5 Switch Features That Show Nintendo's Learned a Lot

Nintendo's newest system has been revealed and it seems like they have learned from their mistakes. Here are the Switch changes that Twinfinite's excited about and show that Nintendo is trying to take steps in the right direction.

[PhoenixUp]

Not really. NS still shares a lot of Wii U's shortcomings, showing that Nintendo hasn't learned that much

[skydragoonityx]

Nintendo hasn't learned anything, the switch feels like Wii U 2.0

[Derceto]

Countered by, 50 Switch features that show Nintendo learned nothing.

[jmc8888]

1. Not leaning too heavily in a gimmick.

Actually they did. They didn't pack in a pro controller, they gave us motion control joy-cons. Also not many people are going to be playing on roof top parties or in the back of a van. While their Switch message hasn't always been about motion controls, it basically WAS their main reveal presentation. That's pretty heavily.

2. More serious online environment.

Well if they were serious they wouldn't of put chat behind a paywall smartphone app while still asking you to pay for online. Meanwhile they aren't getting the AAA 3rd party FPS/TPS's so how can you be serious when you aren't getting Call of Duty, Battlefield, Battlefront, Plants Vs. Zombies, Division, GTA Online, Destiny, Metal Gear Online, Madden, Mass Effect (co-op), any racing game with an online aspect, any of the F2P online games, Watchdogs, Doom, etc.

Additionally we don't know how good or reliable it's going to be. We need to see it working first. Right now it's unknown, and apparently it's still in the building stages and will be until fall (hence free until the fall).

While Sony and MS offer multiple games for each platform they have, including AAA games from the current generation, able to be used for as long as you own a subscription, Nintendo gives you one single NES/SNES game from 20-30 years ago that you can play for only 30 days and then it's gone period. How about one NES, one SNES, one N64, one Gamecube, one Wii, and one Wii U able to be kept for as long as you subscribe? Now THAT would be fair and roughly comparable to the 'freebies' given out by their competitors.

Meanwhile Mario Kart can be played for free on Wii U online, and same with Splatoon 1. Without AAA Western 3rd party titles to use this service, there really is not much reason to buy into it EXCEPT for Splatoon 2, and that's really not much. Steep won't do it. They really need different and new titles NOW that utilize the service in order to justify asking for it. (beyond of course all the other factors that they are failing with it)

What they are offering clearing isn't them being serious, and if they think they are, wow are they out of touch.

[jmc8888]

3. Third party support

In reality, 3rd party support is light years behind the Wii U, which got Call of Duty, Assassin's Creed, Madden, FIFA, Mass Effect 3, Sonic ALL at launch... and coincidentally they ALL could use an online service in some ways.

You also had games like Darksiders II, Batman Arkham City, etc, etc.

Think of it this way. Ubisoft had SIX titles at launch of Wii U. Which is MORE then Switch has at launch. EA had three. WB had like 4. Activision had like 4. You also had Sega, Namco-Bandai, THQ, Temco-Koei, Capcom.

Within four months Ubisoft had 3 more titles, including games like Need For Speed Most Wanted U.

The simple fact is, Switch pales in comparison to Wii U in terms of 3rd party, especially AAA Western 3rd party and that's a massive problem.

The few 3rd party titles on Switch once had earlier versions launched on Wii U too... they just also had many more around it in addition.

Many of the games on stage weren't even shown. They had them get up and show a cutscene or even just a TITLE SCREEN. Meaning the few it got that they were showcasing are 2018 or 2019... maybe even later.. or never (Ghost Recon Online and Aliens: Colonial Marines for Wii U say hi)

Why do people ignore the past, while pretending the present is better then the past. It's ignorance, plain and simple.

Pulling the wool over ones eyes does not help Nintendo, it's gives them cover to continue to make the same mistakes. In the long run, such cover tactics might irreparably harm Nintendo. Don't do it, if you really want Nintendo to succeed, make sure you won't put up with their bs. 3rd party support for Switch simply is not fantastic, it's dreadful and far worse then Wii U.

Oh but it's got $40 Street Fighter 2, basically a game that is about 25 years old. C'mon man.

