Pestneb Posted August 19, 2018 Posted August 19, 2018 Well I can see Nintendo possibly releasing a "home console" docking station. Basically think of the switch as a handheld with a passive dock allowing it to emulate a home console. If they release an active dock that boosts up docked capabilities... maybe extra grunt that could work on the graphical side of things for 4k. 3rd parties already have a few options for docked/undocked modes, so maybe there will be 3rd party games that can run on the switch in docked mode, but not at all when undocked... and are improved by being in the switch +. I think 2019 is too soon though, unless PS/Xbox release early. 2020 seems more likely, although I suppose a release in late 2019 could help with sales initially. If they are able to just upgrade the docking unit it gives them a bonus of having half the hardware already out in the wild waiting for an upgrade, a bit like with the Wii after the GC, if they could have hooked on a disc player in the underbelly of the GC, maybe the "wii" upgrade could have been a teeny bit more meaningful... I'd be really happy if such an upgrade happened though, would make skipping the vanilla switch reasonably attractive, or perhaps drop the retail on the switch to make it more value for money. time will tell.
Hero-of-Time Posted August 20, 2018 Posted August 20, 2018 A few on Era have also heard/received PR about this but are saying not to get excited about it. News will drop soon for whatever it is.
Dcubed Posted August 20, 2018 Posted August 20, 2018 2 minutes ago, Mandalore said: Everybody Votes Channel 2 please. Splatoon's splatfests are basically this already (hell they've actually reused questions from the original EVC!) I want the Mii Contest Channel back! That was loads of fun back in the day! 1
MindFreak Posted August 20, 2018 Posted August 20, 2018 I know what it is and it's not something everybody will enjoy and like but it's cool nonetheless. The information comes out tomorrow at 10 AM CEST (so 9 AM for you guys). 3
Dcubed Posted August 20, 2018 Posted August 20, 2018 (edited) https://www.resetera.com/threads/morphies-law-and-other-nindies-updates-coming-in-few-hours.63038/ Looks like we're getting a Nindies Direct today at 14:00 CEST/13:00 BST! Come on shadow drop for Towerfall Switch! Edited August 20, 2018 by Dcubed 1
MindFreak Posted August 21, 2018 Posted August 21, 2018 (edited) So the new application that will hit Switch is InkyPen - a comic book "streaming" app. Press release: Quote InkyPen is a brand new subscription service for Nintendo Switch, and the first world wide media application on this console. It allows comic book and graphic novel fans to read what they want, when they want. Simply download from the Nintendo eShop, subscribe and start reading. A large catalogue of graphic novels and comics will be available from all over the world, including U.S. comic books, manga and European comics. You can read your favorite titles on Nintendo Switch in handheld mode or in TV mode, but also discover new ones through exploring the catalogue and content suggestions based on your interests. Watch our announcement video before anyone else! (video will go live on the 21st at 10 am CET). The subscription-based service gives users access to the full catalogue for 7.99€ / 7.99$ a month. Titles included will come from famous publishers like IDW, Valiant, Dynamite, les Humanoïdes Associés, Titan or Andrews McMeel; more publishers will be announced soon. Some of the comic series that will be available from the beginning are: Transformers, Judge Dredd, Dungeons and Dragons, The Metabarons, Warhammer; and others based on well-known video game franchises like Dark Souls, Dishonored or Assassin's Creed. Inkypen will also be "webcomic friendly": its catalogue will include popular webcomic titles like Girl Genius or The Wormworld Saga. The InkyPen team will be at Gamescom, available for interviews from Tuesday 21st to Thursday 23rd, at the Nintendo Gamescom Area booth. Please don't hesitate to ask if you want to book an appointment! InkyPen started out as a conversation between Ronan Huggard, with a background from the TV Broadcast industry, and Peter Meldahl, CEO of the indie game company Rain Games; both of whom share a passion for comics and believed that the industry needed a better way of getting content into everyone’s hands. “InkyPen is the best way to read what you want, where you want from the rich world of graphic novels and comic books”, says Ronan Huggard, CEO of InkyPen. “We have no intention of selling content piecemeal, there are other places for that. We’re bringing an all-you-can-read model to the international community”. InkyPen has its roots in the indie games industry and was born out of genuine frustration with the lack of such a service. Everyone at InkyPen loves comics and wants to find the best way of getting what readers want into their hands. “We want to make comic books available for everyone, everywhere, forever”, says Peter Meldahl, Co-founder and CTO of InkyPen. InkyPen will launch in November 2018. Stay tuned for news! Edited August 21, 2018 by MindFreak 1
Hero-of-Time Posted August 21, 2018 Posted August 21, 2018 Not for me but certainly interesting. It's weird that we can get something like this on the Switch but things like YouTube and Netflix remain absent.
