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Don't Call Switch a Tablet, Also It's Not Here To Oust the 3DS, Says Nintendo (cnet.com)

An anonymous reader shares a report on CNET: Don't call the new Nintendo Switch a tablet. And don't assume the shape-shifting device for gamers will replace the company's popular 3DS handheld, Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aime said in an interview with CNET. With its latest gadget, Nintendo is playing to win the same game it has for decades: the one that takes place in your living room. "The form factor may be that it looks like [a tablet]," he said. "But...it's a home console that you can take with you and play anywhere with anyone." [...] "With Zelda, with Kart, with Xenoblade, I think the initial consumer for Switch will be more young adults with disposable incomes, given the price points and the large library," Fils-Aime said. That doesn't mean Nintendo is ditching its core audience. The company will continue to skew toward a younger crowd with the 3DS. "In the end, we want people of all ages engaging with Mario and Zelda and the content that's available across both platforms," Fils-Aime said.

116 comments

  1. Don't call it a tablet? by CajunArson · · Score: 1

    As LL Cool-J would say: Don't call it a comeback!

    (because this product ain't a comeback).

    --
    AntiFA: An abbreviation for Anti First Amendment.
    1. Re:Don't call it a tablet? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It's a coblet.

    2. Re:Don't call it a tablet? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      They've been here for years. And now they're rocking their fans (pants?) with something severe.

    3. Re:Don't call it a tablet? by elrous0 · · Score: 4, Funny

      I'll call it what I've called every new Nintendo console in the 21st Century: An answer to a question that no one asked.

      No One: "Hey could you make us an overpriced handheld that also doubles as an under-powered console?"

      Nintendo: "Sure!"

      --
      SJW: Someone who has run out of real oppression, and has to fake it.
    4. Re:Don't call it a tablet? by elrous0 · · Score: 3, Insightful

      No One: "Oh, and could you also throw in a monthly fee for online multiplayer like Xbox Live and PSN, but make us use our iPhones for basic features that those services have provided for fifteen years now, like voice chat and matchmaking?"

      Nintendo: "Yep, gotcha...."

      No One: "And can you make it so we can't just transfer over all our Virtual Console games, so we have to buy them all over again?"

      Nintendo: "We hear you. No problem."

      --
      SJW: Someone who has run out of real oppression, and has to fake it.
    5. Re:Don't call it a tablet? by guises · · Score: 1

      Well... This may be a reasonable thing to say under the circumstances. It has the tablet form factor and a touch screen, but reportedly not one of the launch titles make use of the touch screen. Also since games are intended to be playable docked, with no touch screen available, we can probably expect the touch functionality to be limited to menus.

      With no touch and no touch-based software, nothing about this thing resembles an oversized smartphone. "Don't call it a tablet." seems to be accurate.

    6. Re:Don't call it a tablet? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      "No One: "Oh, and could you also throw in a monthly fee for online multiplayer like Xbox Live and PSN, but make us use our iPhones for basic features that those services have provided for fifteen years now, like voice chat and matchmaking?""

      While I don't condone Nintendo for online multiplayer, where were all of you when Sony and Microsoft told you to pay for online multiplayer?
      Nintendo, in this case, is simply following what you people let them made into a norm.
      Yet it's really annoying Sony and Microsoft don't get so much shit for it, but Nintendo does.

    7. Re: Don't call it a tablet? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Actually, the more I think about it the more it becomes clear this product was designed to fight the stranglehold Sony has in Japan with the Vita. Also, this means that the Switch will end up competing directly with the 3DS despite what they're saying.

    8. Re: Don't call it a tablet? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Pretty sure EVERY Otaku in Japan is asking for exactly what you just said no one wants. Take a guess what handheld they all have over there, and here's a hint: it's NOT the 3DS.

  2. Sorry Nintendo... by MitchDev · · Score: 2

    It's a New New 2DS with an dock for outputting to a TV....

    1. Re:Sorry Nintendo... by e3m4n · · Score: 1

      hopefully more of a WiiU where the gamepad IS the console. 3DS games, even for the same titles, are watered down half-ass versions of the same full-featured counterparts. I dont like PS Vita or 3DS games, because the games are gimped. The argument that it was a limitation of space and size has been crap since ipad2/iphone4 era. If I can play the full version of FinalFantasy IV on the ipad2 3yrs ago why does the 3DS version suck so bad? The hardware in a 3DS blows the doors off the SNES. No excuse besides laziness and convenience IMO. Its about time someone at these game companies came to the same realization.

    2. Re:Sorry Nintendo... by MitchDev · · Score: 1

      Not holding my breath on the Switch tablet...

    3. Re:Sorry Nintendo... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The argument that it was a limitation of space and size has been crap since ipad2/iphone4 era.

      I am guessing that you are not aware that, when those products were released, they cost 2-3x how much a 3DS costs. Because if you were aware of that fact, then that would mean you are being deliberately deceptive in your hardware comparison with the 3DS.

  3. If it walks like a duck... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    Let's see: it's mobile, it's underpowered, and it happens to be able to plug into your TV. Yup, it's a 3DS replacement that gets rid of the 3D gimmick in favor of motion control.

    1. Re:If it walks like a duck... by darkain · · Score: 2

      "in favor of motion control" - But the 3DS already had the accelerometer and gyroscope. This is more like "in favor is single-system multiplayer"

  4. Re:how about i call it a failure by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    How about learn to write in proper english first?

  5. I only want one thing by Yvan256 · · Score: 3, Insightful

    A good, real Metroid game. None of this "Federation Force" stuff.

    1. Re:I only want one thing by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Metroid will forever be 2D for me.

      Prime just felt lame and hard to control. I tried again with Prime 3, but alas, they hadn't fixed anything.

      The GBA ones were good. The NES and GB ones were great. And nothing beats good ol' Metroid 3 (a.k.a. Super Metroid). If you want proof, just watch any of the GDQ's and see what their "main event" is to cap off their marathons. It's always Super Metroid in some configuration or another. That game was just a masterpiece.

      Metroid will forever be 2D for me.

      DEER FORCE!

    2. Re: I only want one thing by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Mario, Zelda, Metroid...all great 2D games AND 3D games.

      Prime 3 was not a good game though.

