Nintendo Switch overtakes 1990s SNES console in sales

[0078265317]

https://www.bbc.com/news/amp/technology-51312288

[Class316]

I guess Nintendo not going anywhere despite the Wii U failure. 

 

Hail the mighty SNES. 

 

It was a big blow for Nintendo to lose all the Capcom, Konami, Square, etc from SNES to N64. One big reason Sony was able to dominate to what it is today. 

Edited February 2, 2020 by Class316

[Tanooki]

Well that would be due to the arrogant and likely going senile Yamauchi.  The old boob had mental issues of some sort.  I mean I get throwing Sony under the bus with the SNES CD system since they tried to sneak a contract where 100% of the game licensing royalty money went to them, none to Nintendo, who at the time still manufactured all their games internally which was a double kick to the teeth.  But the old coot decided between that and Philips terrible CDi format being worse, to just double down on carts.  Going on how they were faster(true), better (debatable), and best thing for the market for gamers and how having to have more parts (int battery) or accessories (memory cards) to save wasn't good.  SO you had large(for then) expensive chips with limited capacity against CD(s)...no wonder they ran for the hills.  He caused it.  They didn't lose those developers, they partly (namco, konami, capcom) if not entirely (square) ran them off.

 

Either way congrats to Nintendo, taking down their systems now from their best time periods for games/choices is a pretty big thing and the Switch isn't exactly slowing either.  NES isn't too far off, then it'll be a climb to nail the Wii to the wall.  It could, if they stick with the nvidia tegra ancestor(past/future) line of hardware, so that they can do a PRO unit that'll give them more years to work with (like ps4 vs pro.)  Just like GB to GBC and DS to DSi, and 3DS to New3DS they can extend and overcome.

[Punisher5.0]

Supposedly the Switch has already surpassed the Xbox one series. The Switch could possibly pass 100 million, especially if they release a pro version to keep up with the upcoming systems.

[digdugnate]

I think my wife hears the 'I hope there's a Pro Version' every couple of weeks from me.  ?  At the very least, I'd sure like to see a revision of the docking station that has the internal part designed where the Switch docks- or at least puts little rubber nubs on the inside against the screen or something.  My Switch is 75% docked and 25% portable so it sees a lot more movement from tv to tv than I think it was designed for.

 

Hour-for-hour, I have played my Switch probably more than a lot of the consoles I've owned in the past combined.  I think at the very least if no news is announced this year for an upgraded version, I'm going to go in for the newer revision that has better battery life. 

 

We already have two docking stations in the house, so likely my old one would have a home with my kiddo since they use mine and Mom's pretty regularly.  I'm considering picking up a third dock so I'm not all the time unplugging and replugging in my dock from the living room and bedroom- if they're anything like computer stuff I'm going to wear those USB/HDMI ports out pretty quick, lol.

[Punisher5.0]

2 hours ago, digdugnate said:

I think my wife hears the 'I hope there's a Pro Version' every couple of weeks from me.  ?  

I hear you on that. I would totally by a beefed up Switch. Whats nice about the Switch (and the rest of this generation) is that most games heavily use dynamic resolution. Because of that we can get massive boosts in resolution and framerate without any patches. You can kind of make a homemade Pro Switch by hacking the system right now. I was watching this DF video the other day and was surprised at how unlocked the system was.

 

 

[Hydro Thunder]

I didn't think I would want one, but I freaking LOVE the Switch.  The Pro Controller is one of my favorite controllers of all time, and the fact that this little guy boots up lightning quick is just great for a quick round of an old arcade game or two (the Switch is a retro gamer's dream, with its selection of not just old games but remakes).  It doesn't need to update every week for like 20 plus minutes unlike the Ps4 and Xb1.

In addition to being portable.  It's a simple, great design and I applaud them for basically getting the Wii U corrected.

 

[digdugnate]

its funny you mention the Pro Controller since I'm getting ready to buy a second one.    hands-down one of the best controllers I've used, too.

