[Cause]

Switch pricing revealed for my country. R5600. Which is about 40% above a direct conversion of the rrp of 300 dollars. Dead in the water in my country

Within a year the Wii U stopped selling in my country. Stores gave away their remaining stock at about 70 dollars and never got any more. The switch is not looking good at this price. Xbone and ps4 with game bundles and bonus controllers sell for about R3500

[amphibian]

There has to be some sort of tax on it pushing the price 40% above normal.

Yeah, you're getting hammered by import duties and VAT. Maybe it might be a good idea to take a trip elsewhere and buy your electronics, then bring it back home.

This post has been edited by amphibian: 28 January 2017 - 04:28 PM

[Cause]

But other countries have vat and so forth as well. I'm sure it's all above board but wow! At almost double the price of an xbone or ps4 this thing faces a very real uphill battle.

Now my cousin try is no doubt not a very important market but its still a bad sign for nintendo

[Cause]

But other countries have vat and so forth as well. I'm sure it's all above board but wow! At almost double the price of an xbone or ps4 this thing faces a very real uphill battle.

Now my cousin try is no doubt not a very important market but its still a bad sign for nintendo

[Silencer]

Are you comparing it to the old Xbox One and PS4 consoles, though? Because prices for those have crashed since the Pro and S versions have come out, even though nothing has actually changed in terms of hardware for them.

For example, here in NZ and Australia where we do suffer unpleasant markups on tech for no valid reason (but not to the extent you guys do, of course), the old Xbox costs around $300, in a bundle. The One S costs $550, same as the Switch. That price point is also what the original One came out at when it first released. Because it's what they charge. Regardless of specs, or what it costs to produce.

While at a direct comparison of price/performance the Switch is definitely not competitive, even with the original versions of the One and 4, it's coming on at the standard new console price, which given the tech involved in having a portable console and dock isn't that surprising to me. On markets where the pricing is less arbitrary, it comes in cheaper than the new versions of the other consoles like it should.

But definitely sounds like you're being gouged on price there. Hell, I reckon the NZ price is inflated but if it's more expensive than an S or Pro in SA then that's just criminal.

[Cause]

Yes I was comparing to the old Xbone and PS4. Not sure on pricing on the new models.

[worry]

Online play <$30 a year.

[Aptorian]

 Stefan, on 28 January 2017 - 04:55 AM, said:

I pre-ordered the Switch with the Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. I'll let you all know how it turns out.

As for Nintendo's business strategy, I wrote this over at Siftd.net:

I have a specific dream concerning what I believe could be a good business model for Nintendo to adopt in the future, and I'd like to hear your thoughts on what I have to say. So, here goes...

Everybody knows that Nintendo wants there games to be released on their own proprietary hardware, but with each generation of failed consoles, stemmed from their inability to listen to consumers and shareholders, only caring about doing something different for the sake of it being different, they may continually get closer to the event horizon that forces them to truly stop, reevaluate and change course to a better approach.

I dont think they realize they can still create exclusive games for proprietary hardware while playing on a format that isn't owned by them directly. You might wonder how this is possible, but it would be easy to accomplish, if they could create the right infrastructure for it.

Instead of something like Miiverse, Nintendo would be better suited to create an infrastructure that is more OS and server based than one based on hardware, something more akin to Blizzard Online (rip battle.net).

They could do this but I don't think it's in their DNA.

Nintendo thinks of itself as a toymaker more than a video game software developer. They make hardware because they know how to sell that and they've shown time and again that they don't really follow modern trends in software development.

You speak of Nintendo's failed generations of consoles, but really the Wii is anything but a failure. Similarly, they make consoles that nobody ask for but quoting Steve Jobs, it's Nintendo's job to make the consoles and games that the consumer wasn't aware they needed.

I'd love to have an aggressive Nintendo that went head to head with Sony and Microsoft that made a console that was on par each generation. Nintendo's IP I fully believe could crush any of the other first party portfolio's if they made games with all the horse power of a PS4.