    3. Re:I only want one thing by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      GDQ ends with Deer Force because it's tradition, and because Save vs Kill always pulls in stupid amounts of donations. It's been getting stale, and with how super srs guise the runners treated the race, I'm glad they broke tradition and capped the event with Undertale. I'm so incredibly glad the marathon didn't end on the run where couchdouche told the audience to kill themselves, and all the fun was sucked out of the room.

    4. Re:I only want one thing by Eloking · · Score: 1

      Metroid will forever be 2D for me.

      Prime just felt lame and hard to control. I tried again with Prime 3, but alas, they hadn't fixed anything.

      The GBA ones were good. The NES and GB ones were great. And nothing beats good ol' Metroid 3 (a.k.a. Super Metroid). If you want proof, just watch any of the GDQ's and see what their "main event" is to cap off their marathons. It's always Super Metroid in some configuration or another. That game was just a masterpiece.

      Metroid will forever be 2D for me.

      DEER FORCE!

      So basically, follow the trail of Megaman? Those type of 2D scrolling game doesn't age well.

      Personally I find that Metroid Prime was one of the most impressing revival of the videogame history and it completely transformed a series that became one of Nintendo's strongest. I'm just a little sad that they dropped the ball after Metroid Prime 3. As for "Federation Force", I find that the initial idea was a great way to restart the franchise again, but it was poorly done.

      --
      Elok
    5. Re:I only want one thing by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Prime 1 was pretty badass. Prime 2 was ruined by the "light/dark" bullshit design that forced you to stop and wait to recharge constantly and hindered exploration.

    6. Re:I only want one thing by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I'm pretty sure it wasn't the runners themselves telling the event organizers to yell at the crowd for applauding during the Super Metroid 4-way race.

      The organizers are scummy SJW shit that take giant portions of the donations for themselves.

    7. Re:I only want one thing by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Those type of 2D scrolling game doesn't age well.

      What do you mean?
      Do you mean that people don't like going back to the originals? I think the success of the NES Classic kinda proves that wrong.
      Or maybe you mean that new games that mimic that style always fail? If so, may I present to you Axiom Verge?

    8. Re:I only want one thing by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      If you find yourself having to stop and recharge constantly, you're doing it wrong... it's very easy to keep your ammo up if you know what you're doing.

  6. Re:how about i call it a failure by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    how about u capilatize ur proper nowns faget

  7. Sure, let's call it correctly by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    Useless CRAP, with lower computing power than three-year old PS4 and Xbox One, at an even higher price.

    1. Re:Sure, let's call it correctly by rwven · · Score: 1

      And yet it'll still sell like crazy when it launches.

    2. Re:Sure, let's call it correctly by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Overpriced, underpowered, and distinguishable only by gimmickry? If it had an Apple label, fanboys would be all over it.

    3. Re:Sure, let's call it correctly by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Well, we'll see. You're making the assumption that it is a "3DS 2.0", so it is supposed to sell roughly the same (i.e., a lot). Firstly, the gaming industry landscape has changed dramatically since the 3DS was launched, now mobile gaming is mostly done on smartphones, secondly, many other people see the Switch as a "Wii U portable" instead, so there's no reason why it shouldn't replicate the same commercial failure.

      I love Nintendo traditional games (Mario, Zelda), but I really think that this time they are really exaggerating with their "We're different" culture, just like they did with the Wii U.

    4. Re:Sure, let's call it correctly by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I think the only real question is how large the market segment of loyal Nintendo customers with plenty of disposable income is. I'll get a Switch- the only thing that might stop me are reviews that read something like 'we tried to turn on 100 of these and all 100 didn't boot.' Regardless of whether any of their hardware has been truly top-notch, each and every system has had a few gems here and there. Shoot, the HD re-release of Zelda Wind Waker was worth every penny I spent on a WiiU that game is so beautiful.

    5. Re:Sure, let's call it correctly by thegarbz · · Score: 1

      Useless CRAP, with lower computing power than three-year old PS4 and Xbox One, at an even higher price.

      Implying that the existence of high computing power intrinsically makes a game fun and worth playing? Man you must live a sad life.

    6. Re:Sure, let's call it correctly by elrous0 · · Score: 1

      Yeah, but they're also throwing in great new services like Xbox-Live-circa-2003 and a wonderful opportunity to buy all of your old Nintendo Virtual Console games all over again!

      --
      SJW: Someone who has run out of real oppression, and has to fake it.
    7. Re:Sure, let's call it correctly by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Xbox-Live-circa-2003

      Only without annoyances like built-in voice chat and matchmaking. But hey, there's an iPhone app for that!

    8. Re:Sure, let's call it correctly by newcastlejon · · Score: 1

      And yet it'll still sell like crazy when it launches.

      Like the Wii U?

      --
      If God forks the Universe every time you roll a die, he'd better have a damned good memory.
    9. Re:Sure, let's call it correctly by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      For me, at $299 it comes down to how much 3rd party support Nintendo manages to keep around for this thing. I like me some Mario and Zelda, but $300 is a big ask for a system if it doesn't end up being good for much else. The 3rd party support for the Wii and Wii U was pretty abysmal, apart from Shovel-ware and Toys-to-Life games. Looking at this thing, the hardware features aren't that oddball, from the standpoint of porting something like Call of Duty to it.

    10. Re:Sure, let's call it correctly by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      If it had an Apple label, fanboys would be all over it.

      Alas, it merely has a Nintendo label, meaning that fanboys... will still be all over it. :P

    11. Re: Sure, let's call it correctly by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      More accurately, all he plays is Vita games from Japan.

    12. Re:Sure, let's call it correctly by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      if your willing to pay $299 just to play 1 game, then we know your an idiot, an idiot who is paid well beyond his worth by an idiot.

      can I have the name of your boss, I have a bridge to sell him

    13. Re:Sure, let's call it correctly by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I give up. Why shouldn't "fan boys" buy it, and why shouldn't "fan boys" exist? Oh, you're a fan of Nintendo and NIntendo games and you want to buy the latest Nintendo and some games for it? You're a fan boy. Umm.. ok?

  8. Tablet by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Tablet, Tablet, Tablet, Tablet, Tablet, Tablet, Tablet, Tablet, Tablet, Tablet, *Breath*, Tablet, Tablet, Tablet, Tablet, Tablet, Tablet, Tablet, Tablet, Tablet, Tablet, Tablet, Tablet, Tablet, Tablet....

    Whatchya gonna do about it?

    Sincerely,
    Sony

  9. But it is a tablet by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    It's just one tied into Nintendo's platform and services. In other respects there is nothing remarkable about it.

