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Nintendo Switch review: pure potential

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Re: Nintendo Switch review: pure potential

#121

Post by _ph_ »

I am very excited about the Switch and hope my preordered unit arrives in time :). I do like the WiiU, the biggest complaint being, that it is tied to my tv, and not always where I want to play it. Playing it on the pad is nice, but the resolution and range are very limited. I also like the 3DS, and would really like a faster version of it with a larger screen with much more resolution.

It turns out, that the Switch checks all these boxes. If you design a screen for a 3DS successor with is slightly larger and higher res, you arrive at the screen of the switch. It is also the same size as the screen of the WiiU. And docked, it outperforms the WiiU as stationary console. Of course it falls behind the PS4, but I think the market for non-portable consoles has been "won" by the PS4. But while they will continue to exist, the prime time for stationary consoles might be over too. With the Switch, you are no longer tied to the TV. Nintendo took quite some care to make sure that the Switch mostly performs identically docked and undocked. There shouldn't be many if any games which are tied to one mode only.

The popularity of gaming laptops should tell us, that there is an increasing number of people who want to be mobile in their gaming, not necessarily as in playing while riding the bus, but as in taking your gaming hardware with you when like visiting friends. And that is, where the Switch easily outshines for example a PS4. Add to it the ability to do multiplayer gaming on the local network (Splatoon2, Mario Cart,...) and it has a lot of prospect.

Re: Nintendo Switch review: pure potential

#122

Post by iamatworknow »

danso wrote: post #112
iamatworknow wrote: post #108

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Lack of a virtual console I can understand, but are you really being dissuaded from purchasing a Switch based on its lack of web browser and Netflix -- two things that run on half a dozen or more devices that the typical HN reader probably already owns?

Exactly...two things that are ubiquitous on modern devices, but aren't on the Switch because of what seems like rushed online infrastructure. Why should we have faith that Nintendo has successfully executed social matchmaking and account services, which are much more bespoke?

Maybe I'm a glass half full kind of guy but I'd like to believe they spent less effort on duplicating features that fulfill needs most buyers can already meet with other devices and more effort on features germane to the console itself, like the matchmaking and account services you mention. I could very well be wrong.

Re: Nintendo Switch review: pure potential

#123

Post by kbenson »

ashark wrote: post #58
kbenson wrote: post #47

Earlier quoted context omitted.

And tennis. And golf. And baseball. And many others where people either don't have or don't let their preconceptions steer their preferences. Motion controls never caught on because game studios aren't interested in making games locked to one console, and motion controls are far less standardized.

> And tennis. And golf. And baseball. Until you realize your standing-up-arm-waving strategy is being destroyed by the person sitting on the couch making little wrist flicks, who may as well be pushing buttons for all the motion they're making. And that person isn't experiencing severe RSI, the likes of which doesn't happen playing those sports for real , 5 minutes into the match.

So, the first generation of motion control games that use that control scheme had some problems? Color me surprised.

In truth, you want to be able to play from the couch. You also want to be able to play in a more immersive style. Being able to detect one or the other and having a slider to allow more lenient play would be ideal. At the other end of the spectrum, I imagine requiring a more true translation to the actions on the screen would help prevent any RSI, as it would naturally require a wider range of actions.

It's easy to fall back on what we know because the new thing doesn't always work right and has some pains in the initial implementation. That doesn't mean we discount it entirely.

Re: Nintendo Switch review: pure potential

#124

Post by VLM »

danso wrote: post #112
iamatworknow wrote: post #108

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Lack of a virtual console I can understand, but are you really being dissuaded from purchasing a Switch based on its lack of web browser and Netflix -- two things that run on half a dozen or more devices that the typical HN reader probably already owns?

Exactly...two things that are ubiquitous on modern devices, but aren't on the Switch because of what seems like rushed online infrastructure. Why should we have faith that Nintendo has successfully executed social matchmaking and account services, which are much more bespoke?

Something only 60s/70s kids will remember is the bubble in digital LCD clocks in the early 80s meant the average 80s kitchen had over 15 digital clocks in it, and keeping them set or covering the screen with electricians tape was an annoyance. I'm happy to be down to 4 digital clocks to maintain in my kitchen and I could achieve a mere 1 with some effort. I'm happy I don't have to install and maintain a netflix account on my bathroom scale and my car keyless entry keyfob and my digital picture frame and my outdoor thermometer. Might be an early sign that Netflix on Everything is post bubble peak.

Re: Nintendo Switch review: pure potential

#125

Post by scott_s »

coldpie wrote: post #91
ashark wrote: post #75

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> The N64, the GameCube, the Wii and subsequent offerings were all underpowered in terms of graphical abilities and raw power after that. The N64 was underpowered?

