Goodbye NX, hello Switch

[Aikouka]

It just seems to me that in the long run, buying a switch for Zelda makes a lot more sense than buying a game for dying dead system. Especially given that you can trade in your Wii U today for a pretty good value: that might not be an option a year from now.

Except I don't just have a Wii-U lying around with no games. I have multiple games for the console that are worth playing. Why would I give up a console that actually has games for one that will have pretty much nothing unique except for a silly, overpriced party game?

 

[cmdrdredd]

.

The argument seems to be that there is some weird 3rd type, that used to enjoy multiple Nintendo games (so you can't consider trading your Wii U) but going forward only cares about Zelda and will never touch any of the other games. I guess if you are in this weird 1% category then go ahead and play Zelda on the Wii U. Have fun.



It just seems to me that in the long run, buying a switch for Zelda makes a lot more sense than buying a game for dying dead system. Especially given that you can trade in your Wii U today for a pretty good value: that might not be an option a year from now.

I rather think the third group is one with a wiiU and a library of games they don't want to give up for a console with 4 games. This group might buy Zelda for the wiiU because they already have the console and Zelda just is not enough incentive. 900p and better audio is just not that compelling to give up a working console and library of games. Some of the people in this group may not want to buy into a new Nintendo console because they got burned on the wiiU.

Trading in the system means you give up any games you own and potentially having to buy a $70 controller.

 

[Chiropteran]

Except I don't just have a Wii-U lying around with no games. I have multiple games for the console that are worth playing. Why would I give up a console that actually has games for one that will have pretty much nothing unique except for a silly, overpriced party game?

Sure, today.

In a year, two years... who knows? If you have no interest in the new Mario or Splatoon or anything else coming out for Switch, maybe it makes sense for you to stick with the Wii U. But for someone who is going to want those games, it's silly to buy Zelda for the Wii U today and then end up buying a switch 10 months from now for other games. The whole cost argument goes out the window, because you end up paying a lot more overall if you get stuck with a Wii U after demand falls to zero.

 

[purbeast0]

IDK, I googled it and it seems that they didn't really sell a lot in the first week: http://www.ign.com/articles/2013/01/11/how-successful-was-the-wii-u-launch

That's why I put "shortage" in quotes. It was definitely sold out at launch which was suspect considering how there wasn't really a huge interest in it.

With sites like Amazon and stuff now taking preorders without putting any money down, I don't think preorders are as good of an indication as they used to be back when you had to go in and put money down on the consoles to preorder. I have one on preorder at Amazon but as of now I don't intend on going through with it. Who knows though I may as it gets closer. I know about 4 other people who are in the same boat too. I'd suspect there are more people with this same thought process among the population.

I've actually been debating picking up a Wii-U now since games are dirt cheap. I've been playing one at a game day my buddies have the past few months and there are a lot of good titles for it. If I do get one I will not be getting a Switch at launch 100% since there is nothing I would want for it.

 

[Chiropteran]

I rather think the third group is one with a wiiU and a library of games they don't want to give up for a console with 4 games. This group might buy Zelda for the wiiU because they already have the console and Zelda just is not enough incentive. 900p and better audio is just not that compelling to give up a working console and library of games. Some of the people in this group may not want to buy into a new Nintendo console because they got burned on the wiiU.

Trading in the system means you give up any games you own and potentially having to buy a $70 controller.

I just have trouble because there seems to be two different themes in the argument that do not work together.

On the one hand, you have "I have a vast library of games for my Wii U I don't want to give that up so I won't buy a Switch for Zelda!"

On the other, you have "The Wii U sucked, not enough games, I got burned and I won't get burned again, skip the Switch!"

I just don't see both being true. If you did actually buy a library of games for your Wii U, you will probably do the same for the Switch. It can't possibly do worse. OTOH if you didn't buy very many games for your Wii U, then you have nothing to lose by trading it in.

 

[Aikouka]

Sure, today.

In a year, two years... who knows? If you have no interest in the new Mario or Splatoon or anything else coming out for Switch, maybe it makes sense for you to stick with the Wii U. But for someone who is going to want those games, it's silly to buy Zelda for the Wii U today and then end up buying a switch 10 months from now for other games. The whole cost argument goes out the window, because you end up paying a lot more overall if you get stuck with a Wii U after demand falls to zero.

Given that Mario is probably the only game that I'm really looking forward to, I don't think it's that silly. Mario is slated to come out during the Christmas season this year, which means we'll probably also see deals on the Switch. To be clear, even if Nintendo takes the stingy approach, which I'd expect from them, retailers are still free to offer gift cards and such. So, there may be a benefit to waiting until a game like Mario comes out. Although, that's still not a great idea given that you'd really only have one game to get.