  10. Yes, but no ... by jxander · · Score: 3, Interesting

    It's exactly like a 3DS, except without 3D, and doesn't fold in half, and has removable controllers, and supports couch multiplayer, and ... well they both play games, so there's that.

    It does kind of resemble a tablet, except it's a tablet with actual joystick and button input, instead of touch screen garbage. And honestly, that alone sounds like everything I've ever wanted from a tablet.

    --
    This signature is false.
    1. Re:Yes, but no ... by tepples · · Score: 1

      it's a tablet with actual joystick and button input, instead of touch screen garbage. And honestly, that alone sounds like everything I've ever wanted from a tablet.

      Didn't the Archos GamePad, the NVIDIA Shield, and a bunch of Android tablets by JXD do that?

    2. Re:Yes, but no ... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It's also more the size of a large phone, not a tablet. It's flat out, NOT a tablet.

    3. Re:Yes, but no ... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      except it's a tablet with actual joystick and button input

      You could get any tablet and add an iPega 9023 controller.

    4. Re:Yes, but no ... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Shhh, don't tell Nintendo.

  11. Not Here To Oust the 3DS, by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    How convenient. The switch won't be ousting smartphone gaming, tablet gaming, console gaming, or beer pong. It's a niche product for a niche that doesn't exist.

    1. Re: Not Here To Oust the 3DS, by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You may be spoiled by the stranglehold the 3DS had in America, but in Japan EVERYONE has a Vita. The Switch is meant to compete with that.

  12. Re:how about i call it a failure by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    English is only a proper noun if referring to the english people, not the language.

  13. Just like the DS... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    ...wasnt competing with the Gameboy line!

  14. Not a replacement.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    ...so there'll be an updated "new" 3DS then? Or cross 'console' (WiiU, 3DS & Switch) play? Not gonna hold my breath.

  15. Sure... by kevmatic · · Score: 1

    Sure, I believe you, Nintendo. Just like you said its not a replacement to the Wii U. Its not replacing the Wii U, they just stopped all development on the Wii U in the months leading up to Switch launch. Big difference, see!

    Really, it damn well should be a replacement for the 3ds because that's the only way they're going to get 3rd party support- by migrating all the 3ds third party support to it.

    Getting HD versions of franchises that are on the 3ds today like Fire Emblem and Monster Hunter is the only way I'll consider buying it, really. Nintendo doesn't have the game output to sustain 2 separate, incompatible pieces of hardware all by their lonesome.

    1. Re:Sure... by elrous0 · · Score: 1

      What it really is is just a backdoor way for Nintendo to leave the console market, while saving face. They get to leave the console market while claiming that TECHNICALLY they didn't. Unfortunately, it will probably do damage to their handheld line too. But with Sony seemingly throwing in the towel in the handheld market, they don't have any real competition to exploit this weakness.

      --
      SJW: Someone who has run out of real oppression, and has to fake it.
    2. Re: Sure... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      News flash: Sony has been killing it in Japan with the Vita. Nobody over there has a 3DS. Visual output of the Vita absolutely destroys the 3DS and a culture that feasts on graphics above all reason will favor games made on the system that makes it look prettier.

    3. Re:Sure... by CronoCloud · · Score: 1

      Getting HD versions of franchises that are on the 3ds today like Fire Emblem and Monster Hunter

      We could have had those things years ago if Japanese developers weren't so stuck in the past with their development practices and weren't so Japan-centric and actually made versions of those games for the mainline consoles.

  16. Really? by aglider · · Score: 1

    Not to oust the 3ds? You make me laugh, Nintendo!

    --
    Sent as ripples into the electromagnetic field. No single photon has been harmed in the process.
  17. I don't get it... but maybe I'm not supposed to by Somebody+Is+Using+My · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I don't really see the point of the Switch, for either Nintendo or its customers.

    It wants to be a home-console system, except without the power to match the PS4 or XBox360, and without the huge line-up of games.

    It also wants to be a portable, except without the convenient "drop-in-your-pocket" size, the ruggedness or (comparative) cheapness (enough that you can give it to your 10-year old without worrying if he'll break or lose it) of the DS line.

    It wants to be a tablet, except without all the extra non-gaming features (email, Facebook, chat, web, even word processing) that modern tablets offer.

    And while its controllers are "neat", they look - and early reports confirm, feel - terrible to play with over long periods of time.

    Frankly, I think Nintendo would have been just as well to release a slightly updated version of the Wii and the 3DS and call it a day. Combining both lines into one jack-of-all-trades/master-of-none just doesn't seem to be a winning move. Nintendo seems to be sacrificing both lines - despite their claims that it is not a replacement for the DS - on the altar of the Switch.

    Then again, I'll be the first to admit that I'm not anywhere near Nintendo's target market; I'm not ten years old . The requirements and likes of those markets are about as far from mine as you can probably get. The Wii and its games were amazingly popular with the pre-teen crowd and arguably the Switch is exactly what the kids want. But as a parent, I'd dread giving my kids a $300 portable device that looks as if it would snap in half if dropped (say what you want about the controls and graphics of the DS line, those things could take a beating).

    1. Re:I don't get it... but maybe I'm not supposed to by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Nintendo lost it's way since the NES. Once the king, but now they just hold onto a portion of the market. Since the NES, they haven't had a handle on good hardware. The Super NES was good, but crippled by the fact that MODE 7 could only scale and rotate backgrounds, not sprites. Then they had the N64 with its cartridges and ridiculous 4kb texture limit. The gamecube? To late to the party. The Wii had an innovative controller, but weak hardware. Now they're chasing the mobile gaming market. It's sad.

    2. Re:I don't get it... but maybe I'm not supposed to by TodPunk · · Score: 1

      I can help you out here.

      - Games don't need to be played on powerful systems to be performant, pretty, and fun. Nintendo has essentially built their company on this premise.
      - Portability here is for lan-party-esque participation, not "stand in line at the DMV" participation. You could use it in line at the DMV, but that's not its design.
      - It has no desire to be a tablet, regardless of our many uses of that term.
      - Nay-sayers about Nintendo's controls have basically been wrong every time. It's odd, not silly; it's different, not bad.
      - The core demographic of Nintendo lines are not children, they are families and 20-somethings that aren't into whatever the latest Call of Duty is.

