50 ms·

Nintendo Switch

375 points by electic 10y ago

lefstathiou 10y ago
In line at the NYC store. I'm #2. There are a few people hanging out looking into store which is holding an event with a bunch of kids. Fewer people overall than I expected but there are 9 hours to go.
- 83457 10y ago
  Is the guy first in line wearing a powerglove?
  - ronnier 10y ago
    Triforce? Of Street Fighter and Marvel fame? http://nintendoenthusiast.com/interview/world-record-holder-business-mogul-leader-empire-triforce-johnson/ http://nintendoenthusiast.com/interview/world-record-holder-... http://kotaku.com/5955557/hurricane-sandy-forces-triforce-johnson-out-of-the-line-for-the-wii-u http://kotaku.com/5955557/hurricane-sandy-forces-triforce-jo...
    - Bahamut 10y ago
      I remember that guy - met him 10 years ago while playing Versus mode in Tetris Attack at a convention. We both sent each other so much garbage blocks that we froze the game and he took some pictures & video talking about the feat since it is apparently pretty rare. That guy is hardcore good at games all around.
    - 83457 10y ago
      Exactly. I've watched him on stream be first in nintendo store for multiple releases :)
- mikeevans 10y ago
  How early did you get in line?
- pimlottc 10y ago
  I'm confused, what's happening in 9 (or 8, now) hours? I haven't watched the entire video yet but the release date isn't until March 3, yes?
  - deleted 10y ago
    [deleted]
  - Rifu 10y ago
    In line for the preorder would be my guess
  - mratzloff 10y ago
    They're demoing the system.
    - ekianjo 10y ago
      Wow, queuing just to try it, not even to buy it? That's extreme.
      - ianai 10y ago
        There's a ton of love out there for Nintendo.
        ekianjo 10y ago
        less and less however. kids play a lot on phones these days.
  - morinted 10y ago
    People will be able to try out the console at the NY Nintendo Store at 9:30AM ET: http://www.nintendo.com/switch/nintendo-treehouse/ http://www.nintendo.com/switch/nintendo-treehouse/
- kbart 10y ago
  You are waiting for >9h just to try a new console?
  - iagooar 10y ago
    People have passions in their life. It might sound silly, but if waiting so long to try a new console makes a person happy, let them do it!
dcw303 10y ago
I had to laugh when during the livestream they were going through each of the innovations of their past systems, and the only thing they could mention about the Gamecube was that it had a handle :) But overall I think they continue to show real innovation in gaming. They're the only company who puts so much effort into maximizing their software with the uniqueness of their hardware.
- derefr 10y ago
  In HCI terms, the Gamecube didn't do much. But it was Nintendo's single largest leap in architecture and hardware power—it sticks out above their console "power curve" trend-line quite strikingly. The Wii was basically just a higher-clocked (~2x CPU and GPU) Gamecube—much more like the XBO S or the PS4 Pro are for this generation, than like the architectural reinventions Nintendo usually gets up to. The fact that it seemed like a whole new console with new capabilities for games, is more than anything a statement of how much untapped potential there still was in the Gamecube's architecture at the end of its life, that Wii developers went on to find.
  - pvg 10y ago
    Wouldn't the biggest leap in power be the N64?
    - jzwinck 10y ago
      I would say it was the original Famicom or NES, which came hot on the heels of Nintendo's first hit electronic games, Game & Watch: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Game_%26_Watch https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Game_%26_Watch The NES was a phenomenal breakthrough, a paradigm shift. Which is not to discredit Game & Watch, which brought Nintendo forward from an era of making playing cards. I had several clones as a kid.
      - pvg 10y ago
        Well, yeah but that's handheld vs console, etc. Then we'd get into even sillier comparisons of nintendo card games vs mechanical games vs electronic games. In the console space, SNES->N64 seems like the bigger jump qualitative jump to me. You can do 3d, vs you can't.
webkike 10y ago
Looks incredibly interesting. If Nintendo opens this platform to indie developers it could become hugely successful
- xxr 10y ago
  Wouldn't be surprised if they did--they already use Unity as the default SDK for WiiU and the 3DS, so they're pretty keyed into that indie dev world now it seems: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unity_(game_engine) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unity_(game_engine)
- H4CK3RM4N 10y ago
  The Binding of Isaac: Afterbirth is confirmed as a launch title.
- rweichler 10y ago
  And if their security is as shitty as the 3DS, then they won't have a choice in the matter.
- Aaargh20318 10y ago
  Apparently they are. I can't find the source anymore but I read it was going to be open for everyone. Dev kit is supposed to be $3k.
- PetitPrince 10y ago
  According to their twitter feed[1], Nicalis is at least publishing two titles for the Switch, including the Binding of Isaac (they did release a previous version on the 3DS though). Yacht Club Games [2] is also porting their retro-platformer Shovel Knight along with all its extension to the Switch. They also have a previous experience with Nintendo with a release of their game on 3DS and Wii U. So at least 2 indie developpers I like are working on the Switch. [1]: https://twitter.com/nicalis https://twitter.com/nicalis [2]: http://yachtclubgames.com/2017/01/switch-up/ http://yachtclubgames.com/2017/01/switch-up/
shmerl 10y ago
Kudos to Nintendo for supporting Vulkan and OpenGL. Nitendo do a lot of wrong stuff in regards to how they handle fan made games for instance, but adopting open, cross platform graphics APIs while their major rivals are stuck in the backwards thinking lock-in mentality, is a good decision.
- Scuds 10y ago
  All due to Nvidia's influence. Hopefully this will make the hardware more compelling to 3rd party studios.
  - shmerl 10y ago
    Yes, I also think Nvidia played a key role in it. They saved time on reinventing the wheel with their Tegra chip and used existing Vulkan driver for it. At the same time, why can't AMD do the same with others? They should convince Sony to use Vulkan in the new PS#.
    - izacus 10y ago
      Do they really have to? The console APIs on both PS3 and PS4 (and Xbox 360 / Xbox One) were very similar to Vulcan already.
      - shmerl 10y ago
        It doesn't make it any easier. They (AMD) need to do double work (implementing another driver). And someone has to pay for it. It's an expense and time wasting which can be avoided if they'd have used Vulkan.
        theandrewbailey 10y ago
        I'm skeptical that AMD would implement the API and driver for a console. That's sounds like platform work, and I think that would make it the console manufacturer's job. AMD might say "here's the chip's specs and we support API X and Y for it", and if Sony or MS don't like it, they can change it themselves.
jorgemf 10y ago
Wow! I believe Nintendo can make this a great experience for mobile gaming. It looks so good. I really like how you can engage your friends to play together.
minimaxir 10y ago
Current concern on the gaming forums is the lack of high-profile launch games, with Splatoon 2 and Mario not being present at that time. Can Zelda alone sell systems? (probably yes)
- dcw303 10y ago
  Good point. What do you think is forcing them to release the system before most games are ready? I know Wii U hasn't been a great success, but would holding off the Switch for another six months have been so dire?
  - rtpg 10y ago
    they shut down Wii U production a couple months back. I imagine this is slightly forced by stockholders to prove that Ninty is trying "something".
    - pyre 10y ago
      They shut it down? I thought I remember reading something about Nintendo saying that the Switch wasn't meant to replace the Wii U or the 3DS. I took that to mean that it would run in parallel.
      - flukus 10y ago
        They also said the 3DS would be a "third pillar" and not replace the gameboy. Just hedging their bets in case it flops.
        mratzloff 10y ago
        DS, not 3DS.
- jansanchez 10y ago
  After watching the presentation of Zelda, I would say yes.
- 10y ago
hackerews 10y ago
What are some of the reasons why Nintendo Switch isn't just phone + app + chromecast-like device + bluetooth controllers?
- deleted 10y ago
  [deleted]
- Bahamut 10y ago
  Who would buy that? Screen is too small to be of great utility for gaming, cellphones have awful battery life for gaming, controllers wouldn't be as nice to bind to such a device while sticking it in a pocket, and it directly brings it into competition with Apple and Android phone vendors. I love gaming as much as anyone else, but that makes a lot less sense than what Nintendo is currently doing. The Switch isn't a pocket-sized console, and doesn't pretend to be. It is big and powerful enough to drive a TV-based experience, while being portable enough for trips/public transit.
  - glandium 10y ago
    > cellphones have awful battery life for gaming The video says the switch, depending on conditions has a battery life between 2.5 and 6.5 hours. That doesn't sound particularly better than a cellphone.
    - zardeh 10y ago
      Unplug your phone and play (or record) videos for a few hours. See where the battery is.
      - glandium 10y ago
        I do that regularly. And that's why I'm saying that the announced 2.5-6.5 hours doesn't seem like much difference with a cellphone.
    - deleted 10y ago
      [deleted]
awqrre 10y ago
Will 6 people play it on all 6 demo Sundays (in 6 cities)?
darrennix 10y ago
Watching the graphics quality of the Zelda demo, I can't help but think: If only this weren't on Nintendo. The graphics look equivalent to Elder Scrolls: Morrowind (2002). As with so many Nintendo demos; I find myself wishing they were a cross-platform game studio rather than a lagging hardware company.
- kibwen 10y ago
  Art direction makes up for it. By now, photorealism in games is becoming bland. Given a screenshot of most any random modern AAA game, without the HUD, I don't know if I could distinguish them. I won't argue that more graphical fidelity isn't better, but we've reached a saturation point where graphical fidelity alone won't sell your game.
  - zackthehuman 10y ago
