Topic: Switchmas Eve Rumors and Speculations Thread

[Agent-X-]

It doesn't really matter when they unveil it if they don't know how to market it. In response to Adrock, that too is another way they are botching the launch -- they didn't have the software ready in time for the holiday window. This really speaks to what used to drive Nintendo's sales. At this point, I am salivating for a technical masterpiece that just blows the top off of gaming as I know it, because that's what Nintendo used to do. They need that killer piece of software that is going to hook people who aren't even considering Nintendo.

[supermario2k]

...

[Luigi Dude]

At this point, I am salivating for a technical masterpiece that just blows the top off of gaming as I know it, because that's what Nintendo used to do. They need that killer piece of software that is going to hook people who aren't even considering Nintendo.

They actually have that, it's called Breath of the Wild.  The reaction to that game at E3 is the biggest Nintendo has had since the Wii, and that's from a demo representing less then 2% of the game.

The actual launch of the NX will be fine because of Zelda but the post launch is what will be most important.  Nintendo could have had an amazing launch this holiday with the NX and Zelda if they wanted to.  The problem is if they have another huge drought, which they probably would have that would have killed the systems momentum in early 2017.

The most important thing for the NX isn't the actual launch but the post launch.  They can't have periods of over 3 months with nothing again or else all hype will be fucked no matter how amazing Zelda is.

[Lemonade]

This is kind of off topic, but I dont think they have said Zelda will be a launch title. They just keep saying it will be next year.
I think it would be crazy of them not to have it as a launch title.

[ShyGuy]

This is kind of off topic, but I dont think they have said Zelda will be a launch title. They just keep saying it will be next year.
I think it would be crazy of them not to have it as a launch title.

Don't do this to me...

[ShyGuy]

I'm sure no matter what Nintendo comes up with, Sony and MS have something they are messing with that they can shove out their to say "Me too!" That's how it works. You create the illusion that you have feature parity if the competition comes out with something new. The competition has done it with: D-pads, shoulder buttons, light guns, portable systems, analog sticks, trigger buttons, wireless controls, rumble,  motion controls, avatars, second screen game play, and that's not even getting into the games!

The R&D teams at Sony and Mircosoft surely have prototypes or are associated with companies that have technology like:
- Portable console gaming
- Holograms
- Mini Projectors
- Haptic feedback
- Augmented Reality
- Lightguns
Or whatever else Nintendo comes up with.

It begins!

http://nseavoice.com/games/sony-wanted-hybrid-ps4-not-nintendo-920017064.html

[supermario2k]

Since the point I was making got lost in the bickering I will say it again. I do not think they should wait longer to announce it, I think it needs to be this month, but knowing them if they hold off on the announcement it is because they are paranoid someone will steal their idea, I was not saying I agree with that.

But I concede to Insanolord that hey is right in todays day and age they could reveal things closer to launch and still build hype, I just think they would be smarter to say something sooner than later or else they might need to delay it to summer or later and launching in summer is a gamble.

Another thing everyone keeps forgetting is they are also supposed to be launching QoL at that same time frame and have yet to mention anything about it, so before we get our hopes too high the NX isn't some lame attempt at trying to get gamers to exercise like Wii was lets keep in mind they haven't announced squat on that stuff either. Unless they changed directions entirely I am willing to bet its going to tie into NX somehow.

[lolmonade]

I'll go ahead and make the argument against them announcing as close to release as Apple would for their newest product.  Apple can get away with this because they are so pervasive in our culture and their products have such a wide market that they know they will sell through their stock of whatever it is they're releasing at or near launch.


Nintendo has worldwide name brand cache, but their rabid fanbase is much smaller than Apples, and their products aren't tied to something that's seen as an almost necessity like cellphones are quickly becoming, if not considered already by most.


Hopefully Nintendo has that much self awareness, but I wouldn't be surprised if they thought they were video games' "Apple".

[supermario2k]

Sure they are, if you are just talking about Mac then yes Nintendo and Apple are on the same level, at least in terms of to the gaming community as a whole. Also one thing Apple has going for it Nintendo does not, phone companies lock people into those forever plans that promise you a new phone when they get released or offer you new phones at certain intervals, Nintendo has no equivalent of that.

