Nintendo Has Repeated The Biggest Mistake In Gaming History.

Once again Nintendo needs to explain what their new hardware actually is.

Nintendo has been forced to come out and explain that the Switch is a home console. This of course follows Nintendo having to explain just what the Wii U was.

Who is to blame for this? Is it Nintendo themselves not understanding what consumers want or is it how they're explaining it? You would think that when you have a show that's all about your new product you would, you know, explain what it is.

Nintendo is already doing damage control for their new hardware before release, again.

So far the Wii U and the Switch are starting exactly the same way. Poor debut, damage control trying to explain everything, sold out with the Nintendo fans but failing to gain traction in the mainstream.

No one needs to explain what the Switch fundamentally is- it is abundantly clear right away. Sure, they had to explain some of the more nuanced features, but everyone has to do that- even Sony did it with DualShock 4's touchpad and light, Share button, and so on.

There are a lot of things wrong with how they have handled the Switch, their messaging is not one of them.

Also

lmao at the sheer presumption predicated on nothing but bias here.

They already got the message across that it is a portable and console hybrid, that's not hard to understand. What they really need to do is elaborate on the virtual console, online features, voice chat, and other games that are coming out for it since there aren't any releases I'm interested in besides Xenoblade, Mario, and Zelda.

My casual friends seem to understand what it is.

@Jaysonguy:

I think Nintendo spent WAY too much time explaining the Controller. All they needed to do was to show us what this Console/Handheld can DO.

So far what we know that,

1. There's no Digital Services for the System. (Netflix, Amazon, Hulu, Crunchyroll, Youtube, etc)
2. eShop details are not concrete. (Virtual Console? Pre-Downloads?)
3. Can we browse the Internet?
4. Where share our Videos and Screenshots with no Miiverse?
5. Can we make Videos?
6. Is there in App Streaming (ala Twitch?)?

And the Last thing was they spent SO little telling us the games for the System. THANK GOD we have the Nintendo Tree House to cover this for us.

For Example, Ultra Street Fighter 2 was announced for the system. From a first Glance it was just HD Remix. But THANKS TO TREE HOUSE, That's not the Case, the Game's menu is more like the SNES Street Fighter 2 and the game is more like Super Turbo and WAY LESS like HD Remix. It's still like $20 too expensive, but it's not a total HD Remix port for Nintendo.

So yeah the Presentation really didn't make things good for the Switch.

I do not believe they've made that mistake. They've shared that this is a new console with a new mindset, new games that you can only get on the console. They've shown a number of features as well.

Have they lacked sharing information? Of course. There's still a lot I would like to know, but this is not the same mistake that the Wii U had.

Oh I'm guessing you didn't see the release then. That's understandable since this is a busy week all across the country.

Nintendo has had to come out and explain that the Switch is a console. That's not good. Having to do damage control less then a week since you had a special about the hardware is a bad sign.

Also you seem to not be in love with the facts going on. Their debut was poor as in that they did not convey what the hardware actually was, the damage control is of course having to explain what the hardware is, sold out with Nintendo fans because they tell people. Just go check out some social media streams or better yet talk to some of the community managers who run some big sites and studios. Failing to gain traction with the mainstream means that it's not hitting everyone like it should. I can tell you that some weren't talking about it in segments because they didn't exactly know how to talk about it, that's bad.

So yes, the Wii U and Switch are starting their lives off identically.

Yeah, im shocked Nintendo is having to explain Nintendo Switch is a video game console to you. Did you figure it out yet? Good luck mate.

People understand what it is. They understand that paying $300 in 2017 for a console weaker than the ones released in 2013 is a joke. Paying online fees for a console with no voice chat is a joke. Paying $300 for a console with no games besides WiiU ports of Zelda and Mario Kart for the foreseeable future is a joke.

Everyone was attacking Dynamitecop, but he's absolutely right.

@charizard1605: Last Generation Blindness is a real disease to hardcore fanboys.

@the_master_race:

Yup, he nails it.

@Jaysonguy: its very different situation wiiu was confused w the original Wii there's no way people can be confused w the switch unless there's another switch I'm not told about lol there's no mistake here

Jasonguy is somewhat correct. Rather than just a rather boring Jpn presentation, Nintendo needs a Direct to appeal to the West by explaining much of what was ignored.