    I couldn't agree more. Over the years I have become less and less interested in games as they have become more and more realistic graphically. The games I still enjoy playing have poor low resolution graphics, but they're challenging and fun. This is one of the things I respect so much about Nintendo; they haven't given in to pressure to make everything realistic. They keep their focus on the game play and allow players to use their imagination when it comes to graphics.
    - __david__ 10y ago
      There's still plenty of room for artistic style in graphically "realistic" games. Dishonored and the recent Deus Ex games (particularly the Human Revolution) are pretty good examples of both good graphical definition and a very strong sense of style. Going back a little further there were the Bioshock games, which also just ooze style (as well as being top tier in the realistic graphics dept for their time).
    - eb0la 10y ago
      Scott McCloud (the comics artist) says something very interesting about that: The more realistic the character drawings are, they less _you_ project yourself into the story. If this works for a static medium like comics, it could be much more important for dynamic conten like videogames. No wonder that cartoon-like characters like Mario, Link, or Pacman comes to mind before Chris Renfield (for instance).
daeken 10y ago
I haven't worked in game console hacking since the Wii days, but I'm getting a Switch day one to do just that. I can't wait to be able to use this as a hackable game tablet and be able to throw it on the dock to play emulated games on the TV. I really haven't seen anything like this before. I'm super excited to break it. Edit: For those interested in working on this or following along, I created a Discord server for collaboration. Invite link: https://discord.gg/hSMpnuG https://discord.gg/hSMpnuG
- joshschreuder 10y ago
  I'm excited about this too, esoecially after the recent boom in /r/3dshacks and /r/vitahacks Hopefully it won't take long for a jailbreak to emerge.
- supercoder 10y ago
  Why not just do that with the Wii U then ?
LargeCompanies 10y ago
The Nintendo Wii was innovative and fun .. even the Wii U was a bit innovative and fun (ever play Mario Chase with friends .. worth buying Wii U for). Though... Switch does anyone see anything innovative besides a GameCube like system that is also portable?
- nfoz 10y ago
  Portable is huge. Those controllers are amazing. Portable motion-control party-games that don't need the screen? That sounds amazing for parties and icebreakers.
- kibwen 10y ago
  The Wii U gets deserved flak for its paucity of titles, but there were some unbelievable gems sprinkled in there. The Nintendo Land pack-in game is an utter blast as a party game. And Mario Maker is probably the first "players build the levels" game whose interface doesn't feel arcane and esoteric, it really is a triumph of friendly UX.
  - snorremd 10y ago
    Aaah yes. Nintendo Land is the ultimate party game. As far as my Nintendo Wii U purchase goes, I think all the hours of fun me and my friends had with Nintendo Land was worth the asking price alone. Then of course Mario Kart and Super Smash added some extra competitive and skill based fun for when we tired of Nintendo Land. And for some co-operative fun we had a blast with Rayman Legend, perhaps the best Rayman game to date! I really have no regrets from buying the Wii U. It was such a good couch console!
electic 10y ago
Nintendo Switch Product Pages: JP: https://www.nintendo.co.jp/switch/presentation.html https://www.nintendo.co.jp/switch/presentation.html USA: http://www.nintendo.com/switch/ http://www.nintendo.com/switch/ Each of these pages has videos from the presentation.
joeframbach 10y ago
The page loads these two images: https://www.nintendo.co.jp/switch/assets/img/event/top/experience_img01.jpg https://www.nintendo.co.jp/switch/assets/img/event/top/exper... https://www.nintendo.co.jp/switch/assets/img/event/top/experience_img02.jpg https://www.nintendo.co.jp/switch/assets/img/event/top/exper... and these two: https://www.nintendo.co.jp/switch/assets/img/event/top/presentation_img01.jpg https://www.nintendo.co.jp/switch/assets/img/event/top/prese... https://www.nintendo.co.jp/switch/assets/img/event/top/presentation_img02.jpg https://www.nintendo.co.jp/switch/assets/img/event/top/prese... Any idea why?
- jakob223 10y ago
  3D?
- rosstex 10y ago
  So you can Switch your tabs back and forth while trying to spot the difference.
- Buge 10y ago
  The images are the same (same hash).
rubyn00bie 10y ago
I admire Nintendo's effort but I think they need to make a phone to really compete and they need something graphically powerful. That is to say, they need to raise prices at launch of a new device to ensure the hardware has enough of a shelf life. Spending $300 on a portable for gaming after spending twice that on a phone capable of gaming seems like a hard sell to the mass market/casual gamer. Will this really be able to stand up against iPhones and Android devices in a year or two? I sadly don't think so... the maxwell X1 it's shipping with will be under power as soon as a device is released and woefully as soon as other device manufacturers start shipping X2 (I think that's the name) Pascal or whatever new PowerVR chipset debuts soon based devices. I think a lot of the tech going into VR like motion controls and low latency displays will destroy some of Nintendo's technical advantage they're as no longer the only game in town with it. Finally, while making the SDK better by using open standards I think most devs would prefer a larger market; which, both iOS and Android provide. I've been a Nintendo fan in a big way for 25 years and want to be wrong but I worry if they don't go big in another decade they'll be in the same place as Sega. I bought a Wii U solely for Smash Bros and will buy a Switch when it's (Smash Bros) ported but I don't think most folks are quite so obsessed or willing to invest that much for one game. Glad to eat my words in a few months, hopefully I do. Edit: updated with reference to another GPU manufacturer. For my point it's not the exact SOC that matters it's the speed of iteration/capabilities on the near horizon. Edit 2: Here's a year old benchmark showing how the maxwell X1 stacks up: http://wccftech.com/snapdragon-820-benchmarks/ http://wccftech.com/snapdragon-820-benchmarks/ Edit 3: added "casual gamer" after mass market for clarity.
- AlphaSite 10y ago
  Nobody actually uses Nvidia's mobile offerings as I understand it, do they?
  - Bokagha 10y ago
    Their "current" mobile offerings are the Tegra K1 or the X1. The upcoming SoC is the Tegra P1. - Tegra K1 is used in the NVIDIA Shield Tablet/TV, Nexus 9, and two Chromebooks. - Tegra X1 is in the Google Pixel C and NVIDIA's SHIELD Android TV. - Tegra P1 or a variant is rumored to be powering the Nintendo Switch
ericzawo 10y ago
That[1] was masterful marketing of an upcoming videogame console on all fronts. From the beginning it emphasises mobility with a (hopefully good!) smartphone app to manage online/local wifi matches, as well as multiple levels of play while on the go. It's reasonably priced (matches current generation in total at the register) and has an incredibly diverse range of titles to be excited about this calendar year. It managed to loop "The Americas" in with a Reggie appearance that worked well, and upsold Skyrim and Fifa, two gigantic American games with international appeal. They also talked up Dragon Quest X, which is an MMORPG, launching on Switch, as well as Dragon Quest XI, which until tonight was a PS4 exclusive. Essentially, they placed value squarely in the face of everything your PC/enthusiast-level gaming rig won't ever replace. The ability to pick up and play elsewhere. Like the Wii, it's not even trying to compete with the current crop of consoles. It's value proposition will be placed somewhere a bit obtusely, between your mobile phone and everything else you leave at home. Yes, this obviously functions as a home console as well, but I can't help but suspect Nintendo absolutely meant to go for what makes handhelds great. If any company can do it, they can. So what if it cannibalises their current 3DS offerings? Pokemon seems to be going strong with its fanbase. The whole presentation, from the demonstration of the hardware to especially the finishing trademark "One more thing!" with Zelda making a predictable but nonetheless amazing launch date. It's a strategy that worked wonders for the Wii, remember, so why not? Nintendo absolutely killed it, and I'll be keeping a really close eye on this thing. But the marketing and presentation was honestly textbook. [1] https://youtu.be/uuC4YLLkqME?t=33m20s https://youtu.be/uuC4YLLkqME?t=33m20s
- JimmyAustin 10y ago
  Small note, it's Dragon "Quest" X. I got really excited for a Dragon Age MMO for nothing.
  - ericzawo 10y ago
    You're right! So sorry for getting your hopes up.
- sjm 10y ago
  The underlying content was good, and they did well with the Zelda launch date announcement, but to praise the whole presentation as masterful, I'm not so sure. It was extremely awkward throughout.
pryelluw 10y ago
I wonder what their plans for the 3DS will be given how the Switch is also portable.
- frik 10y ago
  As the dimensions of Switch is only a bit larger than the New 3DS XL, the XL is their best selling model and 3DS is already 6 years old and too slow even for direct Wii game ports without downscaling the textures, though it's still selling well - so the 3DS production will probably end in 2017/18.
  - pryelluw 10y ago
    So they are pretty much becoming a one console company. This is a huge gamble given how successful the portables have been.
    - chalupa-man 10y ago
      I think something had to change eventually. When the 3DS was announced, iPads weren't on the market (so tablets were still a very niche thing) and smartphones were still quite new. In the 7 years since, they've become omnipresent, and it didn't take long for them to become massively more powerful and capable than the 3DS while also being much more portable. I think Nintendo were justifiably worried that if they stayed on their current path, the next handheld wouldn't survive 7 years, just being utterly demolished by phones and tablets. At the same time, the Wii U was a relative failure, and it looked unlikely that they'd ever recapture the audience that made the Wii a phenomenon -- for related reasons, the Wii was an affordable novelty smash with people who weren't big game fans, and that market has all their needs satisfied by their phones and tablets now. So it makes total sense for them to fuse the handheld and console worlds together and focus all their efforts on one platform. To my disappointment, personally. I wish it were a home console rather than a handheld for reasons that are entirely based on my own needs and tastes (I'll never take it outside so it adds cost for no benefit, the need for portability means games can never really make great use of the motion controls, a lot of multiplayer seems based on the joycons which look absurdly small for adult man hands).
