London based publication, The Telegraph, got to interview two of the main faces of the Nintendo Switch. Shinya Takahashi, Director at Nintendo, General Manager of Entertainment Planning and Development and Yoshiaki Koizumi, Deputy General Manager of Entertainment Planning and Development spoke with The Telegraph and mentioned what the main focus for the Nintendo Switch was; putting ‘fun’ first:
Telegraph: “You have gone with a unique control input once again, rather than focus on power, will that always be Nintendo’s way?”
Takahashi: “I think Nintendo will always put our top priority to satisfy the needs of our gaming audiences. Particularly with Nintendo Switch, one of the things we did was we looked back and saw how people interacted with previous hardware systems and we tried to find ways to improve on that experience. With Switch we’ve found a way to address their needs in all of the different ways they are going to play with the system. That will continue to be our top priority rather than a dedicated focus on power.
For us one of the things we get the greatest pleasure out of is once we’ve created the system and stepping back and watching them have fun with it. So that’s something we’re always doing and looking forward to doing with Nintendo Switch as well.”
Something other companies and gamers fail to get…
Indeed, I have way more fun on Ninty consoles, games more suited and more diverse, and on a cool looking system .. im not a big fan of Sony’s and Microsofts new consoles just a big ugly box with lots of power and no great fun games… I have played alot of ps4 and a lil bit of the one but not as good as I hoped :( miss the old days lol
I don’t know, maybe I could agree in some regards that GOOD Nintendo games are more fun than your average third party games. I’ll put OoT, Mario Galaxy and Twilight Princess trio over just about any other game out there.
But lately Nintendo hasn’t been doing shit. I have had a lot more fun on Ps4 with games like Bloodbourne, Dark Souls 3 and Doom. IMO Nintendo has developed anything close to the quality of those three games in the last 3 years.
Actually power is a great thing. And nintendo used to include it. And as wii u has shown, it is indeed necessary. Nothing at all wrong with having both. Having just one, is actually just lazy. Having both is how you compete. Nintendo said the same thing about wii u, power wouldn’t be so important this gen. Well look where that got them. It’s fanboys who fail to get this, and lazy developers.
I think the main drive is actually games which can lead to fun, but still, it’s games.
One of the Wii U’s greatest weaknesses was the lack of them. Nintendo has stated numerous times that they wanted to fix this problem with their next system which obviously gave birth to the Switch’s hybrid nature. It’s still the most powerful gaming portable to hit the market either way.
B-Buh….WIIU 2.0!!!
Only in the fact that it takes the GamePad concept to the next level.
First of all fun means games, and so far ive seen none of the major third party games. Second of all I personally couldn’t care less about new controlls every generation. The Snes controller was perfect , Sony and Microsoft build uppon that. No reason to change something that worked fine already. Third of all I don’t always want to be active specially after a day of work were I just want to sit and hold my controller, not swing it around all the time.
As for the games the only ones I care for are Zelda (build for wii u), Mario Kart (wii u game), Skyrim (Already played it and wouldn’t buy it for the switch anyway), super Mario odyssey (finally a real game that aint a port), Xenoblade, Yooka Laylee (rather buy it on my superior ps4), Street fighter (snes graphics really nintendo? where are the real street fighter games), Fifa (rather buy it on my superior ps4) and dragon quest (rather buy it on my superior ps4).
I suppose the list is okish , but nothing really big like the witcher, GTA, Metal Gear solid ect. besides zelda and mario, and all with worse grahpics. (personally i couldn’t care less about the handeld so i’m only looking at the home experience)
This is what I think will be interesting.
Nintendo-only gamers will probably be happy with the switch, given they can get through the early game drought and love Indies. (I do like indie games)
But there is nothing to grow their install base, except the future hope that their 3DS fans will migrate over sometime in 2018, no doubt when a price drop has happened. But bringing PS4, XB1 and PC gamers? So far, nothing to really bring them over.
As always with Nintendo hardware, it will be quite an experiment. By holiday this year, we’ll see how Nintendo is faring. I own every single Nintendo console (except Wii, because I play those on my WiiU) and I will own a switch as well… maybe.
Or maybe I’m done buying Nintendo hardware. It really depends if the 3rd party developers come through. I’m very disappointed Mass Effect 4 isn’t coming to switch. There is no reason except either a lack of power, or a lack of faith in the system. Because it has been in development for as long as switch Sec kits have been out or longer.
IDK. Interesting times ahead.
