Nintendo Switch

[Urzu 7]

It is true we don't know the battery life yet. That 3 hour battery life is just from dev kits.

So let's say the final product offered 4 hours of battery life. That is optimistic while still being very reasonable to expect. That'd be pretty good for something which is really a console that can also be portable.


Also, there will be better batteries eventually. Not just third parties, either. For example, you can buy an official Nintendo battery for the Wii U Game Pad which has better battery life than the standard Game Pad battery.

[GDB]

Originally Posted by Shadow5YA

Rumor has it that they have already begun production on it. And while it would not affect game development, it still does affect hardware production, since the battery/power source has to come with the console.

And changing the battery would not only affect production, but it would also affect the price of the console.

While I am skeptical of 3 hours for various reasons, whatever battery life the console has will not be changing to any significant degree.

I doubt Dev Kits just went out, though. They likely went out many months ago, which would allow plenty of time to upgrade the battery.

Originally Posted by Shadow5YA

The Switch isn't exactly a handheld though. It's a portable home console. The 3DS is still getting support, and there is no evidence at the moment to believe that the Switch is intended to replace it.

The only ones who believe it to be the 3DS's successor is us.

Pretty sure I recall them saying the same thing about the DS not replacing the Gameboy.

Originally Posted by Urzu 7

That is too bad if true, however, I also read on neogaf that The Nintendo Switch is, first and foremost, a video game console for use on a TV, it just happens to allow portable play. But primarily, Nintendo says it is about being used in the docking station on TVs.

Then provide me a cheaper alternative without the portability, as I will never use it if it only has 3 hours of life.

[Shadow5YA]

Originally Posted by GDB

Pretty sure I recall them saying the same thing about the DS not replacing the Gameboy.

The DS was fully backwards compatible with the GBA, which allowed a majority of the GBA's ~81 million owners to seamlessly upgrade to the DS.

Meanwhile the Switch has confirmed to
1) be not backwards compatible with physical 3DS carts, and
2) have only one screen, making a large number of 3DS games unplayable unless they make the effort to port those games over to the Switch.

That's not to mention that if the Switch's battery life is indeed that bad or any less than the 3DS's minimum battery life, it will never succeed as a portable handheld.

Another potential issue is the pricing, since the Switch is also meant be a home console. If it is anywhere near $300, it will be far too expensive for handheld only gamers to justify buying it over a 3DS, and it would be too underpowered to justify buying it over a PS4 or Xbox One.

Originally Posted by GDB

I doubt Dev Kits just went out, though. They likely went out many months ago, which would allow plenty of time to upgrade the battery.

I doubt production just began either.

And upgrading the battery also potentially raises the pricing when they cannot afford to have their console be anywhere near the same price as the PS4 or Xbox One. Remember that their console is the underdog right now. If it is not cheaper than the competition, then there is little reason to buy it.

[Kafriel]

Does Nintendo have a gaming network like PSN and LIVE? I'd say it has become an essential part of console gaming...

[Rising Dragon]

I'd rather not have to pay for a THIRD service just to access multiplayer or the like.

[VDZ]

Originally Posted by Kafriel

Still, it is a hybrid system, so compromising its hardware in favor of extended life is also not an option.

It worked fine for the Wii, and it wasn't even a portable system.

Originally Posted by Kafriel

Does Nintendo have a gaming network like PSN and LIVE? I'd say it has become an essential part of console gaming...

Originally Posted by Rising Dragon

I'd rather not have to pay for a THIRD service just to access multiplayer or the like.

Nintendo Network. Unlike PSN and Live, it has no premium (Gold/Plus) accounts; multiplayer is free for everyone.

[darkchibi07]

Let's get to the root of this.

The trailer is FINE as it is (though there are some rather goofy moments like that basketball scene; who the hell plays that NBA game at night outside?)! They finally nailed the selling point of the new console without making it confusing to the consumers unlike the Wii U. This will get them talking from now until Nintendo releases new information. Now the question is how they will follow-up on this.

[Shadow5YA]

Originally Posted by VDZ

It worked fine for the Wii, and it wasn't even a portable system.

The Wii was significantly cheaper than the PS3 and 360 to justify its lower specs, and it caught the casual audience that moved over to smartphone and tablet gaming today.

There is likely no bringing the mobage audience back to the Switch, and we still don't have a price for the Switch.

It needs to be cheaper than the Xbox One and PS4 to stand a chance. If it is anywhere near $300, it will be another failure like the Wii U - priced too close to its competitors despite being vastly underpowered.

