*** Nintendo Switch ***

[Syph]

I hate the thought of mid-gen upgrades. The PS4/Xbone updates don't sit well with me. I couldn't afford a PS4 any where near launch, let alone to dump and upgrade later on. Might as well spend the difference to go PC.

My only concern with it being a handheld hybrid is we have 3 3DS consoles here, because they're cheap enough to do so. We have a new 3DS, the original and an XL. I guess the NX isn't meant to replace the 3DS though is it?

I'm not sure on the direction of the console here, because the base unit and handheld hybrid might not be cheap, which is how they got away with the Wii (U - if they did?) and is how they sell the 3DS. If it's £350+ but is just a fancier Wii U, but only on a par graphically with the current gen... I don't know the strategy here.

Is the model:

Base unit. Boosts power of the handheld.
Can have multiple handhelds, that can be independent controllers but also (singularly) use the base unit. (eg: I'm out with handheld 1, daughter on AC on her handheld, son uses his in the base unit to play Mario NX on TV)
Additional controllers can be multiple handhelds, or existing peripherals or new simpler peripherals (ie: use Wii U/Wii controllers, Pro controller, new NX controller which is just a Pro but reskinned?)

All the above replaces the Wii U / 3DS in the fullness of time?

 

[Metalface Mark]

Completely wrong.
Every Nintendo console has sold less than the previous one - the Wii was the exception. Not enough people want to play Mario, or they don't want to play it enough to buy another console. Nintendo do need to do things differently as the hardcore gamers aren't going to be playing Nintendo consoles.

Dropping AMD would be a good choice. Nvidia's performance per watt has been far better for years now and that is a key metric for Nintendo.

However they better have something more than a hybrid handheld/console as the selling point as that won't be an easy sell.

I know this is an old post but its also completely wrong.

NES - 61.1 million 1983
gameboy/gameboy color - 118.69 million 1989 (up)
Snes - 49.1 million 1990 (down)
N64 - 32.93 million 32.93 million 1996 (down)
game boy advance - 81.51m 2001 (up)
gamecube - 21.74m 2001 (down)
ds - 154m 2004 (up)
wii - 101m - 2006 (down)
3ds - 59.79m 2011 (down)
wii u - 13m 2012 (down)

When you look at the sales figures it makes sense to go portable - these have been the huge sellers for nintendo since the gameboy came out.

Total handheld sales - 413m
Total console sales - 279m

No brainer really, they know they dont want to compete with Sony and Microsoft for the pc under the TV market and they have enough money to take a punt on reinvigorating the handheld market.

 

[Warbie]

I think he talking about home consoles.

My issue is the direction Nintendo have been going with the games they produce. Initially, with the nes, they targeted gamers. This continued with the snes, N64 and GC. Original, challenging, varied games spread over shed loads of big ips. This is what made Nintendo the name they are. Then, with the Wii, the focus started to shift until we get to the point we're at today - the occasional paint by no.s, lip service release and tonnes of family/party oriented titles. As much as i'd like an uber powerful Nintendo console to rival Sony and MS, i'd be more sold on the NX if they started making games that target gamers again

 

[elh_2009]

I think he talking about home consoles.

My issue is the direction Nintendo have been going with the games they produce. Initially, with the nes, they targeted gamers. This continued with the snes, N64 and GC. Original, challenging, varied games spread over shed loads of big ips. This is what made Nintendo the name they are. Then, with the Wii, the focus started to shift until we get to the point we're at today - the occasional paint by no.s, lip service release and tonnes of family/party oriented titles. As much as i'd like an uber powerful Nintendo console to rival Sony and MS, i'd be more sold on the NX if they started making games that target gamers again

I was saying this to someone the other day, i am a massive Nintendo fan, the NES was my first ever console, well first ever computer and ive had every one since but they need to target on what brough them to the dance in the first place, no one wants another part game or wii sports. The SNES is quite possibly the best console of all time, personally i want a next gen Nintendo thats gonna blow Sony and Microsoft out of the water but its probably not going to happen.

 

[JoeBoi]

Another video from Digital foundry covering the possibly of backwards compatibility.

Wii U can already play those two (with a little bit of modification).

I'd love to play GC games on the go though.

 

[megalomanic]

The Wii U has Wii architecture built in, so it can run Wii/GC games directly off the hardware, more or less. The NX will need to emulate in order to run Wii/GC games, which is more complex.

For me, the 3DS needs a successor more than the WiiU does. Despite the technical inferiority of the WiiU, the 3DS is even more technically inferior, compared to the competition, even when taking into account the pricing. Smartphones half the price have 720p screens and can play HD content... the resolution of the 3DS is ancient by comparison (slightly less than original PSP).

Mobile phones and game consoles are different beasts though. Phones are largely designed to display static/flat images - battery life and keeping cost down becomes an issue when rendering complex 3D at high resolutions on small devices.

The top screen resolution of the 3DS is actually higher than the PSP screen, and don't forget the bottom screen resolution in addition to that - it works out at around 3DS: 268k total (top 192k) pixels, PSP: 130k pixels.
However games are indeed rendered at a lower resolution (96k) for the main screen in 2D - it's in 3D mode that the system has to render two separate images which uses up the extra horizontal pixel space instead of just duplicating it.