[NWR_insanolord]

I'm not suggesting they wait as close to release as Apple, they still probably need a couple months of buildup for something like this, I just think waiting until early January, after the holiday craziness has died down, is a viable strategy.

[nickmitch]

But so much of the market will have just bought a new console in January. Would they really consider buying another one so quickly?

[Soren]

That's why waiting until after the holidays to have a reveal makes no sense. If you're not giving the market a chance to consider your console they'll just spend their money on the PS4 or Xbox bundles during the holidays and won't even bother buying something new 3 months later. Awareness needs to be there much earlier.


Also, announcing the NX will in no way cannibalize the sales of the NES Mini.

[nickmitch]

I'm wondering what the stocks for Wii U look like.  No way Nintendo is still sitting on piles of them, right?  They haven't exactly priced them to move, so I'm thinking they stopped making them long enough ago.  If they're waiting in order to finish out the supply, that's probably a bad move since slashing the price to invoke a sales blitz would only put a bad taste in people's mouths.  Nintendo should probably have negotiated inventory buybacks from retailers by now.

[Agent-X-]

At this point, I am salivating for a technical masterpiece that just blows the top off of gaming as I know it, because that's what Nintendo used to do. They need that killer piece of software that is going to hook people who aren't even considering Nintendo.

They actually have that, it's called Breath of the Wild.  The reaction to that game at E3 is the biggest Nintendo has had since the Wii, and that's from a demo representing less then 2% of the game.

The actual launch of the NX will be fine because of Zelda but the post launch is what will be most important.  Nintendo could have had an amazing launch this holiday with the NX and Zelda if they wanted to.  The problem is if they have another huge drought, which they probably would have that would have killed the systems momentum in early 2017.

The most important thing for the NX isn't the actual launch but the post launch.  They can't have periods of over 3 months with nothing again or else all hype will be fucked no matter how amazing Zelda is.

I just don't see it that way, and I don't think non-Nintendo gamers really see it that way either. On its own, Breath of the Wild looks like a fantastic game that looks to offer a little something different from other Zeldas and from Skyrim. The thing is that the game isn't much of a technical showcase since the Wii U can handle the game. This new Zelda is running on 10 year old hardware, right? I bet my LG G5 can run it! Seriously.


I want something that can only be experienced with the NX. Even the GameCube had graphics that were pretty much only found on GameCube. Super Mario Sunshine had that water! Loved that water! Wind Waker was cel shaded and had that vast ocean. That ocean was vast. Too much water! Metroid Prime boasted amazing graphics. F-Zero too. As well as Resident Evil. GameCube really was an unparalleled experience. It wasn't cheap hardware. It had potential waiting to be realized. And it was the system with faster load times.


Let's see NX offer a level of quality that the other consoles must strive to match.

[supermario2k]

At this point, I am salivating for a technical masterpiece that just blows the top off of gaming as I know it, because that's what Nintendo used to do. They need that killer piece of software that is going to hook people who aren't even considering Nintendo.

They actually have that, it's called Breath of the Wild.  The reaction to that game at E3 is the biggest Nintendo has had since the Wii, and that's from a demo representing less then 2% of the game.

The actual launch of the NX will be fine because of Zelda but the post launch is what will be most important.  Nintendo could have had an amazing launch this holiday with the NX and Zelda if they wanted to.  The problem is if they have another huge drought, which they probably would have that would have killed the systems momentum in early 2017.

The most important thing for the NX isn't the actual launch but the post launch.  They can't have periods of over 3 months with nothing again or else all hype will be fucked no matter how amazing Zelda is.

I just don't see it that way, and I don't think non-Nintendo gamers really see it that way either. On its own, Breath of the Wild looks like a fantastic game that looks to offer a little something different from other Zeldas and from Skyrim. The thing is that the game isn't much of a technical showcase since the Wii U can handle the game. This new Zelda is running on 10 year old hardware, right? I bet my LG G5 can run it! Seriously.