primigenus 10y ago
This is the first Nintendo platform from the "next generation" of developers at Nintendo that studied under Satoru Iwata and Shigeru Miyamoto. During the presentation, the heads of software development (Yoshiaki Koizumi and Shinya Takahashi) introduced the hardware, and the head of hardware development for Switch (Kouichi Kawamoto) introduced the launch title 1 2 Switch. Staples of such presentations like Miyamoto, Reggie Fils-Aimé and Eiji Aonuma were notably absent (though they did appear in a short video at the end of the presentation). They didn't mention this at all, but I think it was a brilliant way to demonstrate that the next generation of Nintendo is as integrated and collaborative as ever, and let the games and the hardware speak for themselves. It also demonstrates the efficiency of the teams now that both the portable and home console teams are working together in one building at the new head office in Kyoto. A great subtle touch to an otherwise quite clear, explicit conference, and reminds me of how similar Nintendo and Apple are.
- misingnoglic 10y ago
  IGN brought this up too in their aftermath video - this presentation showed a lot of people we've just never met before. And the games (like the mario one) had something NEW to them which was exciting, and it's exciting that nintendo's letting the new generation try it out.
johnhenry 10y ago
First off, I'm super excited by this. However, is it just me or is it a little disturbing to see Mario and his crew greatly out of proportion with the other "humans" in the world of Mario Odyssey (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ti9rFafwTw&t=65m49s https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ti9rFafwTw&t=65m49s)?
- frik 10y ago
  The two elder people at the end that play with Mario are about the same proportion as Mario. So what do you mean? But for a second you see that the New York level is really just a few city blocks. And all the skyscrappers are just a background skybox. So the city level is Mario level kind of small, not a complete city like in Lego City Undercover. Overall the new Super Mario finally returns to the Mario 64 and Galaxy kind of real 3D gameplay. I personally did't like the isometric 2.5D style simplified 3DS and WiiU Mario World games.
  - j2bax 10y ago
    Did you play Mario 3D World on Wii U? That wasn't simplified isometric 2.5D!
    - frik 10y ago
      The camera is fixed in an isometric view, sometimes called 2.5D, it's more targeted to causual people. The older Mario 64 had a third person perspective, the camera follows the character. It allows a lot more immersion and more complex level design.
      - j2bax 10y ago
        I work in games and I am still not sure I understand the difference. I found the camera in 3D World to be a bit more free than in Mario 64 (if I am recalling the camera rotation limitations correctly).
  - johnhenry 10y ago
    There are a few scenes throughout the trailer. In this one https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ti9rFafwTw&t=67m14s https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ti9rFafwTw&t=67m14s, notice how the people around Mario are proportioned like the ones in this world, while Mario, himself, likes like a, ahem... cartoon character.
Bokagha 10y ago
The one question that still hasn't been answered is will purchased eShop titles from the Wii U carry over to the Switch? Wii purchased titles could be transferred and played on the Wii U, but the Wii U had the "Wii Mode" to handle that and Wii disks. Right now it seems, sadly, backward compatibility is something that is dying off with this generation.
- Aaargh20318 10y ago
  Wii U eShop titles are linked to the console, not to the user's account. Ignoring the fact that the Switch runs on completely different hardware, you can't even transfer your purchases games to a new console if yours breaks. Your only option is to ask Nintendo nicely to link them to your new console and hope they will.
teamhappy 10y ago
Oh for fuck's sake Nintendo. Just put all the NES and SNES games on a little ARM box, sell if for 100 bucks and watch the money pour in. // ThatPlayer: Of course not, but they could make deals for the popular ones, etc.
- intopieces 10y ago
  https://github.com/jasarien/Provenance https://github.com/jasarien/Provenance An AppleTV 4 can be had for ~$150 with controller.
  - teamhappy 10y ago
    A Raspberry Pi might do it as well (at least for the likes of us.) I'm just worried about Nintendo. They had some money troubles a couple of years (?) ago and I'm not sure this thing is going to fix it.
- eppsilon 10y ago
  http://www.nintendo.com/nes-classic/ http://www.nintendo.com/nes-classic/
- ThatPlayer 10y ago
  I doubt they have the licenses for all the NES and SNES games to be able to sell them like that.
trimbo 10y ago
As pointed out by many gamers on Twitter: Switch officially ends the era of consoles with free online services[1]. [1] - http://www.theverge.com/2017/1/13/14261018/nintendo-switch-paid-online-subscription-service-membership http://www.theverge.com/2017/1/13/14261018/nintendo-switch-p...
- blakeyrat 10y ago
  Define "online services". Xbox Live still lets you do quite a few things for free. (Although I gladly admit the free capabilities suck compared to the Gold capabilities.)
thinkloop 10y ago
How come Nintendo keeps having to completely reinvent itself every couple of years? They go from being on the verge of bankruptcy to a hit then back again. It seems like one tiny misstep and they're done. Microsoft is still spending accrued value from the 90's after tons of mistakes, why doesn't Nintendo have an easier life?
- manmal 10y ago
  I think that's because they make hardware. Apple would also die soon if they stopped putting new hardware out. Since Moore's law is screeching to a halt now, hardware companies might catch a break (or get into real trouble) soon.
- threeseed 10y ago
  Well obviously Sony and Microsoft have other resource streams so they can weather any storm. And for both companies gaming is important but so is providing media and services into the living room. Nintendo seriously has missed the opportunity every generation to expand beyond gaming and so they are more susceptible to the strength of the games themselves.
- JimmyAustin 10y ago
  Microsoft has Office/Windows/Windows Server as a dependable money making, which leaves billions in capital ready for spending outragous amounts of money on pushing into new markets, like Windows Phone and Xbox. The first gen never actually made a profit. Nintendo doesn't have that. They live and die by their console.
  - ianai 10y ago
    At the same time I feel like they could sell their brand more often. They could have 5 smartphone games by now at least. Heck, they could do crazy things like branding an iPhone with Apple or an android manufacturer or you name it. They could make a mario cloud where you get to play VC in a browser. I feel like they're missing out on a ton of money. Sure all of those things would take capital, but they've got the IP people want to buy.
jsz0 10y ago
Even for a portable system I think Nintendo might have set the bar too low on graphics this time. Most of these games just don't look very good to the point of being visually distracting. It's almost an uncanny valley sort of thing where the graphics are just sort of good enough that the bad parts stick out like a sore thumb. It's most noticeable in the Mario game. Not sure that real world environments + weak graphics hardware was a good choice.
badevguru 10y ago
So on launch we have the choice of Zelda... or the milking the cow game... really...
- DanBC 10y ago
  No titles at launch is common for Nintendo. SNES had F-Zero or Super Mario World. n64 had pilotwings or super mario 64. Gamecube had Luigi's Mansion, Wave Race something or other, and Super Monkey Ball. Admittedly, Wii had a bunch of launch games.
partycoder 10y ago
The Wii U didn't sell a lot. The 3DS did sell a lot. The Wii U has a higher price than the 3DS, and that is revenue Nintendo needs. So how to create something as successful as the 3DS, with but as valuable as the Wii U... this seems to be their answer. Then, "software sells hardware" is Nintendo's motto. They do not license their intellectual property, all games are exclusively released on Nintendo consoles. Now, it has always been challenging for game studios other than Nintendo to profit a lot by releasing on a Nintendo system. Mostly because specs are always lower than the current generation of competitor consoles.
alphonsegaston 10y ago
Did anyone else think this looked like prep for taking over the low-end VR space, given all the emphasis on motion tracking? It seems like all they'd have to do is release a headset like Sony is doing with the PS4 and you'd have a good portable VR setup. Probably with a better library than Samsung gear too.
- H4CK3RM4N 10y ago
  Splat ion 2 appears to be showing dual-wielding gyroscopic aiming. The joy-cons are already full vr/at constrollers, and I cloud see Nintendo moving to AR instead of VR
lightedman 10y ago
I already paid for the game and now I have to pay again for multiplayer, when the prior two generations were pretty much free MP (when it even worked, that is.) Why, Nintendo?
- actuator 10y ago
  Well, seems like they are following the industry in this. You need Xbox Live Gold to play multiplayer on Xbox.
  - joshschreuder 10y ago
    Same with Playstation multiplayer as of this gen (PS4). The obvious answer would be that multiplayer servers cost money to run.
    - lightedman 10y ago
      A more obvious answer would be "Bring back the ability to host our own servers in-game, the hardware is obviously powerful enough."
- mathw 10y ago
  Because maybe this time it'll let them do a proper online infrastructure? These things aren't free, something Microsoft put in up front from the start and theirs is now ridiculously solid. Nintendo are apparently working with DeNA on this (as well as on the smartphone games) so hopefully it'll be worth the money.
Zelmor 10y ago
No info released on battery, RAM and GPU? Fishy.
- mathw 10y ago