      It is important when discussing poignant points like you have presented that we understand that Nintendo sells most of their consoles at a profit while Xbox and Playstation have largely been subsidized, and yet Nintendo still sells. They don't need to have the "market share" or whatever. They don't overlap as much as people seem to think. It's very difficult to play an XBox One or PS4 with my kids on the couch. That demographic is smaller than the disposable income single-player demo.

      If you don't want to hear what was done to your mother by a 12 year old, but want to play with others, Nintendo is the console to fulfill that. If you want good single player experiences, all the consoles have various offerings and what will satisfy you will be different based on what you're looking for. If you want the nostalgic IP of your childhood (assuming you grew up playing games) you also tend to gravitate toward Nintendo, with the notable, constant exception of Final Fantasy if that was your thing in days past.

      I have friends who are die-hard Nintendo fan-boys and can't take discussing Nintendo's lacks (like their inability to understand online play, or account management, or the expense of having to own 4 copies of a game if you and your kids want to play through a game together on a 3DS or something). Nintendo definitely does have downsides. That said, the dollars have spoken and Nintendo still seems to have quite a bit of value that the arm-chair "this console sucks" crowd seems to give them credit for. It might be worth-while not to discount that.

      --
      This forum Sig is licensed under the LGPL.
    3. Re:I don't get it... but maybe I'm not supposed to by thegarbz · · Score: 1

      Let's show you the point:

      1. Home consoles don't need to be powerful. Nintendo has no problem creating fun games without AAA graphic designers spending years and millions of dollars to crank out something boring that causes the studio to go bankrupt.

      2. Not all portable things go in your pocket. You don't complain that your laptop can't fit in your pocket do you? Not all portable devices need to be carried with you in a train to some foreign destination. The ability to pick up a device and move it into the next room is sometimes quite valuable.

      3. It does not want to be a tablet. I thought the summary made that clear. At no point did they show of "tablet" features.

      4. No comment yet.

      What you're missing is that this IS an updated version of the Wii which already explored most of the concepts you mention but none the less remained tethered to a radius around the console and suffered from a crappy screen.

      What Nintendo are missing is a decent game lineup for launch.

    4. Re:I don't get it... but maybe I'm not supposed to by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The 3DS line hasn't been something you can drop in most pockets for years anyway. Particularly not the XL, which was my best experience with the line.

      I don't think they're doing themselves any favors trying to compete with Microsoft and Sony as a home console in terms of power and graphics, but that's been accurate for more than a decade now. Committing to doing so is a course for failure.

      I didn't own a Wii, and don't own a Wii U, but I'm planning on getting a Switch somewhere down the road (once the library is built up and maybe a price drop). My ideal world would be one in which Nintendo was just a game developer, because they consistently put out fun, mechanically well-honed, polished games with a sense of whimsy you don't get anywhere else. I think there's a definite usecase for "more powerful mobile and more available than home console" that isn't being tapped into by a non-existing tablet gaming market.

      Call me 10 all you like, but I don't think you need to be a schoolkid to enjoy a well made Mario platformer.

      (The controllers are fairly dumb, and everything they've said about their online service leads me to believe they don't have the foggiest idea what they're doing)

    5. Re:I don't get it... but maybe I'm not supposed to by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I don't think the portable convenience will really be an issue. Aside from a sweet spot around the GBA/SP and PSP GO machines, "drop-in-your-pocket" has not been a real selling point. If you don't wear cargo pants or a jacket with deep pockets, or carry a purse, every other Gameboy or PSP is uncomfortable at best to be that portable (and almost every one I've owned has been damaged by trying). For a lot of people, being able to fit it in the smallest messenger bag, backpack, or carry on you can find is portable enough. Which the Switch is, but so are tablets and some laptops. So even if they don't want us to call the Switch a tablet just because it looks like one and basically performs like one, it will be directly competing with them until they make it stand out on it's own.

    6. Re:I don't get it... but maybe I'm not supposed to by jxander · · Score: 1

      The fact that it's not trying to compete with PS/Xbox in the horsepower category is a good thing. Any halfway-decent PC is going to trounce them all anyway, so they're all struggling and scraping for 2nd place at best, meanwhile sacrificing things like fun and playability. I would much rather have a console that plays sprite games at 60fps 1080p, instead of one that tries to render photo-realistic images and struggles to reach even 30fps at 720p, because cheap graphics tend to leave more room in the budget for innovative gameplay, interesting mechanics, and general fun, instead of blowing the entire wad on the aforementioned graphics, only to be left with another samey cover-based-shooter clone.

      Of note: I'm not 10 either. I'm in my mid 30s. I grew up playing games like Mario and FF3 (6). Hence my inclinations towards good gameplay over good graphics. I could totally see Locke wink and waggling a disappointed finger, even if it was just a single pixel moving back and forth. I don't need every pore and fingerprint rendered for me. (fun fact: the entire Super Mario Brothers game took less space than a single JPG screenshot of that game today.)

      Also, the Wii wasn't just amazing popular with Pre-teens. It was popular with EVERYONE. My grandpa's 55+ community had one in their clubhouse; it still gets used to this day. We actually dusted off the old Wii just a few weeks ago for New Years: Mario Party, MonkeyBall and Wii Sports until the ball dropped, with four generations ranging from ages 6 to 86, all having a blast. Nintendo focused on simple FUN, and absolutely destroyed the much more powerful competition of the time.

      --
      This signature is false.
    7. Re:I don't get it... but maybe I'm not supposed to by elrous0 · · Score: 2

      Games don't need to be played on powerful systems to be performant, pretty, and fun.

      Man, I'm sick of that argument. Nintendo fans has been saying that for over 15 years now, and it's still just as silly as it was back when Nintendo basically gave up trying to compete with Sony.

      Yes, you can still have fun with an old Pong console from 1977. But if you release it to compete with modern consoles, no one is going to pay $300 for it.

      The core demographic of Nintendo lines are not children, they are families and 20-somethings that aren't into whatever the latest Call of Duty is.

      No, their core demographics are kids and nostalgic adults who won't grow up.

      It is important when discussing poignant points like you have presented that we understand that Nintendo sells most of their consoles at a profit while Xbox and Playstation have largely been subsidized, and yet Nintendo still sells.

      Actually, from what I understand that hasn't been true for several years now. They've been losing money on the WiiU from the get-go. The 3DS and a big bankroll they had saved up has basically been keeping them afloat.

