Corpse Run 689: Switching on
Alright, so the Switch (and more importantly, Zelda) is coming out this week. While I am definitely thrilled to play Breath of the Wild, I am just as definitely pissed off that the game is two years late and is being used as a release game for the Switch.
As far as I’m concerned, this means that the Wii U never got a Zelda game. Sure, BotW is getting a Wii U release too, but the Wii U never had a standalone Zelda exclusive.
…which in my opinion is an enormous middle finger from Nintendo to everyone who bought the console.
My friend Chris claimed that I as a consumer have a sense of entitlement with that opinion.
Maybe.
I’m not saying I’m entitled to walk into Nintendo’s office and yell at them for being two years late, but as someone who shelled out $300 for the Wii U, I think I am entitled to be annoyed at them for not keeping their promise, and not supporting the Wii U in general.
I’d like to buy a Switch, but this time I’m going to do things differently. Once there’s a bunch of games that I want to play that are actually available and not “promised” by Nintendo, only then will I buy a Switch.
Given their recent track record of… everything since the Nintendo 64, Nintendo has been pushing crap home consoles. A not so small part of me is hoping that the Switch totally tanks, forcing Nintendo to pull a Sega and leave the hardware market entirely.
Nintendo… just make software and portable hardware. Please, that’s the only thing you’re good at.
I’m super excited for BoTW. I’m the geek who’s getting both the Switch and WiiU versions of the game. I have some hope for the Switch, but if it doesn’t go well like the WiiU did I might just stick with my 3DS
Totes excited too!
I know it’ll never happen, but my perfect console scenario would be something akin to hardware by Sony, OS by Microsoft, newfangled “gimmicks” designed primarily by Nintendo, IPs from all 3. We’d get the beefed up hardware (so processing power, graphics, stable online play) we’d get soft/firmware from a company that should have a handle on it, we get the crazy innovations (some hits, some misses) that come from a 100+ year old company, and we combine all the characters/games everyone brings up whenever exclusivity comes up. Plus, if there’s only 1 console to develop for, 3rd party dev & smaller devs could focus more on creating, less on optimizing different versions of the same thing.
Plus, it’d make for some really absurd crossovers, and everyone loves a good crossover.
Only major drawback (if it ever came to be) would be the monopoly on consoles, and potential for screwing the customers because they’re now the only game in town (aside from computer & older hardware)
In a lot of ways, what you’re describing already exists – the PC.
You have software from an enormous amount of third party developers, tons of gimmicky hardware that you can choose to buy like VR, racing wheels, flight sticks, special mice & keyboards, etc…
…all while being able to run a ton of other applications, both for entertainment and productivity. I’m souring on consoles simply because they lack the ability to multitask *and* are very pricey given those limitations.
Imagine how great it would be to just play BotW on PC, or Mario, or any current exclusive. No worries about whether or not you made the “right” console purchase, or if your console will actually get the release that a company announced.
Yeah, though there’s still the difference in components that potentially limits people from access to the latest stuff (seriously, some high end video cards are scary expensive)
I just think if there was an Omni-console with full support from the 3 companies that run the console market (and thus, full dev support from everyone else) it’d be pretty sweet (downside/reason big devs wouldn’t go for it: only 1 console version of the game, no more “I’ll buy both & compare” between PS/Xbox)
But yeah, if Nintendo started developing for PC (hardware included) that’d probably be enough.
Be careful making wishes, the monkey’s paw might hear you and before you know it, Nintendo will announce they’re leaving the hardware market to go all in on F2P mobile gaming and licensing their mascots to film/show studios.
Eh, I’d rather them do freemium games than string their customers along on expensive hardware.
I’m getting the Switch at launch because I know I’ll be getting it by the end of the year anyway (Super Mario Odyssey looks AMAZING) and I’m not expecting a price drop on the thing for several years at least. Might as well play the version of BotW that is pretty clearly superior. This isn’t like TP where the Gamecube version had the canon map, better controls and little visual distinction. The Switch version definitely has better visuals, and the ability to take it on the go is a plus as well.
I think of it like this: I don’t want to reward Nintendo for totally F-ing over everyone who bought a Wii U. For now, I’ll play it on the U, and eventually plan on getting a Switch when there are bundles. Very likely down the road one of these bundles will have BotW anyway, so I’ll have the better version to play sooner or later!
The two aren’t actually connected, you’re just being emotional about it. It’s fine to be disappointed in the outcome, but you already rewarded Nintendo for the Wii U when you bought it. In any case, the Switch demand is high, and it’s poised to be a great success with or without you. Feel free to join on whenever you decide is worth it, but please don’t spend too much energy hating on it for Nintendo’s past mistakes. As the adage goes, holding a grudge is like drinking poison, expecting the other person to die.
I agree to a point. You’re right in that I “rewarded” Nintendo when I bought the Wii U based off of their announced release dates. That was my mistake and I own it. The issue now is that I won’t buy a Switch until there are a number of games that I want to play that are *actually* available. Maybe that will happen, maybe it won’t.
What I’m ultimately annoyed with is that Nintendo’s release schedule should be treated as essentially worthless. They are unable to keep to it, and therefore they’ve tarnished their reputation in my eyes. I don’t see it as holding a grudge, I see it as deciding to wait until I make an entertainment purchase decision.
As Shigeru Miyamoto once said “A delayed game is eventually good, but a rushed game is bad forever”. I agree that they delayed Zelda for two years, and that’s annoying, but consider how much development went into those two years. I don’t think the Zelda franchise can handle another scenario like Skyward Sword, where the game came out and was bad, but could have been better if some extra development time had been put into it.
On the other hand, I think the Switch should have been delayed a bit more for more release titles. However, the sheer amount of games coming out for the Switch, even if it is older games or mini-games, is still a lot, along with the fact that many other games are coming out within the first 6 months. The Switch has the strongest release of literally any Nintendo console, and for that, I commend Nintendo. As you said, it’s annoying for the delay, but which would you rather have had? The Switch coming out 6 months ago with literally no games (a repeat of the Wii U, which caused it to crash and burn), or a delay allowing it to release with a strong release schedule? Considering how many people are complaining about the delays are the same people who complained the Wii U didn’t delay its release long enough… I find it hard to take those people credibly. I plan to stick with Nintendo, and buy the Switch when it comes out. As every console I’ve ever owned has only had 5-6 games I’ve ever bought for it, the fact that 5 games will be out that I desperately want within 6 months of release? I feel that’s really good.
I heard a while ago that the Wii U version is going to end up being kind of unstable, though they may have fixed that stuff before launch. I haven’t really been following Nintendo for a while now, well, ever since they announced the prices for Switch games and whatnot. Way too overpriced in my country