TallSilhouette said:
VideoGameAccountant said:
First, the whole "Nintendo's handheld market is being consumed by mobile" is a farce. The 3DS is the best selling console this generation. Pokemon Go has proved that mobile can be used to increase handheld game sales (which was Iwata's plan from the start). There is this faulty assumption from the analyst that mobile and handheld are mutually exclusive. Pokemon Go proves they are not.
The reason the 3DS struggled was because of the system launched with subpar games, a 3D gimmick that most people didn't want, was too expensive and didn't have a great battery life. The 3DS only sold about 3 million its first year, and sales only improved when Nintendo slashed the price and some games finally came out. The 3DS, like the Wii U, had this issue where Nintendo still wanted the expanded market's money but not have to worry about them. This is how you got Nintendogs+Cats and Wii Fit U. Sure, great on the DS< but the DS also had plenty of other titles for these consumers as well. Heck, the 3DS's launch lineup was forgettable. Does anyone care about Steel Diver and Pilotwings Resort?
The Switch doesn't have these problems. As I type this, the Switch has likely outsold the 3DS's first year (which launched in the firs quarter as well). Nintendo has two big hits with Zelda and Mario Kart. Splatoon will sell big in Japan. SMO will sell big. There are other games we don't know about. There will eventually be Pokemon. By all accounts, I don't see why the Switch couldn't break 100 mil
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A combined 235M handhelds 7th gen (DS+PSP) down to a current 80M 8th gen (3DS+Vita) while mobile gaming revenue continues reaching new heights = a farce? Ok, pal...However you want to justify it, Nintendo's market has shrunk dramatically in recent years. Increasing competition and market share from both mobile and computers only makes it harder for console manufacturers to sell the same numbers they did in the past. The Switch obviously does face many of the same challenges you just listed for the 3DS; price, battery life, a rumble gimmick nobody asked for, etc. The one clear strength it does have is one of the most anticipated games ever as a launch title, which obviously made for a great launch. Whether the console can maintain that momentum once their core has finished buying and reverse the downward slope remains to be seen. It is indeed less realistic for the more expensive, less accessible Switch to reach numbers only achieved by Nintendo's cheapest and most casually appealing consoles. Could it? Maybe, but let's not put the cart before the horse...
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How much handheld console units were sold in 6th gen...?