      --
      SJW: Someone who has run out of real oppression, and has to fake it.
    8. Re:I don't get it... but maybe I'm not supposed to by tepples · · Score: 1

      The Super NES was good, but crippled by the fact that MODE 7 could only scale and rotate backgrounds, not sprites.

      In the same generation, Genesis needed the Sega CD peripheral to rotate anything, and though Neo Geo could scale, it couldn't rotate and was too expensive for most players.

    9. Re:I don't get it... but maybe I'm not supposed to by tepples · · Score: 1

      the expense of having to own 4 copies of a game if you and your kids want to play through a game together

      That's what Steam sales are for: four copies at $10 each are cheaper than one full-priced copy at $60.

    10. Re:I don't get it... but maybe I'm not supposed to by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You value graphics. Not everybody does. Nintendo has always had a cartoonish aesthetic about their games. They aren't trying to be hyper realistic, they never have. I seriously don't get where this "competing on graphics" thing came from. I owned a NES as a child. I owned a SNES as a teen. Back in the SNES days people who I believe to be people like you always said "Why have a SNES, Sega has better graphics". Nintendo has literally never been top tier graphics except possibly for the original NES, at which point I honestly can't tell as I was too young.

      And Nintendos demographic is very much families and though I won't say "20 somethings that aren't into whatever the latest Call of Duty is", I would say "people who aren't into whatever the latest Call of Duty is". I'm a fairly hardcore gamer, I've got the beefy PC and ripped through The Witcher 3, Dark Souls 3, etc, and I have no interest in a XBone or a PS4. Their graphics suck. They try to be a PC and fail miserably. All the bad of PC gaming with none of the good. But the Switch is the first console that I'm interested in buying in quite some time. Their art style doesn't need high end graphics. They aren't trying to be PC gaming. They're trying to be their own thing and it appeals to me.

      And the Wii U from my understanding was sold at a profit from day 1. Unless you can provide a source to counter this, then I'm going to be skeptical of your claim. I seem to recall Nintendo actually bragging about that on the release of the Wii U.

    11. Re:I don't get it... but maybe I'm not supposed to by TodPunk · · Score: 1

      The WiiU is actually an exception here, as it was sold at a loss for a good while: http://arstechnica.com/gaming/...

      The idea being presented by elrous0 is that this somehow means it's an equivalent loss and invalidates Nintendo's profitable console sales outside this exception. I built into my original point that it was only "most" of their console sales were at a profit, because these and certain temporary sales have been exceptions to that. His packaging of his point is false, though, and his point doesn't really invalidate or even deal with mine.

      This isn't twitter, we can speak to nuance here, and he's choosing not to for argument's sake.

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    12. Re:I don't get it... but maybe I'm not supposed to by TodPunk · · Score: 1

      Yes, this is why my family is primarily PC gamers. $500ish PCs for the kids and these kinds of sales (as well as GOG and Humble Bundle DRM free games) are much more feasible here. We do the 3DS thing for Smash and Mario Kart though, which is nice on road trips.

      --
      This forum Sig is licensed under the LGPL.
    13. Re:I don't get it... but maybe I'm not supposed to by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Let's see.....

      The Wii far outsold the XBox360
      The DS far outsold the PSP.

      Both were "inferior" in technical capabilities.

          The XBOXone still has yet to outsell the Wii u.... And it is vastly superior.

        It sounds like there is more to success than how many versions of Halo you can release...

    14. Re:I don't get it... but maybe I'm not supposed to by radish · · Score: 1

      Your numbers are crap. Yes, the Wii outsold basically everything, it was a huge hit. It was also TEN YEARS AGO. Yes the DS/3DS sell great, no doubt. But in the current home console space Nintendo are failing spectacularly.

      According to Nintendo themselves, the Wii U has sold 13.4 million units worldwide. Sony and Microsoft don't publish hard numbers, but most estimates have the Xbox One at around 25 million and PS4 at around 49 million. Or a total "not Nintendo" of 74 million. This is despite the Wii U launching a full year earlier than the Xbox One and PS4.

      --

      ---- Den ene knappen er powerknapp, den andre er Bender voice knapp "Bite My Shiny Metal Ass"

    15. Re:I don't get it... but maybe I'm not supposed to by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      and what your missing is it will only have 3 games worth playing, 2 mario ones and a zelda one, the rest will be like the Wii's shit shovel-ware. ( i bought a wii for the kids the ONLY games worth getting/playing were nintendo's, the 3rd party stuff was just piles of stinking shit.)

      Just face facts it's a pile of shit at a way too high price.

      it's a down-clocked nvida shield tv rammed in a low rez tablet, with controllers designed just for Trump's weirdly small hands.

      only idiots still living in the 80's/90's will buy it.

    16. Re:I don't get it... but maybe I'm not supposed to by CronoCloud · · Score: 1

      that Nintendo sells most of their consoles at a profit while Xbox and Playstation have largely been subsidized

      Not the PS4, that thing has sold at a profit since day 1, which is something that couldn't be said for the Wii U.

      It's very difficult to play an XBox One or PS4 with my kids on the couch.

      How so? Playing Disney Infinity, Skylanders, Lego-whatever, Uno or Minecraft on a PS4 is no different from playing it on a Wii-U. I think you're letting your "Nintendo Nostalgia" cloud your objectivity on "family friendly"

      If you don't want to hear what was done to your mother by a 12 year old, but want to play with others, Nintendo is the console to fulfill that.

      You're letting your Nintendo Nostalgia cloud your objectivity again. It is quite possible to play online on non-Nintendo platforms and not have that issue. Besides the fact that certain games are simply not available on Nintendo platforms. After all, if you want to play War Thunder, Star Trek Online, The Elder Scrolls Online, DC Universe Online, Diablo Ultimate Evil Edition, FFXIV.....they're not available on the Wii-U.

      If you want the nostalgic IP of your childhood (assuming you grew up playing games) you also tend to gravitate toward Nintendo,

      There were them new-fangled video games on the TV box before Nintendo, whippersnapper. I was old enough to VOTE before Nintendo released the NES in the US. So some us DON'T have that childhood nostalgia for Nintendo.

    17. Re:I don't get it... but maybe I'm not supposed to by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      But as a parent, I'd dread giving my kids a $300 portable device that looks as if it would snap in half if dropped

      Doesn't matter.
      Since you are a parent, here is your system selling feature. A linked parental control app.