The beauty of a hybrid is that it becomes whatever you use it for most. If you're always playing it on the go, it's a handheld. If you're always playing it at home, it's a console. That's the angle Reggie and Co. should have used. There is no reason to flatout explain what the Switch is; it is what you make it.

@Solaryellow: They cant explain everything at once, thatd be boring. People were complaining they spent so much time on the controls, but what they dont understand is majority hasnt really seen them. They dont look at rumors and leaks.

Boring or not, in six weeks this thing goes live and yet there are a lot of unknowns.

@Solaryellow: Not much, in time theyll explain. The important stuff is outta the way.

For once, I totally agree with Jim!

Oh goodness me...hyperbole much? This is completely mistaken.

The one thing Nintendo got right this time is that they haven't broadly confused the market. There are two reasons for this, in my view:

1. The Switch concept is fairly straightforward (a home console that you can take with you anywhere) - it has a single major purpose that its features revolve around.

2. The Nintendo presentation very clearly showed the different ways you can use the console - rather than simply explaining it, Nintendo produced really clear videos demonstrating the concepts.

Nintendo are clearly not in damage control here; I don't see any evidence of that. I think the two big failures of the Wii U were that a) there wasn't a strong core concept behind the platform and b) Nintendo as a result found it very difficult to clearly communicate what the Wii U was/what it could do.

By the way, as an aside, the "biggest mistake in gaming history" was not the debut of the Wii U. A person who was born yesterday might say that, but honestly, you'd have to go back a lot further to find the biggest mistake in gaming history. Again, lots of hyperbole going on here.

another jaded youtuber mad at Nintendo and whining about it... nothing to see here

I just think Nintendo is trying and still chasing Wii dream motion controls which is why they took so long with it in there presentations. What happens in the past, should stay in the past, Nintendo isn't never gonna capture that lighting in the bottle again with Wii. But beyond that, the rest of the show was okay and that's about it.

NEW NINTENDO SWITCH !!!!! 3DS you can plug to your TV screen, there you go, clear as crystal explanation.

Just let the sales speaks for itself. :P

I think its pretty clear what the console itself is, they just havent been active to explain a lot of the things around it like the voice chat

thread backfire

just stay in the shadows jasonguy

Well have to see. Many still enjoy Motion Controls and had no interest in WIi U because of it.

I haven't heard of anybody who doesn't understand what the Nintendo Switch is. It's not hard to understand that it is a console and handheld hybrid.

Nah. Motion controls were dead before the Wii was even discontinued.

I think they should still keep them as an alternative. But the market doesn't seem to care anymore. It certainly isn't necessary to have them as the main controller. I'd rather just have the system and pro-controller standard. Sell the motion controllers as the option, not the other way around.

It would be one thing if they were bringing us something that actually looked good for Motion Controls and there was any expectation they would keep cranking out great motion games. But we've been down this path before. They aren't even coming out of the gate with a great sports game, they are coming out with an embarrassment (1+2 Switch). Arms also looked a bit shovelwareish. So they got the controllers, but no games.

@Jaysonguy: I think nintendo can pull this off because of the fans. I mean most gamers wish for a strong console and some strong new ip's but nintendo makes a weak console, releases zelda mario and some other games that cater very well with the nintendo fan, like splatoon 2.

Look @charizard1605 , he makes a dozen threads about the switch and cannot hide his enthousiasm for the switch. There are a lot of other people like him, and as long as nintendo can make profit like this, I can't see why they would quit, it's a low risk, minor investment and high profit. Nintendo is still a company.

The portability of the switch is a major asset and nintendo rules the mobile market (apart from phones and tablets of course, but phones and tablets don't have any joycons)

I can understand @the_master_race as well, and that youtuber, nintendo is being lazy and greedy but if they can pull it off and make a profit, then they are having success as company. They can thrive off their old ip's and the mobile market, and as long as they can keep on doing that, I can't see nintendo change much. If the switch would be another failure like the wii u, then they might change, but they might not either. The wii u isn't exactly a major failure as well, they sold 14 million units, if they made profit of the units and off the games, that covers the expensives, the wages of the employees and the shareholders don't do anything about it, nothing is going to change.

