MetalFRO
Blog Writer
Posts: 3010 Awards: 2014 RFGen Top Shmuper
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« Reply #3 on: March 07, 2018, 09:37:29 AM » |
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Full disclosure: I'm a Switch fanboy, and I'm not ashamed of it. So understand that said perspective will inform what I'm saying. Trying to look at it from a purely objective business standpoint, however, I think Nintendo's on the right track. They're trying to do something that sets them apart from the competition. That's been their approach since the N64 days, really. The Game Cube took a half-step back toward the mainstream, with a lot of cross-platform stuff appearing, a slightly more traditional controller, and the final move to a disc-based format, but their method of differentiation (the mini-DVD discs) hurt them, and ultimately informed their path for the Wii. Nintendo has never been a technology company. They create and sell tech, but at the end of the day, they're an ideas company. They sold the idea of Donkey Kong, as ludicrous as it was, and because they had enough talent to back up that idea with good design, mechanics, and style, it succeeded. They've been selling ideas for a long time, since well before they got into the video game business. Being the underdog with good ideas, but not all the capital in the world, gives them the freedom to explore those creative ideas.
In the case of the Wii, it paid off, even if the core gaming audience felt it was too foreign for their liking. They struck out with the Wii U, largely because of bad marketing, consumer confusion, and a lack of good software support, outside of first party titles (with a few exceptions). I believe the 3rd time is the charm, however, with the Switch. Nintendo's bread and butter has long been mobile gaming, as evidenced by the Game Boy line's runaway success, as well as that of the DS, and later 3DS line. It only made sense to take the strengths of that model and marry them to the home console idea to make the Switch. As much as some folks see it as a radical idea, it really was the next logical step for Nintendo. The fact that it's sold 15 million already in its first year is no small feat. The Wii U didn't sell that many consoles over the course of its 4-5 year lifespan, and the GameCube sold just under 22 million in roughly 6 years. The Switch will likely outsell the GameCube well before its second year on the market is over. As a matter of fact, I'd be surprised if it hasn't bested the GC prior to the 2018 holiday season. The Wii was a runaway success, with over 101 million sold from 2006 to 2017 - its long lifespan is due, in part, to the longevity of that generation (10 years, on average, for the PS3 and Xbox 360 as well), but also due to the fact that it was marketed as such a family-oriented system, and a strong batch of good family games that served as evergreen titles (Super Mario Galaxy, Mario Kart Wii, Mario Party et al) kept the system selling and profitable well beyond its expected shelf life.
The Switch, in its current/original configuration, is on pace with the Wii, if not outpacing it, since Nintendo has confirmed that the Switch is now the fastest selling games console in North American history. It consistently sells 40K+ units in Japan each month, even during months when other systems get big titles (Horizon Zero Dawn and Monster Hunter World come to mind), and several first party titles remain high up on the sales charts, even months after release. Breath of the Wild continues to chart a year after it's release, even in Japan, where the Legend of Zelda series is historically met with far less enthusiasm than it is here in the West. Nintendo hit hard in the first year with BotW, Super Mario Odyssey, Splatoon 2, ARMS, and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, will continue to bolster the line-up this year with 2nd party titles and a new Fire Emblem game, and 2 titles loom large on the horizon (Metroid Prime 4 and a new mainline Pokemon game) that cater to both the hardcore audience, and the larger casual audience, respectively. There are additional IPs Nintendo can pull from over the course of the system's life, such as Smash Bros, that will continue to extend the life of the system, and when Mario Kart 9 (or whatever they end up calling it) is released, it will surely sell like gangbusters.
Sorry for the novella, but I honestly think the Switch is headed for the top, and I'm happy to see Nintendo at the top of their game again.
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