All in all, I'm waiting for Mario to consider buying one. I already own Mario Kart 8 for the Wii U, and I don't play Splatoon.

 

[KentState]

I just have trouble because there seems to be two different themes in the argument that do not work together.

On the one hand, you have "I have a vast library of games for my Wii U I don't want to give that up so I won't buy a Switch for Zelda!"

On the other, you have "The Wii U sucked, not enough games, I got burned and I won't get burned again, skip the Switch!"

I just don't see both being true. If you did actually buy a library of games for your Wii U, you will probably do the same for the Switch. It can't possibly do worse. OTOH if you didn't buy very many games for your Wii U, then you have nothing to lose by trading it in.

The Wii U didn't have enough games, but it was also able to play regular Wii games. Over the last 11 years, it's not hard to build up a library across two platforms that won't be replaced by going to the Switch.

 

[Dannar26]

I don't have a Wii U, and I will probably end up buying a switch. There was a time when I would have considered a Wii U, mostly for the kids, but that time is past. The Wii U never went down in price; I didn't see it as a good value proposition at all. I knew that the switch was coming anyway, so I was certainly not going to buy an EOL system for full price.

Even if the switch goes the same way as the Wii U, you know you at least have a few years of first party support for it. You also know the Wii U will be super-dead, as the only one developing for it was Nintendo, and they moved on. If I owned a Wii U, I would likely take the game stop offer, and cash out as much as I could while the going is hot.

Or maybe you're one of those guys who just gets all the Nintendo systems because you're a collector of sorts. I have a buddy like that.

 

[ImpulsE69]

Someone said above it didn't make sense ot buy Zelda on Wii U now and then turn around and buy a switch 10 months later. I disagree. First, there's no incentive to buy a Switch now. Secondly, in 10 months we'll definitely see how well it does and if it is even worth getting. If there's only 5 games on the thing the first year, I'm sure most can wait it out and in the mean time you can play Zelda.

I certainly am not interested in another Wii U scenario. I have games on it, but not enough games to really justify having it to begin with. I am not jumping on the Switch until I see something.

 

[Ranulf]

It can't possibly do worse.

Heh. Hope springs eternal.

 

[zerocool84]

Someone said above it didn't make sense ot buy Zelda on Wii U now and then turn around and buy a switch 10 months later. I disagree. First, there's no incentive to buy a Switch now. Secondly, in 10 months we'll definitely see how well it does and if it is even worth getting. If there's only 5 games on the thing the first year, I'm sure most can wait it out and in the mean time you can play Zelda.

I certainly am not interested in another Wii U scenario. I have games on it, but not enough games to really justify having it to begin with. I am not jumping on the Switch until I see something.

Exactly what I said before, no reason to buy a Switch if you have a WiiU until the end of this year when more games are coming out.

 

[poofyhairguy]

Someone said above it didn't make sense ot buy Zelda on Wii U now and then turn around and buy a switch 10 months later. I disagree. First, there's no incentive to buy a Switch now.

I thought this whole discussion is framed around the GameStop trade-in promo?

I agree without that there is no real benefit to not waiting. Even with it if you wait long enough a bundle might negate the difference in trade-in value a year from now.

 

[cmdrdredd]

I thought this whole discussion is framed around the GameStop trade-in promo?

I agree without that there is no real benefit to not waiting. Even with it if you wait long enough a bundle might negate the difference in trade-in value a year from now.

Not to mention it's super easy to save up some cash if the price is really a factor. I mean if you're thinking "the Switch is a bit expensive for what it is considering the library" and a trade-in would make it easier to swallow the initial cost, then putting a bit of cash aside and playing the waiting game until Christmas is not really that tough to do. Many of us may not fall into that category and the initial purchase price isn't a big deal at all, but I've done this a couple times for things I may want but am not interested in paying early adopter tax. This is exactly what I'd do if I wanted a Switch, put $20 in a jar every week and wait.

 

[ImpulsE69]

Price has nothing to do with it. It's semantics. They have to earn a little respect back before I buy in. At this point it's another overpriced gimmick with nothing to actually back it up. They are just going to ride it on Zelda at this point, and honestly the last few large console Zeldas have left a lot to be desired. As for the overpriced controllers, they can stuff that noise.

Mario and Xenoblade 2 are all I'm really interested in, and beyond the handful of other 1st party games they announced (which I am not interested in) there's still little reason to spend that much money to play 3 games. 2 of which are a year or more out.

Sorry, I don't just throw my money at everything. Too many other things in the world to spend money on. The Wii U really left a bad taste in my mouth.

