Topic: Forum Snap Poll: How Sold Are You on the Switch?

[Adrock]

Once again, your looking at this from the tech standpoint of someone who's actually educated in what this hardware can do and cost which the average consumer isn't going to look up.  It wasn't the fact the motion controls where new that sold it, it was the fact Wii Sports was a great game to show it off.  If the technology was selling because it's new then Playstation VR should be lighting up the charts right now, but it's not because there's no killer app for it.

Once again, no, I'm not. I'm referring to perceived value, and people don't need to know or research something to consider it expensive. This isn't even limited to technology. Someone can see a $20 sandwich on a menu and determine the cost too high without know what's in it, how its prepared, or ever asking why.

And I didn't say the Wii Remote sold merely because it was new. You're misconstruing my points by completely taking them out of context. I previously said two things:

1. People bought Wii Remotes because it was new and no one had ever seen anything like Wii Sports before.
2. People didn't just pay $60 for a controller; they paid $60 for a controller that was different and new.

The Wii Remote was inherently tied to Wii Sports as neither would have been as successful without the other. The value proposal was consumers needed to buy additional Wii Remotes to get the most out of Wii Sports.

Seriously, that's my whole point.  If Nintendo can get the right software that convinces people they need a second full set of Joycons, I don't see the price being as big a deal.  Which is what people thought the full $60 for the Wiimote + Nunchuck back in the day was too much until Wii Sports proved them wrong.

Viewing the right and left Joy-Cons separately, "the right software" was Wii Sports if Wii Sports wasn't already a thing. HD Rumble is a support feature with no gameplay potential so we're left with the IR Camera. Maybe Nintendo comes up with something groundbreaking. I wouldn't bet on it though. As previously stated, I certainly don't think it's 1-2 Switch.

Obviously, I think complaints about the prices are fair even within the context you've presented. A Joy-Con set is still $109.98 if one wants to charge and play multiplayer at the same time which I'd imagine most do. The higher the price of something (be it a sandwich, a video game thing, house etc.), the harder it becomes to justify purchasing it. Maybe people pay it begrudgingly. That may be the cross Switch owners bear.

[Fatty The Hutt]

Friends, I have finally, officially cancelled my Switch pre-orders. The value proposition is just not there for me yet. Plus I have a hefty backlog of games and limited time to play so buying a new console, I just can't justify it.
Of course, paying one kid's tuition, another kid's outrageously expensive grad dress and facing double tuition in the Fall doesn't help matters. And then there's vacations, summer camps, mom's 80th birthday party, etc. etc.
Being an adult blows.

[nickmitch]

Yeah, being an adult is pretty awful.

I wonder if the news coming from the impressions embargo being lifted today is swaying anyone?

[Soren]

I'm not going to cancel my pre-order (maybe), but I'm positive that after this launch I will never early-adopt another Nintendo console.

[Agent-X-]

I don't plan on canceling either, but I totally plan to trade in my Switch for a PS4 after I'm done playing Breath of the Wild if this thing looks like another Wii U.

[NWR_insanolord]

I'm probably going to spend 90%-plus of my time with the system in handheld mode, and was already planning to get a Pro Controller for when I'm playing solo on the TV, so the wireless issues don't really affect me or my decision to buy the system at all.

[Phil]

I'm not going to cancel my pre-order (maybe), but I'm positive that after this launch I will never early-adopt another Nintendo console.

IMO, you should never early-adopt any platform. Would have felt like an idiot for buying an early 360 to get that wonderful RRoD multiple times. Did feel like an idiot for buying a 60 GB PS3 early on, having it die on me. Would have felt dumb buying a PS4 for... Resogun at launch? And then nothing else for months.

[Agent-X-]

I'm not going to cancel my pre-order (maybe), but I'm positive that after this launch I will never early-adopt another Nintendo console.

IMO, you should never early-adopt any platform. Would have felt like an idiot for buying an early 360 to get that wonderful RRoD multiple times. Did feel like an idiot for buying a 60 GB PS3 early on, having it die on me. Would have felt dumb buying a PS4 for... Resogun at launch? And then nothing else for months.

A PS4 controller that was 100% doomed to fall apart and a botched thumb stick.


EDIT: Oh, and wobblegate!

[Phil]

Yeah, I mean we're essentially beta testers somewhat when we become early-adopters. We get the games earlier than later-adopters, but we suffer with all the problems. I am a masochist, though.

