Nintendo Switch

[dataDave]

38 minutes ago, ann coulter said:

I mean, unless they just stop making games in these franchises, for which systems do you expect Capcom and Game Freak to make these low budget, handheld-oriented games over the next five years? 3DS and mobile are possible, I guess.

 

They can still make 'cheap' games on the Switch. I don't know what that Pokemon geezer's fucking problem is. Plenty of other indies are doing alright with it.

In fact they should do another 16-bit Pokemon.

[pulsemyne]

23 minutes ago, joe bazooka said:

I heard it was just when you first dock it, as if it takes a moment to power up to display the gorgeous environments in glorious 900p. Makes sense.

Partly true but it also chuggs a bit in areas with lots of weather happening and at certain places, like at the starting area. However most of the time it is supposedly stable.

[MidWalian]

If we don't get a proper Pokémon and Monster Hunter at least announced by the end of the year I think the Switch will really struggle. I particularly want it to do well in Japan so more Japanese developers come on board.

 

But as already said, the increased development time and cost will not help at all.

 

The launch is mostly for us Zelda fanatics, which is more popular in the West than East. Splatoon did well everywhere especially in Japan which gives me some hope.

 

 

[pulsemyne]

5 minutes ago, Mike S said:

 

 

I haven't heard that but I assume the screen is less than the 900p that the docked game outputs? 

Yeah the switch screen is 720p.

Just now, MidWalian said:

If we don't get a proper Pokémon and Monster Hunter at least announced by the end of the year I think the Switch will really struggle. I particularly want it to do well in Japan so more Japanese developers come on board.

 

But as already said, the increased development time and cost will not help at all.

 

The launch is mostly for us Zelda fanatics, which is more popular in the West than East. Splatoon did well everywhere especially in Japan which gives me some hope.

 

 

People in japan say all the hype is for Splatoon 2. It's going to do very well.

[Mike S]

4 minutes ago, pulsemyne said:

Yeah the switch screen is 720p.

People in japan say all the hype is for Splatoon 2. It's going to do very well.

 

 

I suspect that may be why it runs a little better than the full version,  less dots to shove around. Assuming that it does of course.. 

[joe bazooka]

1 minute ago, Pockets said:

 

Yeah, that's one way to look at it, but £80 is like, 35% more on top of the £250 that I might be tempted to pay. You have to draw the line somewhere. £80 isn't insignificant to everyone.

 

 

I wouldn't have bought a Vita either (I got one much later when they were about £100). Saying something else was expensive doesn't really affect how this is perceived, and that's all it is, perception.

 

People do like to get quite defensive and justify their spending, I'm the same, I spent £500+ on the PS4 launch. For whatever reason, I was in the mood to do so at the time. I was ready for what was the most powerful console ever after 10 years with a 360. I now only own one game for it and much preferred the Wii U which had me excited for what came next but The Switch just doesn't grab me enough and the price point is what's keeping me from investigating it anyway. If it really appealed, maybe the cash wouldn't be a problem. I dunno, I'm just saying, I think it's a hard sell for most people.

 

You can consider me as mad as you like for not buying a Switch, but I wasn't mad enough to vote Leave.

I don't think you're mad. Just wondering why you're saying you don't want one in such a wordy way. Or at all.

 

 

 

 

[MidWalian]

5 minutes ago, Pockets said:

 

Yeah, that's one way to look at it, but £80 is like, 35% more on top of the £250 that I might be tempted to pay. You have to draw the line somewhere. £80 isn't insignificant to everyone.

 

 

I wouldn't have bought a Vita either (I got one much later when they were about £100). Saying something else was expensive doesn't really affect how this is perceived, and that's all it is, perception.

 

People do like to get quite defensive and justify their spending, I'm the same, I spent £500+ on the PS4 launch. For whatever reason, I was in the mood to do so at the time. I was ready for what was the most powerful console ever after 10 years with a 360. I now only own one game for it and much preferred the Wii U which had me excited for what came next but The Switch just doesn't grab me enough and the price point is what's keeping me from investigating it anyway. If it really appealed, maybe the cash wouldn't be a problem. I dunno, I'm just saying, I think it's a hard sell for most people.

 

You can consider me as mad as you like for not buying a Switch, but I wasn't mad enough to vote Leave.

 

Possed for not being a leave voter.