Definitely not. The N64 outperformed the PSX, but it was far harder to program for and cartridges were far more expensive than discs. That's where Nintendo's lack of 3rd party support began. The Gamecube and Xbox were about on par with each other, and both outperformed the PS2. But the PS2 had a huge lead time and strong 3rd party momentum from the PSX. The Wii was the shift where Nintendo began to fall behind on hor…

I think there's more to it than that. Matt Leone wrote an amazing Oral History of Final Fantasy 7, published over at Polygon: http://www.polygon.com/a/final-fantasy-7

The switch from N64 to PS is talked about a lot - Square definitely started development for FF7 on the N64 prototype systems before switching over. Hiroshi Kawai, a character programmer for Square, has what I think are the most telling comments:

"I kind of had a suspicion that things weren’t going too well for the 64 at that point, because … one of my responsibilities … was to write performance applications that compared how well the 64 fared against the prototype [PlayStation]. And we’d be running parallel comparisons between the [PlayStation] where you’d have a bunch of 2D sprites bouncing off the screen and see how many polygons you could get within a 60th of a second. And even without any kind of texturing or any kind of lighting, it was less than 50% of what you would be able to get out of the [PlayStation]. Of course, the drawback of the [PlayStation] is it didn’t really have a z-buffer, so you’d have these overlapping polygons that you’d have to work around so that you wouldn’t get the shimmering [look]. But on the other hand, there was no way you’d be able to get anything close to what FF7 was doing [on PlayStation] on the 64 at that time."

Kawai has more on the topic, which is fascinating. And the entire piece is just amazing, and I imagine most people on this thread would enjoy reading it.

Re: Nintendo Switch review: pure potential

#126

Post by cwyers »

iamatworknow wrote: post #122
danso wrote: post #112

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Exactly...two things that are ubiquitous on modern devices, but aren't on the Switch because of what seems like rushed online infrastructure. Why should we have faith that Nintendo has successfully executed social matchmaking and account services, which are much more bespoke?

Maybe I'm a glass half full kind of guy but I'd like to believe they spent less effort on duplicating features that fulfill needs most buyers can already meet with other devices and more effort on features germane to the console itself, like the matchmaking and account services you mention. I could very well be wrong.

For something portable like this, it would be appealing to have Netflix on the go on it. It could be the best screen you have with you, and multifunction means that you can potentially leave some other device at home.

Re: Nintendo Switch review: pure potential

#127

Post by JohnJamesRambo »

Retr0spectrum wrote: post #89
JohnJamesRambo wrote: post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>"At this point, with Nintendo not having commented on or fixeds the issue, I can only go forward assuming the Switch consoles going on sale this Friday will all potentially have this problem, and that Nintendo is about to sell you a $300 game system requiring some kind of fix before it performs its basic functions." Yikes, that sounds disastrous.

It definitely looks bad, but I've seen a few videos demonstrating the issue and it only really happens if you have the joycon entirely covered by your hands, or behind your back. This could be a software bug that is fixable with an update, but that seems unlikely considering it affects the left controller more than the right one, which would indicate a hardware design flaw.

I'm not following your train of logic where it isn't that bad if a joycon doesn't work if covered by your hands. For a real product it needs to work in all cases, not if you put your hands a certain way.

Re: Nintendo Switch review: pure potential

#128

Post by _ph_ »

danso wrote: post #101

As a late Wii U owner, I'm willing to wait until the Switch proves to be a success. The horror stories of the Wii U's launch, combined with lackluster support and signs that Nintendo didn't know how to adapt to the Internet age haven't exactly been mitigated by what we know of the Switch so far: no web browser, no Virtual Console nor movie services like Netflix at launch. Everything smells rushed...in the meantime, I…

There are plenty of indications that Nintendo considers this release a just as an early on release addressing the enthusiasts who need to have a new console on the first day. They clearly plan to ramp up everything over the course of the year. One could claim that the release is only finished when Mario Odyssey gets released. Nintendo clearly hinted at the virtual console coming to the Switch, its just not there yet. It is probably connected to some of the upcoming online feature (as they talked about offering a different older game with it every month). Nintendo probably equally wants to stress that the Switch isn't a tablet but a serious gaming system. Therefore (and probably just because they are not finished), no web browser or Netflix client now. But there is no reason to assume they are going to be left out forever.

Re: Nintendo Switch review: pure potential

#129

Post by lotyrin »

M_Grey wrote: post #107
GuiA wrote: post #81

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It is mostly credited to Gunpei Yokoi's philosophy: "Yokoi articulated his philosophy of "Lateral Thinking of Withered Technology". [...] "Withered technology" in this context refers to a mature technology which is cheap and well understood. "Lateral thinking" refers to finding radical new ways of using such technology. Yokoi held that toys and games do not necessarily require cutting edge technology; novel and fun g…

I think there's a bit of a darker side as well. The Wii was so unbelievably successful, and profitable that it seems to have created a kind of corporate-level of addiction, and subsequent profit-seeking behavior. The Wii was underpowered, quirky, but just happened to hit all of the notes that a ton of people who hadn't played games before (and would later move on to playing on phones and tablets) were looking for. Mo…

From what I understand, they can readily afford to make these bets though. If Switch turns out not to be another Wii, but rather a WiiU, that's no sweat to them and they can easily figure something else out.

Re: Nintendo Switch review: pure potential

#130

Post by iamatworknow »

cwyers wrote: post #126
iamatworknow wrote: post #122

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Maybe I'm a glass half full kind of guy but I'd like to believe they spent less effort on duplicating features that fulfill needs most buyers can already meet with other devices and more effort on features germane to the console itself, like the matchmaking and account services you mention. I could very well be wrong.

For something portable like this, it would be appealing to have Netflix on the go on it. It could be the best screen you have with you, and multifunction means that you can potentially leave some other device at home.

Fair point. But is that necessary at launch, or can it be a few weeks or months down the road? I'm guessing it will be.
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