Nintendo partnering with Universal to make attractions.

[AEfx]

The Switch is a cute little gadget. It needed to be a full-fledged game changer to keep me interested. I've been a Nintendo fan for just about exactly 30 years now, and Nintendo offered me virtually nothing to want me to stay married to them.

It is like the worst of the Wii and the Wii U to me - woefully underpowered (not a single visual wowed me), too many little dongles and accessories (and this time they are even more wickedly expensive), and a central gimmick (portability) that isn't widely appealing to me.

No way I'm dumping $500+ to get the system, the essential accessories, and a game or two just to start. The only way I'd even consider it would be if my extensive Wii U/Wii digital library came with me, but clearly they aren't.

Even the games shown didn't do it for me. I can't believe they are again not launching with a Mario title - cripes they didn't learn that lesson three frickin' consoles ago? - and the game theme itself just isn't at all what I am looking for in Mario. Nor am I excited to fork over $60 for to rebuy Mario Kart 8 which I already paid $60+whatever the DLC cost for.

I can't figure out who this system is really for aside from hard core Nintendo fans. This stuff is far too expensive and fragile for small kids, millennials have their phones and tablets already - I don't see them all sitting around hip cafes having Switch parties, and old foggies like me (35+) play on big screen TV's and have just been burned on rebuying games over and over, as well as the lackluster direction most franchises have taken (Mario Party driven into the ground of blandness, Paper Mario having the most boring Nintendo game ever made in Color Splash, etc).

Ugh. I'm greatful for my wallet, but I'm just happy with my XBOX One systems and existing Wii U. I have at least a half dozen full retail digital Wii U games I have barely played, if at all, and a small stack of sealed games I've picked up at the rock bottom prices ($7 for Ninja Gaiden etc) that I'll get to if I really get the itch.

At least I have the Universal project to look forward to and revisiting the nostalgia of youth Nintendo used to bring me.

 

[Frankie The Beer]

The Switch is a cute little gadget. It needed to be a full-fledged game changer to keep me interested. I've been a Nintendo fan for just about exactly 30 years now, and Nintendo offered me virtually nothing to want me to stay married to them.

It is like the worst of the Wii and the Wii U to me - woefully underpowered (not a single visual wowed me), too many little dongles and accessories (and this time they are even more wickedly expensive), and a central gimmick (portability) that isn't widely appealing to me.

No way I'm dumping $500+ to get the system, the essential accessories, and a game or two just to start. The only way I'd even consider it would be if my extensive Wii U/Wii digital library came with me, but clearly they aren't.

Even the games shown didn't do it for me. I can't believe they are again not launching with a Mario title - cripes they didn't learn that lesson three frickin' consoles ago? - and the game theme itself just isn't at all what I am looking for in Mario. Nor am I excited to fork over $60 for to rebuy Mario Kart 8 which I already paid $60+whatever the DLC cost for.

I can't figure out who this system is really for aside from hard core Nintendo fans. This stuff is far too expensive and fragile for small kids, millennials have their phones and tablets already - I don't see them all sitting around hip cafes having Switch parties, and old foggies like me (35+) play on big screen TV's and have just been burned on rebuying games over and over, as well as the lackluster direction most franchises have taken (Mario Party driven into the ground of blandness, Paper Mario having the most boring Nintendo game ever made in Color Splash, etc).

Ugh. I'm greatful for my wallet, but I'm just happy with my XBOX One systems and existing Wii U. I have at least a half dozen full retail digital Wii U games I have barely played, if at all, and a small stack of sealed games I've picked up at the rock bottom prices ($7 for Ninja Gaiden etc) that I'll get to if I really get the itch.

At least I have the Universal project to look forward to and revisiting the nostalgia of youth Nintendo used to bring me.

The only rational solution I can come up with is the Switch was probably developed as being the successor to the 3DS and someone decided to make it a home console as well. The Switch is right now as promoted is completely underwhelming and an embarrassment in my opinion of what was once the best company in video game fiefdom. Nintendo has 3% of all active third party developers, PS4 has 27% Xbox has 22%, PC has 53%, this smells like the Wii U all over again and with an initial library of Wii U ports you really cannot doubt that logic or application. The only real question is how much more Nintendo stock will plummet before the company realizes they should probably stop producing hardware and stick to software.

