Topic: Nintendo Switch --OT--

@KratosMD Absolutely incorrect. A tiny number of people have had issues with launch units (which happens with every console), and concern trolls used these complaints to create public hysteria about issues that were either overblown or non-existent to begin with. The only big complaint that was verifiably happening with some launch units was the joycon disconnection issue, which happened because the joycons were apparently missing a piece of conductive foam.

The amount of trolling that happened around the Switch launch was nuts. Unfortunately, I think it's a reflection of the growing toxicity of Western gamer culture in general.

@KratosMD For once I agree with@BLP_Software 4 years is not early at all. Besides I wouldn't be surprised at all if they were working on the switch along side the Wii U.

@Ralizah @KratosMD Its a problem yes, but its recent, and will most likely be patched out really fast, as they've done several times. Its just a little oddity, but again, if this kind of thing is a huge turn off in the off chance it happens...don't buy it until patched.

@Tasuki I think they said it started late 2014/early 2015? Heck, we know companies begin work on the next thing immediately so who really knows. Given Nvidia was working on it since 2015, and Nvidia was pitching their chips to companies for ages, I'd suggest the concept from Nintendo was as early as 2013.

Heck, it's the culmination of years of work, the tech is finally right to do it. Who really knows how long its been on the drawing board. But 4 years is a long long time to develop tech. In fact, 4-5 years is about right.

Nintendo starts working on their next console as soon as their newest one releases, so the Switch has been in development for years. Additionally, the system is getting a number of projects that have been in the works for years.

All launch consoles have manufacturing issues and dud units that need to be addressed. There just isn't usually non-stop trolling surrounding these consoles when they launch.

@KratosMD Out of all the units sold so far, how many individual cases of bending screens have there been?

Now work that out as a percentage. Cause for concern? I think not sadly. Especially as this happens to all devices of this form factor. Its a nature of heat flexing. Hell, it happens even to consoles. Flexing due to heat was what caused the red ring of death! The benefit here is, phones and tablets, and the Switch, as well as later revisions of the Xbox 360, have a plate installed to maintain shape. It heats up, flex. It cools down, it resets. Simple stuff.

And I don't know if its literally been all over the news. Ive yet to see it on the BBC so...

And I think @Ralizah put it best. Remember the PS4 has no games launch and how long that persisted? People want any reason to feel big, and Nintendo is a very easy punching bag. In fact, if the narrative isn't "No games", which will be tossed around for years to come, its "Too many games and its oversaturated".

Furthermore, another narrative around Switch that will never die is that they undersupply if sold out, but that no one is buying it if one is a shelf for more than a day and its doomed. Or even funnier, the "We need to wait and see before we can establish how its doing". I can tell you now that that little line wont disappear even 3 or 4 years in because itll still be too early and sales "can drop off any day now".

@KratosMD This does seem concerning, it's all well and good for people to say "people are using Nintendo as a punching bag" like a major corporation needs forum defenders. The fact is when people pay good money for a product they have the right to expect that product to be in full working order over a long period of use, let alone less then one year.

@KratosMD Im saying its not widespread. If it was 3% of systems? 1% sure? Then itd be a problem. But its not. Its 10s, maybe hundreds. Realistically how much is that in the grand scheme of things now with this issue?

As for the joycon issue, fixed. That variance has been resolved in production.

The odds of something being technically wrong with your system upon purchase is very slim. Does a bend damage functionality? Nope. But it happens.

It happens and its not widespread. Remember one report shared hundreds of times can seem like hundreds of cases and in the small scale it can seem like a device ending issue until you zoom out a bit and see the rest of the units sold.

And can you guarantee that if I buy another PS4 right now it will be flawless?

@KratosMD Can you confirm to me that same number?

Here is the thing. All we have are accounts. And then they stopped. Then they came up again briefly and save for one or two posts....nothing.

See the thing is, you cant prove its a statistically significant number of units affected to be a concern, or even if bending is a long term issue at all, and I cant disprove it. Therefore, what is the point of the argument?

Until hard numbers come out the paranoia isnt just. I assume you were also freaking out when reports of other systems having issues where rampant at their launches?

And the PS4 by build size cant bend. But can you guarantee there will be no hardware issues? No slipped HDD spinner? No disc drive damage? All of the ports in order? That the controller is fully functional?

Not at all. Just trying to curb the hyperbole a little bit. If you investigate most of the articles being referred to when people talk about "bent Switches," they usually refer to the same small group of reports online. That's not to say it's not happening to some people, but that it's not uncommon for people online to act like a statistically insignificant phenomenon is some major manufacturing crisis. The closest thing the Switch has had to one of those is the joycon thing, and I don't think we ever got any solid numbers on how many units that was actually affecting.