 

[zerocool84]

Is anybody else as worried as much as I am that we are weeks away from launch yet there is still so much we don't know? They still haven't given us official specs on the hardware, no info about the software of the Switch, no online plans, no downloadable games/content info. It still feels like it was rushed into production with how little info we've gotten.

 

[cmdrdredd]

Is anybody else as worried as much as I am that we are weeks away from launch yet there is still so much we don't know? They still haven't given us official specs on the hardware, no info about the software of the Switch, no online plans, no downloadable games/content info. It still feels like it was rushed into production with how little info we've gotten.

Maybe they are afraid to tell people what they are getting. Like mentioned above, they are simply riding on the hype from Zelda.

 

[Aikouka]

I'm mostly worried about the online service. To be fair, the Wii U online service is pretty bad, but the weird smartphone-required online system on the Switch is... strange. I don't know if the point is to allow connectivity anywhere (i.e. Switch tethers through your phone) or just because they wanted to do things differently. We've just gotten to a point where we expect a certain level for online services, but we also realize how bad Nintendo has been, that we don't expect much. However, once you start charging money, it better be similar to the competition that's at the same price point.

 

[nurturedhate]

I just have trouble because there seems to be two different themes in the argument that do not work together.

On the one hand, you have "I have a vast library of games for my Wii U I don't want to give that up so I won't buy a Switch for Zelda!"

On the other, you have "The Wii U sucked, not enough games, I got burned and I won't get burned again, skip the Switch!"

I just don't see both being true. If you did actually buy a library of games for your Wii U, you will probably do the same for the Switch. It can't possibly do worse. OTOH if you didn't buy very many games for your Wii U, then you have nothing to lose by trading it in.

I don't get it either. I have a Wii U. I own about a dozen games not including virtual console stuff (another dozen+ there). I preordered a Switch for Zelda and future titles. I have zero plans to trade my Wii U in. Honestly, I think both are more than likely wrong. Most people I know with a Wii U own a decent number of games. Most people I know with a Wii U also have kids. We aren't trading these in for a Switch. There's a large library of games we currently own, that we play, that our kids play. Why trade it in? My 3yr old doesn't know that Mario game A is older than Mario game B. He doesn't care. My nes, snes, atari, n64, ps1, ps2, 360, ps4, wii (now an emulator for arcade games), and wii u all still work and all get played (except the atari for a lack of a means to connect to a modern tv). These are experiences we get to pass down.

Most of you sound like you treat your consoles like a redbox rental. I played this once, it is no longer of use to me. Dispose of it servant. That's a waste. Maybe I'm just old. Maybe it's the kids. Maybe the majority of my life with games was spent before remasters and remakes existed. I just don't see the point in taking something that a family member or friend can experience and getting rid of it. My kids need to play the SMB3, A link to the past, Castlevania: SotN, Super Metroid, early Final Fantasies, and the list goes on. These experiences are like other forms of art. Do you listen to an album once and trade it in. Eh, I've seen Spaceballs once, no point in watching that again. That logic doesn't make sense to me.

 

[Ancalagon44]

Most of you sound like you treat your consoles like a redbox rental. I played this once, it is no longer of use to me. Dispose of it servant. That's a waste. Maybe I'm just old. Maybe it's the kids. Maybe the majority of my life with games was spent before remasters and remakes existed. I just don't see the point in taking something that a family member or friend can experience and getting rid of it. My kids need to play the SMB3, A link to the past, Castlevania: SotN, Super Metroid, early Final Fantasies, and the list goes on. These experiences are like other forms of art. Do you listen to an album once and trade it in. Eh, I've seen Spaceballs once, no point in watching that again. That logic doesn't make sense to me.

I agree with you to some extent, but I've never quite understood Nintendo's policy of not allowing game license transfer between consoles.

For example: Let's say you bought a VC license to Metroid on your Wii. When you bought your Wii U, you had to buy Metroid again. If you want to move to a Switch, you will need to buy Metroid a third time. Even if you subscribe to their online service, you will only be able to play Metroid while it is the game of the month. And you can't keep it.

Nintendo's nicol and diming when it comes to their old games library is probably the thing I hate most about them. I enjoy some of their games, but their greed when it comes to NES and SNES titles really irritates.

Compare that to Origin - pay $5 per month or whatever it is, and you have free access to ALL games in the Vault. Or, Xbox Live Gold - you get, what, 2 games per month that you keep forever? Or is it 4?

Sure, I like playing old games and I'll happily play them again and again. But, when I buy a game, I don't want to buy it over and over again.

 

[purbeast0]

Is anybody else as worried as much as I am that we are weeks away from launch yet there is still so much we don't know? They still haven't given us official specs on the hardware, no info about the software of the Switch, no online plans, no downloadable games/content info. It still feels like it was rushed into production with how little info we've gotten.