First stop, Launch. Where everything always looks great. Switch will be sold out for a month or two most likely, but I’m sure by the holiday, you’ll be able to find them easy enough. Unless Nintendo throttles production.
I believe its Nintendo’s fault once again. I honestly don’t think games like ME4 could run on the Switch or wouldn’t run without some serious downgrading. They keep saying, “Well we are focusing on FUN, not Power” I don’t know why people still buy that, but they do. You can have Fun yet “powerful games” and Powerful yet “Fun games”. These attributes do not conflict each other. This is something people need to learn. Most Nintendo fanboys are ignorant enough when it comes to gaming outside Nintendo products. Nintendo needs to stop F****** with their heads…
I used to be the same way a long time ago but ignorance is bliss. As long as they’re enjoying the games that they get on Nintendo consoles and they’re having fun and not missing anything then okay. We all have the right to pursue whatever gaming-happiness we want.
I get really discouraged when I see Nintendo fans who are Nintendo exclusive figuring out that they’re missing out on some really great games, but feel like they can’t or shouldn’t expand their game options.
Nintendo holds no loyalty to them, so they really should do what makes them happy, and if that means it’s time to stop buying Nintendo games exclusively, they should embrace that decision and explore the rest of the gaming world. That’s what I did and it’s really crazy how much fun there is to be had outside the mushroom kingdom. XD
But… more power = more games = more fun…
But more power = more games = more fun…
Not really, no.
To me stuff like this is fun :
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Battlefield 1, Final Fantasy XV, Grand Theft Auto V, Overwatch, Fifa 16, Fallout 4, Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain, Batman: Arkham Knight, Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor, Call of Duty: Infinite Warfare, Dragon Age: Inquisition, Assassin’s Creed, Titanfall 2, Tomb Raider: Definitive Edition, Star Wars Battlefront, Darksiders II: Deathinitive Edition and a bunch more.
Nintendo won’t play any of these most likely. So if more power means more of these games, thats more fun to me. Those are 22 games and I can easily name more, thats more than the WII,WIIU and N64 combined for me atleast. I had great times on the n64 btw but I also played playstation 1 for all the other games out there. I was to much of a fanboy back than to be annoyed about the lack of other games.
They are getting Fifa, ya know.
Yes, really, yes. More power means 3rd party games come on the system, and no droughts. Or are you just gonna be a fanboy and defend the wii u droughts and act like it wasn’t a big deal, or never happened….
You have that equation wrong, buddy.
More power = Better games? Yes.
More power = More games? No.
You’re also forgetting something important. All of that power is USELESS unless you have Creativity. Any moron can make a tech demo and call it a game.
No Man’s Sky being a perfect example.
Also if Power = More games, then the GameCube shouldn’t have failed. You can make absolute powerhouse of a console, but that means nothing if it’s a pain in the ass to develop for.
Gamecube failed because it didn’t have a dvd player, and the look of the console was too kiddy at a time when microsoft entered the market and was touting how they were the big boy console. Also, 3rd party had jumped ship to sony due to 64. So yea that’s the actual story that people always love to leave out. Also, power wasn’t as big an issue then as it is now. You could get away with it. These days there are far more gamers, and a lot of them expect to have great looking games. People don’t want the watered down games anymore. They don’t care that their version has motion controls if the game is missing features and looks much worse. Sorry, but fans always leave out a few important parts of history when pointing to gamecube being powerful yet failing.
Yes. Let’s ignore all the things that made GameCube fail just so we can tout the bullshit lie that power doesn’t matter. Fanboys do that enough as is, ggregz. Don’t be like them.
You know, better specs, if used right, can provide the best gameplay. Better loading times, frame rates ,enemies AI, physics, more items on the screen simultaneously, less compromises in the coding. Power will always matters in gaming, that’s why we had the Nintendo “64”. New technology is exciting because made possible stuff that weren’t doable before, look what 12 years on the same hardware did to Zelda and tell me that you are not hyped as hell for BotW, you can’t do that on a Wii so, don’t tell me that “power doesn’t matter”. It does, is the most important aspect in a game? No, but it stills meaningfully tied to gameplay in many ways. (Sorry if my english is awfull, I have no time for a double check on my grammar : S)
Whether you like it or not Nintendo, graphics sells consoles and games (providing that third party support is rich too). The casuals aren’t here to save you this time. At least the graphics of the Switch don’t look anemic, so that’s a slight plus.
