Nintendo Switch - Happy Switchmas Everyone!

[Falcon_BlizZACK]

“For us, the next step is to think about what is going to be that element that is really going to catch the attention of a large number of players again and get them excited. We’re constantly thinking about this idea from the perspective of the players and the needs of the players in terms of what can we can do with our ability and our technology to capture that excitement and passion.”

 

...This particular segment doesn't feel me with much hope... But heres hoping he is truly not involved with the NX. Sounds like a Wii.

Edited June 28, 2015 by King_V

[somme]

Mario running on Unreal.

 

I gotta say I would love to see a Mario game like this, running around a huge Mushroom Kingdom!

 

 

EDIT: Not so much the darker, more "realistic" bits.

Edited June 27, 2015 by somme

[Wii]

Rumor: Nintendo started talking with third-parties about NX at E3, positive reception

 

A report coming from Fortune claims that Nintendo “just started talking” about the NX with third-parties at E3 2015. The site goes on to say that the reception “was positive” based on what was heard from insiders.

 

Here’s the relevant excerpt:

 

The problem for Nintendo is the NX’s launch is at least a year away—likely more, as the company reportedly just started talking about it with third party partners at this year’s E3. (The reception, say insiders, was positive.)

 

Even assuming Fortune’s report is accurate, don’t expect to hear about NX anytime soon. Nintendo has said that the system will not be unveiled until next year.

 

http://nintendoeverything.com/rumor-nintendo-started-talking-with-third-parties-about-nx-at-e3-positive-reception/

 

This is what I was saying about using Splatoon as a beacon of positivity to help with third party relations at E3.

[Hero-of-Time]

When it comes to their 3rd party relationships, talk is very cheap. We've all heard this song and dance before and until I actually see some substantial support from Western developers then I will continue to remain very skeptical.

[Wii]

I know and agree that talk is cheap. It'll be some time before 3rd parties talk officially though. Nintendo won't talk and they won't want them taking either.

[dazzybee]

I just don't know what Nintendo should do. Logic says match ps4, make it piece of piss to port to from it for third parties. Have parity with online services. Throw in Nintendo's games and it destroys the competition. Why wouldn't gamers go to it? But we know that's not how it works....

 

So do they try this? Do they go for an ultra chewp console? But what is that? The Wii u is underpowered, didn't work, they can't really go cheaper. Is a hybrid a good enough concept? A new gimmick?

 

Be interesting to see what they do. More interesting to see if it works?

[somme]

I'm just glad it's not my job to come up with their next console. I'm getting stressed out just thinking about it.

[Wii]

It has to be at least as powerful as the PS4 or it's finished before it even begins.

[Ronnie]

It has to be at least as powerful as the PS4 or it's finished before it even begins.

 

That's simply not true.

[Debug Mode]

That's simply not true.

 

Why do you feel that way?

 

I think, if it is a new home console, it will need to match the current capabilities of the other consoles. This will be the biggest drive needed to secure third party support, as the Wii needed it's own specific versions of games as it could not be ported straight over due to hardware restraints.

 

The Wii U can handle last generation ports but seems to require an extensive amount of development time. It can not handle ports of current gen games, but my only source for this is Project Cars as no other developer has dared to even try.

 

But if Nintendo is on the same footing as the other manufacturers, it's less costly for publishers to have an NX port made of their games. This is why it makes a lot of sense to make a home console of equal power to your rivals and is seen as the thing Nintendo must do if they want to regain third party support.

[Ronnie]

Would the Wii U have really sold much more if it was as powerful as the PS4 and capable of playing Arkham Knight or Tomb Raider? I don't think so. Nintendo fans would buy it regardless but hardcore gamers interested in those franchises would more than likely opt for a Playstation or Xbox.

 

I don't know anyone who buys a Nintendo console to play the latest AAA games. People buy them to play Nintendo games, and whatever bonus third party support is just that, a bonus. They clearly aren't interested in a technical arms race anymore and put that together with Miyamoto's comments about the Wii U being too expensive leads me to believe they'll go much cheaper this time around. Considering the industry has clearly moved on (sadly) to the Xbox and Playstation for the big budget titles which people seem to crave, I can see Nintendo positioning NX as a cheap second console for a lot of people. Get them into as many people's hands as possible. If the install base is there then third party's will come back into the fold.