Dufniall Posted August 21, 2018 Posted August 21, 2018 Why is this not showing off a vertical mode? Anyway, not interested as I don't read comics.
Sméagol Posted August 21, 2018 Posted August 21, 2018 Not for me. I would have had use for it sporadiaclly if you could buy individual comics, and the library includes mangas, and other stuff (European comics). 1
S.C.G Posted August 21, 2018 Posted August 21, 2018 N-E's quick info roundup, thanks again to @Mr-Paul for the press release. 2 1
Dcubed Posted August 21, 2018 Posted August 21, 2018 Wow... https://www.resetera.com/threads/dark-souls-trilogy-ps4-xbox-one-is-coming-october-19th.63383/ Namco just pulled an EA! Looks like their partnership with Nintendo just became unprecedented! There was definitely some sort of publishing/funding dispute going on between Namco and Nintendo about DS Remastered. Why else would they sit on a finished Switch port for more than 5 months, only to release it on the same day as a trilogy pack for every other console, for the same price? This is some EA level crap here!
killthenet Posted August 21, 2018 Posted August 21, 2018 Ha, that's pretty annoying. I was hoping they'd release II & III on Switch eventually but I guess if they have fallen out then its not too likely.
Dcubed Posted August 21, 2018 Posted August 21, 2018 (edited) 17 minutes ago, killthenet said: Ha, that's pretty annoying. I was hoping they'd release II & III on Switch eventually but I guess if they have fallen out then its not too likely. Begs the question of what's going on behind the scenes... What does it mean for Namco's future Switch support? What does it mean for Smash Ultimate and Metroid Prime 4 (which is heavily rumoured to be co-developed by Namco) Nintendo have relied heavily on Namco for development support with most of their games since 2013. If they're falling out, what does it mean going forward? Perhaps Namco realised how much Nintendo was relying on them and decided to take advantage, fighting for a more favorable deal? How do Nintendo cope with developing their own 1st party games without Namco's support? (Is this why they've been expanding Monolith Soft so much over the last few years? To escape from their reliance on Namco?) Edited August 21, 2018 by Dcubed 1
MindFreak Posted August 22, 2018 Posted August 22, 2018 Nintendo on their choices and considerations when creating the home menu: Quote At CEDEC 2018 earlier today, Nintendo held a session about the making of Switch’s interface. Developers spoke about their approach for the OS’s creation. The Wall Street Journal reporter Takashi Mochizuki was in attendance, and passed along some of the details that were shared. Here’s the full roundup: – Nintendo decided to make Switch OS simple – feature game contents as much as possible – Goal was easy to use & light to use – OS has many features, Nintendo wanted people to feel it “looks” easy to use – 1. separated games vs non-games; 2. adjusted sizes, colors and density; 3. top-to-bottom approach; 4. tried to make screen less crowded as much as possible; this was all to keep things in tiny and in order – When designing button layouts, Nintendo tried a way that many people would agree in expecting how it would move next (like cursor); put buttons in just one row; use grids etc. – Sound effects are also carefully coupled with texts and what’s on the screen so that it’s easy to understand what’s happening (hope this makes sense) – In making Switch OS light, one ideal form was NES, which, you would only need to turn power on to play games; was so fast to launch – Nintendo says using OS is like driving; first players understand what’s on screen, take action, then wait for result – In cutting player’s wait time as much as possible, Switch’s home menu design resources have less than 200KB – Nintendo made length of animation as short as possible, while keeping certain actions to help user navigate menu – Cut the number of actions player need to take to reach outcome; default cursor on YES, instead of NO, when confirming exiting games – Nintendo trusted players in telling OS what they want; no need to ask “are you sure” too much – Text is sometimes better than icons; didn’t want to use icons that players have no idea what’s that about, which, they would check text anyway and as a result eyes move busy – Before you put in “comfortable,” make sure you cut “uncomfortable” which would jeopardize any to-comfort efforts. Also, just “not-uncomfortable” isn’t enough if you are talking about amusement devices – Nintendo talked about sound effects on home menu; it’s like animation of sound effects – Examples include different effect for each line; adjusted rhythm and tempo; call-n’-response – Switch has no OS BGM as it focuses on quick access to game contents https://nintendoeverything.com/nintendo-talks-about-switchs-os-home-menu-design-resources-have-less-than-200kb/ 1