I want something that can only be experienced with the NX. Even the GameCube had graphics that were pretty much only found on GameCube. Super Mario Sunshine had that water! Loved that water! Wind Waker was cel shaded and had that vast ocean. That ocean was vast. Too much water! Metroid Prime boasted amazing graphics. F-Zero too. As well as Resident Evil. GameCube really was an unparalleled experience. It wasn't cheap hardware. It had potential waiting to be realized. And it was the system with faster load times.


Let's see NX offer a level of quality that the other consoles must strive to match.

I disagree with your assessement of Non-Nintendo gamers. believe it or not their are way more Nintendo gamers out there than not, if you remember to keep in mind the console does not represent the entire fanbase. That is why NX, if it truly is what we are all now expecting it to be, will be a massive hit if done right. Sony couldn't do it right because Sony didn't understand the purpose of the handheld. Nintendo does. Nintendo also knows how to scale their games better than Sony did.

The core Nintendo userbase is still roughly 60-90 million, if you combine the handheld sales with the console sales, that has been consistent every generation. double that for the DS and Wii because their blue ocean strategy worked.

Really NX is just Nintendo getting back to what worked in the past, from the sounds of it at least on the surface. Who knows it could very well end up being the end of them for all we know.

[Luigi Dude]

I want something that can only be experienced with the NX. Even the GameCube had graphics that were pretty much only found on GameCube. Super Mario Sunshine had that water! Loved that water! Wind Waker was cel shaded and had that vast ocean. That ocean was vast. Too much water! Metroid Prime boasted amazing graphics. F-Zero too. As well as Resident Evil. GameCube really was an unparalleled experience. It wasn't cheap hardware. It had potential waiting to be realized. And it was the system with faster load times.

Come on, that's pure nostalgia BS.  There were Xbox games that graphically matched and surpassed all the games you mentioned here.  Seriously, the Gamecube was a powerful machine for the price it was but it was by no means this beast the other consoles of that gen were striving to match.

And yes Breath of the Wild is a technically masterpiece no matter what you try to spin.  Find me an open world game on any system right now that's the sizes of this game with the kind of engaging fast gameplay that Zelda provides with the kind of physics engine this game has and isn't a complete buggy mess.  If you're going to consider games like Mario Sunshine (which outside of the water was terrible graphically) as a technical masterpiece just because it did something the other systems at the time weren't doing, (even though the original Xbox easily could have), Breath of the Wild fits the exact definition of what your saying Nintendo should make since it's doing something technically that no other system or dev has done so far, even on more powerful hardware.

[NWR_insanolord]

The GameCube is a really weird example to use there, because to me, of all Nintendo's systems, it's probably the one that stands out the least from its competitors.

[Fatty The Hutt]

From the squalor of Reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/NintendoNX/comments/56jomc/leak_goodies_from_a_large_retail_partner/

Info about the supposed packaging.

"Interact with your game on the go." phrase seen on a poster.

That's a clumsy tagline...

Indeed it is. It also uses the alarming phrase "interact with your game" on the go instead of "play your game" on the go. This seems to line up with some recent rumours that the part of the NX you can take with you will play a "mobile version" of the full game you play on the "home console" part, and that when you return, the two game versions will synch or something. (here is one news article that succinctly sums up the rumours and concept)
This is a tricky point. If the on-the-go game is basically the same game as on the home console but just graphically inferior or something, I think most folks would think that was a good feature and embrace it. If the mobile version is just an app-store tie-in version of a console game, I think folks would find that very disappointing or worse.
*edit* I get that all this is highly speculative and makes a number of assumptions based on rumours, upon rumours.

[Oedo]

I'm wondering what the stocks for Wii U look like.  No way Nintendo is still sitting on piles of them, right?  They haven't exactly priced them to move, so I'm thinking they stopped making them long enough ago.  If they're waiting in order to finish out the supply, that's probably a bad move since slashing the price to invoke a sales blitz would only put a bad taste in people's mouths.  Nintendo should probably have negotiated inventory buybacks from retailers by now.

Given that they only projected to sell a meager 800,000 units coming into this fiscal year and we were already hearing about shortages in Japan last winter, I think it's a safe bet that Nintendo has been very careful about how many Wii U units they produce for a while now. This is why I don't think any potential lost Wii U sales will factor into their timing of an NX announcement in the slightest. They accepted the fact that the Wii U is going to sell very, very poorly from here on out a while ago.

