Slownenberg said:
Soundwave said:
That's going to be the main issue I think. Nintendo will want the consumer who today is buying a Switch at $299.99-$349.99 to buy the Switch 2 immediately in 2024 for a number of obvious reasons (faster userbase for Switch 2, that consumer can then be sold Switch 1 AND Switch 2 software, Nintendo doesn't have to convince them to upgrade again in 2-3 years that consumer is locked in). I don't really care either way so long as Switch 2 comes out soon, but it would make a lot of sense for them in that situation to squeeze Switch Regular and Switch OLED production down to a limited quantity and force people with $300+ in their wallet/credit card to have to channel that money into a Switch 2 instead. Really it's better for the consumer too, a parent trying to cheap out for example and getting a Switch at $299.99 when they could spend just a little more at $399.99 (possibly) and get the newest system which is going to have new software support for another 7-8+ years is really just forcing the consumer to do the right thing for themselves/kid they are buying for too. You look at the PS5/PS4 today ... would Sony rather have only 35 million PS5s sold versus 41 million PS4s but more PS4s sold because they discounted the system and kept supply high on it? Obviously it's much better for them to have the 41 million PS5 owners even if a chunk of those consumers were really OK with just buying the PS4 but sorta got pushed into getting the PS5. There's no benefit to cannibalizing your next-gen console sales, you're better off forcing people to have to buy the new system. Unless there is are extenuating circumstances, like for example Nintendo didn't have any assurance in 2016/17 that the Switch was going to be a hit (not smart to completely phase out the 3DS in that case) or there is a massive cost gap in generational hardware (3DS was sometimes as low as $99.99-$149.99 versus Switch at $299.99) and a library difference (3DS/DS library is incompatible with the Switch). |
Yeah a $300/$350 Switch is way to close in price to a $350-$400 Switch 2. Even if it is actually $399.99, which I doubt it'll be that high, that's too close. Nintendo is gonna much rather have people buy the next gen system and have the potential to buy games from both gens, rather than just last gen. Really the only two options are to cut off original & OLED production when successor comes out, or give them both big price discounts to try to sell them to the "cheaper" crowd. If people are buying a $300-$400 system Nintendo is gonna want them to be buying Switch 2, not Switch. I think it is most likely Nintendo simply shuts down original & OLED production soon after Switch 2 launch (like say rigth after 2024 holiday season, assuming switch 2 is a 2024 holiday launch) and discounts the price heading into the Switch 2 launch just so they can sell those last few million in stock. Keep the Lite around at $200 just at low production levels, and basically completely move over to Switch 2 production. A slightly cheaper Switch1 doesn't have a place in a market with a slightly more expensive Switch2. |
Nintendo definitely won't drop the Switch & Switch Oled that early after launch. Even if the price gap between the Switch 1 & Switch 2 isn't that big, Nintendo would still definitely want to keep the Switch 1 around in case somehow the Switch 2 underperforms.