In almost all instances this is the case.

The way its setup now you get both. Did you check out ARMS? It looks amazing for a motion control game. And if you want something more than the Joy-Con Grip setup, yeah, the Pro Controller isnt a bad investment. Sure its $69, but it has HD Rumble, Gyro, and NFC Reader.

@commander: Jim is just kicking Nintendo in the chins for no reason. He states Nintendo's Online Service is greedy and a joke yet we have no clue what it is nor the price. He complains the Joy-Cons, etc are pricey and complains PS4 and Xbox One controller is high priced too. He really has no argument at all.

I watched his whole video and found it to be weak sauce. Id even argue hes the one being greedy.

@iandizion713: I think his video was spot on.

@DaHater7: With what? Which point did you think was good?

Why am I not allowed to spend my hard earned money on the Switch and have a great time exploring the worlds they're creating in Zelda and Mario? Why are you trying so hard to make people feel like they shouldn't do that?

All of them.

I think it's pretty easy to tell this is not the Wii or WiiU.

Dont be scared now. Im sure he has some real bulletproof points. If they truly are, theyll withstand my gun.

Rekt.

@Blazed: Thats pretty weak though. $300 is the 4th cheapest a home console has ever been. Switch does have voice chat. And the last one is a joke and number one reason to just laugh in his face. I mean for goodness sake, Mario Odyssey is coming. How out of touch with reality can one be.

Welcome back Moquin. Unlike Char's optimistic description of the Switch, your trolling has gotten much *less* nuanced since you've been gone. If you're planning on taking over the role of the GS resident Nintendo hater again, I suggest you spend a little time on your sentence structure and overall word flow. You're better than this. Shape up, duder. If you get back into form, maybe somebody will make a parody account, again. Real Jay FOR LYFE!

This console sounds horrible in just about every way, and I'm not surprised Nintendo pulled it off again.

The number one stand-out of all the Switch marketing so far has been them interacting with the dock. People like fiddling with devices as long as it is simple, and I believe that image will the one that sticks with the casual consumer. It is a good kind of complexity.

As for that Switch event they just held, that was about some marketing but it was mostly an information event. It was mostly for people like us and maybe retailers. The reason they spent so much time on the controllers was because there was so much to say about the controllers. Also, I recall quite a lot of game time being shown on the TV so I think Nintendo has been clear this time.

I should say that I don't think marketing is as big a factor as it's made out to be. The average consumer is smarter than marketers give them credit for. Maybe the Wiiu failed because it just wasn't very good. The tablet gimmick just didn't translate into meaningful gameplay aside from some mini games. It was mostly used for menus. It was nice, but not nice enough to drop that kind of money. The Switch has the best gimmick of the wiiu (the ability to play away from the TV) but that isn't even its main gimmick. I think the local multiplayer on the go is a winner imo. I don't know if it's enough to make the Switch a success, but I think there is a high ceiling of sales potential. It's an interesting console.

It might gain a rep as a value system as well. The joycons make it kind of like getting two controllers in the box. They will understand that it isn't two full controllers, but it's still meaningful value. It's also a handheld plus home console, so people who want both types of consoles would see the Switch as a value, and it might entice some people to start gaming that way. I think the key is the first year or so of the console. If it is a huge success at first, then 3rd parties will spend the time to make downgraded ports on the Switch. If that happens, Nintendo wins because the user base would snowball. It could go bad too though. If it basically becomes nothing more than the Vita 2, the fate might not be much better.

@charizard1605: how can it be "abundantly clear" when you yourself told me it was primarly to be seen as a handheld yet Nintendo had to clarify this week it was home console?

Woops. He's back to being wrong.

The "confusion" the OP is pointing at is is just evidence that Nintendo have come up with something unique. Beyond that, you can point at sales (doing well), but the rest is utter conjecture.

Only a complete moron wouldn't know what the concept of the Switch is after seeing the reveal video...

what was he supposedly right about??

My GF is excited about it and she's no gamer although I try to make her one.