  They never do that. Specs are not Nintendo's thing. They're more interested in how much fun you can have with it.
- Narishma 10y ago
  Not really. Nintendo hasn't released the specs of their machines since the Gamecube.
pmuk 10y ago
Just pre-ordered on Amazon UK for £279.99. Interestingly Tesco, a large retailer, are running an Adwords campaign advertising it at £499.99
illuminati1911 10y ago
Overpriced, low battery life compared to iPad and only good game announced was 2011 released Skyrim. If Nintendo wants to stay in game business they need to get serious. This press info was much worse than I expected it to be.
- BipolarElsa 10y ago
  Nintendo sold the switch based on a gimmick. Who knows if the sheeple will make it pay off. I'm pretty sure my iPad has the same level of graphical output as the Switch. Nintendo is completely out of touch.
greenspot 10y ago
A good plot twist: Nintendo just sells these left & right Switch controllers you stick to the Switch screen BUT tries to get other smartphone manufacturers to integrate connectors to the left & right Switch controllers PLUS builds there own mobile phones. This is still the biggest bummer when playing games on phones—no physical buttons. At the end of the day, Nintendo must get into the smartphone market and if it's just as a modded Android distribution or heck, just a pure Android with their own game app store (like Steam). They would have the killer properties to gain significant traction and enough users who would install a new app store just to play Mario (but they gave this opportunity away to Apple...).
- threeseed 10y ago
  And then being Android everyone would just steal their games since they would be available on Pirate Bay and startups everywhere would be trying to "disrupt" the games industry by making Nintendo JoyCon knockoffs. At which point Chinese manufacturers would be selling them on Alibaba for $2 each. Somehow I don't think this would be good for Nintendo.
  - greenspot 10y ago
    DRM?
    - dkersten 10y ago
      DRM only means that the pirates, with their fancy DRM-removed cracked copies, have a more pleasant experience than the legitimate users who have to put up with whatever fuckology the DRM forces on them.
teddyh 10y ago
The gaming community’s receptions to the Switch seems to be somewhat sceptical: http://www.vgcats.com/comics/?strip_id=382 http://www.vgcats.com/comics/?strip_id=382 https://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2016/10/26/youth-adjacent https://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2016/10/26/youth-adjacent
- panic 10y ago
  To be clear, these cartoons are from 2016 and aren't based on yesterday's presentation.
Grue3 10y ago
Looks clunky as hell. How big is that thing? I notice that the video doesn't show actual humans playing it.
iagooar 10y ago
Wow, I wonder where all this skepticism and negativity come from. The Nintendo Switch has me so excited, I can't wait for the launch day! Finally, I'll be able to have one piece of hardware for playing at home and on the go. If you don't see the awesomeness of playing Skyrim on your commute then probably are not in the right target group. I like the Switch because it looks so versatile. You can play at home, on the go, alone, with friends, sitting down, standing up... There is going to be so many new experiences once the console is out.
- Aaargh20318 10y ago
  > Finally, I'll be able to have one piece of hardware for playing at home and on the go. Until you're done playing both games, and then what ?
  - iagooar 10y ago
    Which both games? There will be plenty of games coming out. And if not, Skyrim is pretty much a game you can play forever (and people, including me, still do).
    - Aaargh20318 10y ago
      Zelda and "1 2 Switch" are the only real launch titles, there's some filler crap to be sure but no one cares. Skyrim is not a launch title.
      - iagooar 10y ago
        Well, in April Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is coming out. Enough to keep me busy for months. You just can't make some people happy, they seem to be in an ever-negative spiral...
  - lennelpennel 10y ago
    If it is like the Wii U older titles will also work. Games like splatoon, mario u (we love playing this as a family)and all older titles (via emulation) should be available.
LeicaLatte 10y ago
The pricing is on the level of Apple for some reason.
iplaw 10y ago
Since the initial reveal, I have been utterly underwhelmed by this product. I fail to see a viable market or a satisfactory use case for such an oddly designed and artificially limited gaming device, and am confident that it will be yet another failure in a long line of Nintendo failures. No touch screen? Not a single camera for AR content and/or social communication? The controllers look miniscule in the actor's tiny hands. The dock HAD to cover the screen of the device? I foresee the controller sliding and locking mechanism wearing down over time, leading to sloppy interconnection between the controllers and the device. I could go on with the horrible design choices, but I cannot think of a single redeeming quality. It looks like the market is 6-12 year olds.
- garethsaxby 10y ago
  Just an FYI, it is a touch screen, according to the presentation at the 41m50s mark - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uuC4YLLkqME&feature=youtu.be&t=41m50s https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uuC4YLLkqME&feature=youtu.be...
- soneca 10y ago
  "I could go on with the horrible design choices" You can create hundreds of speculatively horrible design choices, but not one of them would mean a thing until you try the product and check if they apply right?
  - iQuercus 10y ago
    It's easy to analyze in a frictionless vacuum.
- tomw2005 10y ago
  > I fail to see a viable market or a satisfactory use case for such an oddly designed and artificially limited gaming device, and am confident that it will be yet another failure in a long line of Nintendo failures. It is a portable console that I can take on business trips. That's a use-case :)
- TarpitCarnivore 10y ago
djhworld 10y ago
I've pre ordered it, but £280 is quite a large pill to swallow, especially when the US is getting it for $300. Not sure if that's inflation or brexit or what, but damn. Will see what happens in the next few weeks before deciding whether to cancel or not.
- smackay 10y ago
  If £280 is the retail price then it's £233 before VAT (20%) is added. At the current exchange rate that's $283 (US).
- eloisant 10y ago
  it's €320 in France, which seems to be about the same as £280 so I guess brexit has nothing to do with it. It's a long tradition of making European pay more when it comes to electronics.
syntaxing 10y ago
I'm hoping someone can chime in to this, but putting the American market aside, is it just me or is this extremely marketable to the Asian market? Most of my Asian or Asian American friends exclusively play games on their phones. They play a wide selection of MMORPG to RTS games on their phones daily. Asians value games that are more repetitive (like EXP farming or turn based games, such as FF) and have great character development. I expect they will be receptive to a hybrid portable gaming system (not sure what to call this). [1] Secondly, I'm surprised with how many people here find that the Nintendo Switch overpriced. We're all comparing the pricing to consoles that are sold at a loss (such as the PS4, they're essentially subsidized by the gaming industry). I bought a 3DS at about $200. For $100 more you get a tablet and console in one. I'm willing to bet like the 3DS, you'll be able to use this as a ad-hoc tablet for browsing the web as well and use it to play movies. I would jump on this if I had more time to game. [1] Completely based on my opinion and might be subjected to cognitive bias and dissonance
- tomw2005 10y ago
  > I would jump on this if I had more time to game. I'm getting it as I hope having a portable console will give me more time to game. It'll fit in my suitcase and plug into nearly all hotel TVs. That is pretty awesome.
  - syntaxing 10y ago
    Agreed! Especially if it can play movies. I hope they make some sort portable display dongle.
- JohnJamesRambo 10y ago
  I'm going to guess they expect their handheld to last longer than 2.5 hours like a phone though.
  - syntaxing 10y ago
    But are there phones out there that are capable of playing graphics intensive games on normal-high brightness with sound and everything for longer than three hours? I don't play many games on my phone but when I used Pokemon GO, my battery was drained from about a hour of continuous playing.I remember reading online that an iPhone can't even playing clash of clans continuously more than three hours. Clash of Clans doesn't even seem like a graphic intensive game.
I_am_neo 10y ago
That controller gives me RSI just looking at the controller..... no thanks
dfar1 10y ago
I will buy this if it has sports games.. and I don't mean Wii Sports like games... I mean... EA, 2k and so on.
- ihuman 10y ago
  EA was there and announced a FIFA game, so I'm assuming their other sports games are coming as well.
  - dfar1 10y ago
    Sweet. I saw a 2k17/18 on another site. So that gets my hopes up. I'm a casual gamer, and this seems to be a good in between full console vs mobile gaming.
csours 10y ago
OT: There is a popular program/interstitial in Japan called Pythagoras Switch[0]. I wonder if the name is a partial reference to that. 0: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k0B1hgP1tlE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k0B1hgP1tlE
- enzanki_ars 10y ago
  Loved that show while I was in Japan, but I doubt there is a reference here.
karmakaze 10y ago
The big question is how many people are willing to carry another device to play games vs using their phone with a good controller case. Are phone controllers at least standardized yet?
didibus 10y ago
Would be awesome if I could use the Switch to also stream my PS4 and my Steam games to it. Don't it will, but that'd be cool.
didibus 10y ago
I'm excited for the switch. I hope the Joy-Cons are comfortable. If it is, I have to admit it looks like a very versatile controller. Only downside is how expensive they are. The accessories really cost too much. It was interesting to see how all previous Nintendo consoles made controller improvements. Reminded me why Nintendo won so many generations. It seems they're trying the same with the Switch. Arms looks pretty cool. I'm looking forward to more games that smartly use the controller's features.

