Yesterday, Nintendo released the Teaser Trailer of the Nintendo Switch.
This is why I think the NSwitch will flop. Not because I am all "I don't like Nintendo! Sony forever!" or because I don't like the concept of the NSwitch, but because I am actually able to 'connect' this to Nintendo's history and how… bad they got in the past. And because I can give very reasonable justifications.
Of course, there is still the possibility it'll be a big hit, who knows.
Now, before I talk about Nintendo's past and how Nintendo is nowadays, I want to talk about the trailer.
It was a damn nice one. They really showed us what the Switch's about -- how everything works, the mechanical functions, etc. It was okay. It was fine. I completely understood it, without them saying a single word!
That is absolutely fantastic and clever. That was top-marketing. Because it's not just about the ads. You understand the handheld-console-hybrid. And only because you see how they do it. That was awesome.
It can't be faulted at all. That was exactly the right way to initially present this device to the world. Without any big fuss, without telling us anything about the specs (which will still be relevant later on). That was the right way. A big compliment to Nintendo.
Okay, so why am I doubting the Switch? The quality, not the hardware, but the processing/workmanship in general.
If any of this is true, there is no way this thing will be able to keep up with the PS4 or the XBOn -- oh, sorry. The PS4Pro and the XBONE S! That's really dangerous. It's mighty thin ice.
And then… who is the target audience? Who's supposed to buy this? Apparently some hip teenies. And let me tell you something. Those hip teenies would not buy anything like this.
Back when Nintendo saved the whole industry with the NES, people had to beg Nintendo to let them release their game on a Nintendo-Console. That's how it was!
I think people know the story with Nintendo's deal with Sony. And how Nintendo basically just said "Sorry, Sony, we don't need that anymore, go f*ck yourself" and how Sony went "Hey, we got a finished product here, so we'll just distribute it ourselves." and created the Playstation. And this wrong decision is still haunting Nintendo. They literally gave birth to their biggest competitor themselves!
It just shows the arrogance Nintendo had back then.
If I'd say "the Wii U was a pile of shit", people'd go and tell me that the Wii was a big hit.
Which is absolutely right, but people forget who bought this console at the beginning.
Moms. To play Wii Fit. They bought this console to play Wii Bowling (they were pensioners anyway)! The paid €250(/$249.99/¥25,000) for Wii Bowling! Or Wii Fit. That is the reason why Nintendo hadn't lowered the prices at first because people only bought that one f*cking bundle! Yes, the Wii did find it's placed in 100 million households, but only to gather dust!
Let's take a look at Mad World. A tripleA game created specifically for the Wii. 800 thousand. Worldwide. Only800 thousand times. And then, of course, Nintendo thought they completely found the formula: Casual Gamers!!
And then we got the Wii U, a pile of shit. A nightmare for the whole market and Nintendo.
Nintendo had big luck with the Wii. Nintendo still doesn't get it. It was luck, nothing else.
The iPhone didn't exist back then. And there were the casual gamers. Nintendo was at the right place at the right time.
And when the iPhone (or Smartphones in general) overtook the market, nobody gave a shit about that new Wii U Tablet.
The Wii U practically only sold half as many units as the NGamecube.
Nintendo was right to say "We're pulling the plug".
Seriously, who is supposed to buy the NSwitch (besides of the hardcore Nintendo-gamers)?
The big problem with Nintendo is that they only focus on the Japanese market. Nowhere else.
Who is the target audience? Wow, you got a new Zelda game, whatever. It goes past my ass.
Wow, you can… walk around in the World of Zelda. I got my yearly dose on Open-World games without Nintendo already, I don't need another one. The games shown for the NSwitch… oh, Splatoon and MarioKart8! We'll probably only get ports with a few additions of flopped Wii U games at first.
What else can I say?
Do you guys remember how the Wii U was proud of it's third party support? It lasted an hour and went away.
It was way too expensive to create extra support for such a console. Assasin's Creed. You port it over to PC, you port it over to PS4, you port it over to XBOne. Instant Cash Cow.
And this won't be possible eventually if the performance of the NSwitch shackles! It just won't work!
They'll have to program shit extra again and screw down the textures and within a few months nobody will program for this console anymore, nobody. And then we can call it the Wii U 2.0!
This is my prediction. The Switch will flop. The Switch will flop horribly and this will be the End of Nintendo as hardware manufacturers. NOT COMPLETELY, Nintendo has way too many brands: Pokémon, Mario, Zelda, Metroid -- this company could go on until eternity… but as hardware manufacturers, it'll be the end.
Who is the target audience?! Nowadays, people think about native 4K. "Is my PS4Pro able to play 4K BluRays? Is it able to stream 4K?" This is what gamers are thinking about nowadays. Not the casual gamers! The casual gamers buy themselves an iPhone, click on 'download' and it's done! It's easy, everything's already preprogrammed, etc.
It'll flop. All it all, it'll be a flop, Nintendo. Sorry.
This is why I think the NSwitch will flop. Not because I am all "I don't like Nintendo! Sony forever!" or because I don't like the concept of the NSwitch, but because I am actually able to 'connect' this to Nintendo's history and how… bad they got in the past. And because I can give very reasonable justifications.
Of course, there is still the possibility it'll be a big hit, who knows.
Now, before I talk about Nintendo's past and how Nintendo is nowadays, I want to talk about the trailer.
It was a damn nice one. They really showed us what the Switch's about -- how everything works, the mechanical functions, etc. It was okay. It was fine. I completely understood it, without them saying a single word!
