By using this site, you agree to our Privacy Policy and our Terms of Use. Close

Forums - Nintendo - Why I think Nintendo Switch is set for another Wii U disaster.

Mr.GameCrazy on 01 January 2017
maxleresistant said:
Since I first saw the video presentation in october I always thought it would not be a success. Sub par graphical power, too many complicated controls, poor third party support, low quality aspect of the console itself, not enough power for the gamer community, too much gamer designed for the casual crowd, also the casuals have really really really moved on from traditional gaming.

What's complicated about the controls for the Nintendo Switch? They look like pretty much like traditional controls (besides the Joy Cons when they are used by themselves are very simple).



Around the Network
Lonely_Dolphin on 01 January 2017
daredevil.shark said:

Given the track record of Nintendo Consoles most third party games (especially home console focused devs) will have a hard time to break even.

 

We're in agreement there. I don't expect western third party support beyond a couple games to test the waters. After those games inevitably flop, it'll be Wii U situation all over again, but hopefully I'll be wrong somehow.



zorg1000 on 01 January 2017
sabastian said:
I have to agree with this a bit. The way games sales are going lately. Shooters, Multiplayer online gaming are the biggest sellers today. Without powerful hardware to create and support these genres, the Switch may just bomb in the US/EU.

I guess well see soon enough.

3DS+Wii U has sold over 50 million in America+Europe despite not getting the big multiplats you are speaking of.

Why is it so baffling to think Nintendo can succeed without multiplats?



When the herd loses its way, the shepard must kill the bull that leads them astray.

WagnerPaiva on 01 January 2017

I will reserve the right of waiting till the official reveal.



My grammar errors are justified by the fact that I am a brazilian living in Brazil. I am also very stupid.

Ck1x on 01 January 2017
sabastian said:
I have to agree with this a bit. The way games sales are going lately. Shooters, Multiplayer online gaming are the biggest sellers today. Without powerful hardware to create and support these genres, the Switch may just bomb in the US/EU.

I guess well see soon enough.

Well I wish that someone could explain what happened to Titanfall then...



Around the Network
Miyamotoo on 01 January 2017
mountaindewslave said:
Jumpin said:

The problem with these sorts of arguements is that they assess the Switch based on how it will appeal to the PS4/Xbone niche. They ignore the fact that this is not what the Switch is. It's not limited to the PS4/Xbone style console niche.

So where is Switch getting its players:

1. The dedicated handheld market. This market has shrunk from the DS period as over the last decade mobile has become a factor, but it is still a gigantic market segment, and despite very negative (false) press over 3DS's 3D feature causing seizures and brain damage in children, it still managed to top this generation's gaming platforms.

2. Despite not having the specs of XBone and PS4, it is still going to grab anyone who wants the current Nintendo home console, even if it is only 10-12 million, it's still 10-12 million more on top of everything else they're taking.

3. Mobile, Nintendo is leveraging mobile to vastly improve the visibility and relevance of their brand. And while it is not certain if Switch has leaned more into the mobile market than Nintendo platforms have in the past, the hardware is by far the most suitable to do so of any of the dedicated gaming platforms. Nintendo has one of the most powerful brands in mobile after a year, and they're just taking their first babysteps into that industry, and it's apparently a very good fit after testing the waters. Mobile is Switch's wildcard.

4. Games, with the Wii U Nintendo had effectively exshausted their creative juices. Creatively, Nintendo has been in hibernation, and this isn't the first time this has happened, but perhaps the most significant. With the N64 we saw a rapid change in what Nintendo games looked like. After the middle of the N64 generation, Gamecube was a derivative and lackluster stopgap machine, with not really much in the way of Nintendo offerings aside from a handful of minor hits. It wasn't until the Wii that we saw a very fresh and creative looking Nintendo again, and with much more software.

Another factor on games, with the Wii, Nintendo went right up until the end with releasing big software. With the Wii U, Nintendo had nothing new to show after year 1, except some highly experimental titles that felt a little half baked. So Nintendo is going into the Switch with a lot more muscle behind their software. Also consider that the handheld division is now ALSO developing for the Switch.

In short, the Switch has a much further market reach than the Wii U. The Wii U was competing short handed in a limited niche market. The Switch has much broader wings, more room to sore, and more muscle to fly.

Nintendo in the past has been somewhat divided in developing for their handheld gaming library at the same time as developing for their current home console. Having combined focus on the same thing will make a massive difference 

If someone's looking for Monster Hunter + Pokmeon OR Zelda + Mario Kart its all going to be the same system they're after. Even without third party support (although that's looking rather positive at the moment in comparison to the Wii U) Nintendo is going to have a decent library simply due to having all output in one place

although I will mention the obvious reason why third parties would be much more excited for the Switch than they were Nintendo systems the last generation- they get access to all of Nintendo's handheld fans AND all of their home console fans in one batch. There's no complicated decision process of what to port to the 3DS or the Wii U, what to prioritize or not bother with at all. It makes it safer for third parties. And make no mistake, that is an advantage that Microsoft and Sony have had recently, the fact that they both essentially have had one system and one market for third parties to make games for. With Nintendo the reality is that their handheld and home console market at times in the past have sort of distracted from one another

Totally agree, and lotsa people are not aware of those things at all, they just see "Switch is underpowered like Wii U" but dont see that everything else is totally opposite to Wii U, and usually those same people saying "Switch is set for another Wii U disaster" and that's of course pure nonsense.

