Mandalore76 said:
The 2 things you are asking for both eliminate the Switch's main feature and selling point: Portability. If a Switch TV can only hook up to the TV, it's not a "Switch" anymore. The Switch concept is being able to seemlessly take your console gaming session on the go with you. I don't see a version being released that can't do that. Also, why ditch the joycons? Playing with detached joycons is the most relaxing way to play games since the wiimote and nunchuck. I do connect them to the joycon grip in certain situations, but the majority of the time I layback on my couch or recliner with each joycon separate in each hand. Why eliminate the option? As for the Switch XL, a larger capacity battery or screen would be nice, but the Switch screen is already quite large as far as handheld devices go. Something larger would hinder it's portability, which again would counter its greatest asset. In it's current state, I can slip it into most of my jacket pockets without even detaching the joycons. If it can't fit in my pocket, then I can't take it with me through the park while I walk my dog. For me, that eliminates at least an hour of time per day that I've gotten use out of the Switch, therefore reducing the device's usefullness. |
I think it is important to mention that Nintendo has done console revision and accessory releases in the past that have broken away from the console's original hook. The 2DS (which greatly helped the 3DS platform reach a younger audience and remain competitive against smartphone platforms in Western countries) is a good example of this as is the GameBoy and GameBoy Advance adapter for the SNES and GC respectively. Having more hardware options around a similar platform will given people the flexibility to choose what is best for them, and if financially it makes sense for Nintendo then they will want to do it so that they can increase the hardware sales and user base for the platform. As Switch owners, this would be a boon for us, because it would mean a larger installbase and hence more support in the future.
There are currently three revisions I can envision for the Switch. Not all of them make sense right now due to cost, but they eventually may make sense and they can help Nintendo reach audiences that may not really see the value in the Switch as it is right now (such as, Pemalite, the person you responded to)
Switch mini:
A portable system slightly larger than 3DS XL (due to the fan). It does not have detachable joy-cons and may include an HDMI output on the back instead of needing a dock. It is designed to be a less expensive alternative to the existing Switch. Aimed more towards children. I can see something like this launching at around the same time Pokemon launches (which I assume to be in 2019) in order to draw in a younger crowd or more price conscious crowd.
Switch XL:
Has more or less dimensions of the current Switch and is compatible with the existing Joy-Cons. The bezels have been reduced in order to increase the size of the screen. This would be positioned as the more premium model much like the (New) 3DS XL. It would be targeted more towards older teens and adults and perhaps those that also like more local social gaming experiences on the go (thanks to the bigger screen more people can scoot around the system).
Switch TV:
This would come out later and would be a much cheaper option for people that do not want to pay for a portable system because portability is not important to them. In addition, Nintendo could position it as a family system where member gather around to enjoy local multiplayer experiences. If Nintendo partners with video streaming services and brings such services to the Switch, it may also serve as a stationary streaming box for many people in the future.
Nintendo has said that they can see people in a single household owning multiple Switch's in the future. The product strategy I proposed would allow for that to happen. For example, imagine a family unit that consists of two children and two parents. Pokemon comes out and the two children want their own system to play those games (or take whatever other games that is out right now and the kids essentially do not want to share a single Switch). The parents will be able to purchase their two children a Switch mini each because it is less expensive than the current Switch. This family may own a Switch TV as a streaming box and perhaps also for family nights when they want to play a game like Mario Kart or Mario Party, again a TV only option would allow them to do that relatively inexpensively. Also, say in this family the dad and/or mom travel frequently and they would like a more premium Switch for themselves, a Switch XL would be an option for them, or if they are price conscious they could purchase a Switch mini. This is just one of many potential senerios that having a wide range of options around a single platform could allow. Also, one key advantage here is that all the systems would have support for the same software and if Nintendo adds cloud save support with their online service, the Switch concept of going from the TV (Switch TV) to a handheld (Switch mini or Switch XL) can still occur.