[Kafriel]

The trailer is FINE as it is

Quite honestly, it is boring as shit. TOO long and unbelievably pointless. Showcasing the performance and adaptability of Switch once or twice would have been enough, and the very concept of handheld gaming is misused; whoever made that trailer doesn't seem to realize how bad it looks to go out with your friends in order to keep playing video games (and have 5 people staring from behind, WTF). Also, who plays a basketball video game after an actual basketball match!? The dog walk example was pretty bad too, it makes the dog seem just as neglected as it was at home :S

There is likely no bringing the mobage audience back to the Switch, and we still don't have a price for the Switch.

While I admit to playing mobage, they have very limited potential except a few titles...which will take up a lot of space, require network connection and burn through your battery. I think the Switch has a good chance to stand on its own as a handheld console, provided that it truly has the support of major gaming companies.

[GDB]

Originally Posted by Shadow5YA

It needs to be cheaper than the Xbox One and PS4 to stand a chance. If it is anywhere near $300, it will be another failure like the Wii U - priced too close to its competitors despite being vastly underpowered.

How can you call it vastly underpowered despite not having any specs?

[Shadow5YA]

Originally Posted by GDB

How can you call it vastly underpowered despite not having any specs?

http://arstechnica.com/gaming/2016/1...itchs-insides/

The Switch has confirmed to be using a custom Nvidia Tegra system on a chip, which runs on ARM instead of x86.

ARM based chips are designed to run on low power meant for smartphones and tablets, which makes sense since the Switch is supposed to be portable, as opposed to a typical gaming PC, the Xbox One, and PS4's x86 architecture.

The Switch also can't have a cooling system anywhere near as extensive as dedicated home consoles do.

[Sides]

Originally Posted by Shadow5YA

http://arstechnica.com/gaming/2016/1...itchs-insides/

The Switch has confirmed to be using a custom Nvidia Tegra system on a chip, which runs on ARM instead of x86.

ARM based chips are designed to run on low power meant for smartphones and tablets, which makes sense since the Switch is supposed to be portable, as opposed to a typical gaming PC, the Xbox One, and PS4's x86 architecture.

The Switch also can't have a cooling system anywhere near as extensive as dedicated home consoles do.

... Xone's and PS4's cpu block are based on amd's jaguar, which were designed for netbooks and tablets. Being arm or x86 based does not indicate a cpu's processing capability.

[serenade_beta]

Originally Posted by Rising Dragon

I'd rather not have to pay for a THIRD service just to access multiplayer or the like.

What? You have to pay to play online for the PS and XBOX?

[Shinji103]

Originally Posted by serenade_beta

What? You have to pay to play online for the PS and XBOX?

Yup. Had to since the current console generation started. PS3 online multiplayer is still free though.

[Sides]

Originally Posted by serenade_beta

What? You have to pay to play online for the PS and XBOX?

Yeah, but only since ps4, for sony and for xbox it was always the case, with exception to MMO titles that are free to play, i.e. PSO2, or require a monthly fee, like FFXI or FFXIV. But you do get free games every month with the subscriptions.

[serenade_beta]

Damn that's scary. It's almost as scary as when you realize you have to wait another week (of work) to find out what's going to happen in the anime you like...

[Chosen_Hero]

Originally Posted by serenade_beta

Damn that's scary. It's almost as scary as when you realize you have to wait another week (of work) to find out what's going to happen in the anime you like...

And the fans themselves are the ones that have to blame themselves for it. Last gen everyone and their grandmothers bitched and moaned about Playstations free internet being crappy and all of that and praised and defended MS and Xbox for their paid subscription and claimed that it was better because the money they paid went into making it so (don't tell that it isn't true, because I remember very well reading the many comments and articles about it). Well, here we are now and all you see nowadays is everyone complain about it making it yet another thing that everyone wanted until they got it.

As for Nintendo let's be real, their while internet set up is (so far) nowhere near in comparison to current gen consoles and PC and probably never truly will be. In my opinion the Switch doesn't seem like it will be changing that.

[serenade_beta]

Originally Posted by Chosen_Hero

And the fans themselves are the ones that have to blame themselves for it. Last gen everyone and their grandmothers bitched and moaned about Playstations free internet being crappy and all of that and praised and defended MS and Xbox for their paid subscription and claimed that it was better because the money they paid went into making it so (don't tell that it isn't true, because I remember very well reading the many comments and articles about it). Well, here we are now and all you see nowadays is everyone complain about it making it yet another thing that everyone wanted until they got it.

As for Nintendo let's be real, their while internet set up is (so far) nowhere near in comparison to current gen consoles and PC and probably never truly will be. In my opinion the Switch doesn't seem like it will be changing that.

I'm good with it. Stay free, Nintendo Wi-Fi. Stay free. I'll use the money I save to buy snacks, fast food, TCG, and small(?) games like Adventure Bar Story.

[Nerroth]

[Nerroth]

Jimmy Fallon just got to try the Switch on The Tonight Show: