Nintendo Switch Price, Launch Lineup Teased
"We would like a wide variety of consumers to enjoy Nintendo products."
Nintendo won't officially announce more key details about the Switch system until January 2017, but now president Tatsumi Kimishima has offered a high-level take on two key areas: price and launch lineup.
In terms of pricing, Kimishima said during an earnings briefing that the console will be priced in line with what you'd expect from a Nintendo console. However, given that the Switch is something of a new idea in game--it's a console/mobile hybrid--it's not so easy to compare to any past Nintendo system.
"Regarding the price, as we have been saying, we are, in principle, not planning to sell it at a loss," Kimishima said. "We would like a wide variety of consumers to enjoy Nintendo products, and we would also like to think in terms of consumers' expectations for our products."
The Wii started at $250, while the Wii U debuted at $300. You can find out what GameSpot editors think the Switch will be priced at here in this Q&A feature.
In terms of game support, Nintendo's only confirmed Switch game is The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, though teasers for new or updated versions of Mario Kart 8 and Splatoon were shown during the Switch's announcement video. There was also a mysterious 3D Mario game on display in the video. Nintendo cautioned that the announcement trailer only showed "short glimpses of representative gameplay to demonstrate the liberating nature of the Nintendo Switch home gaming system."
As for third-party support, videos for Skyrim and an NBA 2K game were shown during the Switch's announcement trailer, but these games are not officially confirmed for the console. Ubisoft is bringing at least Just Dance 2017 to the Switch, while dozens of third-party developers have signed up to support the console, including Activision, Electronic Arts, Warner Bros., Square Enix, Konami, and Capcom.
In the earnings briefing, Kimishima said third-party support for Switch has been strong because the studios "realize that Nintendo Switch offers a chance to create new and exciting surprises which are not possible with existing gaming devices." Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot said previously that Switch could "redefine" gaming.
Also during the presentation, Kimishima was asked if the initial launch lineup for Switch will be aimed at hardcore gamers. He didn't outright answer this question, but claimed Switch will be "embraced by a variety of different people across many different age demographics."
Nintendo will officially announce the Switch's price, launch lineup, and specs on January 12 during an online presentation. The company has said not to expect any major news about the console until then.
In terms of sales projections, Nintendo expects to ship 2 million Switch consoles during its launch month of March 2017.
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