      Blasphemous as it is, if aired on TV, this ad will ship millions of units.

    18. Re:I don't get it... but maybe I'm not supposed to by CronoCloud · · Score: 1

      Nintendo has always had a cartoonish aesthetic about their games. They aren't trying to be hyper realistic, they never have. I seriously don't get where this "competing on graphics" thing came from.

      Nintendo most certainly tried to compete on graphics with the NES, SNES, N64 and Gamecube. After all, the codename for the N64 was "Project Reality"

      Back in the SNES days people who I believe to be people like you always said "Why have a SNES, Sega has better graphics". Nintendo has literally never been top tier graphics except possibly for the original NES, at which point I honestly can't tell as I was too young.

      The NES wasn't quite as graphically capable as the Sega Master System, it does have better sound though. The SNES however is a different beast and does have superior graphics and sound to the Genesis.

    19. Re:I don't get it... but maybe I'm not supposed to by CronoCloud · · Score: 1

      I grew up playing games like Mario and FF3 (6). Hence my inclinations towards good gameplay over good graphics.

      The graphics in those games WERE good state-of-the-art-for-consoles graphics at that time. You're letting your Nintendo Nostalgia cloud your thinking there.

      It was popular with EVERYONE.
      We actually dusted off the old Wii just a few weeks ago for New Years:

      It it is so popular why did you have to "dust it off"?

      The reason you had to dust it off was because the Wii is like that Monopoly, Risk or Life set everyone has....that doesn't actually get played that all that often.

      Nintendo focused on simple FUN, and absolutely destroyed the much more powerful competition of the time.

      There was plenty of simple Fun to be found on non-Nintendo systems, your Nintendo Fanboyism is getting in the way of objectivity.

      Nintendo made a lot of money by convincing non-gamers to buy Wii's...who played some Wii Play or Wii Fit now and then...but mostly the machine sat around gathering dust. And yes, Nintendo sold a lot of Wii's, but other than the minority of Smash bros/Zelda/Kart fanboys, those PS3 and Xbox 360 owners actually USED their systems.

    20. Re:I don't get it... but maybe I'm not supposed to by Dixie_Flatline · · Score: 2

      As a game developer, I'll tell you honestly that in theory, Nintendo is right. Powerful consoles need huge pipelines. Games for XBox 1 and PS4 take hundreds of people to make, and every time the power goes up, our team sizes scale up accordingly. Game engines don't magically provide content on their own. Marshalling data into memory takes a non-zero amount of time. We need more animations, bigger textures, and more people working on AI, trying to make it seem better. (Spoiler: all AI in games is mainly smoke and mirrors; there's very little 'AI' going on there because it's wholly impractical.)

      So making smaller games that play better on more limited consoles is a perfectly reasonable way to go. Indeed, we can see that when it comes to mobile platforms--platforms that are inherently more limited--Nintendo does very well. They've managed to keep that business going even in the face of the smartphone revolution that everyone thought would wipe Nintendo out.

      The problem is that for the last couple generations, Nintendo hasn't provided a very compelling experience for developers OR gamers when it comes to their home consoles. A less powerful console is fine, Mario games can be great, Zelda is an excellent IP, etc. But you have to sell enough consoles to make it worth the while of 3rd party devs to come on board, and you have to make good tools for them to make games. I haven't personally worked on the Wii or Wii U, but I haven't heard anything good about those dev environments. (By comparison, I loved working on the PS4 and the XBox 360 before that. The PS3 was a complicated mess, and the XBone had terrible dev tools at the beginning.)

      Anyway, the premise itself isn't incorrect, but Nintendo's execution of it hasn't been great. Nintendo should be leveraging its nostalgia value as hard as it can to get consoles out the door. Bundle Mario or Zelda in the box, make old Virtual Console games cheaper, whatever. Just get the consoles out the door. I *personally* think that the Switch looks ideal for me; I want to be able to play on the TV sometimes and in the bedroom sometimes. But if you want to attract the bulk of gamers, you'll need a solid 3rd party effort, and the only way to solve the chicken and egg problem of no games means no sales means no devs means no games is to bootstrap it yourself with your own great IP and marketing power.

    21. Re:I don't get it... but maybe I'm not supposed to by meta-monkey · · Score: 1

      But they have legendary IP. They just need out of the hardware market and to start making Mario, Zelda, Metroid, etc games for other systems.

      --
      We don't have a state-run media we have a media-run state.
    22. Re:I don't get it... but maybe I'm not supposed to by HalAtWork · · Score: 1

      Nobody cares about graphical power, they just care about fun. The point is to make something other than a traditional console, to offer different ways to play, that can complement the other consoles, if you even want that. Only hard core gamers start caring about these things (luckily many Nintendo first party games do please the hard core gamer while remaining accessible).

      Nintendo did make an updated 3DS by the way, the New 3DS. The Switch seems to be taking the Wii U concept much further. And everyone already has a Wii so why make that again. Making something different and unique is a smart way to provide a distinct experience. Making a me-too console will automatically make them a footnote.

    23. Re:I don't get it... but maybe I'm not supposed to by krakelohm · · Score: 1

      You could actually get "mode 7" effects on the Genesis there was just no hardware support for it so everything had to be done on the software side.

      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/...
      The Mega Drive/Genesis has no hardware-native feature comparable to Mode 7, though the Mega CD/Sega CD and 32X peripherals add such a feature. However, as in Tales of Phantasia and Star Ocean's sprite effect add-ins, some comparable technical feats were programmed entirely in software, seen in games such as Dick Vitale's "Awesome Baby" College Hoops and Zero Tolerance.

      --
      You are all a bunch of idots.
  18. Vision correctoin by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    If customers cant figure out where a new product fits in your product lineup, you're probably not listening to your customers.

    1. Re:Vision correctoin by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Listening to customers gave us "Snakes on a Plane." Sometimes the customers are fucking idiots and should be ignored.

  19. If the form factor is tablet, then it is a tablet by mark-t · · Score: 1

    For fuck's sake, that's why tablets are called tablets in the first place, because they are... you know... shaped like a tablet.

    Suggesting that it shouldn't be called one because it's actually a portable home console is is like saying that you shouldn't call an EV a car because it's not powered by gasoline.

  20. Advance Wars by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    So long as they resurrect the Advance Wars series for this I'll be good.