 

[AEfx]

The only rational solution I can come up with is the Switch was probably developed as being the successor to the 3DS and someone decided to make it a home console as well. The Switch is right now as promoted is completely underwhelming and an embarrassment in my opinion of what was once the best company in video game fiefdom.

I think one reason is the Wii U feedback. People liked off-TV play and one common complaint was that you couldn't go far from the console. Nintendo clearly asked questions in many surveys I did at Club Nintendo to support that thought process. That said, while it was an interesting feature, they just went hog wild on it and didn't realize that on the list of priorities, off screen and portability was like 5 or 6 down the list. Instead, they are basing the whole platform on it.

I'm saving my gaming dollar for XBox Scorpio. MS will let me keep all my digital games (and even share them!), will offer significant performance enhancements, and I'm not reliant on a single software maker that has been lacking so much of late (Nintendo first party titles have taken a nosedive on top of all of this). I've got 30 years of Nintendo games to replay if I want - I just can't imagine giving them any more money to play those same games again on a new gimmicky system.

 

[JT3000]

The graphics in that Mario game are Wii quality. Why does this thing even exist?

They needed to show more western third party support than Skyrim which apparently isn't even the Special Edition version and won't be out till fall.

So its third party support is a 5-year-old game?

I'm saving my gaming dollar for XBox Scorpio. MS will let me keep all my digital games (and even share them!), will offer significant performance enhancements, and I'm not reliant on a single software maker that has been lacking so much of late

Considering how much Scorpio will probably cost, you're better off just getting a gaming PC, where you can play 99% of Xbox's "exclusives" anyway. For those willing to splurge, Microsoft's genius software strategy has ensured there's little reason to own any version of their console.

 

[BubbaQuest]

I think one reason is the Wii U feedback. People liked off-TV play and one common complaint was that you couldn't go far from the console. Nintendo clearly asked questions in many surveys I did at Club Nintendo to support that thought process.

The saddest part to me, if Nintendo and their customers really wanted remote play, Nintendo could have easily come up with an Apple TV like device with the same specs as the Switch at a $150 price point. They also could have released a tablet with the same processor at a $150 price point. If Nintendo would hire some real network engineers, you could have easily transferred a game to both registered devices so you could play at home or on the go.

Instead, they once again focused on overly complicated motion based controllers because "Wii Sports was a hit". I get the fun factor of these types of controllers, but they are only good for about 2 games (casual sports and party mini games). For everything else they are not needed, complicated, and expensive.

So for $300, I can play a "milk the cow" game but devs can't do simple ports because they can't figure out what crazy list of controllers the customer may or may not have.

 

[Mike S]

The graphics in that Mario game are Wii quality. Why does this thing even exist?

Um, no. It's very clearly in HD with more detail than any past Mario. It exists because it looks like a really fun game.

So its third party support is a 5-year-old game?

From Bethesda, yes. There's also FIFA (yawn) and quite a few Japanese games. Like the 3DS before it it seems like it'll have some quality JRPGs if you're into that sort of thing. I'm not.

Considering how much Scorpio will probably cost, you're better off just getting a gaming PC, where you can play 99% of Xbox's "exclusives" anyway. For those willing to splurge, Microsoft's genius software strategy has ensured there's little reason to own any version of their console.

Can't disagree with that. I think they even came out and said that they want more people on PC.

The saddest part to me, if Nintendo and their customers really wanted remote play, Nintendo could have easily come up with an Apple TV like device with the same specs as the Switch at a $150 price point. They also could have released a tablet with the same processor at a $150 price point. If Nintendo would hire some real network engineers, you could have easily transferred a game to both registered devices so you could play at home or on the go.

Instead, they once again focused on overly complicated motion based controllers because "Wii Sports was a hit". I get the fun factor of these types of controllers, but they are only good for about 2 games (casual sports and party mini games). For everything else they are not needed, complicated, and expensive.

So for $300, I can play a "milk the cow" game but devs can't do simple ports because they can't figure out what crazy list of controllers the customer may or may not have.

Every customer will have the same controllers. The Joy-Cons in the grip are pretty much the same layout and features as the Pro Controller. You forgot FPS in your list of games that work well with motion controls.

The first part of your post misses the whole point. It's not about just making off TV play from the Wii U better. They're combining home and handheld so they can put all their games in one place and avoid droughts as best as possible unlike the Wii U. The third party showing was rather weak especially after that graphic from right after the first trailer. Where are the games from all those listed developers?

 

[JT3000]

Um, no. It's very clearly in HD with more detail than any past Mario. It exists because it looks like a really fun game.

 

[Mike S]

My take away was that it just looks like a really fun game and finally a true successor to the amazing Galaxy games. It's also still in development.

 

[Mike S]

The 3DS will still be around for a while, I give it a year.
https://www.wired.com/2017/01/reggie-fils-aime-nintendo-interview/

Fils-Aime: 3DS has a long life in front of it. We’ve already announced games that will be launching in the first couple quarters of this year. There are a number of big games coming. And in our view, the Nintendo 3DS and the Nintendo Switch are going to live side-by-side. You’re going to be meeting different price points, you’re going to be meeting different types of consumers, you’re going to have the newest, freshest content available on Nintendo Switch, you’ve got a thousand-game library available on Nintendo 3DS, plus some key new ones coming. They’re going to coexist just fine. We’ve done this before, managing two different systems.

I think there’s a sense that Nintendo Switch is a portable device. It is portable. But at its heart, it’s a home console that you can take with you on the go.

Some people think that this means it might get its own successor. Personally I think that would be the stupidest most brain dead move Nintendo could make right now. The Switch being all in one is the best chance it has of being any kind of success. The announcement that it's getting the main series Pokémon games would seal it being way more successful than the Wii U. Then add in all the third parties that made games for the 3DS with the first party efforts that the Wii U enjoyed and I just can't see it being a massive failure like the Wii U was. A separate 3DS successor though will be a death knell since there would then be no point to the Switch's portability. Thankfully we are seeing a bit of evidence that this is an all in one. For Nintendo's sake, I sure hope it is.

 

[AEfx]

That's what I couldn't believe. Streaming is one thing, but watching 1080p official videos of gameplay I'm like - you guys can't get these cartoon graphics looking any better? Jaggies and clipping in the Mario Kart clips were abysmal for 2017. Some of them looked like 3DS captures to me.

I don't need absolute state of the art but come on, LOL.

I think it's IGN that has a Wii U/Switch direct comparison for Zelda, and there is a difference but it's not night and day. The Switch version looks like it has shadow detail pushed way up, and the Wii U version uses too much of that dithering/lack of focus effect Nintendo uses too much of, but really - it didn't make me think "WOW! I've got to run out and buy a new system".

Thinking that this is a new console that should be lasting until 2020 and beyond, it's just abysmal on that count.

 

[BubbaQuest]

The first part of your post misses the whole point. It's not about just making off TV play from the Wii U better. They're combining home and handheld so they can put all their games in one place and avoid droughts as best as possible unlike the Wii U.

But that is my whole point. For $300, they could have built a dedicated home console and a dedicated tablet with the exact same features, included both in the box, and the games would have been chip compatible with both. The tablet pretty much already exists: https://www.nvidia.com/en-us/shield/tablet/. All they needed to do was bake the controls into the side of the device (see Archos Gamepad) and add a gyroscope to the controller. The home box only needed a Tegra chip and an HDMI out - very easy and cheap. You could still play "milk a cow" with this setup.

To go mobile, all you would have to do is pull the game out of one device and place it in the other. Or if Nintendo had any internet skills, game switching could all be cloud based.

I get that the Switch controllers look "cool", but if developers have to worry if Player 2 has one analog stick or two, they aren't going to bother to port their existing games.

And to get back to the original purpose of this thread ...... My real disappointment is I was hoping for some new cool IP inside Uni Nintendo world, but it looks like it just more rehashing of the same IP over and over again.

 

[AEfx]

And to get back to the original purpose of this thread ...... My real disappointment is I was hoping for some new cool IP inside Uni Nintendo world, but it looks like it just more rehashing of the same IP over and over again.

What do you mean? Like a new Nintendo IP like Splatoon, or do you mean Nintendo creating a new IP just for Universal?

I'll concede that Mario is the obvious choice, but sometimes the obvious choice is also the best one. Mario makes everyone smile, even non-gamers. I have to say I'm pretty stoked that we are going to get to walk around the Mushroom kingdom.

 

[Mike S]

But that is my whole point. For $300, they could have built a dedicated home console and a dedicated tablet with the exact same features, included both in the box, and the games would have been chip compatible with both. The tablet pretty much already exists: https://www.nvidia.com/en-us/shield/tablet/. All they needed to do was bake the controls into the side of the device (see Archos Gamepad) and add a gyroscope to the controller. The home box only needed a Tegra chip and an HDMI out - very easy and cheap. You could still play "milk a cow" with this setup.