[Shimmyhill]

1 minute ago, joe bazooka said:

I don't think you're mad. Just wondering why you're saying you don't want one in such a wordy way. Or at all.

 

 

 

 

 

Do you want a switch?

 

1) Yes

2) No

 

Anything more than that is just trying to talk yourself out of it isn't it by justifying it - clearly you want one if you present a 3 page document about why you don't want one!

[Mallet]

Does anyone have an idea what the best screen protector is?

[scoobysi]

13 minutes ago, Mallet said:

Does anyone have an idea what the best screen protector is?

 

Keep it in a case when travelling, I've never had a screen protector that doesn't diminish the image. Screens are pretty tough these days, never had an issue with iPads for example.

Edited February 25, 2017 by scoobysi

[Shimmyhill]

13 minutes ago, Pockets said:

 

Of course I want one, I'm not denying that at all. But everyone has to personally justify it to themselves. As the risk of being too wordy in a thread that's supposed to be for for discussing the thing, I'm just put off a little by the price and suspect many others would be too. Just one example is my mate who was going to get one until the price was announced. This forum is mainly frequented by enthusiasts so it's no surprise people are excited, but will the public be? I dunno, I'm just giving my examples - me as a fan of the Wii U, him as an old Nintendo fan.

 

To be ridiculous to make my point - would you buy one if they were a grand? No? £900? No? Someone has already said they'd pay £500, what about £600? Everyone has their threshold, I'm just guessing and putting forward my opinion that the public may agree, that £280 is 'too much'.

 

Having said all that, I do agree that it's more of a psychological thing. People do pay much more for phones and when you think about that it doesn't make much sense but that's the way it is. You can get a PS4 for about £150 now and when people start asking why this is so much more, I'm not sure the answers will sway most mainstream punters.

 

Anyway, just some thoughts whilst bored on a Saturday. I'll back away now.

 

The thing is its not £900 tho and in our hobby for a newly launched machine its pretty reasonably priced. I don't know how you say this without sounding harsh but people should just say 'I cant afford one' as saying you want one but won't pay £280 is a bullshit answer when followed up by 'but I would at £250 or £200'

 

I'm sure anyone who wants one at £200 to find it costs £280 would do a days overtime, sell some games or trade something in and have the money - if you have £200 for a games machine you're already spending what to some people is a fuck load on a silly hobby!

 

 

[Majora]

Ok I got to go to the Switch event in London today. I'm sure my impressions aren't that exciting now that the net is flooded with hands-on of the hardware and Zelda but thought I'd share anyway. 

 

So first of all I got to try MK8 in handheld mode (neon). It was MK8 as you know and love it obviously. But holding the Switch for the first time I was slightly taken aback at how wide it was at first. I adjusted quite quickly but you definitely notice the increase in width compared to most other handheld devices you've used in the past. 

 

I preordered grey but I actually really, really like the neon colour scheme in the flesh. It just looks so much more fun and it wasn't as bright as I anticipated. I'm too worried to cancel my grey now but I'm definitely going to pick up some neon joycons down the line. They make the grey ones look a bit dull and they don't distract at the sides of the screen at all. I feel like the neon will come to represent the Switch more than the grey in the end. 

 

The unit feels nice and solid with a bit of weight to it. I had a bit of a wiggle on the joycons in handheld mode and there was only a very tiny amount of wiggle-room. The screen is crisp and vivid. The only thing that really stood out to me in a negative way was that I felt like the placement of the front shoulder buttons would be slightly uncomfortable to use regularly in a game. Overall though it's a very solid, premium feeling handheld. 

 

Next I tried ARMS. Now, bless the guy on the booth trying to explain the nuances and intricacies of this to people. He spent a long time with each pair getting them through the training mode and then talking them through strategies. But it was noisy and he was piling information on so nothing really went in. It looked great visually and kind of interesting but this just wasn't really the venue for it. 

 

Next I tried 1, 2 Switch which was kind of fun I guess. There were the quickfire, cow milking and ball counting mini games. I didn't really get the cow milking one. I couldn't really tell what was the difference between milking well and milking poorly. The quickfire one was quite fun. I liked how after each round it showed a replay of not only how quickly the joycons were shot but the angles they were raised at too. The ball counting one was the best use of HD rumble. One round had 7 balls in the box and you could really feel the difference in 'weight' between that and the box with two balls in. It's a novel effect but a subtle one and I'm not totally sold on how much it will enhance a regular game. 