 

 

Goodnightmoon said:

Switch sucess is gonna make half of the internet look like idiots, mark my words.

maxleresistant said:
Since I first saw the video presentation in october I always thought it would not be a success. Sub par graphical power, too many complicated controls, poor third party support, low quality aspect of the console itself, not enough power for the gamer community, too much gamer designed for the casual crowd, also the casuals have really really really moved on from traditional gaming

This post is amazing

- Subpar graphical power
- Not enough power for the gaming comunity

(Those are supoposed to be 2 different reasons? lol)

- Too many complicated controls (what?)
- Low quality aspect of the console itself (what??)

(2 nonsense random reasons to make the list bigger)

- Poor third party support
- Too much game designed for the casual crow

( ... The console has not even been fully revealed yet, let along released and you are already judging its nonexistant library?)

Just... wow

Also totally agree, really amazing post. :D

 

sabastian said:
I have to agree with this a bit. The way games sales are going lately. Shooters, Multiplayer online gaming are the biggest sellers today. Without powerful hardware to create and support these genres, the Switch may just bomb in the US/EU.

I guess well see soon enough.

Big news for you, last Pokemon game for 3DS is one best selling Pokemon game ever (passed 10 m in short time on single platform), and seems that Switch will also have one next year, along side with new 3D Mario, new 3D Zelda, Mario Kart, Smash Bros, Splatoon...basically biggest Nintendo sellers in 1st year.



NightDragon83 on 01 January 2017

I actually think the Switch's launch will be very successful, and depending on price point and launch games available, it's possible we could see another "Wii" situation where the console becomes the must-have item, leading to retail shortagest (because you know Nintendo is all about limiting stock too).

I'll bet that after launch the Switch will be in tight supply all year until we get closer to the holidays and Nintendo prepares to release its big holiday title or titles for it.



On 2/24/13, MB1025 said:
You know I was always wondering why no one ever used the dollar sign for $ony, but then I realized they have no money so it would be pointless.

Firefoxie on 01 January 2017

I think it all depends on how it's done. I do think Nintendo has a great idea. The Switch is very creative and I personally love the idea of it, but that can change quickly depending on the features and what's announced for The Switch. I'm very optimistically cautious about it, especially seeing how the Wii and Wii-U was handled. I do honestly think this could be extremely huge for Nintendo and I hope that it will be.



Mnementh on 01 January 2017
pokoko said:
The way I see it, there is a good chance the Switch will fail as a home console.

Hold on, take your hands off the keyboard and let me finish.

I think it might fail as a home console while still being successful as a handheld--if it's cheap enough. With most consumers in the west, I don't think the Switch is going to do all that well with people who go in thinking that they really want the top home console games and the best home console experience. I think Xbox and Playstation are still going to be more popular as answers to that question.

That doesn't cover every consumer, however. There will be those who really want a handheld and those who really want a hybrid. That's Nintendo's market to lose. Honestly, I think they should really emphasize that difference in advertising instead of going at Sony and Microsoft head-on with a "home console".

That, of course, is supposing that the rumors are true and the Switch won't have full western home console support.

I agree. Everything on the Switch screams handheld, even the timing. It is 6 years after the 3DS, a full console cycle.

That Nintendo tries toadvertise it as home console has multiple reasons.

a) They can ask a higher price.

b) The WiiU isn't that hot and selling Switch as home console allows them to back away from support to the WiiU without letting it look like they abandon the market.

c) They can try to catch some home console games for the handheld market, some game devs might wanna try it.



3DS-FC: 4511-1768-7903 (Mii-Name: Mnementh), Nintendo-Network-ID: Mnementh, Switch: SW-7706-3819-9381 (Mnementh)

my greatest games: 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024

10 years greatest game event!

bets: [peak year] [+], [1], [2], [3], [4]

Soundwave on 01 January 2017

Fixing past mistakes is not a guarantee for future success. A system must compete in the time line it exists in not in a "well these are mistakes we shouldn't have made five years ago". Both GameCube (disc format! easy to program for!") and Sega Dreamcast "fixed" many mistakes of their predecessors, but both still failed, with GameCube selling far less than the N64 even. The way I see it there are still serious issues with the Switch concept long term.

1.) Tablets are far cheaper today than they were when the 3DS launched in 2011. And cheap tablets are more plentiful. Beyond that the Switch "concept" is something that could be fairly easily copied by tablet manufacturers. Wouldn't take much for Samsung or even Apple to start a line of "game console/tablet" hybrids with a HDMI out and snap on controllers standard in the box. Are people really going to be willing to carry around two devices just for portable entertainment? Even though the 3DS has clawed out a niche, it's a shrinking niche. 

2.) There isn't really a new way to play here, unlike the Wii and DS which had massive success with dramatically new interfaces, Switch is more or less just a traditional game machine, it is basically a portable Wii U. So I wouldn't expect a massive "new audience" coming here.

3.) The system is grossly underpowered relative to the other platforms that it's presumably going to co-exist with (from 2017-2022 presumably?). That means third party ports will be difficult, and even if developers do bother to, how many people are going to be willing to then pay the same $60 for a very inferior port? Keep in mind the Nintendo audience thumbed their nose at things like COD and Assassin's Creed and Need For Speed on Wii U because the frame rate was like a few frames off or the game was a couple of months late. The compromises to get games on Switch will be more vast than that.

4.) All Nintendo games on one platform are nice, but do they really impact software diversity *that* much? I would question some of this. Even if you gave the Wii U a Zelda and Metroid and Animal Crossing game earlier in its life cycle, I think the only real difference is it would've sold 20 million maybe instead of 14 million. Both numbers are still abject failures. Nintendo alone cannot make up for the loss of huge genre diversity that third parties bring to the table.

I do think the Switch will perform alright, probably around what the 3DS has done give or take, but there are reasons to be skeptical as well. I suspect it'll have a good launch at least though, how Nintendo is able to handle the system as May/June/July/August rolls around will be more interesting to see.