Ashley Posted August 22, 2018 Author Posted August 22, 2018 It is a nice OS. I don't drive but this doesn't sound right... Quote Nintendo says using OS is like driving; first players understand what’s on screen, take action, then wait for result 1 1 1
S.C.G Posted August 22, 2018 Posted August 22, 2018 13 minutes ago, Ashley said: It is a nice OS. I don't drive but this doesn't sound right... It is indeed a nice OS. I don't drive either, I've had lessons in the past and you're right, that driving analogy really doesn't make much sense at all. Perhaps they were trying to say that... "using the OS is instinctive; first players understand what's on screen, take action, then wait for result" To me, just changing those two words makes more sense... I think. Either way, I've never had a problem with the Nintendo Switch OS (except for choosing what to play) but I've had numerous problems trying to drive. In conclusion... the Nintendo Switch is definitely easier to use than a car. 2
Ronnie Posted August 23, 2018 Posted August 23, 2018 Interesting stuff from Miyamoto Fixed cost v free to play for mobile games: Quote “We’re lucky to have such a giant market, so our thinking is, if we can deliver games at reasonable prices to as many people as possible, we will see big profits”. Quote “I can’t say that our fixed-cost model has really been a success,” the usually candid Miyamoto said. “But we’re going to continue pushing it forward until it becomes entrenched. That way everyone can develop games in a comfortable environment. By focusing on bringing games to the widest range of people possible, we can continue boosting our mobile game business.” Subscription-style games Quote Miyamoto also said game developers should heed lessons from the music industry, which is still struggling to recover after consumers learned to consume music for free through MP3 file sharing, as well as YouTube and streaming services. He said subscription-style services should play a bigger role in games, but said the key is to develop a culture of paying for good software. “It’s necessary for developers to learn to get along with” subscription-style services, Miyamoto said. “When seeking a partner for this, it’s important to find someone who understands the value of your software. Then customers will feel the value in your apps and software and develop a habit of paying money for them.” 1
Ronnie Posted August 23, 2018 Posted August 23, 2018 (edited) Oh and Switch had another big month in the US. Top selling hardware, and Octopath Traveller #1 selling software. (and that's only physical sales, NPD don't track Nintendo's digital sales) Software: Octopath Traveler* Grand Theft Auto V Mario Kart 8* Crash Bandicoot: N. Sane Trilogy The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild* Far Cry 5 Super Mario Odyssey* The Crew 2 Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six: Siege Mario Tennis Aces * FIFA 18** Lego Incredibles God of War (2018) Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker* NBA 2K18 Call of Duty: WWII Detroit: Become Human MLB 18: The Show Minecraft** Destiny 2** Quote The persistent narrative around Nintendo right now is that its Switch doesn’t have any games, and yet it is having a dominant summer 2018. After coming out on top with Mario Tennis Aces in June, Octopath Traveler took the No. 1 spot in July. That classic-style role-playing game blew up on the console and was able to have an impressive debut. “Octopath Traveler was the best-selling game of July 2018,” said Piscatella. “Half of July’s top 10 best-sellers are Nintendo platform exclusives.” “Nintendo is the top-selling full game software publisher for both July and year to date,” said Piscatella. “Nintendo Switch is the only platform showing year-on-year growth in full-game dollar sales with gains of nearly 70 percent when compared to a year ago, despite digital sales on Nintendo