[Kounan]

Can't it stay cheap, but be more powerful than the Wii U because it should be cheaper to make now? On top of that take the game pad out (which I love, but most people obviously don't and I do understand them as at the begging I was not sure what they are advertising) and it should bring the price down, or keep it the same, but allow them to make the machine more powerful.

 

That should be enough to play current gen games, even if it's less powerful compared to PS4 and XBONE as these consoles aren't used to their full potential.

 

I do agree with Ronnie why people buy Nintendo consoles and that's why they need more of their own IP's in other genres (buy some studios) to make Nintendo fans happy and in the same time to raise interest on the other side, while games like Zelda, Metroid and Splatoon have to be ready on launch or soon after (Mario, Mario Kart, Smash and similar titles will be ready).

[Nolan]

When it comes to their 3rd party relationships, talk is very cheap. We've all heard this song and dance before and until I actually see some substantial support from Western developers then I will continue to remain very skeptical.

I agree. It always seems Nintendo has talked to 3rd parties early on and then it gets dropped by the wayside. Capcom 5 is a great example, a wonderful showing of a partnership, and then it fell apart. I remember the Wii having talks and good 3rd party support that waned with time as well. Finally the Wii U, strong start with things like Zombi U, ME3, AC4 Black Flag, Batman, Deus Ex, Rayman. But now, no Dragon Age Inquisition, ME4 is unlikely, no Deus Ex Mankind Divided, and no Arkham Knight...which even got Linux and OSX releases. They had the support and then it just falls away, maybe it's not Nintendo's fault but I feel they could be more proactive in enticing more 3rd parties.

 

Edit: Fucking forgot Bayonetta 2. That was a great example of Nintendo being proactive taking a sequel to a well received game that people liked and loved and publishing it when no one else would. Same with The Devils Third....though that doesn't look stellar but it doesn't have to be. Not everything is a winner.

 

I can't see them matching the PS4/XBO in terms of power, it would be too expensive and would rule out people picking up a Nintendo as a second console. NX is going to be cheap I reckon, get it in as many peoples' hands. Great games, cheap price. Nintendo have proved you don't need the latest tech to make games look and play stunning. (ignoring Star Fox and Animal Crossing). That combined with the rumoured two devices working together could be a great prospect with lots of potential.

You're not wrong that they can make stunning games on the hardware they have.

 

However, to say that matching the other consoles would mean something too expensive is plain wrong. The decidedly middling hardware in the PS4 is now 2 years old, and launched at $399 (£349). There effectively hasn't been a price drop, but with the way technology moves the AMD APUs powering them are invariably cheaper to produce now than they were. And in the same original price point are now more sophisticated APUs.

 

The real cost comes in the development of the custom silicon since no one wants to just drop stock PC parts in and call it a day (hence things like the PS4/XBO having unified system and graphics RAM). Regardless my educated guess is they could have a as powerful system at a similar or lower price.

 

Then their problem is threefold I think. Regaining market loss, not leaving Wii U owners feeling jaded (ala the 3DS original price drop and the ambassador program), and that once again they're upgrading hardware rather out of sync than the others. Creating an odd leapfrog methodology to their releases. Though, graphical leaps are going to continue being smaller in scale so that last point may not be too detrimental. Might help in the long run of getting matured hardware slightly less expensive.

 

Well that was a bit of a ramble, tldr I think Nintendo can release as powerful but still affordable.

 

Mario running on Unreal.

 

I gotta say I would love to see a Mario game like this, running around a huge Mushroom Kingdom!

 

 

EDIT: Not so much the darker, more "realistic" bits.

I'm kind of over UE after what seemed like every other game using it, but that's just great looking.

 

Gah, I started this post an hour ago and got sidetracked talking with my mom.

Edited June 28, 2015 by Nolan

[Debug Mode]

Would the Wii U have really sold much more if it was as powerful as the PS4 and capable of playing Arkham Knight or Tomb Raider? I don't think so. Nintendo fans would buy it regardless but hardcore gamers interested in those franchises would more than likely opt for a Playstation or Xbox.

 

I don't know anyone who buys a Nintendo console to play the latest AAA games. People buy them to play Nintendo games, and whatever bonus third party support is just that, a bonus. They clearly aren't interested in a technical arms race anymore and put that together with Miyamoto's comments about the Wii U being too expensive leads me to believe they'll go much cheaper this time around. Considering the industry has clearly moved on (sadly) to the Xbox and Playstation for the big budget titles which people seem to crave, I can see Nintendo positioning NX as a cheap second console for a lot of people. Get them into as many people's hands as possible. If the install base is there then third party's will come back into the fold.