4. Variety in first party exclusives.

Well not really. If they were exclusive to Switch, they wouldn't be on Wii U. Zelda and Mario Kart are.

Mario will be fun, despite outdated visuals and small worlds (watch the videos you can see almost the entire world, and some people have showcased from other angles it is indeed a small world) In other words. It is not an open world game. It's no Zelda in that respects in any way, shape, or form.

1-2 Switch and Arms should be $20 titles, and 1-2 Switch should of been a pack-in. 1-2 Switch encourages you to not look at the screen. Oh god. Meanwhile Arms, looks halfway decent, but a short time waster. I saw someone say it reminds them a bit of the boxing from Wii Sports, but altered a bit, made to look flashier and now suddenly it's a fairly expensive title many are banking on near launch.

There really isn't much from 1st party the first year, and no I don't think they held off for E3, because their console doesn't launch in November like others, it launches in March.. SIX weeks away, and E3 is only three months after. It's better business to showcase the games you have to garner launch sales with time being so close, especially with such a dearth of titles on the docket. If they have some great games coming in August or thereabouts, it would behoove them to show them NOW.

[jmc8888]

5. Perfecting Versatility

No. 2 1/2 to 6 hour battery life is NOT very good. They even said the more demanding titles. Well, the problem is, any game like Zelda or anywhere close to that is going to be demanding on it, so expect short life for the games that people who want portability, would be excited to play portable.

Meanwhile as a home console it's the raw power of 2007, with some architectural advances to push a bit better then that. Wii U was both more powerful and less powerful then the 360/PS3, but Switch is far and away less powerful then XB1 and PS4 (who themselves are not too powerful, which necessitated mid-gen upgrades with PS4 Pro and Scorpio).

Switch will not get the AAA 3rd party games, besides MAYBE a token here or there, and is VASTLY behind what Wii U got as I showcased above (and believe me I didn't name every 3rd party game in the first few months of Wii U either). Go to metacritic and look it up.

Portable gaming is nothing new, and I don't see this thing getting casuals away from their smartphones. I want Nintendo to succeed in things, but they have to actually make a product that will. Calling this a home console is just going to create confusion as people are going to expect to be able to play all the same games the other consoles do. When it can't, and you talk about portability and not being powerful enough to do it... then people are going to get confused. It has a similar problem to Wii U, just in a different way. Alot of casuals are going to think it can play GTA, Call of Duty, Fallout, Mass Effect, Battlefield, etc, etc. It can't, and that's confusing for ANY console not to be able to do to a casual.

[colonel179]

I totally agree that the Switch will be confusing as the Wii U was, but in different way. The biggest mistake Nintendo is making, is marketing the Switch as a home console. The thing is 99% portable. It is literaly a portable console that you can play at home, not the other way around!. I know they are doing it because they don't want to get rid of the 3DS yet, however, it's going to bite them in the ass.

Nintendo has made the same mistake for the third time. They have to know that they need a console powerful enough to compete in the market. They are not the only ones making games, and the NEED the games on the switch. It's like if a company make a new movie format, because they want to be cool, but since everything else is in DVD, no one is going to make movies on that format. (Didn't that happen to HDDVD?).

Yes, Nintendo wants to be original, and unique, etc, but it is not enough. Whether they like it or not, Nintendo is in the videogame market, and that involves all the publishers and developers that are in it making games. They should know since the N64 era, that developers are NOT going to get out of their way to treat Nintendo differently, and make games for their "uniqueness". They want to standarize everything so it is not costly and time consuming.

I can see the Switch not selling well. It will sell better than the Wii U, but I don't even think it will get to Xbox One numbers at the end of the generation. They are making the same mistakes. They said that they were releasing in March because they didn't want to launch with only a few games like with the Wii U (and Wii, and GC and N64), yet they are doing it all over again.

If the Switch fails, the first to go should be Reggie! He is the worst guy it can be at Nintendo. Also, they need to get rid of all the old people that can't see change and don't want anything to change. I forsee a future with Nintendo being third party. honestly.