Switch: The Re-Release Machine

Jellyfishpudding

Limp Gawd
Joined
Oct 12, 2006
Messages
243
Just saw Forbes latest article, calling the Switch a "re-release machine." As much as I enjoy the console, I can see where the attitude is coming from. Amidst slews of 2D indie titles, big name games from western developers stand to be non-existent, save for their ability to cash in on last gen games that can be re-released on the Switch without too much energy. Nintendo is already doing this themselves by recycling Wii U games instead of just adding the virtual console feature. It is already apparent that big name devs are not going to give Switch owners their fill, so it'll be up to Nintendo and their core devs to do that. And if Nintendo, knowing full well what its fans want, ignores its fans, there'll be a ton of unhappy customers before long. That Pokemon Direct a couple of days ago has only set this in motion.

Nintendo has tons of system sellers up their sleeves. Hopefully we'll see some of these surface at E3. They've strung Animal Crossing on way too long to not have a big announcement for it. If they don't, they've totally missed the boat. If all we see at E3 from Nintendo are pushes for the stuff we already know about (Arms, Splatoon 2, Monster Hunter, etc.), I'd say they'll have failed BIG time. My daughter was hoping for a great new Harvest Moon experience. Yet all we're getting is a throwback 2D title??? They can do better. The fact that they are NOT doing better is upsetting.
 
I guess having never owned the Wii U I don't mind this too much (I'd love to see Pikmin 3 and/or a new title for the Switch) but I totally get where you're coming from - if I owned a Wii U I would be pretty pissed, and Nintendo should be better than that.
 
It's Nintendo's audience. They love nostalgia and Nintendo franchises. It'll be interesting if things keep up or is we have a repeat of the Wii. Everyone and their grandma had a Wii collecting dust in a corner and every major new franchise release topped the sales charts...until they didn't.
 
Well, if they stayed in stock long enough I might actually buy one for those re-releases. And I am not going to be paying a penny over MSRP.
 
I do love the Switch. In fact, I'd love to play all my games on it. The hype over the hardware is totally backed up. I've been playing Zelda since launch. I could've finished it by now, but I don't want it to end. Thankfully, there's no shortage of things to do and places to explore. I envy Nintendo for not duplicating PlayStation or Xbox. Games don't have to be blockbusters to be great. But they do need to stay on top of the games that will wow their fan base. Zelda is it as far as I'm concerned. Since they already have Splatoon and Mario nailed down, greater strides need to be taken on the Pokemon and Animal Crossing fronts. A new FPS Metroid would also be great.

Nintendo needs to pull out all the stops for the Switch. Re-releases are fine, but they shouldn't be billed as the reason to buy the console.
 
Yeah, right now for worthwhile Switch-exclusive content you have... Zelda, and that's about it (actually, that is not even exclusive...LOL). Pretty much did everything I wanted to do in Zelda so now the Switch kinda sits there. I am sure more games are coming, but they really should have had a more steady flow of new content. ARMS is coming but I guess I don't have a lot of interest in that.
 
The fragmentation just seems so bizarre to me. There's pretty much no reason to buy a Switch for Zelda, if you already have the Wii U. Then there's the issue with the handheld aspect of it - why is that not being utilized to its fullest extent? Why is Nintendo still pushing 3DS and its IPs, when they have a handheld console that is a clear upgrade over the 3DS? I doubt it has anything to do with the 2nd screen gimmick anymore. The 3D aspect has been long since abandoned - Nintendo pretty much confirmed this with their renewed focus on the 2DS, which, in very much Nintendo style, makes the whole Nintendo ecosystem look even more bemusing. Even the naming scheme isn't spared! Buying a new New 3DS?

I have a 3DS currently. I was interested in the Switch, but until Nintendo maximizes the handheld potential, I'll refrain. The DS family has been a mixed bag, in terms of the dual screen, and the 3D feature.

You have this tiering of similar products, but without any uniformity.
 
I don't see why they've allowed the Pokemon devs to make their games only for the DS. Surely Nintendo is amending this. My daughter who is 12 said that she cannot understand why any amount of time was spent on creating Animal Crossing: Happy Home Designer and Amiibo Festival when they could have been working on what people actually wanted to play. She's also confused by that whole Animal Crossing Plaza feature on the Wii U. It seemed to serve no purpose whatsoever.

As for me, I don't think I would have even entertained the idea of a new console unless I had a commitment from the devs of the biggest franchises to make games for it. What is puzzling is that the devs of these huge franchises are either Nintendo themselves, or rely solely upon Nintendo for their paychecks. And yet they appear to be focusing on games most of us couldn't care less about. Ultra Pokemon Sun and Ultra Pokemon Moon? Still on the DS? And this is a BIG announcement??? They might as well start making Halo and Gears of War games over and over. Oh wait . . . : )
 
All of nintendo's IP suffer from wasted potential. Pokemon has been a rehash of the same core game since Red/Blue release, aside from the ultra-meta competitive/completionist/perfectionist/shiny scene. Zelda finally got modernized but at the cost of significant depth (A BoTW 2 will probably be amazing), Metroid...ugh some serious trash has been made under its name, Star Fox is a mix of both Rehash and trash, Mario... it could be great or it could suck. We won't know till release. And the trickle... oh man the trickle... We might get 4 worthwhile games for the Switch by Summer 2018... maybe?
 
The switch is a novelty console as of now, only time will tell if they can get 3rd party titles to actually develop for it.
 
Give it some time, nintendo is kinda known for slow launches. I bought my wii-u a year after launch and at that point there was a few decent games for it, plus donkey kong and mario kart were being released around the same time if i remember. It seemed like they were catching some momentum, but sadly at that point it just kinda went downhill from there. Im hoping the switch doesnt suffer the same fate, although I honestly think it was a rushed product and should have been pushed back until fall when they actually had some games for a decent launch. Im still kind of surprised they didnt build in 3ds compatability with a split screen mode or something. I probably would have picked one up by now if they did. And finally, it seems shocking they didnt have virtual console ready to go within a few weeks of launch. Im hoping they announce something at e3, but it sounds like even if they do the service might not be available until 2018. Its bad enough the system doesnt have a ton of titles, but at least that could have been offset somewhat by having some of the older catalog available.
 
There are some great $20 indie games whose quality challenges the $60 guns. They'll appear here and there throughout the Switch's lifespan. But you can play most of those elsewhere. I'd say there's no excuse for less than 4 first party game announcements at E3 - all surprises. That's what E3 is for. Sadly, I don't believe there will be any surprises. They've already announced two that will be treated as surprise announcements - Mario/Rabbids and Pokken Tournament DX (recycled Wii U). A third will likely be yet another recycled Wii U game given a slightly different name (Super Mega Smash Bros.) and with the addition of Splatoon or Arms characters. A fourth will also have already been announced, but not yet revealed (Sonic game or Pikmin). And we'll see some new Mario Oddyssey footage for sure. And if there is any talk of a virtual console, it'll be a year before it materializes. These are my predictions.

That leaves Animal Crossing twisting in the wind unless they were smart and whipped together a teaser gameplay trailer. If they did, the Switch will be king. I'd sooner expect an announcement that New Leaf will be remastered for the Switch. That and some new Amiibo figures. That'll give the devs another 5 years to piddle around.
 
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