But we don't need that. You already have PS4 and X-One plus the PC for generic gaming experiences. Nintendo creates gaming experiences that are new and different. Maybe they fail but you miss 100% of the shots you don't take and you can't deny the motion controlled and handheld experiences don't make for a different approach to gaming.

[Aptorian]

 death rattle, on 01 February 2017 - 10:55 PM, said:

Online play <$30 a year.

Yeah I saw that. Helps to make the changes a bit more palatable but I still hope they change the online service to be a bit more like the offerings of PS Plus.

Pre-ordered a Nintendo Switch with Zelda yesterday along with a carrying case to transport the handheld in. Also went out and ordered a 200 GB SanDisk MicroSD replacement card for the stupidly small storage capacity of the Switch.

Feel a bit foolish pre-ordering something this expensive but I worry there will be a shortage of consoles if I wait for the release.

[Cause]

The switch has the dubious distinction of being the only tablet in history to ship without a browser.

No Netflix either. The 3ds even had it. Bizarre

[Aptorian]

Who in their right mind is buying a Switch for it's internet Browsing capability or Netflix subscriptions? I mean, they're cool extras but you've got a smartphone already.

[Cause]

That's like asking why people buy ipads. Its just a big phone.

Its a home console, it should have entertainment. It has a 6 inch screen and a cpu. It should be able to have a broswer!

[amphibian]

 Cause, on 09 February 2017 - 04:24 PM, said:

That's like asking why people buy ipads. Its just a big phone.

Its a home console, it should have entertainment. It has a 6 inch screen and a cpu. It should be able to have a broswer!

A tiny, tiny fraction of people are using this as their sole home entertainment console. Heck, most new TVs these days have browsers.

Insisting the Switch have a browser at launch is kinda superfluous, especially when Nintendo has usually done browsers badly and/or pushed web interaction to be done via specific channels/apps.

I get what you're saying, but a browser is literally the least important potential feature to me. I have several other devices that can do that already.

[Cause]

If this thing could be even a tablet lite, with streaming, a browser and an e-reader I would have pre-ordered one. To me its a failure that it has no tablet features at all.

[Aptorian]

Any of you aware of information about Nintendo's e-shop upon release? Do you think it will be packed with tons of prior generation games or will they slowly populate the store, you think?

The thought crossed my mind that I've been wanting to play some Super Mario World for months now and it might now even be available upon release.

[amphibian]

 Apt, on 13 February 2017 - 06:45 PM, said:

Any of you aware of information about Nintendo's e-shop upon release? Do you think it will be packed with tons of prior generation games or will they slowly populate the store, you think?

The thought crossed my mind that I've been wanting to play some Super Mario World for months now and it might now even be available upon release.

They are doing a monthly "free play" of a classic game. After that month, one had to buy the game to keep playing.

It looks like they'll have as much as possible up fairly soon.

[Aptorian]

Seems like some Nintendo Switches are being sent out into the world early.

There's already unboxing videos and people messing around with OS installations and systems settings:





It looks pretty sleek and responsive. I like the look of it.

[Aptorian]

Been listening to a lot of early impressions on the Switch. All the talk about the joycons having synchronization issues and feeling slightly awkward when played as a gamepad, made me pre-order a Pro-Controller along with the system. Boy, there sure are a lot of extra expenses when buying a console.

Looking forward to the weekend. I've cleared my calendar and if nothing disastrous happens I will sit and play Zelda all weekend.

This post has been edited by Apt: 28 February 2017 - 03:29 PM

[Aptorian]

Nintendo is currently streaming a showcase of the indie games (nindies) coming to the Switch.



Some really cool announcements among them, namely Steam World Dig 2 and Runner 3.

[Aptorian]

Which ones particularly? Do you mean all indie games because it encompasses the full spectrum of games.