 

My view of 1, 2 Switch was much the same as before. You may get some limited fun out of it at a party but the games aren't very replayable, have no depth, and it feels like it should be a pack-in or very cheap. 

 

Snipperclips was there but the queues were probably the longest at the event, probably because they only had two demo units and turns seemed to last a long time, so I skipped on it. I tried Splatoon 2 but I've never played the original and was a disaster. I hated the gyro aiming and would have to try again without to get any kind of grip on the game. 

 

Splatoon was notable for offering the joycons in the grip control method. It felt better than I expected but a bit plasticky. If you choose just to go with this method then you'll be fine but I do think if you can afford it then the Pro Controller is the way to go.

 

The Zelda demo came with the Pro Controller and it's a really nice piece of hardware. The material is comfortable and it fits really nicely in your hands. I'd like to hold it for longer to get a proper feeling for it but it feels like it at least belongs with the Dualshock 4 and 360 controller in terms of comfort factor. 

 

All round it just feels a bit nicer than the joycons in the grip. Nicer material. Bigger, less clicky face buttons. Bigger shoulder buttons. More travel on the sticks. A proper D-Pad. + and - buttons both significantly bigger and easier to reach (and you'll be using these buttons a lot in Zelda). 60 quid is a lot when you could get by with the out if the box grip but it cemented my decision to go with the Pro. 

 

Now Zelda itself. I was dying to get a go on this but it really doesn't show itself well at an event like this. You got like 15 minutes, 5 of which is spent trying to get through the intro as quickly as possible, then a few more minutes running down the hill at the starting area trying to find something to have a fight with. So all in all you get about 7 minutes actually properly playing but you're sprinting everywhere and not really taking anything in. Not ideal. 

 

I climbed to the top of a large building and found a bow, went into the forests and fought a couple of enemy camps and then waded into a lake and drowned. There's a lot going on control wise and it uses a lot of buttons on the controller. Definitely the most complex controlling Zelda I think, it felt like it'd take a while for it to feel second nature. What I played had me yearning for more but it was rushed, there was no audio and it was all round just not a great way to experience the game really. 

 

I will say this though - the performance was a bit rough. It wasn't just a few frame rate drops here and there. I'd desribe the performance in the forest area to the left of the hill you first run down - lots of trees, mist, long grass - as consistently chugging. The chairs were also sat just a few feet from the large tv screen which did it no favours. The art style is nice don't get me wrong, but there's a fair amount of low res textures and aliasing (especially when amongst the long grass) which looks a bit ugly up close. Sat at a normal distance I'm sure it'll be fine but I am a bit worried about the frame rate now. 

 

I'm sure BoTW is going to be an amazing game and I literally can't wait to play it. But I've played on nothing but a PS4 for several years now and seeing BoTW in motion, in person on a large screen was a bit of a reality check regarding the power of the machine. 

 

I also got to switch from TV to handheld while playing Zelda and it was just as slick and quick as the videos show it to be. Really impressive. 

 

So overall I don't know if I learnt THAT much I didn't already know before. My main takeaways were that Neon rocks, the Pro controller is a must-buy for me, and it's a really nice bit of hardware but I'm still not convinced it needed all the tech it has inside the joycons. 

 

Roll on new Zelda day next week. 

Edited February 25, 2017 by Majora

[TheSlugFormerlyKnownAsNap]

36 minutes ago, Mallet said:

Does anyone have an idea what the best screen protector is?

Yeah, the one that isn't on your beautiful new console.

[Hello Goaty ♥]

I think the general consensus is dont bother

Edited February 25, 2017 by Hello Goaty ♥

[Lorfarius]

On 2/25/2017 at 19:32, Bastion said:

MicroSDs, then. I have a 32GB going spare. I could get a 64GB for £17 or a 128GB for £37 (which is about the price 64 was 2 years ago).

 

Is it going to be a faff to upgrade in future?

 

It's all about the speed and £37 is too dear, go for this

[Steven]

Wonder if anyone's thinking of rolling the scalping dice again.

 

 

Edited February 25, 2017 by Steven

[Shimmyhill]

2 minutes ago, Steven said:

Wonder if anyone's thinking of rolling the scalping again.