    1. Re:Advance Wars by krisbrowne42 · · Score: 1

      And me without mod points... I've played "similar" games to Advance Wars on iOS and the bigger screen/touch input can be a boon... But they never match the style or story of the originals. I'd vote for Fire Emblem games as well.

  21. Re: how about i call it a failure by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

    Ladies and gentlemen, I present: a random Xbox live user. Stick around while he tells us how many times he fucked our mothers.

  22. 3DS by _KiTA_ · · Score: 1

    The 3DS's death knell happened when they got access to the boot ROM, and discovered sighax. They can't update it with a patch. The hacking community can now sign their own firmware for the 3DS. Only option is a hardware refresh that will require everyone move to the new-new 3DS.

    In short... Yes, the Switch is here to oust the 3DS, at least temporarily.

  23. Re:how about i call it a failure by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0
  24. The Switch is a tablet by rsilvergun · · Score: 1

    Your move, Reggie.

    --
    Hi! I make Firefox Plug-ins. Check 'em out @ https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/youtube-mp3-podcaster/
  25. Re:If the form factor is tablet, then it is a tabl by Nemyst · · Score: 1

    This is specifically because the comparison between the Switch and a regular Apple/Android tablet wouldn't be very favorable to Nintendo. The Switch has modular controller attachments and Nintendo's first-party titles, that's it. Everything else is largely working against them: poor screen, virtually no use case beyond games, poor battery life, not pocketable yet not very large either, no integration with other devices you might have.

    Basically, if you want a tablet and a Switch, you need a separate tablet on top of the Switch. Hence, the Switch isn't really a tablet.

  26. Re:If the form factor is tablet, then it is a tabl by thegarbz · · Score: 1

    For fuck's sake, that's why tablets are called tablets in the first place, because they are... you know... shaped like a tablet.

    So my book is a tablet? What about my computer screen? Oooh I'm going to go into the kitchen and cut up something on a tablet instead of a chopping board.

    Language is specific to use not only to shape. Your analogy fails for the same reason, an EV is still a car that does all the car like things.
    This not tablet likewise does nothing a tablet does.

  27. Stupid launch by thegarbz · · Score: 1

    The hardware looks okay but there's some real WTFs coming out of Nintendo right now.

    WTF is a Nintendo release without a Mario as a launch game?
    WTF is one of the key game releases coming after the console and nothing more than a "Deluxe" version of the existing Mario Kart 8, a game that caused a surge in Wii sales.
    WTF is the idea of charging for a subscription service for multiplayer, copying the hardcore gaming giants when you are in a casual gaming market?

    1. Re: Stupid launch by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      subscription service for multiplayer, copying the hardcore gaming giants

      PC doesn't charge for multiplayer.

  28. Re:If the form factor is tablet, then it is a tabl by mark-t · · Score: 1

    The word "tablet" predates computers, you know, and referred to any (generally portable) flat slab which may be used for inscription or writing, whether it was wood, stone, wax, or any other material. Your monitor is not a tablet because it is probably not a flat slab, your chopping board, however, is. Tablet computers are called such because they have the form factor of a tablet, not because of their capabilities.

  29. Re:If the form factor is tablet, then it is a tabl by mark-t · · Score: 1

    So it's not a typical tablet computer... there's nothing wrong with that, but the entire notion of calling something a tablet computer in the first place comes from what such a computer LOOKS like, not what it might do. Tablet means a flat slab, and if it looks like a tablet, then it is a tablet, by definition.

  30. Like the DS by PKFC · · Score: 1

    Remember when the DS wasn't replacing the GBA? It was a "third pillar" along side the GCN and GBA... but it actually took off and devs migrated. I can understand that this is a console enough, but being able to take console games on the go makes the 3DS look dusty. Although the game and system cost of the 3DS is still waaay cheaper

    1. Re: Like the DS by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It will also make the Vita look dusty, to the market where the Vita is still dominating.

  31. Used purchase....but last of the mohicans by CaptnCrud · · Score: 1

    299 isn't bad, but the games aren't there on launch day. I'll find it used before the end of the year and take my time about it.

    In nintendo's defense, I have a feeling that this will be the last console I buy. Both scorpio and the next playstation are over glorified 4k pc's at this point...and I already have a kick ass 4k pc with vr, windows games, steam games and linux games.

    Nintendo is the last maker of what I would consider a "true console" rather than a complete entertainment solution (ala a media center/media pc). ...and I don't count steam box, its a pc.

  32. It's not ousting anything by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    The Nintendo Switch isn't ousting anything other than Nintendo from the home console market.

  33. It runs LUDDITE games, not appy app apps! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    LUDDITE Nintendo's LUDDITE Switch isn't an appy app tablet because it only runs LUDDITE games, not appy app apps like Appy App Saga or Appy Birds!

    Apps!

  34. I don't think this will be a huge hit either..... by King_TJ · · Score: 1

    One of our kids is a BIG Nintendo fan, and just from the lack of excitement about the "Switch" coming from him, I can tell this isn't a product likely to set the world on fire.

    I've always been more of a computer than a console gamer, but I've owned the PS2, 3 and 4, as well as a few misc. older 8-bit consoles, back in the day.

    One of the big downsides of the Switch is that multiplayer gaming will start requiring a fee, just like the XBox and Playstation do. Especially for kids with limited incomes, this really marks the end of one of the reasons to advocate for Nintendo vs. the competition. I don't know what Nintendo plans to charge, but I'm assuming it's going to be in line with today's "industry standard" of an annual price equivalent to a new release game title.

    It also appears to be a situation where you'll essentially get forced to buy one, if you want to play the latest in Nintendo's most popular game sagas like Mario Brothers and Zelda. (Yes, I understand they're promising games like the new Zelda will also be available for Wii -- but good chance that's the end of the line there.) IMO, that would be completely forgivable if the Switch had great new graphics capabilities and a faster CPU, so the new titles could utilize the superior hardware resources. But that's not the direction Nintendo has gone here either.

  35. Don't tell me what to do by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Don't call the new Nintendo Switch a tablet. And don't assume the shape-shifting device for gamers will replace the company's popular 3DS handheld, Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aime said in an interview with CNET.

    I'll call it whatever the hell I want to and if Reggie Fils-Aime doesn't like it, he can fuck off and die.