[roots.genoa]

On 2/4/2020 at 5:40 AM, Tanooki said:

They didn't lose those developers, they partly (namco, konami, capcom) if not entirely (square) ran them off.

It seems most Japanese publishers had been waiting for a new 'challenger' like Sony for a long time. We now know companies like Konami and Taito almost released their own systems in the mid 90s. A lot of them were pissed by Nintendo's policy during the SNES era, but Nintendo systems were too popular to ignore. SEGA and NEC consoles got a lot of games from very small developers, mostly from the computer software business, and that were not 'eligible' to work for Nintendo anyway. Namco's president threw a tantrum at the end of the 80s and even released a few games for the PC Engine in protest; it's no surprise it was Sony's main partner in Japan. Since Sony seemed the first company to finally have a chance to succeed, it was the right time to jump ship...

 

Anyway, I agree with everything was said above. To me the Switch doesn't even need exclusive games; every game is better on it anyway, not only because you can bring them with you but because you can pause and resume games very easily. PS4 does this as well (Vita did it first I think), but PS4 takes longer to boot and if you play a physical game and need to remove the Blu-ray to watch a film, you're screwed. I bought a slim PS4 (in 2015 I think) when my PC became too slow for the new generation of games, and I was happy to play a few games like Resident Evil 7 or Prey, but I haven't played anything on it for the past few years. My brother lent me God of War; it looked visually stunning but I quickly abandoned because I just don't have time for that kind of games anymore... I mainly use my PS4 to watch Blu-rays and streaming, so the day Netflix is finally released on Switch... I used to play the Switch 90% in portable mode, so that I didn't have to switch HDMI channels all the time, and because I prefer handheld anyway. But for the past few months I had back problems so it's better for me to use docked mode these days - and I'm glad I can choose (I of course still use it handheld to check the eShop for instance). That being said, the 3DS remains my favorite game system, and probably will for a very long time.

[Flojomojo]

On 2/17/2020 at 6:47 AM, digdugnate said:

I'm considering picking up a third dock so I'm not all the time unplugging and replugging in my dock from the living room and bedroom- if they're anything like computer stuff I'm going to wear those USB/HDMI ports out pretty quick, lol.

Maybe a "port saver" would help? https://www.monoprice.com/product?p_id=3850

On 2/17/2020 at 9:31 AM, Punisher5.0 said:

I hear you on that. I would totally by a beefed up Switch. Whats nice about the Switch (and the rest of this generation) is that most games heavily use dynamic resolution. Because of that we can get massive boosts in resolution and framerate without any patches. 

The new Witcher 3.6 patch is great. I turned up Sharpness to Low, turned off Anti Aliasing, and it looks like a whole new game. Plus cloud saves. 

1 hour ago, digdugnate said:

its funny you mention the Pro Controller since I'm getting ready to buy a second one.    hands-down one of the best controllers I've used, too.

Isn't it weird they only come in black? Doesn't seem very Nintendo at all. I guess Pro Gamers are SERIOUS. 

[digdugnate]

3 hours ago, Flojomojo said:

Maybe a "port saver" would help? https://www.monoprice.com/product?p_id=3850

The new Witcher 3.6 patch is great. I turned up Sharpness to Low, turned off Anti Aliasing, and it looks like a whole new game. Plus cloud saves. 

Isn't it weird they only come in black? Doesn't seem very Nintendo at all. I guess Pro Gamers are SERIOUS. 

lol! well, you touched on the thing that really does kind of drive me crazy about the controller, dang it.

 

the black plastic/etc they use for the controller rubs smooth in weird spots on the controller and is scratched to hell by the charging port even though im pretty careful when i plug it in.  more options like MS does with their XBox One controllers would be pretty neat, I think, especially for the folks that import wacky-colored joycons.