 

 

 

Risky gamble IMO, Wii U was never popular and flooding the market now is unlikely to see strong prices - if you raid RRP you're in for a hell of a loss id say.

[rubberducker]

when wii u came out everybody assumed it had sold out.... it was only when the reality begin to trickle in that anyone could stroll into a store and get one - that everyone began to wonder if it was doomed from day one.

 

I can't see the switch selling out either @ £280. Maybe £199 - but at that price its only for us hardcores...

 

*yes I have pre-order and am very excited!

Edited February 25, 2017 by rubberducker

[Paulando]

I just know I'll be tempted by I'm a Satsuma, even though I already own it on the PS4 and it's a bit crap really. Need to be strong.

 

Zelda, Snipperclips, Fast RMX and Shovel Knight for me on launch though, for sure. I'll get Bomberman but when it's 20 quid.

[Adrock]

If I get lucky with the gameseek one I think I might offer to split the difference with my brother, so we end up paying £240 each.

 

Problem being they'll probably have less than 3 to offer at such a discount. Their ploy worked though, I've looked for stuff a few times on there now and will probably order Bomberman R from them.

[gossi the dog]

46 minutes ago, Shimmyhill said:

 

Risky gamble IMO, Wii U was never popular and flooding the market now is unlikely to see strong prices - if you raid RRP you're in for a hell of a loss id say.

 

Nintendo expect there to be plenty of stock

 

http://www.mcvuk.com/news/read/nintendo-no-day-one-shortage-of-switch-in-the-uk/0179381

 

CEX may buy it for more than RRP. I sold them a 500GB S after picking one up in a cheap deal at Tesco before having second thoughts, for the RRP of £250, and kept the FIFA download code. And they were in plentiful supply.

Edited February 25, 2017 by gossi the dog

[MidWalian]

Jeff Gerstman reporting that the joycons don't secure that well to the tablet and can slip off without using the unlock button.

 

Left joycon problem reports not limited to the US, also reports from Europe.

 

I think the smartest thing to do is to delay purchasing it. BUT ZELDA WON'T LET ME AND I'M STILL BUYING IT AT LAUNCH!

 

Edit:

 

Looks like Jeff is using a bit of force to me, though in time I suspect they won't stay latched on as easily.

 

Edited February 26, 2017 by MidWalian

[MikeBeaver]

1 hour ago, Steven said:

Wonder if anyone's thinking of rolling the scalping dice again.

 

 

 

 

I've got 3 of them coming, I want one for myself and will be shipping the other two off to CEX to help knock my unit's price down a touch.

[jonamok]

I sincerely hope that they are in plentiful day one supply and everyone can buy a grey or neon Switch in any high-street retailer. Sorry.

[gossi the dog]

24 minutes ago, jonamok said:

I sincerely hope that they are in plentiful day one supply and everyone can buy a grey or neon Switch in any high-street retailer. Sorry.

 

Same. I'm hoping Poundland will have some in stock.

[Kevvy Metal]

35 minutes ago, MidWalian said:

Jeff Gerstman reporting that the joycons don't secure that well to the tablet and can slip off without using the unlock button.

 

Left joycon problem reports not limited to the US, also reports from Europe.

 

I think the smartest thing to do is to delay purchasing it. BUT ZELDA WON'T LET ME AND I'M STILL BUYING IT AT LAUNCH!

 

Edit:

 

Looks like Jeff is using a bit of force to me, though in time I suspect they won't stay latched on as easily.

 

 

...for some context with this. Jeff Gerstman had prior to this dropped the machine on concrete, so that's maybe why it's fucked.

He's also a monstrous douche. 

[JPickford]

Looks like some people are scared of the Switch.  

[MikeBeaver]

53 minutes ago, jonamok said:

I sincerely hope that they are in plentiful day one supply and everyone can buy a grey or neon Switch in any high-street retailer. Sorry.

I'll be quite happy if they are, but I'd prefer it to be harder to find and sold out, not for the scalping reason, but that way, it gives us a good impression the machine will do well.

[gossi the dog]

No, I'd prefer it to be in plentiful supply so that everyone who wants one can get one. 

 

Is the PSP still the console that sold the most in the first week in the UK? There was plentiful stock and anyone who wanted one could just buy one. That's the way to do it.

[HarMGM]

 

 

Edited February 26, 2017 by HarMGM