You can’t admit to not focus on power, yet claim to focus on third party support. AAA multi-platform third party games need a basic power level to work with if you hope to get their games onto your console. Indie games and rereleases from 2011 are not what people mean when they say third party support. Devs get dumb questions about whether their games will be coming to the Switch, and they’ll either answer with a respectful “no, I’m afraid it’s not possible”, or sometimes even laugh at the question.
I really do wish and hope that Nintendo can keep pushing consoles with their current tactics. If they manage fine without major third party support, I won’t care a bit about the console’s power, but the reason I care right now is because I have doubts of that. To be fair, the marketing strategy seems to be working beautifully, having amassed a strong number of preorders, but only time can tell if it’ll be enough. It’s possible that initial sales will be great, but then people will change their minds a year or two from now. Whether or not the Switch is successful, my big fear is that Nintendo will stop producing stationary consoles completely.
exactly.
when will nintendo learn. third parties will not downgrade their games for the switch. if you’re going to make a next gen system, at the least match the power of current generation consoles otherwise you’ll never see the big games on your console. the industry is advancing meanwhile nintendo is just cruising with their fingers crossed. hope for the best, people.
Maybe when their fanboys stop saying its ok. But we all know that ain’t gonna happen.
Why not both?!
People seem to be ignoring the fact that they didn’t say they are shirking power, they are just putting gameplay first. Reeeeeeeead people.
The system doesn’t necessarily have to be the most powerful. If anything it just needs to be the easiest to develop for. I do think that Nintendo shouldn’t ignore power completely because that was a problem with third party developers and the Wii. But they don’t really need a power house. They need a system that third parties can work with easily. And so far it sounds like the Switch does that. At least according to indie developers especially if one company was able to port their game over in a week.
That’s indies. Not the power consuming AAA titles.
Do you know how many indies they’re getting?
Who cares? Indie games are just tide-me-overs at best lets be real.
No and most gamers don’t care for them over AAA.
Always has and always will, that’s why we like Nintendo so much in the first place.
Haha. Actually came out and publicly admitted it. I’m sure they just lost a few studios with this. Hope it works out, but I don’t see anything better than last gen’s process.
Yeah, I’m sure they lost a few studios that they were already working with and already knew about this.
I feel like Nintendo has confused “fun” with “different kind of control”, when the two don’t always go hand in hand. It’s about the games – and yes, control matters, but it shouldn’t be the focus over other aspects of a game – a reason why I was so disappointed in Skyward Sword.
Although, I should note that at least the Switch doesn’t focus as much on the actual “new” kind of control input as the Wii and Wii U did which I find good – I’m just worried that not enough people will play the games in the way that Nintendo thinks they will (based on Nintendo’s advertising) – using it as a portable console by yourself, sure – but picking up your Joy-con and going to hang out with some friends makes it feel like they’re trying to modernize the old days of people getting together in front of a tv and doing 4 player gaming, and I don’t see that as being as popular in this new age of online play.
Nintendo needs to also care about power, if they want their install base stacked as high as Sears Tower
Cant Nintendo do both make unique games that are fun and max out the Switch in the graphcs department? Otherwise why put in newer technology if it never is going to get used? Wii U has a gamepad that has features and everything it has only less than three used everything. The mic used for blowing and only Nintendoland and 3D world used it. What a waste of tech.
I agree. third party is still important tho, but if the switch can still deliver those and still fun im all in
It’s not fun for third parties who want to port things with no effort.
Why!? Not!? BOTH!?!?!? Just being cheap & lazy at this point, Nintendo, if you continue to let a gimmick hold back what will always matter in technology: POWER. It doesn’t have to be absolute power to sell, though. If it was all about power, PC gaming would have wiped out home console, handheld, & mobile phone games YEARS ago. Nintendo, Sony, Microsoft! They’d all three be pushing their 1st party stuff on computers right now so they can make money there.
Anyway, my hope is the Switch will ultimately be the console that helps Nintendo catch up to the competition & their next console will be about putting fun & power back on the same pedestal again like they did with SNES before they tried to be different & unique from the competition.
N64: let’s be different & continue using cartridges.
GCN: let’s be different & use tiny discs!
Wii: let’s be different & focus on a gimmick that isn’t quite ready yet & ignore power & HD; anyone that thought waggling was a good way to start off motion controls was an idiot & should have been taken out back & shot like Old Yeller!
Wii U: let’s be different & focus on another gimmick but let’s also not do any good marketing, either! *facepalm*
Oh and another problem with Wii “Shitty” U: let’s not bother with a universal account system with cloud servers. Who cares about being able to back up their save data & digital purchases, anyway!? *ultimate facepalm*