Did the Switch finally destroy Nintendo's "Kiddie" image?

[Mummelmann]

TheMisterManGuy said:

Mummelmann said:
I don't think all that much has changed, on the surface they're still relying on pretty much the same system selling software and they're infamous for censoring or even or even disallowing certain titles or features from e-shop or networks due to it being inappropriate for children. Embracing a form factor that is more than a little reminiscent of the one most widespread among youth and kids won't help in this regard either (tablets and smartphone games are immensely popular among younger customers and gamers).
But it doesn't really matter, what matters is appeal, and appeal seems really good at the moment, as is reflected in the sales.
This image is likely to stick with them, much like the dudebro image of the Xbox, especially since in both instances, the respective companies aren't really doing much to combat it.

??? Elaborate Please?

Most well-known are probably the Binding of Isaac and refusal to accept same sex relationships in Tomodachi Life. They eventually folded on the Binding of Isaac issue though, but it took a long time. They have a history of "shielding" their customers against things they deem unsafe for children, there was also the debacle concerning voice chat on the Switch, where children were more or less prohibited from using the feature at all. Things like that, paired with their continued use of their well-known mascots and evergreens contribute to a perpetuation of their image. That's not to say that their actual customers are kids, their average age demographic is among the oldest of all platforms. But the image persists and there are several reasons why.

The Switch is marketed more towards adults or young professionals but the internal policies on the platform itself and the overall external image through main franchises and mascots remain more or less the same. They've made an active effort to garner more "mature" support, but it doesn't seem to change all that much either. Perhaps if they had more simultaneous releases on par with PS4/One, things would gradually change. But for now, the Switch, like the machines that came before it (post SNES anyway) are where you go to play 1st party titles with cute mascots and run the risk of running into strange or even non-existent technical solutions designed to shield you from the world and market at large.

Regardless of all that; I'm still happy with mine and I gladly pay those games, as well as a few remakes or re-releases since I've missed three generations in a row. It has absolutely no bearing on my enjoyment of the machine itself.