375 points by electic 10y ago

In line at the NYC store. I'm #2. There are a few people hanging out looking into store which is holding an event with a bunch of kids. Fewer people overall than I expected but there are 9 hours to go.

83457 10y ago
Is the guy first in line wearing a powerglove?
- ronnier 10y ago
  Triforce? Of Street Fighter and Marvel fame? http://nintendoenthusiast.com/interview/world-record-holder-business-mogul-leader-empire-triforce-johnson/ http://nintendoenthusiast.com/interview/world-record-holder-... http://kotaku.com/5955557/hurricane-sandy-forces-triforce-johnson-out-of-the-line-for-the-wii-u http://kotaku.com/5955557/hurricane-sandy-forces-triforce-jo...
  - Bahamut 10y ago
    I remember that guy - met him 10 years ago while playing Versus mode in Tetris Attack at a convention. We both sent each other so much garbage blocks that we froze the game and he took some pictures & video talking about the feat since it is apparently pretty rare. That guy is hardcore good at games all around.
  - 83457 10y ago
    Exactly. I've watched him on stream be first in nintendo store for multiple releases :)
mikeevans 10y ago
How early did you get in line?
pimlottc 10y ago
I'm confused, what's happening in 9 (or 8, now) hours? I haven't watched the entire video yet but the release date isn't until March 3, yes?
- deleted 10y ago
  [deleted]
- Rifu 10y ago
  In line for the preorder would be my guess
- mratzloff 10y ago
  They're demoing the system.
  - ekianjo 10y ago
    Wow, queuing just to try it, not even to buy it? That's extreme.
    - ianai 10y ago
      There's a ton of love out there for Nintendo.
      - ekianjo 10y ago
        less and less however. kids play a lot on phones these days.
- morinted 10y ago
  People will be able to try out the console at the NY Nintendo Store at 9:30AM ET: http://www.nintendo.com/switch/nintendo-treehouse/ http://www.nintendo.com/switch/nintendo-treehouse/
kbart 10y ago
You are waiting for >9h just to try a new console?
- iagooar 10y ago
  People have passions in their life. It might sound silly, but if waiting so long to try a new console makes a person happy, let them do it!

dcw303 10y ago

I had to laugh when during the livestream they were going through each of the innovations of their past systems, and the only thing they could mention about the Gamecube was that it had a handle :) But overall I think they continue to show real innovation in gaming. They're the only company who puts so much effort into maximizing their software with the uniqueness of their hardware.

derefr 10y ago
In HCI terms, the Gamecube didn't do much. But it was Nintendo's single largest leap in architecture and hardware power—it sticks out above their console "power curve" trend-line quite strikingly. The Wii was basically just a higher-clocked (~2x CPU and GPU) Gamecube—much more like the XBO S or the PS4 Pro are for this generation, than like the architectural reinventions Nintendo usually gets up to. The fact that it seemed like a whole new console with new capabilities for games, is more than anything a statement of how much untapped potential there still was in the Gamecube's architecture at the end of its life, that Wii developers went on to find.
- pvg 10y ago
  Wouldn't the biggest leap in power be the N64?
  - jzwinck 10y ago
    I would say it was the original Famicom or NES, which came hot on the heels of Nintendo's first hit electronic games, Game & Watch: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Game_%26_Watch https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Game_%26_Watch The NES was a phenomenal breakthrough, a paradigm shift. Which is not to discredit Game & Watch, which brought Nintendo forward from an era of making playing cards. I had several clones as a kid.
    - pvg 10y ago
      Well, yeah but that's handheld vs console, etc. Then we'd get into even sillier comparisons of nintendo card games vs mechanical games vs electronic games. In the console space, SNES->N64 seems like the bigger jump qualitative jump to me. You can do 3d, vs you can't.

webkike 10y ago

Looks incredibly interesting. If Nintendo opens this platform to indie developers it could become hugely successful

xxr 10y ago
Wouldn't be surprised if they did--they already use Unity as the default SDK for WiiU and the 3DS, so they're pretty keyed into that indie dev world now it seems: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unity_(game_engine) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unity_(game_engine)
H4CK3RM4N 10y ago
The Binding of Isaac: Afterbirth is confirmed as a launch title.
rweichler 10y ago
And if their security is as shitty as the 3DS, then they won't have a choice in the matter.
Aaargh20318 10y ago
Apparently they are. I can't find the source anymore but I read it was going to be open for everyone. Dev kit is supposed to be $3k.
PetitPrince 10y ago
According to their twitter feed[1], Nicalis is at least publishing two titles for the Switch, including the Binding of Isaac (they did release a previous version on the 3DS though). Yacht Club Games [2] is also porting their retro-platformer Shovel Knight along with all its extension to the Switch. They also have a previous experience with Nintendo with a release of their game on 3DS and Wii U. So at least 2 indie developpers I like are working on the Switch. [1]: https://twitter.com/nicalis https://twitter.com/nicalis [2]: http://yachtclubgames.com/2017/01/switch-up/ http://yachtclubgames.com/2017/01/switch-up/

shmerl 10y ago

Kudos to Nintendo for supporting Vulkan and OpenGL. Nitendo do a lot of wrong stuff in regards to how they handle fan made games for instance, but adopting open, cross platform graphics APIs while their major rivals are stuck in the backwards thinking lock-in mentality, is a good decision.

Scuds 10y ago
All due to Nvidia's influence. Hopefully this will make the hardware more compelling to 3rd party studios.
- shmerl 10y ago
  Yes, I also think Nvidia played a key role in it. They saved time on reinventing the wheel with their Tegra chip and used existing Vulkan driver for it. At the same time, why can't AMD do the same with others? They should convince Sony to use Vulkan in the new PS#.
  - izacus 10y ago
    Do they really have to? The console APIs on both PS3 and PS4 (and Xbox 360 / Xbox One) were very similar to Vulcan already.
    - shmerl 10y ago
      It doesn't make it any easier. They (AMD) need to do double work (implementing another driver). And someone has to pay for it. It's an expense and time wasting which can be avoided if they'd have used Vulkan.
      - theandrewbailey 10y ago
        I'm skeptical that AMD would implement the API and driver for a console. That's sounds like platform work, and I think that would make it the console manufacturer's job. AMD might say "here's the chip's specs and we support API X and Y for it", and if Sony or MS don't like it, they can change it themselves.

jorgemf 10y ago

Wow! I believe Nintendo can make this a great experience for mobile gaming. It looks so good. I really like how you can engage your friends to play together.

minimaxir 10y ago

Current concern on the gaming forums is the lack of high-profile launch games, with Splatoon 2 and Mario not being present at that time. Can Zelda alone sell systems? (probably yes)

dcw303 10y ago
Good point. What do you think is forcing them to release the system before most games are ready? I know Wii U hasn't been a great success, but would holding off the Switch for another six months have been so dire?
- rtpg 10y ago
  they shut down Wii U production a couple months back. I imagine this is slightly forced by stockholders to prove that Ninty is trying "something".
  - pyre 10y ago
    They shut it down? I thought I remember reading something about Nintendo saying that the Switch wasn't meant to replace the Wii U or the 3DS. I took that to mean that it would run in parallel.
    - flukus 10y ago
      They also said the 3DS would be a "third pillar" and not replace the gameboy. Just hedging their bets in case it flops.
      - mratzloff 10y ago
        DS, not 3DS.
jansanchez 10y ago
After watching the presentation of Zelda, I would say yes.
10y ago

hackerews 10y ago

What are some of the reasons why Nintendo Switch isn't just phone + app + chromecast-like device + bluetooth controllers?

deleted 10y ago
[deleted]
Bahamut 10y ago
Who would buy that? Screen is too small to be of great utility for gaming, cellphones have awful battery life for gaming, controllers wouldn't be as nice to bind to such a device while sticking it in a pocket, and it directly brings it into competition with Apple and Android phone vendors. I love gaming as much as anyone else, but that makes a lot less sense than what Nintendo is currently doing. The Switch isn't a pocket-sized console, and doesn't pretend to be. It is big and powerful enough to drive a TV-based experience, while being portable enough for trips/public transit.
- glandium 10y ago
  > cellphones have awful battery life for gaming The video says the switch, depending on conditions has a battery life between 2.5 and 6.5 hours. That doesn't sound particularly better than a cellphone.
  - zardeh 10y ago
    Unplug your phone and play (or record) videos for a few hours. See where the battery is.
    - glandium 10y ago
      I do that regularly. And that's why I'm saying that the announced 2.5-6.5 hours doesn't seem like much difference with a cellphone.
  - deleted 10y ago
    [deleted]

awqrre 10y ago

Will 6 people play it on all 6 demo Sundays (in 6 cities)?

darrennix 10y ago

Watching the graphics quality of the Zelda demo, I can't help but think: If only this weren't on Nintendo. The graphics look equivalent to Elder Scrolls: Morrowind (2002). As with so many Nintendo demos; I find myself wishing they were a cross-platform game studio rather than a lagging hardware company.