Here is a Q/A with a lot of questions you may be wondering answers for.

http://kotaku.com/nintendo-answers-and-avoids-our-switch-questions-1791402953

(and still wondering answers for after reading it lol)

 

[purbeast0]

I agree with you to some extent, but I've never quite understood Nintendo's policy of not allowing game license transfer between consoles.

For example: Let's say you bought a VC license to Metroid on your Wii. When you bought your Wii U, you had to buy Metroid again. If you want to move to a Switch, you will need to buy Metroid a third time. Even if you subscribe to their online service, you will only be able to play Metroid while it is the game of the month. And you can't keep it.

Nintendo's nicol and diming when it comes to their old games library is probably the thing I hate most about them. I enjoy some of their games, but their greed when it comes to NES and SNES titles really irritates.

Compare that to Origin - pay $5 per month or whatever it is, and you have free access to ALL games in the Vault. Or, Xbox Live Gold - you get, what, 2 games per month that you keep forever? Or is it 4?

Sure, I like playing old games and I'll happily play them again and again. But, when I buy a game, I don't want to buy it over and over again.

That's because they know the Nintendo fanatics are dumb with money and WILL buy the same game 3 times. If people are dumb enough to buy games multiple times and keep on doing it, then why would they stop offering the games? It would be a dumb business decision on their end, it's basically free money.

It's the same with these ridiculous DLC prices and season passes for games, being announced before a game is even finished. They know people will spend money on it, making a $60 game virtually a $100+ game, so it would be dumb not to do it.

It's also the same with the HD remasters. It's basically free money. They barely have to do any work to make these "HD remasters" work on the newer consoles, yet they can reap the benefit of a a full game sales wise. I remember the first one was Super Mario Allstars for SNES. At the time it was a great idea, putting out 3 previous gen classic games + an unreleased version, on a newer console. Now a days they are all over the place, but you typically don't get multiple games, just one. I think the only one that was multiple I can remember is God of War Collection for PS3, which had part 1 and 2 on it.

I personally speak with my wallet on this crap and simply don't support any of it.

 

[nurturedhate]

I agree with you to some extent, but I've never quite understood Nintendo's policy of not allowing game license transfer between consoles.

For example: Let's say you bought a VC license to Metroid on your Wii. When you bought your Wii U, you had to buy Metroid again. If you want to move to a Switch, you will need to buy Metroid a third time. Even if you subscribe to their online service, you will only be able to play Metroid while it is the game of the month. And you can't keep it.

Nintendo's nicol and diming when it comes to their old games library is probably the thing I hate most about them. I enjoy some of their games, but their greed when it comes to NES and SNES titles really irritates.

Compare that to Origin - pay $5 per month or whatever it is, and you have free access to ALL games in the Vault. Or, Xbox Live Gold - you get, what, 2 games per month that you keep forever? Or is it 4?

Sure, I like playing old games and I'll happily play them again and again. But, when I buy a game, I don't want to buy it over and over again.

I agree with this. Most of the games on my virtual console came from when Nintendo would give you points for buying a new game and you could then trade those points in for a game and the couple odd super game boy era games. Luckily I have a decent collection of nes/snes carts.

 

[zerocool84]

Here is a Q/A with a lot of questions you may be wondering answers for.

http://kotaku.com/nintendo-answers-and-avoids-our-switch-questions-1791402953

(and still wondering answers for after reading it lol)

Haha yea I posted that AFTER I read that. It's like they are still figuring everything out. This obviously should have been pushed back for release, for more games and to have everything ready at launch because right off the bat it's at a disadvantage compared to its competition since it's a home console first, not a portable first.

 

[purbeast0]

Haha yea I posted that AFTER I read that. It's like they are still figuring everything out. This obviously should have been pushed back for release, for more games and to have everything ready at launch because right off the bat it's at a disadvantage compared to its competition since it's a home console first, not a portable first.

It's clear this is a rush job to get this out before the end of the fiscal year so that they can please shareholders. There is absolutely no other reason this console should be launching right now lol.

 

[poofyhairguy]

Here is a Q/A with a lot of questions you may be wondering answers for.

Glad they are leaving the door open for both external hard drives and hopefully being able to use the Wii U Gamecube adaptor (must have for GC VC). Plenty of questions still unanswered though, they have to be ready to answer some of this they won't discuss today at E3.

Here is a very interesting hand's on account of the Switch:

http://sourcegaming.info/2017/01/19/switch-impressions-germany-part-1/

Basically is impressed with everything but HD Rumble. Frankly that part of the launch announcement still sticks out to me for how weird it was. Like we want a game counting ice cubes or something.