficial pruchasing incentive for a Switch isn't being able to play "big games" on the go. There's also the added issue that it seemingly won't get these so called big games from most developers, what we've seen so far are old ports and there's no reason to believe that developers will suddenly change a 25+ year decision to not put their full weight behind Nintendo, leaving mostly Nintendo's own games to do the job. And, strong as they are, these 1st party titles still limit the overall appeal, and the breadth of it, especially when online play has been made so awkward.

Time will tell for sure, and I might very well be wrong, but I can't see any motivating factors in market movements to support the notion that the Switch will be an enormous success, especially with other segments of the market seeing huge growth, the amount of fringe consumers willing to shell out for dedicated gaming hardware appears to have shrunk a great deal.