[Flojomojo]

Hm, there's Colorware, which is super expensive, and there's this, if you want to make them look like 1999 iMacs and Nintendo 64 controllers. https://www.amazon.com/MASCARRY-Replacement-Controller-Transparent-Faceplate/dp/B07FFSSPHQ/

[+wongojack]

I'm sure I will buy a Switch eventually when it is discounted or sold to me used online, but I honestly don't have a need for it.  For one thing, I got the Wii U late and have still not played many of the exclusives on that system.  The Switch offers many of the same games and updates to the games that I already own, but haven't played yet.  I'm content to wait.

 

Another thing is that I just simply can't make myself do portable gaming.  I phrase it like that because I've tried.  I carry around portable gaming devices with me when I take trips (which isn't that often) and they sometimes get played, but rarely.  I think the situation where I want to play a game, but don't want to monopolize the TV is more likely, but I'd probably just move it to a different TV.

 

Finally, I happen to use my XOne constantly for live TV and streaming through services like Hulu or CBS etc.  I periodically cancel one service to add another and the XBox One has the best compatibility of any device I already own (or would want to buy).  I own a PS4, but it can't do live TV via Hulu.  This means my PS4 and Wii U are only turned on when I want to play games.  That is a silly statement to make for a game console, but it definitely decreases the time I spend doing anything on those consoles.  For me, the Xbox is just "on" and if I'm going to play a crossover title like . . . Celeste (which I tried for the first time this week), I'm going to do it there.  It definitely helps that they made Ultimate Gamepass so cheap and easy.

 

14 hours ago, Curious Sofa said:

I didn't think I would want one, but I freaking LOVE the Switch.  The Pro Controller is one of my favorite controllers of all time, and the fact that this little guy boots up lightning quick is just great for a quick round of an old arcade game or two (the Switch is a retro gamer's dream, with its selection of not just old games but remakes).  It doesn't need to update every week for like 20 plus minutes unlike the Ps4 and Xb1.

In addition to being portable.  It's a simple, great design and I applaud them for basically getting the Wii U corrected.

 

 

Regarding the comment about the Switch being a "Retro Gamers Dream."  So is every modern console - unless you mean you want to play the S/NES library via a subscription service which does sound appealing some days.  However, the Xbox 360 had Gameroom, tons of retro physical and digital releases as well as a slew of retro-inspired games in the Xbox Live Indie Games section.  Some of that is now gone, but much of it is still playable via backwards compatibility.

[Tanooki]

13 hours ago, roots.genoa said:

It seems most Japanese publishers had been waiting for a new 'challenger' like Sony for a long time. We now know companies like Konami and Taito almost released their own systems in the mid 90s. A lot of them were pissed by Nintendo's policy during the SNES era, but Nintendo systems were too popular to ignore. SEGA and NEC consoles got a lot of games from very small developers, mostly from the computer software business, and that were not 'eligible' to work for Nintendo anyway. Namco's president threw a tantrum at the end of the 80s and even released a few games for the PC Engine in protest; it's no surprise it was Sony's main partner in Japan. Since Sony seemed the first company to finally have a chance to succeed, it was the right time to jump ship...

 

Anyway, I agree with everything was said above. To me the Switch doesn't even need exclusive games; every game is better on it anyway, not only because you can bring them with you but because you can pause and resume games very easily. PS4 does this as well (Vita did it first I think), but PS4 takes longer to boot and if you play a physical game and need to remove the Blu-ray to watch a film, you're screwed. I bought a slim PS4 (in 2015 I think) when my PC became too slow for the new generation of games, and I was happy to play a few games like Resident Evil 7 or Prey, but I haven't played anything on it for the past few years. My brother lent me God of War; it looked visually stunning but I quickly abandoned because I just don't have time for that kind of games anymore... I mainly use my PS4 to watch Blu-rays and streaming, so the day Netflix is finally released on Switch... I used to play the Switch 90% in portable mode, so that I didn't have to switch HDMI channels all the time, and because I prefer handheld anyway. But for the past few months I had back problems so it's better for me to use docked mode these days - and I'm glad I can choose (I of course still use it handheld to check the eShop for instance). That being said, the 3DS remains my favorite game system, and probably will for a very long time.