[Agent-X-]

Yep.


Then again, I'm only getting the Switch because I managed to milk $200 out of my launch Wii U. This somehow feels like a bargain provided I can play Breath of the Wild on the TV without needing to buy a Pro controller.

[Fatty The Hutt]

Actually, I vowed a long time ago I would never miss a Nintendo device launch! For example, I was really excited to get the Wii U right away and have never regretted it. Connecting with the community early on Miiverse was a blast and I always had something to play and also took full advantage of all early promotions (30 cent games, Deluxe Digital Promotion, Club Nintendo deals, early low pricing for some Wii VC games, etc.). I've loved it all. So much so that I have a hefty Wii U backlog.
I'm not sure why the Switch is leaving me cold at launch. I can't point to any one thing, it feels like a few, or many, things in combination are putting me off right now. That's not to say I'm not excited about getting one. I'm just holding off for a few things: a bundle of some sort (either a game with the system or with a controller pack), more "must have" software (I can wait on Zelda, I'm good for now), a community of players, VC, more time to play, a decreased personal backlog and increased personal disposable income.

[Khushrenada]

I've been on and off with Nintendo launches. Fortunate as a child to get the SNES within a half year of its launch. Can't remember the exact time because I never thought to note it as a kid. The N64, on the other hand, I didn't get until near the end of its lifespan at the time Donkey Kong 64 came out. The GameCube, thought I got in Feb. 2002 about 6 months after launch. The Wii was almost a year after launch in September 2007 that I finally picked it up. The Wii U was close to the same situation. It was June 2013 that I purchased one because there was a sale on it. The N64 is kind of the outlier but usually within the first year of launch I've ended up getting a console. Closest to launch for anything has been the 3DS which I got the second week it came out. I agree that joining in on launch can be fun. The Swapnote time that existed early on with the 3DS and the 3D Video service are things that someone coming into the system now can't experience. It does create a fondness for a system. Perhaps that's why I like the GC more than the 64. Just had way more time to create experiences with it and got to be there when releases were fresh and exciting rather than already extensively covered.

Told myself with my Wii U and 3DS purchases that if I didn't keep up with my game purchases that they would be my last consoles because I don't need to keep buying things I'm not using. That said, the Switch has really made me reconsider that promise to myself. But with the price of the console in Canada, it's helped me resist the urge to get in on the launch fever. The Switch has me quite excited but I'm willing to wait until something comes along that meets my value of the system. If it was $300, like it is in the US, then I'd be willing to plunk down the cash at launch and get it.

I think the Switch is going fluctuate in sales for certain regions because of the price differences. It seems to be affordable enough in the US and Japan but Canada, the UK and Australia have it much higher due to their currencies. Until the price point meets the sweet spot in some of these places, it may struggle there for a bit. Guess we'll see how Nintendo handles it. Plus, with Zelda on the Wii U, the biggest pull to early adopt the system is neutralized a bit but as we get closer to winter and Mario Odyssey it might be a different story. We'll see what E3 offers as well. But for now I'm content to sit this first year out if need be.

[ShyGuy]

I'm content to sit this first year out if need be.

Well, these forums will have no use for you. See you in 2018.

[ClexYoshi]

the thing that sold me on switch strangely enough was not launch lineup or Zelda or anything like that, but the Nindies thing today, the potential for ARMS if they put a good level of content in it and it's not...y'know, Street Fighter V...

... and the fact that I found out a buddy of mine is going to scalp 6 and he is willing to let one go for me for MSRP rather than at a mark-up. and he's letting me give him payments, so $50 over 6 weeks doesn't sting as bad as dropping $300 on the device right out the gate... probably because it's my birthday this month.


Fun fact: I got a launch 3DS because it launched on my birthday moreso than Street Fighter 4: Rainbow Edition and Steel Diver could ever entice me.

[rygar]

Graceful Explosion Machine and Mr. Shifty both have me really interested in the HD rumble features for the first time. The probability of me buying a Switch in 2017 increased significantly after watching the nindie trailer last night, but I still think I'll hold out for the right bundle or a drop in price on the accessories.

[Fatty The Hutt]

I found out a buddy of mine is going to scalp 6 (Switch consoles)

Your buddy is a dick. Stop being friends.