platforms not currently being tracked by The NPD Group. Year-to-date sales of full-game software on Nintendo Switch have more than doubled when compared to a year ago.” Quote It was another strong month for all platform holders, but it was especially good for Microsoft and Nintendo. “Hardware spending in July 2018 grew 19 percent when compared to a year ago, to $217 million,” said Piscatella. “Gains were driven by Xbox One, Switch, and Plug N Play devices such as NES Classic Edition. Overall, hardware continues to fly off the charts in 2018. Spending on hardware is up 21 percent to $1.9 billion year-to-date. Piscatella notes that sales of Xbox One, PlayStation 4, NES Classic Edition, and Super Nintendo Classic are the primary drivers this year. “Year-to-date hardware spending is at its highest level since 2011,” said Piscatella. But it was the Switch that took July. “Nintendo Switch was July’s best-selling hardware platform in both dollars and units sold,” said Piscatella. “This is the seventh month that Switch has led in hardware dollar sales since launching in March 2017, and the first since December 2017. Unit sales of Nintendo hardware in July 2018 reached its highest point for a July month since 2009.” Edited August 23, 2018 by Ronnie 1 1
Hero-of-Time Posted August 23, 2018 Posted August 23, 2018 18 minutes ago, Ronnie said: Interesting stuff from Miyamoto... I feel it's a bit harsh for him to criticise such practices when Nintendo are raking it in with Fire Emblem Heroes, a free to play title that relies heavily on gacha mechanics. It's been insanely successful for them. His quote about reasonable prices is a bit iffy as well. I agree with a lot of what has been said elsewhere. It doesn't have to be a case of racing to the bottom but rather being reasonable in what you are charging. For a long time I haven't agreed with Nintendo's pricing of the games they have ported over to various systems. Stuff like Donkey Kong Kong Country Tropical Freeze and Mario Kart 8 being full price felt like an absolute slap in the face to those who had supported Nintendo during the Wii U years. Nintendo knew they could get away with charging full price for it ( sales have shown this to be true ) and instead of rewarding those who kept them afloat during the rough years, they essentially stabbed them in the back to make a profit. For comparison, just look at something like the Kingdom Hearts collection by S-E. This has 4 massive games on it that has improved visuals, improved framerate, more content than the original release and a couple of movies to fill in the gaps of the story. This was launched at £30. Shadow of the Colossus is another game that had another makeover and launched at a budget price,. Ratchet and Clank, Crash Bandicoot Collection, Spyro Collection, Master Chief Collection, all of these of examples of games that have been remade for fans and new owners alike but gave value for money and didn't try to exploit their fan bases. At the end of the day they are a business but I think it's very harsh Miyamoto coming out and pointing fingers when Nintendo, at times, are just as bad as others when it comes to the things he talks about. 1 1
drahkon Posted August 23, 2018 Posted August 23, 2018 (edited) 1 minute ago, Hero-of-Time said: For comparison, just look at something like the Kingdom Hearts collection by S-E. This has 4 massive games on it that has improved visuals, improved framerate, more content than the original release and a couple of movies to fill in the gaps of the story. This was launched at £30. Wait what? This is already out? Edit: Nevermind, I thought this was the collection including Kingdom Hearts 3. In retrospect, that thought as a whole was stupid and I feel stupid. Edited August 23, 2018 by drahkon
Hero-of-Time Posted August 23, 2018 Posted August 23, 2018 Just now, drahkon said: Wait what? This is already out? Eh? Kingdom Hearts 1.5+2.5 has been out for ages. It came out March of last year.
drahkon Posted August 23, 2018 Posted August 23, 2018 (edited) 4 minutes ago, Hero-of-Time said: Eh? Kingdom Hearts 1.5+2.5 has been out for ages. It came out March of last year. Yes, I like living under a rock. Edited August 23, 2018 by drahkon
Hero-of-Time Posted August 23, 2018 Posted August 23, 2018 5 minutes ago, drahkon said: Yes, I do like living under a rock. 1
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