kibwen 10y ago
Art direction makes up for it. By now, photorealism in games is becoming bland. Given a screenshot of most any random modern AAA game, without the HUD, I don't know if I could distinguish them. I won't argue that more graphical fidelity isn't better, but we've reached a saturation point where graphical fidelity alone won't sell your game.
- zackthehuman 10y ago
  I couldn't agree more. Over the years I have become less and less interested in games as they have become more and more realistic graphically. The games I still enjoy playing have poor low resolution graphics, but they're challenging and fun. This is one of the things I respect so much about Nintendo; they haven't given in to pressure to make everything realistic. They keep their focus on the game play and allow players to use their imagination when it comes to graphics.
  - __david__ 10y ago
    There's still plenty of room for artistic style in graphically "realistic" games. Dishonored and the recent Deus Ex games (particularly the Human Revolution) are pretty good examples of both good graphical definition and a very strong sense of style. Going back a little further there were the Bioshock games, which also just ooze style (as well as being top tier in the realistic graphics dept for their time).
  - eb0la 10y ago
    Scott McCloud (the comics artist) says something very interesting about that: The more realistic the character drawings are, they less _you_ project yourself into the story. If this works for a static medium like comics, it could be much more important for dynamic conten like videogames. No wonder that cartoon-like characters like Mario, Link, or Pacman comes to mind before Chris Renfield (for instance).

daeken 10y ago

I haven't worked in game console hacking since the Wii days, but I'm getting a Switch day one to do just that. I can't wait to be able to use this as a hackable game tablet and be able to throw it on the dock to play emulated games on the TV. I really haven't seen anything like this before. I'm super excited to break it. Edit: For those interested in working on this or following along, I created a Discord server for collaboration. Invite link: https://discord.gg/hSMpnuG https://discord.gg/hSMpnuG

joshschreuder 10y ago
I'm excited about this too, esoecially after the recent boom in /r/3dshacks and /r/vitahacks Hopefully it won't take long for a jailbreak to emerge.
supercoder 10y ago
Why not just do that with the Wii U then ?

LargeCompanies 10y ago

The Nintendo Wii was innovative and fun .. even the Wii U was a bit innovative and fun (ever play Mario Chase with friends .. worth buying Wii U for). Though... Switch does anyone see anything innovative besides a GameCube like system that is also portable?

nfoz 10y ago
Portable is huge. Those controllers are amazing. Portable motion-control party-games that don't need the screen? That sounds amazing for parties and icebreakers.
kibwen 10y ago
The Wii U gets deserved flak for its paucity of titles, but there were some unbelievable gems sprinkled in there. The Nintendo Land pack-in game is an utter blast as a party game. And Mario Maker is probably the first "players build the levels" game whose interface doesn't feel arcane and esoteric, it really is a triumph of friendly UX.
- snorremd 10y ago
  Aaah yes. Nintendo Land is the ultimate party game. As far as my Nintendo Wii U purchase goes, I think all the hours of fun me and my friends had with Nintendo Land was worth the asking price alone. Then of course Mario Kart and Super Smash added some extra competitive and skill based fun for when we tired of Nintendo Land. And for some co-operative fun we had a blast with Rayman Legend, perhaps the best Rayman game to date! I really have no regrets from buying the Wii U. It was such a good couch console!

electic 10y ago

Nintendo Switch Product Pages: JP: https://www.nintendo.co.jp/switch/presentation.html https://www.nintendo.co.jp/switch/presentation.html USA: http://www.nintendo.com/switch/ http://www.nintendo.com/switch/ Each of these pages has videos from the presentation.

joeframbach 10y ago

The page loads these two images: https://www.nintendo.co.jp/switch/assets/img/event/top/experience_img01.jpg https://www.nintendo.co.jp/switch/assets/img/event/top/exper... https://www.nintendo.co.jp/switch/assets/img/event/top/experience_img02.jpg https://www.nintendo.co.jp/switch/assets/img/event/top/exper... and these two: https://www.nintendo.co.jp/switch/assets/img/event/top/presentation_img01.jpg https://www.nintendo.co.jp/switch/assets/img/event/top/prese... https://www.nintendo.co.jp/switch/assets/img/event/top/presentation_img02.jpg https://www.nintendo.co.jp/switch/assets/img/event/top/prese... Any idea why?

jakob223 10y ago
3D?
rosstex 10y ago
So you can Switch your tabs back and forth while trying to spot the difference.
Buge 10y ago
The images are the same (same hash).

rubyn00bie 10y ago

I admire Nintendo's effort but I think they need to make a phone to really compete and they need something graphically powerful. That is to say, they need to raise prices at launch of a new device to ensure the hardware has enough of a shelf life. Spending $300 on a portable for gaming after spending twice that on a phone capable of gaming seems like a hard sell to the mass market/casual gamer. Will this really be able to stand up against iPhones and Android devices in a year or two? I sadly don't think so... the maxwell X1 it's shipping with will be under power as soon as a device is released and woefully as soon as other device manufacturers start shipping X2 (I think that's the name) Pascal or whatever new PowerVR chipset debuts soon based devices. I think a lot of the tech going into VR like motion controls and low latency displays will destroy some of Nintendo's technical advantage they're as no longer the only game in town with it. Finally, while making the SDK better by using open standards I think most devs would prefer a larger market; which, both iOS and Android provide. I've been a Nintendo fan in a big way for 25 years and want to be wrong but I worry if they don't go big in another decade they'll be in the same place as Sega. I bought a Wii U solely for Smash Bros and will buy a Switch when it's (Smash Bros) ported but I don't think most folks are quite so obsessed or willing to invest that much for one game. Glad to eat my words in a few months, hopefully I do. Edit: updated with reference to another GPU manufacturer. For my point it's not the exact SOC that matters it's the speed of iteration/capabilities on the near horizon. Edit 2: Here's a year old benchmark showing how the maxwell X1 stacks up: http://wccftech.com/snapdragon-820-benchmarks/ http://wccftech.com/snapdragon-820-benchmarks/ Edit 3: added "casual gamer" after mass market for clarity.

AlphaSite 10y ago
Nobody actually uses Nvidia's mobile offerings as I understand it, do they?
- Bokagha 10y ago
  Their "current" mobile offerings are the Tegra K1 or the X1. The upcoming SoC is the Tegra P1. - Tegra K1 is used in the NVIDIA Shield Tablet/TV, Nexus 9, and two Chromebooks. - Tegra X1 is in the Google Pixel C and NVIDIA's SHIELD Android TV. - Tegra P1 or a variant is rumored to be powering the Nintendo Switch

ericzawo 10y ago

That[1] was masterful marketing of an upcoming videogame console on all fronts. From the beginning it emphasises mobility with a (hopefully good!) smartphone app to manage online/local wifi matches, as well as multiple levels of play while on the go. It's reasonably priced (matches current generation in total at the register) and has an incredibly diverse range of titles to be excited about this calendar year. It managed to loop "The Americas" in with a Reggie appearance that worked well, and upsold Skyrim and Fifa, two gigantic American games with international appeal. They also talked up Dragon Quest X, which is an MMORPG, launching on Switch, as well as Dragon Quest XI, which until tonight was a PS4 exclusive. Essentially, they placed value squarely in the face of everything your PC/enthusiast-level gaming rig won't ever replace. The ability to pick up and play elsewhere. Like the Wii, it's not even trying to compete with the current crop of consoles. It's value proposition will be placed somewhere a bit obtusely, between your mobile phone and everything else you leave at home. Yes, this obviously functions as a home console as well, but I can't help but suspect Nintendo absolutely meant to go for what makes handhelds great. If any company can do it, they can. So what if it cannibalises their current 3DS offerings? Pokemon seems to be going strong with its fanbase. The whole presentation, from the demonstration of the hardware to especially the finishing trademark "One more thing!" with Zelda making a predictable but nonetheless amazing launch date. It's a strategy that worked wonders for the Wii, remember, so why not? Nintendo absolutely killed it, and I'll be keeping a really close eye on this thing. But the marketing and presentation was honestly textbook. [1] https://youtu.be/uuC4YLLkqME?t=33m20s https://youtu.be/uuC4YLLkqME?t=33m20s

JimmyAustin 10y ago
Small note, it's Dragon "Quest" X. I got really excited for a Dragon Age MMO for nothing.
- ericzawo 10y ago
  You're right! So sorry for getting your hopes up.
sjm 10y ago
The underlying content was good, and they did well with the Zelda launch date announcement, but to praise the whole presentation as masterful, I'm not so sure. It was extremely awkward throughout.

pryelluw 10y ago

I wonder what their plans for the 3DS will be given how the Switch is also portable.