I can't guarantee that your Switch won't have any issues any more than I can guarantee your PS4 won't have issues. That's the reality of mass-production. ESPECIALLY during the launch year.

http://wccftech.com/top-5-reported-technical-playstation-4-is...

http://www.ign.com/articles/2013/11/22/xbox-one-early-adopter...

You were just as likely, if not moreso, to get a PS4 or Xbox One with issues in their launch years. It's part of the "early adopter" equation. Small manufacturing issues are ironed out over time for every major system.

@BLP_Software Right you can even say the Wii U was a prototype of the Switch, which means that I am sure plenty of ideas and such were being developed during the Wii Us development time as well.

@KratosMD Ok man you said your piece and @BLP_Software said his let's drop this now and agree to disagree as the saying goes. The point is now hardware is flawless and every hardware be it Nintendo, Sony Microsoft, Apple or whatever has a percentage of failure rate look at the launch Xbox 360 and PS3 for example.

The reason people are making a big deal about the Switch is because it's Nintendo and anything negative Nintendo the Sony and MS fanboys jump on it, which quite frankly it looks like you are doing exactly that.

Anyway I think we are done here now.

@KratosMD Im not denying they exist. Like @Ralizah said it is to curb the hyperbole as stated this happens to every system at launch. But if you look its a handful of reports over and over. There is no denying it exists but there is reason to believe its not as huge a deal as you want it to be.

Im saying it happens. Im saying take caution. But it is not something to be concerned or hesitant over. Now if it had a chance to explode in your hand, then hesitate. But as is? Its part of mass production. Its variance early on that is ironed out and if you dont like that well tough because this is how the tech world works. It wont be perfect from the start and you dont have to be early if its not skmething you are ok with but its also not the end of the world.

@Tasuki It honestly wouldnt shock me. In 2013 the tech for Switch simply wasnt possible. And its come leaps and bounds in such short time. Wii U was the next best thing possible at the time.

@KratosMD Last post on the issue, but one thing to keep in mind: social media is bigger and more people are networked than ever before. It's probably worth considering that more problems are being reported because more people are posting about it.

It reminds me of Americans who say that "the world is getting more violent," even though, at least in America, violent crime is generally decreasing over time. The thing is that, with more and more news sources reporting on things, people hear more and more about this world's ugliness, and thus feel like the world is becoming less safe when, if anything, it's becoming much safer than it was in the past. The availability heuristic is a powerful thing.

Anyway, putting off a purchase to avoid launch issues seems like a sensible decision, and is probably one I would have made if I didn't love the system's design so much.

@BLP_Software Exactly, that's how it felt to me once I saw the Switch. I mean nothing against the Wii U it was a great piece of hardware it's just a shame no one would support it but once the Switch was revealed it was pretty clear that the idea for Switch was born with the Wii U.

@Tasuki I have to disagree. While off-tv play was one of the gimmicks the Wii U was known for, Nintendo was heavily promoting the ways its GamePad would enhance traditional TV gaming. It's pretty clear to me that Nintendo always intended to be the Wii U to be a home console, as opposed to a gimped Switch. They just didn't know what to do with the GamePad half the time.

Off-TV play was one of the more popular features of the Wii U, and Nintendo was finding that they couldn't support two platforms at once anymore, so the Switch concept really was the only card they had left if they didn't want to abandon home console game development altogether. Thankfully, the concept appears to have resonated with other people as much as it did with me.

@Ralizah Its resonated perhaps a little too well.

Trolls everywhere, and patent lawsuits - A sign of success. I mean Nintendo will be ragged on for all time as @Tasuki said because cmon, that's how it works in this industry, and I don't know what it will take to change that perception, if at all.

I try not to look at the Wii U as a proto-Switch and more of its own thing. It was most definitely a first whack at the concept in great earnest, and that "Free from the TV" mentality though.

@BLP_Software I love that the system succeeded even though so many so-called "hardcore gamers" were prepared to write it off. And yet, unlike the Wii, I feel like this isn't a system that will alienate core gamers: if anything, it seems like a lot of people are gradually being convinced of the useful of hardware versatility when they actually get a chance to use it. A lot of people still don't seem to be able to grok the hybrid concept, though. Have you noticed? They are so used to the handheld/console divide that they're struggling to make sense of a system that is simultaneously both and neither.

@Ralizah Humanity is always going to want to put things into neat little boxes, but at the same time, don't want any new boxes to use.

