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Will Nintendo's "two punch strategy" end


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32 minutes ago, EH_STEVE said:

They also stated the DS won't replace the Gameboy line ;)

They also stated it was an experimental device and only changed their minds when it sold like crazy. It also had backwards compatibility.

 

Switch is not an experimental device, as it is their next console, and it has no backwards compatibility of any kind.

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While in simplest terms they are both portable game systems you get into:

 

price

size

--DS smaller and more pocket friendly

--a proper switch can't get much smaller because of the JCs

battery/power

 

 

I can't see them mucking up the branding by releasing a "Switch-lite" where its a one controller smaller screen portable only system at the same power your full size switch runs at.

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2 hours ago, Gold said:

Switch is not an experimental device

I disagree with this. It seems pretty experimental to me.

 

That in mind, I feel like it could overtake the handheld market if it sees the same success that the DS did way back when, but I doubt this'll happen soon. I'd give it a couple of years so the Switch can marinate in the market a little. It's selling like gangbusters right now, with Breath of the Wild literally being 100% of the reason, but it'll eventually have to rely on the likes of Splatoon 2, Super Mario Odyssey, and Metroid Prime 4 to sustain itself going forwards. It still lacks many features typically expected in a modern console right now--like video streaming services, a proven multiplayer infrastructure, and some form of backwards compatibility. If it gets all of that while facilitating a successful home/mobile hybrid experience, then I'd say it has a damn good shot.

Edited by Schmengland
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5 hours ago, EH_STEVE said:

They also stated the DS won't replace the Gameboy line ;)

 

People keep referencing this but it's not exactly the same situation.  Both DS and Gameboy were strictly portable platforms and at the time DS was different enough that Nintendo probably felt like it could operate as a another portable offering.  The problem here however is that both Nintendo and third parties eventually just migrated to the DS and even a lot of early DS titles were coined "GBA+" because they were essentially the same as similarly released GBA games but with some additional feature (like rudimentary use of the second screen) to make use of the DS functionality. As GBA support waned everyone pretty much only had the DS to push towards as far as Nintendo's portables were concerned at the time.

 

Here, we have Switch and 3DS which for all intents and purpose are completely different platforms.  One is a console, one  is a portable.  Granted, the console can be taken on the go as a portable but Nintendo has been fairly adamant on highlighting it as their console line successor despite that feature.  The main sticking point here is whether or not both Nintendo and third parties move completely from the 3DS and focus entirely on Switch as they did with the GBA/DS situation.  With a brand new Pokemon entry on the way for Switch in particular it certainly raises eyebrows in this regard but I wouldn't say that's enough to suggest a complete shift from 3DS to Switch and ultimately the fulfillment of the idea that Switch will be Nintendo's one and only platform going forward.  There's enough going on now and in the near future to suggest that Nintendo is keeping that portable line around other than it just being one additional revenue stream for them.

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4 hours ago, Reilly said:

I think they also said that they have plans for a 3DS successor.

 

That's Nintendo covering their asses. Of course they wouldn't outright claim the DS line is dead, especially when they're still releasing games for 3DS. That'd be stupid of them.

 

It's theoretically possible we'll see a dedicated handheld device someday, and Nintendo's hardware guys are probably experimenting with ideas, but we're not seeing one anytime soon. Switch is selling, and part of the console's appeal is the portability. Does Nintendo want to kill that selling point with a handheld of similar hardware power? We're more likely to see a Switch lite designed for younger players and people on this forum who apparently still stick their 3DS in pants pockets.

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Still think it's too early to tell. Last statement I remember hearing is there -might- be a 3DS successor given the current player base, even though that's a few months old. I guess the question is going to be how many people are bringing their Switches out instead of the 3DS like in train/bus rides in public down the line.

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I want the Switch to be an all-in-one Nintendo system. That doesn't happen if they are dividing exclusives between the Switch and a non-Switch 3DS successor, so I hope that the 3DS is the end during the Switch's lifespan. After the Wii U and 3DS, I'm not convinced Nintendo can adequately support both a dedicated handheld and a HD system. I think Nintendo knows what is being expected from the Switch, or they're going in the right direction, following the Pokémon Direct during their E3 spotlight. Their biggest handheld IP, core Pokémon, is being developed for the Switch. It may not be an exclusive, as it could go the route of Fire Emblem Warriors, which is fine. I do think it's a good sign though that a completely new handheld generation is not going to happen while the Switch is around.

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