Launch
Certainly launch is one of the most important moments for a console, so a company should be able to present its new car in the best way for th
e occasion. And here are some of the biggest controversy to Nintendo Switch , which is essentially about two points: the line-up and the price.
We start from the line-up issue. One can not deny that Switch does not enjoy the best line-up ever, at least as far as the launch time is c
oncerned. In fact, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is the only title that can really convince, alone, to buy the console on the day of release. Such a skinny lineup weighs particularly at a time when adversaries can already count on a vast and varied title park accumulated over the past three years past their exit. For this, a question that has been asked is: “Nintendo could not launch Switch later, counting on a sharper launch lineup?” The answ
er can be found by looking at the Wii U situation: the console did not have any outputs worthy of note fromPaper Mario: Color Splash , and it also came after months of vacuum. Nintendo could not invest more resources to lengthen the agony of its old cons
ole, agony lasting for too long. Resources had been switching over switches for a long time, and relying on Wii U’s poor sales was impossible to think about pending wait for the new console to launch. In this regard, choosing to launch Switch with a reduced lineup assumes its meaning : if it turns out to be a sensible choice, it remains to be seen.
With the question of
price, the problem is not so much in the figure itself, but in the context within which the Nintendo Switch is present. In absolute terms, Switch’s price would not be high at all, indeed: as Nintendo itself showed shortly ago, this is one of the cheaper prices for a home console at launch time. The problem comes when Switch launches on a market with two already established opponents who have already enjoyed price-cutting so that their price is even lower than the new born Nintendo. Of course, Nintendo could not sell its console to lower figures: as long as the launch t
ook place with unusual timelines for the generational loop we’ve been accustomed so far, it is still the new home console that, at least in theory, should be the long-term future of Nintendo. Of course, Nintendo could have made the pill e
asier to digest by offering at least one bundle with a title inside. Failure to include a game appears to be a little far-sighted, as it could have given another key to the launch price, saving some controversy too.
Of course, Nintendo has specified that the duration will vary depending on the game, but this does little to change the situation.
Another thing is to be done for the pads supplied in the package, that is to say the Joycon: the reduced size of the two feared for the convenience of their use. Although those who have already had the opportunity to try Switch have called the extremely easy
to use controls, it may well be doubtful for those who have hands bigger than the average. Certainly, the Pro Controller, which is more classy in shape and ergonomics, will also be available, but this is not included in the console package, and its price of 69.90 € is definitely not very attractive if added to the rest of the expense.
Nintendo, however, over time has shown us that innovation, even perhaps risky, may be the key to true success. Obviously only the short future, with the first experience in the field of the console, will tell us if, despite all the criticisms expressed in this article, Switch has the proper cards to tell his in the video game.