To go mobile, all you would have to do is pull the game out of one device and place it in the other. Or if Nintendo had any internet skills, game switching could all be cloud based.

I get that the Switch controllers look "cool", but if developers have to worry if Player 2 has one analog stick or two, they aren't going to bother to port their existing games.

And to get back to the original purpose of this thread ...... My real disappointment is I was hoping for some new cool IP inside Uni Nintendo world, but it looks like it just more rehashing of the same IP over and over again.

I don't think a dedicated console + dedicated tablet would cost only $300... especially if you mean a console completely on par with the PS4 & XBO.

What do you mean? Like a new Nintendo IP like Splatoon, or do you mean Nintendo creating a new IP just for Universal?

I'll concede that Mario is the obvious choice, but sometimes the obvious choice is also the best one. Mario makes everyone smile, even non-gamers. I have to say I'm pretty stoked that we are going to get to walk around the Mushroom kingdom.

Donkey Kong will be there too and they could always put Pokémon or Zelda in the third park or one in IoA.

 

[danpam1024]

My take away was that it just looks like a really fun game and finally a true successor to the amazing Galaxy games. It's also still in development.

I'm buying the console purely to play the new Mario Odyssey game. I had a Wii when my son was little, but now he games on either his PC or PS 4Pro, I know it could be cheaper, or "better", but for me, it's enough. I never thought of Nintendo as being a "gamer's system" more of a family game. I'm just disappointed the bigger games won't be released until late 2017.

 

[Mike S]

I'm buying the console purely to play the new Mario Odyssey game. I had a Wii when my son was little, but now he games on either his PC or PS 4Pro, I know it could be cheaper, or "better", but for me, it's enough. I never thought of Nintendo as being a "gamer's system" more of a family game. I'm just disappointed the bigger games won't be released until late 2017.

Zelda is a day 1 launch title and arguably the biggest game coming to the system this year with how much hype it has. Other than that I agree.

 

[BubbaQuest]

What do you mean? Like a new Nintendo IP like Splatoon, or do you mean Nintendo creating a new IP just for Universal?

Yep like Splatoon (with the WiiU) or Pikmin for the Gamecube. I was hoping for something entirely new. It's obvious Mario and Link will be in the new land, but I would like to see something a little newer -- an entirely new concept in game/park reality. I know we are years away from anything, and Splatoon wasn't a launch title, but 10 months with nothing but yet another Mario game is a little disappointing for me.

 

[Mike S]

Yep like Splatoon (with the WiiU) or Pikmin for the Gamecube. I was hoping for something entirely new. It's obvious Mario and Link will be in the new land, but I would like to see something a little newer -- an entirely new concept in game/park reality. I know we are years away from anything, and Splatoon wasn't a launch title, but 10 months with nothing but yet another Mario game is a little disappointing for me.

There has to be more games coming. At least I hope so.

 

[Sped2424]

There has to be more games coming. At least I hope so.

I still argue for a first year for a new console the support is quite good. Mario, Arms, Splatoon, Breath of the Wild, Mario kart 8 as the triple A titles are not bad. And I am not naming the unannounced dates Xenoblade 2 among a few others. But for what is announced I'd say not too shabby. Much better than wii u that's for sure! But as you said E3 should be interesting this year as someone asked Reggie about mother 3 to which he mentioned ask him about that and a new metroid in a year from now.

 

[Mike S]

I still argue for a first year for a new console the support is quite good. Mario, Arms, Splatoon, Breath of the Wild, Mario kart 8 as the triple A titles are not bad. And I am not naming the unannounced dates Xenoblade 2 among a few others. But for what is announced I'd say not too shabby. Much better than wii u that's for sure! But as you said E3 should be interesting this year as someone asked Reggie about mother 3 to which he mentioned ask him about that and a new metroid in a year from now.

Amazingly Xenoblade 2 is announced as a 2017 game. The first party lineup is not bad at all. It's third parties though that would get people who aren't already big Nintendo fans interested. They also need Pokémon.

I am so ready for a great new Metroid. Haven't had one since 2007. About as long as the Yeti's been broken coincidentally

 

[AEfx]

Zelda is a day 1 launch title and arguably the biggest game coming to the system this year with how much hype it has. Other than that I agree.

It's also coming to the Wii U...its not even exclusive to the system.