[nickmitch]

I wonder if anyone is gonna change their votes based on the reviews out today.  Kind of the last chance, I suppose.

[Soren]

I wonder if anyone is gonna change their votes based on the reviews out today.  Kind of the last chance, I suppose.

I think we're all crazy enough to still buy the console. But if a friend asked me if it's worth the purchase right now I would say "Hell No". And that's a downgrade from the "probably not" I felt last week.

[nickmitch]

I know how you feel; my excitement has definitely been tempered.  I think I'm more excited for Zelda at this point than the thrill of a new console.

The areas of concern that seem to be universal (direct sunlight, joy-con range, no word of online) keep making me increasingly worried.  Like, the idea of "what if it's bad?" has always been there, but the less Nintendo talks about it, the more that idea grows.  Like, I have no faith that headphones will work with the console.  It seems like the voice chat will be done through the phone, and I in no way think game audio is going to first stream to my phone and then to my headset.  So, that's just a feature that Nintendo completely missed.

[King of Twitch]

Are there any specific aspects that sent you over the edge rather than just the what-ifs?

One thing that bugs me is losing 10% charge on the cradle would be infuriating if I were about to take it out for awhile. That's around 20-30min of playtime lost and it's already too Game Gearish. Is it going to be fixed with a patch?

[lolmonade]

Are there any specific aspects that sent you over the edge rather than just the what-ifs?

One thing that bugs me is losing 10% charge on the cradle would be infuriating if I were about to take it out for awhile. That's around 20-30min of playtime lost and it's already too Game Gearish. Is it going to be fixed with a patch?

Is that even something that can be fixed with a patch?  It sounds more like a simple case of the system consuming more power while running an intensive game than it can make up for while plugged in. 


...I think this system is going to teach many people here to be mindful of how necessary it is to keep things plugged in while not in use.

[Khushrenada]

I found out a buddy of mine is going to scalp 6 (Switch consoles)

Your buddy is a dick. Stop being friends.

If people had patience and just waited for more stock to come in at a later date, the scalper would have no one to sell to with a higher mark-up. Then he'd be stuck with 5 extra consoles he'd have to try and sell at cost or maybe under to unload them. That would be best revenge on a scalper. Unfortunately, some people will pay whatever it takes because waiting for a later time is somehow inconceivable to them.

I'm content to sit this first year out if need be.

Well, these forums will have no use for you. See you in 2018.

These forums have never had a use for me but that hasn't stopped me for 10 years.

[nickmitch]

Are there any specific aspects that sent you over the edge rather than just the what-ifs?

One thing that bugs me is losing 10% charge on the cradle would be infuriating if I were about to take it out for awhile. That's around 20-30min of playtime lost and it's already too Game Gearish. Is it going to be fixed with a patch?

The joy-con sync thing is one. Kohler was very strong about it in his review.  The battery life and charge issue you mentioned are also concerns.  People keep saying the kickstand is ****, but no one is saying it breaks, just that it feels flimsy; so not a major one.  Not being able to play in sunlight despite cranking up the brightness bothers me on the portability front.

The overall "meh" from a lot of reviews makes me think that what's there won't be enough to distract me from what isn't.

[Ian Sane]

I figured Nintendo would flub some stuff up but I figured it would be more policy type of stuff - weird online setup, weak specs, high price, etc.  I would never assume the hardware would have issues, just like I normally don't expect Nintendo games to be buggy.  The left joycan unsync sounds serious enough that I think it would be foolish to adopt this early.  And if the battery drains while playing in the dock then does that mean you could have the battery run out on your "home" console while you're playing?  That would be pretty damn ridiculous.

I feel like Nintendo needed to be near perfect to have a chance and they buggered that up months ago but this is really looking bad.  Buggy unfinished hardware at an inflated price with a sparse initial lineup of games where the big game is not even an exclusive?  That's not looking good at all.  This is going to be a rough road for Nintendo to weather the initial storm.

I'm jazzed for Zelda... but I won't be playing it on a Switch.

[KeyBilly]

I don't know the engineering reasons, but I have noticed that some devices use power directly when plugged in (no battery is even needed) and others use the battery for power even when charging.  In both cases, the battery is being charged when plugged in, but the latter could cause issues like this.  I also wonder if it causes more wear on the battery to charge it at the same time as it is being used.  Seems like it could be problematic as the Switch ages.