That's why waiting until after the holidays to have a reveal makes no sense. If you're not giving the market a chance to consider your console they'll just spend their money on the PS4 or Xbox bundles during the holidays and won't even bother buying something new 3 months later. Awareness needs to be there much earlier.


Also, announcing the NX will in no way cannibalize the sales of the NES Mini.

Yeah, a two month turnaround from reveal to launch might be considered a bold but possibly worthwhile strategy if they were planning to release the console in October or November (although it still seems dubious to me considering Nintendo's current position in the market). If they plan to release the console in March, this sort of strategy seems untenable.

[Mop it up]

The most important thing for the NX isn't the actual launch but the post launch. They can't have periods of over 3 months with nothing again or else all hype will be fucked no matter how amazing Zelda is.

Yeah, that's definitely true. I think due to its generally low sales, people tend to forget that the Wii U actually did perform well at launch, putting up good numbers for sales and pre-orders. It was everything after that where it fell off a cliff.

[ThePerm]

So, I only recently got and started playing Super Mario 3d World.

The game is fun.

If I were thinking of a mobile and console way to play the game. What if the  console version of the game was the regular levels and the mobile version of the game was the Captain Toad levels?

Smash bros is another example. You play the single player at home, or you could play multiplayer on the handheld or at home.

Maybe the handheld system is basically another system, but your games library is combined, and depending if your out and about you get a different experience.

In game development this really only works for Nintendo who already does this, but it has the added benefit of gamers who have a more focused Nintendo and a more flexible library.

My biggest question though is "How much is this thing going to cost?", and "even if its the best thing since sliced bread, will the public perceive it that way?"

The Wii U has some convenience advantages over PS4 and Xbox One, but nobody seems to care.

[Agent-X-]

I want something that can only be experienced with the NX. Even the GameCube had graphics that were pretty much only found on GameCube. Super Mario Sunshine had that water! Loved that water! Wind Waker was cel shaded and had that vast ocean. That ocean was vast. Too much water! Metroid Prime boasted amazing graphics. F-Zero too. As well as Resident Evil. GameCube really was an unparalleled experience. It wasn't cheap hardware. It had potential waiting to be realized. And it was the system with faster load times.

Come on, that's pure nostalgia BS.  There were Xbox games that graphically matched and surpassed all the games you mentioned here.  Seriously, the Gamecube was a powerful machine for the price it was but it was by no means this beast the other consoles of that gen were striving to match.

And yes Breath of the Wild is a technically masterpiece no matter what you try to spin.  Find me an open world game on any system right now that's the sizes of this game with the kind of engaging fast gameplay that Zelda provides with the kind of physics engine this game has and isn't a complete buggy mess.  If you're going to consider games like Mario Sunshine (which outside of the water was terrible graphically) as a technical masterpiece just because it did something the other systems at the time weren't doing, (even though the original Xbox easily could have), Breath of the Wild fits the exact definition of what your saying Nintendo should make since it's doing something technically that no other system or dev has done so far, even on more powerful hardware.

I consider it an "unparalleled experience" because of the quality of the software, but the hardware had its advantages over its competitors (which led to the really good software). The competition was definitely striving to match the GameCube (for reference, see Okami), and Nintendo was also striving to match the others (see remakes: Metal Gear Solid, Resident Evil). I think you guys maybe took my statement to mean GameCube was leading in graphics when all I'm saying is that Nintendo offered a very comparable box that had advantages and some major quirks (24 MB of RAM vs 32 MB of RAM, limited game save storage).


The reason I chose the GameCube as a reference is because that's the last time Nintendo offered the same quality as its competitors. This NX might be the berth of a brand new gaming platform, but for the price tag I sincerely hope they find a way to offer the same potential that their competitors offer for home gaming.

[nickmitch]

This thread needs a new title.  I'd like to suggest either "Baseless Speculation Edition" or "Legend of NX: Lack of Information",

[lolmonade]

This thread needs a new title.  I'd like to suggest either "Baseless Speculation Edition" or "Legend of NX: Lack of Information",

Legend of NX: Breath of a Console

[supermario2k]

Someone at Wikileaks needs to hack Nintendo asap.