 

I think you may have misunderstood my point. I'm not saying that it's all down to the power, power itself does not sell a console and the first few years of the PS3 proves that. What equal power helps though is a steady stream of ports for multiplatform games. These aren't essentially all AAA games.

Without third parties, Nintendo is left to ensure a steady stream of games by itself which it just can not sustain. It also makes the hardware less appealing to many others, which may be the big problem for the Wii U.

 

May I ask why you use the term 'sadly' when you refer to how the industry has moved on to the other two consoles? The consumer base flocks to where they're going to be catered to, I don't believe there is anything sad about that. I think it's more sad that Nintendo insists on walking down a path that doesn't work for them because it's clearly alienating it's audience.

[Nolan]

It has to be at least as powerful as the PS4 or it's finished before it even begins.

 

That's simply not true.

 

I agree with Ronnie on this. Nintendo will find a way to make money on their product

 

Would the Wii U have really sold much more if it was as powerful as the PS4 and capable of playing Arkham Knight or Tomb Raider? I don't think so. Nintendo fans would buy it regardless but hardcore gamers interested in those franchises would more than likely opt for a Playstation or Xbox.

 

I don't know anyone who buys a Nintendo console to play the latest AAA games. People buy them to play Nintendo games, and whatever bonus third party support is just that, a bonus. They clearly aren't interested in a technical arms race anymore and put that together with Miyamoto's comments about the Wii U being too expensive leads me to believe they'll go much cheaper this time around. Considering the industry has clearly moved on (sadly) to the Xbox and Playstation for the big budget titles which people seem to crave, I can see Nintendo positioning NX as a cheap second console for a lot of people. Get them into as many people's hands as possible. If the install base is there then third party's will come back into the fold.

 

Personally I'd love if Nintendo was as powerful and gained some of the games that the other consoles have. I'd buy them on the Wii U instead of my PS4 or PC (with exceptions regarding games with obscenely awesome graphics on PC or certain online focus) That's just me though and I can't speak for everyone. I think you're right that the industry has moved on to the other consoles. They moved on though because that's where players and the hardware has gone.

 

If Nintendo has the market base it will get 3rd party support, but if it doesn't have the hardware it could be another Wii situation (though as I said in my last post the hardware jumps are getting smaller) where 3rd parties don't want to cut games down to port them. The first Dead Rising is the best-worst example. It was a shadow of itself on the Wii. Dead Space and Resident Evil fared better in making a different style of game with the setting, which was great....but not exactly what you'd want if you wanted to play the games in the main franchise.

 

Not being better than a PS4 wouldn't mean it's DOA, but it poses an issue with developers possibly not wanting to put forth the extra effort for console. And there are definitely still people out there that want the objectively best console. When the XBO and PS4 were being announced there were plenty of comparisons floating about as to which was the stronger machine and gonna push the most pixels. Capturing some of that could be beneficial....and/or costly.

[Mr_Master_X2]

I think Nintendo definitely need more second parties. I can only imagine what the last few gens would have been like with more. I know people like to say Nintendo got rid of Rare and it didn't matter because talent had left, but I've just been to unseen64.net and holy shit...the amount of Rare games GOOD RARE GAMES they had in developement for GC is insane. Quite a few got quick changes and released as passable 360 games, though would have been MUCH better on GC with time spent on the games rather that "porting/upgrading" thus wasting developement time. They were basically the British Nintendo.

[Falcon_BlizZACK]

I can't see them matching the PS4/XBO in terms of power, it would be too expensive and would rule out people picking up a Nintendo as a second console. NX is going to be cheap I reckon, get it in as many peoples' hands. Great games, cheap price. Nintendo have proved you don't need the latest tech to make games look and play stunning. (ignoring Star Fox and Animal Crossing). That combined with the rumoured two devices working together could be a great prospect with lots of potential.

 

But this will once again leave Nintendo in the predicament they have come to be in - little to no multiplats. People will still continue to pick Nintendo consoles as a secondary unit just for Nintendo exclusives - and if those Nintendo exclusives continue to be sparse and/or have a questionable quality/lacking features - then it will be a Wii U all over again.

 

Just make a Super Gamecube...