That is absolutely fantastic and clever. That was top-marketing. Because it's not just about the ads. You understand the handheld-console-hybrid. And only because you see how they do it. That was awesome.
It can't be faulted at all. That was exactly the right way to initially present this device to the world. Without any big fuss, without telling us anything about the specs (which will still be relevant later on). That was the right way. A big compliment to Nintendo.
Okay, so why am I doubting the Switch? The quality, not the hardware, but the processing/workmanship in general.
- The quality, not the hardware, but the processing/workmanship in general. When I see this in-and-out-switching of those controller units I just think "Oh, that thing with the display/screen I'm holding in my hands is the actual module I'll play on". That thing is gonna rattle on until eternity on the sides! That really gotta be some luxurious product with millimeter-accurate processing so it doesn't rattle on until eternity. The fragility of this system is really what I am doubting/questioning the most. I don't think many people thought about this at all and were just like: "I'm sure it'll work, heh", but let's be completely honest: The first DS (really the first one) also had it's problem with the processing of the joints
- The battery life. Guess I should remind people: The Wii U Gamepad only lasted 3 hours. 3 hours! And if I remember correctly, the Gamepad only had a resolution of 480p! I am expecting the 'handheld' of the Switch to at least have a resolution of 720p nowadays. How long's that supposed to hold up? 2 hours?!
- The 'handheld' I am pretty sure the 'handheld' will be the main device. And I can't imagine this being a 'stream' from the actual console at home. No, I dare say the 'handheld' is the actual console. You insert it and your TV takes over what's happening on the 'handheld'. Wow. Great. So I'll play a handheld game on my big screen. Who would want that?
If any of this is true, there is no way this thing will be able to keep up with the PS4 or the XBOn -- oh, sorry. The PS4Pro and the XBONE S! That's really dangerous. It's mighty thin ice.
And then… who is the target audience? Who's supposed to buy this? Apparently some hip teenies. And let me tell you something. Those hip teenies would not buy anything like this.
Back when Nintendo saved the whole industry with the NES, people had to beg Nintendo to let them release their game on a Nintendo-Console. That's how it was!
I think people know the story with Nintendo's deal with Sony. And how Nintendo basically just said "Sorry, Sony, we don't need that anymore, go f*ck yourself" and how Sony went "Hey, we got a finished product here, so we'll just distribute it ourselves." and created the Playstation. And this wrong decision is still haunting Nintendo. They literally gave birth to their biggest competitor themselves!
It just shows the arrogance Nintendo had back then.
If I'd say "the Wii U was a pile of shit", people'd go and tell me that the Wii was a big hit.
Which is absolutely right, but people forget who bought this console at the beginning.
Moms. To play Wii Fit. They bought this console to play Wii Bowling (they were pensioners anyway)! The paid €250(/$249.99/¥25,000) for Wii Bowling! Or Wii Fit. That is the reason why Nintendo hadn't lowered the prices at first because people only bought that one f*cking bundle! Yes, the Wii did find it's placed in 100 million households, but only to gather dust!
Let's take a look at Mad World. A tripleA game created specifically for the Wii. 800 thousand. Worldwide. Only800 thousand times. And then, of course, Nintendo thought they completely found the formula: Casual Gamers!!
And then we got the Wii U, a pile of shit. A nightmare for the whole market and Nintendo.
Nintendo had big luck with the Wii. Nintendo still doesn't get it. It was luck, nothing else.
The iPhone didn't exist back then. And there were the casual gamers. Nintendo was at the right place at the right time.
And when the iPhone (or Smartphones in general) overtook the market, nobody gave a shit about that new Wii U Tablet.
The Wii U practically only sold half as many units as the NGamecube.
Nintendo was right to say "We're pulling the plug".
Seriously, who is supposed to buy the NSwitch (besides of the hardcore Nintendo-gamers)?
The big problem with Nintendo is that they only focus on the Japanese market. Nowhere else.
Who is the target audience? Wow, you got a new Zelda game, whatever. It goes past my ass.
Wow, you can… walk around in the World of Zelda. I got my yearly dose on Open-World games without Nintendo already, I don't need another one. The games shown for the NSwitch… oh, Splatoon and MarioKart8! We'll probably only get ports with a few additions of flopped Wii U games at first.
What else can I say?
Do you guys remember how the Wii U was proud of it's third party support? It lasted an hour and went away.
It was way too expensive to create extra support for such a console. Assasin's Creed. You port it over to PC, you port it over to PS4, you port it over to XBOne. Instant Cash Cow.
And this won't be possible eventually if the performance of the NSwitch shackles! It just won't work!
They'll have to program shit extra again and screw down the textures and within a few months nobody will program for this console anymore, nobody. And then we can call it the Wii U 2.0!
This is my prediction. The Switch will flop. The Switch will flop horribly and this will be the End of Nintendo as hardware manufacturers. NOT COMPLETELY, Nintendo has way too many brands: Pokémon, Mario, Zelda, Metroid -- this company could go on until eternity… but as hardware manufacturers, it'll be the end.
Who is the target audience?! Nowadays, people think about native 4K. "Is my PS4Pro able to play 4K BluRays? Is it able to stream 4K?" This is what gamers are thinking about nowadays. Not the casual gamers! The casual gamers buy themselves an iPhone, click on 'download' and it's done! It's easy, everything's already preprogrammed, etc.
It'll flop. All it all, it'll be a flop, Nintendo. Sorry.