I've got to agree with you there.  A good chunk of it was nice timing and politics.  Nintendo's arrogant senile old fart president at the time pushed and pushed, then pushed people too hard, and coupled with that arrogance opened the door to have someone put a boot in the companies ass.  It did some harm, but it also long term created a solid gaming company rival Sony which Sega never really was outside of US appearances.  Sony equally to blame with their trying to pull a fast one with the SNES CD too, but still, carts was a death blow for keeping people locked in.  Long term, it did the company some good, he got ushered out, new ideas about trying to do it a bit more Apple style of then (Think Different!) and we had the ups and downs of the Wii, the PiiU, and then the Switch. The Switch a culimination of all the good ideas the Wii had, the few good ones WiiU did wrong done right, and just common sense they lost ages ago of making it easy for companies to peddle their wares with a super stupid easy base to run modern engines on and port stuff too.

 

And yeah, the Switch is as you said, a stand alone, and why?  It works well, almost too well for what it was intended and at its price point $200 or $300.  Ever since the N64 floundered and going through my Turbo Duo 90s years I got hardcore over into handhelds into/through college and have been more so ever since.  To NOT be tethered at all to the couch, not the weak finicky 10ft crap the WiiU pulled, but truly able to be comfortable, anywhere, that's big.  The fact it can do as I said with conversions we've seen (within reason of the big scope of said titles) it's just stunning and it's obvious why it sells so consistently and amazingly well.  I go between the TV and handheld too, but it depends on comfort so usually more off TV.  A mix of discomfort or laziness switching over the TV and all that plays a point in it too.  I've got mine sitting next to me now to play the 2nd hour into Pokemon Shield I started after midnight last night of all things.

[digdugnate]

7 hours ago, wongojack said:

I'm sure I will buy a Switch eventually when it is discounted or sold to me used online, but I honestly don't have a need for it.  For one thing, I got the Wii U late and have still not played many of the exclusives on that system.  The Switch offers many of the same games and updates to the games that I already own, but haven't played yet.  I'm content to wait.

 

Another thing is that I just simply can't make myself do portable gaming.  I phrase it like that because I've tried.  I carry around portable gaming devices with me when I take trips (which isn't that often) and they sometimes get played, but rarely.  I think the situation where I want to play a game, but don't want to monopolize the TV is more likely, but I'd probably just move it to a different TV.

 

Finally, I happen to use my XOne constantly for live TV and streaming through services like Hulu or CBS etc.  I periodically cancel one service to add another and the XBox One has the best compatibility of any device I already own (or would want to buy).  I own a PS4, but it can't do live TV via Hulu.  This means my PS4 and Wii U are only turned on when I want to play games.  That is a silly statement to make for a game console, but it definitely decreases the time I spend doing anything on those consoles.  For me, the Xbox is just "on" and if I'm going to play a crossover title like . . . Celeste (which I tried for the first time this week), I'm going to do it there.  It definitely helps that they made Ultimate Gamepass so cheap and easy.

 

 

Regarding the comment about the Switch being a "Retro Gamers Dream."  So is every modern console - unless you mean you want to play the S/NES library via a subscription service which does sound appealing some days.  However, the Xbox 360 had Gameroom, tons of retro physical and digital releases as well as a slew of retro-inspired games in the Xbox Live Indie Games section.  Some of that is now gone, but much of it is still playable via backwards compatibility.

Our XOne is also used almost exclusively as a streaming platform because like you mentioned, it's the best compatible of the devices we own with the exception of my iPad maybe.

 

I get what you're saying with the Switch Online offerings, though. Something I do find really cool, though, are the other compilations that are offered if you don't already own the games (or emulate) a dozen different ways.  I enjoy a lot being able to play some of my fave old games on the go.

 

The game companies must know a whale when they see one, because I own on the Switch the Sega Genesis collection, Namco Museum, Street Fighter Anniversary Collection, Capcom Beat-em-up Collection, Castlevania Collection, and Mega Man Legacy Collection vol. 1.  I'm willing to admit that I have a problem when it comes to these, lol.  I'm considering picking up the Kunio-Kun Collection when it's out as well. 