 

With normal discs, traditional pad (I think its telling that 2 gens later, they still had to make a GC pad for Smash - obviously a legendary controller that needs reviving), slate grey (or glossy high tech grey (like the new Nintendo logo) like the Panasonic Q), Netflix and Amazon preinstalled (no need to venture into Blu Ray), graphical power to a level of a PS4.5 - so assuming and perhaps as expected, the XB1 and PS4 will be on the market for a long time, so the NX will benefit from multiplats for at least a good 2-3 years.

 

 

It will be worth the £299 price of the Wii U - and minus the expenses of a gamepad, (sensor bar and other Wii compatibility costs).

 

Launch with: Nintendoland 2 Online, Zelda Wii U+/Metroid Prime NX/Mario NX, Fzero/1080/Excitebikes Online (online so it prolongs the lifespan of the game, so that the inevitable post launch drought is not felt so deeply) - plus the usual third party stuff and Pikmin 4 in the launch window like with the Gamecube.

 

I still feel the solution can be simple - all it takes to get people excited is a sub 5min showreel, good marketing and a Christmas release. Obviously Im no business analyst - but the NX is sounding like another gimmick feature which might just over-complicate things again.

 

Sony and Microsoft have just kept it simple stupid all the time.

Edited June 28, 2015 by King_V

[Ronnie]

I think if they make it ultra cheap, maybe a bit better than Wii U's technical specs, they'll sell a lot more than they would if they tried competing in an arms race with Sony and Microsoft. It's clear they want a family friendly price point.

 

Throw in a much better flow of big name games (which would explain their poor E3 showing), and the rumoured "carry on playing the same game on a handheld" gimmick, and they could be onto a winner. At least in terms of it being a second console to most gamers.

[Falcon_BlizZACK]

I think if they make it ultra cheap, maybe a bit better than Wii U's technical specs, they'll sell a lot more than they would if they tried competing in an arms race with Sony and Microsoft.

 

Its not an arms race - its about making your console a third party friendly platform, therefore in the long run having more games to cater for many needs.

[Ronnie]

Its not an arms race - its about making your console a third party friendly platform, therefore in the long run having more games to cater for many needs.

 

I know, wrong choice of words. I'm just saying I think they'll sell more consoles making it an ultra cheap Nintendo box than an expensive one that directly competes with PS4 and XBO.

[Falcon_BlizZACK]

I know, wrong choice of words. I'm just saying I think they'll sell more consoles making it an ultra cheap Nintendo box than an expensive one that directly competes with PS4 and XBO.

 

but just being cheap doesn't solve the issue at hand. Being as capable as a PS4 and XB1 shouldn't even be seen as a competition - its a uniformity that makes the Nintendo console neutral in the eyes of third parties making multi-platform games.

[Kav]

I've said before that I don't think the power is the big issue, it's that the architecture is too different to the other consoles, so the porting of games isn't just scaling it back and toning it down, it's building/modifying an engine to work on it as well as that. The devs see it as too costly and resource heavy to be financially viable.

 

They need the architucjeture to be similar to the other consoles, not necessarily as powerful, just similar enough so that ports are easily and as cheaply as can be done. I really do believe this is the only way they'll get 3rd Party Devs back on board.

 

I think they should make the controller uniform in the number of buttons and analogue triggers.

 

 

...but I do like the idea of another Wiimote-nunchuk combo (not with the same design though and both would be Motion+ standard), effectively 2 nunchuk controllers, with D-Pad and buttons off-kilter. The size of the New 3DS XL D-Pad and buttons should suffice.

 

That controller talk is because I still want pointer controls in FPS games, haha. I'd be ok with a standard pad (analogue layout as with the WiiU though).

Edited June 28, 2015 by Kav

[dazzybee]

I also think it's not just marching the power of the other consoles, but also matching the social and online services. These are clearly Very Important to the general gamer. Worry is, 3 years in wont they already have the console for all those 3rd parties anyway so how much will it benefit...?

 

Would the Wii u be more succesful of it had all of the 3ds' library too? Which the hybrid would provide. But could it have a family friendly price point with being 2 decices, even if it's wii u powered?

[Mandalore]

I've seen analogue shoulder buttons mentioned quite a lot. Are they really that important? Which games use/need them apart from "realistic" racing games?

[Wii]

I've seen analogue shoulder buttons mentioned quite a lot. Are they really that important? Which games use/need them apart from "realistic" racing games?

 

It stems from Miyamoto saying a new controller interface was needed for an F-Zero to happen. The Wii U has every possible interface except it's missing analogue triggers.