  36. Maybe we should call it the Wii U 2 by tannhaus · · Score: 1

    Either Nintendo should produce a console that comes close to the power of the other consoles on the market, or stop trying to sell to console users. They do handhelds well. They should stick to that before they drive themselves to bankruptcy only to prove they don't understand the console market

  37. DS won't replace GBA by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Don't worry people, keep purchasing those New 3DSes. Nintendo will support them long after the Switch is released.

    Just like the DS didn't replace the GBA. :P

    http://www.ign.com/articles/20...

    1. Re:DS won't replace GBA by sglewis100 · · Score: 1

      Other than multiplayer games, which I can't imagine was a HUGE market at the time, isn't the fact that the DS plays GBA games somewhat significant? Hard to feel abandoned if your old system still worked, and your old games worked even if you upgraded to the newer device?

  38. Why does Nintendo even bother with hardware? by johannesg · · Score: 1

    It's a serious question. Sure, if they decide to bring their software to other PS4, XBox, and Steam, they'll have to pay Sony, Microsoft, and Valve a cut. But their target market increases massively, and they can drop the whole hardware development side of things, which must also be costing them an absolute fortune. And surely a party as large as Nintendo can have a better deal than a small developer can get from the big boys...

  39. Why not? by XSportSeeker · · Score: 1

    I dunno what's the fans position on this one, so this might be an unpopular opinion, but here it goes.

    Honestly, I'm a bit disappointed with what Reggie is saying here. I don't see why Nintendo would keep the 3DS going with a product like the Switch. Fear of commercial failure perhaps, I dunno, but from a gaming standpoint, I'd be plenty glad if Nintendo just chose to focus on a single device making sure it had all the best content they could close deals with and whatnot.

    Contrary to many voices out there, I was a plenty glad Wii U costumer. Don't regret the singlest bit the purchase, the console paid for itself and was one of the most used in my particular and admitedly very peculiar case (I got a console mostly to play in party game scenarios).

    If the Switch can work as a portable, I don't see why it'd be a good idea to segment the market by releasing a successor of the 3DS with some sort of classification as if it's more for kids or something.

    Also, if there is one thing that made me furious with the Wii U (and make no mistake, despite liking the Wii U I had a ton of frustrations with it), was watching all the great titles being released for the 3DS with the Wii U left to collect dust specially in the past year.

    One recurring thought was always... if only the 3DS games ran on Wii U, even if it kept that awkward resolution and didn't work all that well, I would have used and bought far more games for the console. I'm not even asking for actual Wii U version of these franchises... just ports would've been enough.

    Now, if Nintendo ends up with a Switch and a New New New New 3DS or whatever comes next to it, we'll end up in a similar situation with Switch owners wanting the portable games, and whatever hardware sells the most being relegated to no titles at all.

    1. Re: Why not? by XSportSeeker · · Score: 1

      Oh, and then, why not see it as a tablet?

      Far fetched as this thought might be, if a Nintendo console could be used as a regular tablet, with options to read news, visit webpages, watch YouTube, Netflix and whatnot, plus be used to do everything people buy a tablet for, it'd be a no brainer purchase for tons and tons of people.

      The Switch is pretty well priced when compared to high end tablets, it has the most powerful SoC for tablets out there, the design is neutral enough (I mean, you have the choice to make it look like a pretty standard tablet), and I bet tons of people looking for a tablet device would be swayed into getting one... if it could work as a tablet.

      Doesn't even have to be full Android or something like that. Most people who have a tablet only use a handful of apps already, if those were there on the Switch, it'd certainly be a huge reason for people to get it.

  40. Shortened version for realistic people to read by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    "We are just introducing another product so people will buy it. We have to come up with something that has a new look, feel, behavior, or all of the above at least once a year to keep the cash flowing in at a good rate instead of having large peaks and dips. As to how one enjoys the product, well that's something for marketing and customer service to discuss and come up with fronts for, but we as a company just have to throw some new shit out there every year to make sure we look and feel like we're on top of the market and don't get so scared when we make plans to build a new mansion or purchase an island somewhere. C'mon, people, just look at it from our perspective."

  41. Re:If the form factor is tablet, then it is a tabl by thegarbz · · Score: 1

    The word "tablet" predates computers

    You're right, so meet our other linguistic friend "context". A word in a context means something. The word "tablet" in the context of an "electronic device" does not mean what the Switch is offering.

  42. Re:If the form factor is tablet, then it is a tabl by mark-t · · Score: 1

    The word "tablet" in the context of an "electronic device" means a device that is shaped like a tablet. That is, after all, why tablet computers were called that in the first place.

  43. I'll call it whatever I John Kramer damned want... by DiEx-15 · · Score: 1

    Sorry Nintendo and it's legion of fanboys.

    Last I checked: Nintendo doesn't own the copyright to the Freedom of Speech.

    YouTube, on the other hand...

  44. Today a home console, tommorow a mobile device by jediborg · · Score: 1
    I think right now they are positioning the switch as a console to compete with Xbox one and PS4. You can see this with the games they have announced (Zelda! Skyrim! Mario Odessy! Big open world games you're used to seeing on home consoles)

    That approach will let them sell out the initial shipment of switches on launch day. They'll sell a few million units in the first few months after launch. Then come E3, they'll announce "All our handheld teams have been making games for the switch. So you get a Kirby game, a Pokemon, a Phoenix Wright, an animal crossing, a Mario and Luigi RPG, and a Fire Emblem! Oh by the way, these teams all targeted the games to use the resources of a handheld, so they can be played for 6 hours on the switch before needing to be charged!"

    Thats when they will remind us that the switch is a handheld mobile console.

    The combination of a home console with the Marios, Zelda's and Skyrims, plus all the amazing hand held games you are used to seeing from a nintendo handheld console will be the big seller. Then a bunch of 3rd parties will join in cause it turns out when you take a PS4 game, downscale it to 720P (which lets face it, on a 6 inch screen still looks really impressive) and drop the draw distance or texture resolution by 10% the game still looks great on the switch and runs at a good 60fps, oh and the load times will be cut in half cause your streaming data of an SD card and not a rotating disc. Only when you want VR or 4K do you need the power of the PS4/Xbone. Take that away and the switch can run your game just fine and gets the added benefit of suddenly being a mobile on-the-go gaming experience.

  45. Both platforms had raycasters by tepples · · Score: 1

    You got me. But the top two consoles of that generation both have limited-geometry, partial-screen, texture-mapped, software-rendered first-person shooters. For every Zero Tolerance, there's a Jurassic Park and a Wolfenstein 3D.