frik 10y ago
As the dimensions of Switch is only a bit larger than the New 3DS XL, the XL is their best selling model and 3DS is already 6 years old and too slow even for direct Wii game ports without downscaling the textures, though it's still selling well - so the 3DS production will probably end in 2017/18.
- pryelluw 10y ago
  So they are pretty much becoming a one console company. This is a huge gamble given how successful the portables have been.
  - chalupa-man 10y ago
    I think something had to change eventually. When the 3DS was announced, iPads weren't on the market (so tablets were still a very niche thing) and smartphones were still quite new. In the 7 years since, they've become omnipresent, and it didn't take long for them to become massively more powerful and capable than the 3DS while also being much more portable. I think Nintendo were justifiably worried that if they stayed on their current path, the next handheld wouldn't survive 7 years, just being utterly demolished by phones and tablets. At the same time, the Wii U was a relative failure, and it looked unlikely that they'd ever recapture the audience that made the Wii a phenomenon -- for related reasons, the Wii was an affordable novelty smash with people who weren't big game fans, and that market has all their needs satisfied by their phones and tablets now. So it makes total sense for them to fuse the handheld and console worlds together and focus all their efforts on one platform. To my disappointment, personally. I wish it were a home console rather than a handheld for reasons that are entirely based on my own needs and tastes (I'll never take it outside so it adds cost for no benefit, the need for portability means games can never really make great use of the motion controls, a lot of multiplayer seems based on the joycons which look absurdly small for adult man hands).

primigenus 10y ago

This is the first Nintendo platform from the "next generation" of developers at Nintendo that studied under Satoru Iwata and Shigeru Miyamoto. During the presentation, the heads of software development (Yoshiaki Koizumi and Shinya Takahashi) introduced the hardware, and the head of hardware development for Switch (Kouichi Kawamoto) introduced the launch title 1 2 Switch. Staples of such presentations like Miyamoto, Reggie Fils-Aimé and Eiji Aonuma were notably absent (though they did appear in a short video at the end of the presentation). They didn't mention this at all, but I think it was a brilliant way to demonstrate that the next generation of Nintendo is as integrated and collaborative as ever, and let the games and the hardware speak for themselves. It also demonstrates the efficiency of the teams now that both the portable and home console teams are working together in one building at the new head office in Kyoto. A great subtle touch to an otherwise quite clear, explicit conference, and reminds me of how similar Nintendo and Apple are.

misingnoglic 10y ago
IGN brought this up too in their aftermath video - this presentation showed a lot of people we've just never met before. And the games (like the mario one) had something NEW to them which was exciting, and it's exciting that nintendo's letting the new generation try it out.

johnhenry 10y ago

First off, I'm super excited by this. However, is it just me or is it a little disturbing to see Mario and his crew greatly out of proportion with the other "humans" in the world of Mario Odyssey (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ti9rFafwTw&t=65m49s https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ti9rFafwTw&t=65m49s)?

frik 10y ago
The two elder people at the end that play with Mario are about the same proportion as Mario. So what do you mean? But for a second you see that the New York level is really just a few city blocks. And all the skyscrappers are just a background skybox. So the city level is Mario level kind of small, not a complete city like in Lego City Undercover. Overall the new Super Mario finally returns to the Mario 64 and Galaxy kind of real 3D gameplay. I personally did't like the isometric 2.5D style simplified 3DS and WiiU Mario World games.
- j2bax 10y ago
  Did you play Mario 3D World on Wii U? That wasn't simplified isometric 2.5D!
  - frik 10y ago
    The camera is fixed in an isometric view, sometimes called 2.5D, it's more targeted to causual people. The older Mario 64 had a third person perspective, the camera follows the character. It allows a lot more immersion and more complex level design.
    - j2bax 10y ago
      I work in games and I am still not sure I understand the difference. I found the camera in 3D World to be a bit more free than in Mario 64 (if I am recalling the camera rotation limitations correctly).
- johnhenry 10y ago
  There are a few scenes throughout the trailer. In this one https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ti9rFafwTw&t=67m14s https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ti9rFafwTw&t=67m14s, notice how the people around Mario are proportioned like the ones in this world, while Mario, himself, likes like a, ahem... cartoon character.

Bokagha 10y ago

The one question that still hasn't been answered is will purchased eShop titles from the Wii U carry over to the Switch? Wii purchased titles could be transferred and played on the Wii U, but the Wii U had the "Wii Mode" to handle that and Wii disks. Right now it seems, sadly, backward compatibility is something that is dying off with this generation.

Aaargh20318 10y ago
Wii U eShop titles are linked to the console, not to the user's account. Ignoring the fact that the Switch runs on completely different hardware, you can't even transfer your purchases games to a new console if yours breaks. Your only option is to ask Nintendo nicely to link them to your new console and hope they will.

teamhappy 10y ago

Oh for fuck's sake Nintendo. Just put all the NES and SNES games on a little ARM box, sell if for 100 bucks and watch the money pour in. // ThatPlayer: Of course not, but they could make deals for the popular ones, etc.

intopieces 10y ago
https://github.com/jasarien/Provenance https://github.com/jasarien/Provenance An AppleTV 4 can be had for ~$150 with controller.
- teamhappy 10y ago
  A Raspberry Pi might do it as well (at least for the likes of us.) I'm just worried about Nintendo. They had some money troubles a couple of years (?) ago and I'm not sure this thing is going to fix it.
eppsilon 10y ago
http://www.nintendo.com/nes-classic/ http://www.nintendo.com/nes-classic/
ThatPlayer 10y ago
I doubt they have the licenses for all the NES and SNES games to be able to sell them like that.

trimbo 10y ago

As pointed out by many gamers on Twitter: Switch officially ends the era of consoles with free online services[1]. [1] - http://www.theverge.com/2017/1/13/14261018/nintendo-switch-paid-online-subscription-service-membership http://www.theverge.com/2017/1/13/14261018/nintendo-switch-p...

blakeyrat 10y ago
Define "online services". Xbox Live still lets you do quite a few things for free. (Although I gladly admit the free capabilities suck compared to the Gold capabilities.)

thinkloop 10y ago

How come Nintendo keeps having to completely reinvent itself every couple of years? They go from being on the verge of bankruptcy to a hit then back again. It seems like one tiny misstep and they're done. Microsoft is still spending accrued value from the 90's after tons of mistakes, why doesn't Nintendo have an easier life?

manmal 10y ago
I think that's because they make hardware. Apple would also die soon if they stopped putting new hardware out. Since Moore's law is screeching to a halt now, hardware companies might catch a break (or get into real trouble) soon.
threeseed 10y ago
Well obviously Sony and Microsoft have other resource streams so they can weather any storm. And for both companies gaming is important but so is providing media and services into the living room. Nintendo seriously has missed the opportunity every generation to expand beyond gaming and so they are more susceptible to the strength of the games themselves.
JimmyAustin 10y ago
Microsoft has Office/Windows/Windows Server as a dependable money making, which leaves billions in capital ready for spending outragous amounts of money on pushing into new markets, like Windows Phone and Xbox. The first gen never actually made a profit. Nintendo doesn't have that. They live and die by their console.
- ianai 10y ago
  At the same time I feel like they could sell their brand more often. They could have 5 smartphone games by now at least. Heck, they could do crazy things like branding an iPhone with Apple or an android manufacturer or you name it. They could make a mario cloud where you get to play VC in a browser. I feel like they're missing out on a ton of money. Sure all of those things would take capital, but they've got the IP people want to buy.

jsz0 10y ago

Even for a portable system I think Nintendo might have set the bar too low on graphics this time. Most of these games just don't look very good to the point of being visually distracting. It's almost an uncanny valley sort of thing where the graphics are just sort of good enough that the bad parts stick out like a sore thumb. It's most noticeable in the Mario game. Not sure that real world environments + weak graphics hardware was a good choice.

badevguru 10y ago

So on launch we have the choice of Zelda... or the milking the cow game... really...

DanBC 10y ago
No titles at launch is common for Nintendo. SNES had F-Zero or Super Mario World. n64 had pilotwings or super mario 64. Gamecube had Luigi's Mansion, Wave Race something or other, and Super Monkey Ball. Admittedly, Wii had a bunch of launch games.

partycoder 10y ago

The Wii U didn't sell a lot. The 3DS did sell a lot. The Wii U has a higher price than the 3DS, and that is revenue Nintendo needs. So how to create something as successful as the 3DS, with but as valuable as the Wii U... this seems to be their answer. Then, "software sells hardware" is Nintendo's motto. They do not license their intellectual property, all games are exclusively released on Nintendo consoles. Now, it has always been challenging for game studios other than Nintendo to profit a lot by releasing on a Nintendo system. Mostly because specs are always lower than the current generation of competitor consoles.

alphonsegaston 10y ago

Did anyone else think this looked like prep for taking over the low-end VR space, given all the emphasis on motion tracking? It seems like all they'd have to do is release a headset like Sony is doing with the PS4 and you'd have a good portable VR setup. Probably with a better library than Samsung gear too.

H4CK3RM4N 10y ago
Splat ion 2 appears to be showing dual-wielding gyroscopic aiming. The joy-cons are already full vr/at constrollers, and I cloud see Nintendo moving to AR instead of VR

lightedman 10y ago

I already paid for the game and now I have to pay again for multiplayer, when the prior two generations were pretty much free MP (when it even worked, that is.) Why, Nintendo?

actuator 10y ago
Well, seems like they are following the industry in this. You need Xbox Live Gold to play multiplayer on Xbox.
- joshschreuder 10y ago
  Same with Playstation multiplayer as of this gen (PS4). The obvious answer would be that multiplayer servers cost money to run.
  - lightedman 10y ago
    A more obvious answer would be "Bring back the ability to host our own servers in-game, the hardware is obviously powerful enough."
mathw 10y ago
Because maybe this time it'll let them do a proper online infrastructure? These things aren't free, something Microsoft put in up front from the start and theirs is now ridiculously solid. Nintendo are apparently working with DeNA on this (as well as on the smartphone games) so hopefully it'll be worth the money.