But the people unable to grasp will never understand without first being willing. You don't come away accepting if you approach solely with your mind made up. Hell, even I was feeling down on the system pre-launch!

@Ralizah Personally, I think the Switch is a console that should appeal to core gamers the most. It offers flexibility and innovation but can comfortably sit alongside other platforms. I know several PC and Sony/MS owners who have got the Switch as well. I know lots don't but I think real gamers don't really care about platforms other than what they offer to them and their tastes.

@Rudy_Manchego I don't know that the Switch is necessarily biggest appeal is to 'Core' gamers. That's not to say that core gamers won't find it appealing but the largest audience is more likely to come from the more casual gamer. I think it has that 'broad' appeal that the Wii had and the same appeal to those people that jumped into the Pokemon Go - many of those would not consider themselves gamers but saw the Wii Sports and Fitness as something that could be played by people who wouldn't otherwise turn to a console. The Wii for example was found in Old Peoples homes to encourage them to play 'sports' or do exercise - not places you would have seen a PS3/XB360.

Again, I am not saying it doesn't appeal to core gamers but I can see the majority of its owners being from the more casual gaming market and I do agree that it can comfortably sit alongside other gaming device. It also though appeals to those who may not have the time to sit and play a PS4/XB1/PC because they are on the go a lot and this gives them the opportunity to game in the times they are travelling or want/have a quick break. I really do think that the majority will be those people that probably don't have an alternative gaming device and the more 'casual' gamer.

I do agree that 'real' gamers don't really care who makes that 'block' of plastic and electronics - its just a 'device' that enables then to access the games they want to play. Each has its own unique games and goals and can offer 'something' different. I do think that MS are more 'generic' in that the games are not that different from games that can be found on the other systems (especially on XB1) - not to say that they are 'bad' but you can replace Forza with PC or GT, Halo is just another FPS and there are lots of alternatives, Gears is a great 3rd Person Shooter... I know that Halo and Gears can be 'difficult' to find a direct substitute but its not like you can't find any. Sony's Exclusive games are more unique and of course they have a big 'Japanese' library too. There is of course a differing attitude to the past between these two with MS seemingly more keen to preserve the history of games where as Sony are more interested in the present and what technology can do. By that I mean that MS are more keen to keep games alive and as they were where as Sony will be more keen to bring those games forward and updated to be more 'present day'. Nintendo are doing what Nintendo have always done.

I have never bought a console 'just' because its a Playstation or Xbox, whether its a Nintendo or Sega but bought these because of the games. I know that owning both an Xbox ans PS that the majority of games will be 'common' to both and that I 'could' just own 1 and over the life of that console, miss out on perhaps 10-20 games that I would want to play because the majority of games I buy are common to both. However, I couldn't pick one or the other as both have Pro's and Con's and as a 'gamer' I wouldn't be happy to miss out on the exclusives and 'benefits' that each offers.

In an ideal world, I would want a console that can play 'every' game - whether its from Sony, MS or Nintendo. Pretty much like buying a Bluray player that can play discs from Universal, Paramount etc. If Sony, MS and Nintendo each made their 'own' console (like LG, Samsung etc make their own Bluray players), I would buy the one that delivered the best gaming performance across all (or at least the majority) of games - not the one that has a 'specific' brand on it just because of that name. I have no 'brand' loyalty at all and if that 'situation' ever did arise, I wouldn't hesitate to buy the 'best' if it was made by a brand like HP, Dell, Samsung, Apple etc - the priority will be how it handles games.

For me, Nintendo's Switch has minimal appeal. I don't game on the go so that feature doesn't interest me at all. I wouldn't mind playing Zelda but I am not willing to spend on buying both the console and game - and probably the Pro controller too (I wasn't prepared to spend on the Vita for Uncharted, Killzone and Resistance either so its not unusual for me) just to play that. Mario Kart and Mario Odyssey don't appeal that much to me and I have much better consoles to play games like Wolfenstein, Doom, Skyrim and Fifa (if Fifa actually appealed) so unless the Switch has a big enough library of games I want to play to justify spending that much, I will remain without.

I still think its incredible what Nintendo has achieved - especially when you see the size of its motherboard but it doesn't have enough of a reason for me to buy. I still think though that its appeal is much broader than Sony and MS consoles and its that broad appeal that makes me think that the Switches biggest audience will be among the more 'casual' but that doesn't mean to say that it has no or even limited appeal to 'core' gamers - just that the size of the casual market is so much larger in number and therefore will be the bigger audience.