It's not a cheap product, but the stereoscopic 3D tech in the 3DS does bump the price up a bit I think.

 

[mahius]

The top screen resolution of the 3DS is actually higher than the PSP screen, and don't forget the bottom screen resolution in addition to that - it works out at around 3DS: 268k total (top 192k) pixels, PSP: 130k pixels.
However games are indeed rendered at a lower resolution (96k) for the main screen in 2D - it's in 3D mode that the system has to render two separate images which uses up the extra horizontal pixel space instead of just duplicating it.

It's not a cheap product, but the stereoscopic 3D tech in the 3DS does bump the price up a bit I think.

The regular resolution of the top screen is 400x240. PSP was 480x272. One of the games that puts this into a better perpective is the Monster Hunter games. They;ve been on both 3DS and PSP and the graphical quality between both platforms looks very similar due to similar resolution. The 3D effect itself is an unwanted and costly gimmick. A few people actually like it, but most of use don't and never use it.

Which is why the 2DS released and for such a very cheap price. And it's a surprisingly popular model too, despite the wierd visual design.

 

[megalomanic]

The top screen on 3DS is actually 800x240 rectangular pixels.

Only 400x240 are rendered when playing in 2D, or perceived if playing in 3D, but 800x240 are always displayed on screen with pixels being duplicated horizontally when in 2D.

I was replying on the point of screen resolution/price comparison between devices, which is different to graphics resolution. For the 3D technique to work like it does, the screen resolution must be higher than the render resolution per image frame.

 

[Bossk128]

The regular resolution of the top screen is 400x240. PSP was 480x272. One of the games that puts this into a better perpective is the Monster Hunter games. They;ve been on both 3DS and PSP and the graphical quality between both platforms looks very similar due to similar resolution. The 3D effect itself is an unwanted and costly gimmick. A few people actually like it, but most of use don't and never use it.

Which is why the 2DS released and for such a very cheap price. And it's a surprisingly popular model too, despite the wierd visual design.

Sorry, you must have forgotten to poll me. I use 3D and enjoy it, not for everything, but I'd much prefer a 3DS to a 2DS regardless of the form factor.

 

[mahius]

Sorry, you must have forgotten to poll me. I use 3D and enjoy it, not for everything, but I'd much prefer a 3DS to a 2DS regardless of the form factor.

A few people actually like it

You were saying...

Anyhow, someone also made a point about pricing of the resolution. We've got £100 smartphones with 720p resolution and PSVita at a similar price to 3DS at 576p. Except neither of those really has any good games on it. I really don't see how the 'new' 3DS models manage to cost what they do these days. Surely the tech doesn't cost that much? All the more reason to get rid of the gimmicks, or at least make them an option. Since most folks just want to play the games, which there are many good ones.

How many folks who play the likes of Monster Hunter and Pokemon play with 3D on? I know there's Youtube video guides of 'increasing' FPS on those games that include turning off 3D.

And once again, I must disclose my bias, since I dislike Nintendo's recent handhelds. So obviously I'd say negative things about the 3DS (despite owning one and playing on it fairly often). So ingest this comment with a dash of salt.

 

[JoeBoi]

Salty.

 

[ThestigGT999]

Retailers are heading to Nintendo Europe in Germany for undisclosed reason

According to the rumor on GAF, the retailers signed NDAs, and that an announcement for "something" will occur in a few days. May not necessarily be the NX, but it's definitely notable.

 

[merlin]

More rumours it's a hybrid thanks to the Pokémon CEO having loose lips.

It's 99.9% confirmed a hybrid, so the real question now is........does the dock boost the processing? Please let it be, I sooooo want the dock to contain supplementary cpugpu/storage/ram/inputs/gubbins.

 

[ak22]

+1 I am hoping its like Razor core.. I don't game on handhelds and would hate to miss out on proper home console....

 

[Warbie]

It just has to match the current PS4 and XB1 powerwise for 3rd party games to appear. That's all it needs to stand a chance.

 

[mahius]

It just has to match the current PS4 and XB1 powerwise for 3rd party games to appear. That's all it needs to stand a chance.

Until 3rd party later drops it when PS4Pro and Scorpio get in full swing. Firepower is not Nintendo's forte. It once was, but not these days...

For the love of video games, can they please make sure that NX games have splitscreen/local multiplayer. It's dying out on the other 2, I've got no local multiplayer PS4 games myself.

 

[The Seventh One]

For the love of video games, can they please make sure that NX games have splitscreen/local multiplayer. It's dying out on the other 2, I've got no local multiplayer PS4 games myself.

I agree, especially if it's a handheld hybrid like heavily rumoured. Would be great to take it on the go and play locally with friends/family. Obviously the DS does this already but you don't really get the same level of games you do on home consoles and it's not "mainstream" enough at least with my circle of friends to where every man and his dog has one.

If you haven't played it already, Diablo 3 does an excellent job at local play on PS4 if you're into that genre. Me and the Mrs have been having a blast on that lately.

 

[doodah]

Wasn't the announcement meant to have been around now?

 

[merlin]

Wasn't the announcement meant to have been around now?

Autumn was the expectation, so.......soon, real soon.

 

[Fallen god]

Stupid question but would this likely run DS games, or just Wii games