Zelmor 10y ago

No info released on battery, RAM and GPU? Fishy.

mathw 10y ago
They never do that. Specs are not Nintendo's thing. They're more interested in how much fun you can have with it.
Narishma 10y ago
Not really. Nintendo hasn't released the specs of their machines since the Gamecube.

pmuk 10y ago

Just pre-ordered on Amazon UK for £279.99. Interestingly Tesco, a large retailer, are running an Adwords campaign advertising it at £499.99

illuminati1911 10y ago

Overpriced, low battery life compared to iPad and only good game announced was 2011 released Skyrim. If Nintendo wants to stay in game business they need to get serious. This press info was much worse than I expected it to be.

BipolarElsa 10y ago
Nintendo sold the switch based on a gimmick. Who knows if the sheeple will make it pay off. I'm pretty sure my iPad has the same level of graphical output as the Switch. Nintendo is completely out of touch.

greenspot 10y ago

A good plot twist: Nintendo just sells these left & right Switch controllers you stick to the Switch screen BUT tries to get other smartphone manufacturers to integrate connectors to the left & right Switch controllers PLUS builds there own mobile phones. This is still the biggest bummer when playing games on phones—no physical buttons. At the end of the day, Nintendo must get into the smartphone market and if it's just as a modded Android distribution or heck, just a pure Android with their own game app store (like Steam). They would have the killer properties to gain significant traction and enough users who would install a new app store just to play Mario (but they gave this opportunity away to Apple...).

threeseed 10y ago
And then being Android everyone would just steal their games since they would be available on Pirate Bay and startups everywhere would be trying to "disrupt" the games industry by making Nintendo JoyCon knockoffs. At which point Chinese manufacturers would be selling them on Alibaba for $2 each. Somehow I don't think this would be good for Nintendo.
- greenspot 10y ago
  DRM?
  - dkersten 10y ago
    DRM only means that the pirates, with their fancy DRM-removed cracked copies, have a more pleasant experience than the legitimate users who have to put up with whatever fuckology the DRM forces on them.

teddyh 10y ago

The gaming community’s receptions to the Switch seems to be somewhat sceptical: http://www.vgcats.com/comics/?strip_id=382 http://www.vgcats.com/comics/?strip_id=382 https://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2016/10/26/youth-adjacent https://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2016/10/26/youth-adjacent

panic 10y ago
To be clear, these cartoons are from 2016 and aren't based on yesterday's presentation.

Grue3 10y ago

Looks clunky as hell. How big is that thing? I notice that the video doesn't show actual humans playing it.

iagooar 10y ago

Wow, I wonder where all this skepticism and negativity come from. The Nintendo Switch has me so excited, I can't wait for the launch day! Finally, I'll be able to have one piece of hardware for playing at home and on the go. If you don't see the awesomeness of playing Skyrim on your commute then probably are not in the right target group. I like the Switch because it looks so versatile. You can play at home, on the go, alone, with friends, sitting down, standing up... There is going to be so many new experiences once the console is out.

Aaargh20318 10y ago
> Finally, I'll be able to have one piece of hardware for playing at home and on the go. Until you're done playing both games, and then what ?
- iagooar 10y ago
  Which both games? There will be plenty of games coming out. And if not, Skyrim is pretty much a game you can play forever (and people, including me, still do).
  - Aaargh20318 10y ago
    Zelda and "1 2 Switch" are the only real launch titles, there's some filler crap to be sure but no one cares. Skyrim is not a launch title.
    - iagooar 10y ago
      Well, in April Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is coming out. Enough to keep me busy for months. You just can't make some people happy, they seem to be in an ever-negative spiral...
- lennelpennel 10y ago
  If it is like the Wii U older titles will also work. Games like splatoon, mario u (we love playing this as a family)and all older titles (via emulation) should be available.

LeicaLatte 10y ago

The pricing is on the level of Apple for some reason.

iplaw 10y ago

Since the initial reveal, I have been utterly underwhelmed by this product. I fail to see a viable market or a satisfactory use case for such an oddly designed and artificially limited gaming device, and am confident that it will be yet another failure in a long line of Nintendo failures. No touch screen? Not a single camera for AR content and/or social communication? The controllers look miniscule in the actor's tiny hands. The dock HAD to cover the screen of the device? I foresee the controller sliding and locking mechanism wearing down over time, leading to sloppy interconnection between the controllers and the device. I could go on with the horrible design choices, but I cannot think of a single redeeming quality. It looks like the market is 6-12 year olds.

garethsaxby 10y ago
Just an FYI, it is a touch screen, according to the presentation at the 41m50s mark - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uuC4YLLkqME&feature=youtu.be&t=41m50s https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uuC4YLLkqME&feature=youtu.be...
soneca 10y ago
"I could go on with the horrible design choices" You can create hundreds of speculatively horrible design choices, but not one of them would mean a thing until you try the product and check if they apply right?
- iQuercus 10y ago
  It's easy to analyze in a frictionless vacuum.
tomw2005 10y ago
> I fail to see a viable market or a satisfactory use case for such an oddly designed and artificially limited gaming device, and am confident that it will be yet another failure in a long line of Nintendo failures. It is a portable console that I can take on business trips. That's a use-case :)
TarpitCarnivore 10y ago

djhworld 10y ago

I've pre ordered it, but £280 is quite a large pill to swallow, especially when the US is getting it for $300. Not sure if that's inflation or brexit or what, but damn. Will see what happens in the next few weeks before deciding whether to cancel or not.

smackay 10y ago
If £280 is the retail price then it's £233 before VAT (20%) is added. At the current exchange rate that's $283 (US).
eloisant 10y ago
it's €320 in France, which seems to be about the same as £280 so I guess brexit has nothing to do with it. It's a long tradition of making European pay more when it comes to electronics.

syntaxing 10y ago

I'm hoping someone can chime in to this, but putting the American market aside, is it just me or is this extremely marketable to the Asian market? Most of my Asian or Asian American friends exclusively play games on their phones. They play a wide selection of MMORPG to RTS games on their phones daily. Asians value games that are more repetitive (like EXP farming or turn based games, such as FF) and have great character development. I expect they will be receptive to a hybrid portable gaming system (not sure what to call this). [1] Secondly, I'm surprised with how many people here find that the Nintendo Switch overpriced. We're all comparing the pricing to consoles that are sold at a loss (such as the PS4, they're essentially subsidized by the gaming industry). I bought a 3DS at about $200. For $100 more you get a tablet and console in one. I'm willing to bet like the 3DS, you'll be able to use this as a ad-hoc tablet for browsing the web as well and use it to play movies. I would jump on this if I had more time to game. [1] Completely based on my opinion and might be subjected to cognitive bias and dissonance

tomw2005 10y ago
> I would jump on this if I had more time to game. I'm getting it as I hope having a portable console will give me more time to game. It'll fit in my suitcase and plug into nearly all hotel TVs. That is pretty awesome.
- syntaxing 10y ago
  Agreed! Especially if it can play movies. I hope they make some sort portable display dongle.
JohnJamesRambo 10y ago
I'm going to guess they expect their handheld to last longer than 2.5 hours like a phone though.
- syntaxing 10y ago
  But are there phones out there that are capable of playing graphics intensive games on normal-high brightness with sound and everything for longer than three hours? I don't play many games on my phone but when I used Pokemon GO, my battery was drained from about a hour of continuous playing.I remember reading online that an iPhone can't even playing clash of clans continuously more than three hours. Clash of Clans doesn't even seem like a graphic intensive game.

I_am_neo 10y ago

That controller gives me RSI just looking at the controller..... no thanks

dfar1 10y ago

I will buy this if it has sports games.. and I don't mean Wii Sports like games... I mean... EA, 2k and so on.

ihuman 10y ago
EA was there and announced a FIFA game, so I'm assuming their other sports games are coming as well.
- dfar1 10y ago
  Sweet. I saw a 2k17/18 on another site. So that gets my hopes up. I'm a casual gamer, and this seems to be a good in between full console vs mobile gaming.

csours 10y ago

OT: There is a popular program/interstitial in Japan called Pythagoras Switch[0]. I wonder if the name is a partial reference to that. 0: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k0B1hgP1tlE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k0B1hgP1tlE

enzanki_ars 10y ago
Loved that show while I was in Japan, but I doubt there is a reference here.

karmakaze 10y ago

The big question is how many people are willing to carry another device to play games vs using their phone with a good controller case. Are phone controllers at least standardized yet?

didibus 10y ago

Would be awesome if I could use the Switch to also stream my PS4 and my Steam games to it. Don't it will, but that'd be cool.

didibus 10y ago

I'm excited for the switch. I hope the Joy-Cons are comfortable. If it is, I have to admit it looks like a very versatile controller. Only downside is how expensive they are. The accessories really cost too much. It was interesting to see how all previous Nintendo consoles made controller improvements. Reminded me why Nintendo won so many generations. It seems they're trying the same with the Switch. Arms looks pretty cool. I'm looking forward to more games that smartly use the controller's features.