mZuzek said:
Why is it a matter of "defending" Nintendo? There is nothing to defend or attack here. They announced a new hardware revision that does not affect me or you or anyone. It has no effect. Wanna buy it, buy it. Don't want to, don't. I agree the price is too high but it does not matter to anyone because it doesn't change the price of the product that was already there. Nintendo does a lot of anti-consumer shit, but this is absolutely not it. Edit: what's funniest here to me is how your side of the argument, the "non-Nintendo apologists", is angry at the fact that Nintendo has not announced a product that'd make you give Nintendo money. Yet my side, who is apparently "Nintendo apologists", is happy that they've given me no reason to give them more money. |
Therein lies the very issue with Nintendo (and Sony) fanbases: don't like it, don't buy it *then goes and buys it themselves*. Maybe that's not YOU, or a smaller subset of more tech savvy people in gaming, but for some damned reason, it's always "it doesn't affect you". Yes, yes it DOES affect me and all of us because it's basic supply and demand which includes pricing: if people are buying up the Switch OLED, it sends the message that Nintendo CAN do the bare minimum and still charge a premium. What do you think happens if the Switch OLED sells well? That Switch 2 is going to end up another overpriced, underperforming piece of hardware. All because "it doesn't affect you", but it absolutely will.
This is the "a sucker is born every minute" sales approach, and I want people to NOT be that sucker. Are YOU one of them? Doesn't seem like it, and neither am I. But is there a core message that Nintendo can sell weak hardware, market to casuals who are not tech savvy and do not understand, and sit back with their feet up on the table? Absolutely. That's the part that needs to change, and honestly, it's why Xbox is currently trying to work so hard. When you are losing because people aren't buying your stuff, you start to think, "what am I doing wrong?". Nintendo never figured that out from the Wii U, and instead targeted their OTHER large userbase: handhelds. They've combined the two userbases into a larger one, but have not actually recognized that there is a "Wii" pattern going here, and the Switch 2 will end up another Wii U if suddenly we end up with a $500 Switch 2 barely doing 1TF outputting 1080p/60 as they all-too-late realize their lack of competitiveness is widdling away at the appeal of their hardware. The Wii U had AMAZING games on it, but against the backdrop of the PS4 and Xbox One, it was vastly inferior (for $100 more, you could get a PS4 that was 5 times as powerful!). The novelty of the Switch's handheld appeal will not carry the Switch 2, just like the novelty of the Wii's motion controls did not carry the Wii U.
They absolutely must understand why Sony and Microsoft sell their consoles at a loss for the first year (or two). Aggressively priced, forward-thinking tech is why PlayStation quickly surpassed Nintendo. Though it hasn't happened yet, Microsoft has grown their userbase substantially as well and at this rate, while Nintendo fans laugh at Xbox, they could end up surpassing Nintendo's core userbase as well. I WANT Nintendo to be #1, I grew up on them, but they could end up #3 again like during the Wii U era, and possibly never crawl back out of the hole if Microsoft gets momentum and never lets up. Nintendo needs to take that risk on the Switch 2, and come out swinging with one helluva handheld that's not priced for the uninitiated. Otherwise, we'll just end up right back here with underpowered hardware for premium prices, saying "it's selling fine" without ever recognizing that WE are the problem and never seeing Nintendo be THE Nintendo we wish they were while watching Sony AND Microsoft steam ahead.