[Steven Pendleton]

18 hours ago, roots.genoa said:

(Vita did it first I think)

I think Metroid Fusion on GBA is the earliest example that I remember of sleep mode. It still drains the GBA battery since it is still on and I never found a use for it, but it's available. Some of the earlier PS4 games also don't like sleep mode as they were made before sleep mode was. Of my games, Omega Quintet has problems with it.

 

Anyway, the Switch deserves its success. It's good enough to play modern games with reduced graphics (or better than PS4, in the case of Alien Isolation according to Digital Foundry), it has a large screen for a dedicated game system, and also the battery is generally good enough as a handheld.

 

In the case of the Switch, "good enough" is a good thing, just like how the Game Boy was also "good enough" and still outsold the far more advanced Game Gear, Nomad, game.com, Neo Geo Pocket, and the WonderSwan, which all came later, and the Game Boy remained on the market after all of those other systems were pulled.

[digdugnate]

19 hours ago, Flojomojo said:

Hm, there's Colorware, which is super expensive, and there's this, if you want to make them look like 1999 iMacs and Nintendo 64 controllers. https://www.amazon.com/MASCARRY-Replacement-Controller-Transparent-Faceplate/dp/B07FFSSPHQ/

oh come on, @Flojomojo- why do you have to link stuff like this? ?? those look pretty neat.

[Flojomojo]

1 hour ago, digdugnate said:

oh come on, @Flojomojo- why do you have to link stuff like this? ?? those look pretty neat.

Heh. Here's Colorware, which strikes me as laughably expensive and thereby easier to resist. https://www.colorware.com/p-958-nintendo-switch-pro-controller-2.aspx?c=f9z-83ddm*fa1-83eym*fa3-83bfo*fa5-83cge*

[Steven Pendleton]

39 minutes ago, Flojomojo said:

Heh. Here's Colorware, which strikes me as laughably expensive and thereby easier to resist. https://www.colorware.com/p-958-nintendo-switch-pro-controller-2.aspx?c=f9z-83ddm*fa1-83eym*fa3-83bfo*fa5-83cge*

That... looks like they could get in trouble with Nintendo if they are actually making and selling stuff with Nintendo's logos on it without a license.

[Flojomojo]

I don't think so. It is fair use to put someone else's logo on other stuff without permission, so long as you're clear about what it is. Colorware has this disclaimer on their page. 

Quote

This is an aftermarket customized electronic device. All hardware related warranty service is the sole responsibility of ColorWare Inc. The original manufacturer is under no obligation to repair or refund this product. ColorWare Inc. is not an authorized reseller of Apple Inc, Bose Inc, or Nintendo Inc products. ColorWare Inc. replaces all existing manufacturer warranty policies and procedures with a ColorWare Inc. warranty, the documentation for which is included with all products purchased from ColorWare Inc. All warranties, and other claims made by ColorWare are not endorsed by, attributable to, or binding upon, Nintendo The trademarks Nintendo, Joy-Con, and Switch are the registered trademarks of the Nintendo Inc.

 

[Video]

NO surprise really.  And only took 2~ ish years too

 

Switch is a great overall system, and appeals to people who want a real console, or those who love handhelds, or weirdos like me who loiter somewhere in the middle

[Steven Pendleton]

1 hour ago, Video said:

weirdos like me who loiter somewhere in the middle

Not weird. "Good enough".

[Hydro Thunder]

On 2/20/2020 at 7:01 AM, Flojomojo said:

Heh. Here's Colorware, which strikes me as laughably expensive and thereby easier to resist. https://www.colorware.com/p-958-nintendo-switch-pro-controller-2.aspx?c=f9z-83ddm*fa1-83eym*fa3-83bfo*fa5-83cge*

GD you Flojo.  Now I'm out $130 to $190 (at some point down the road)

[Hydro Thunder]

On 2/19/2020 at 12:00 PM, wongojack said:

 

 

 

Regarding the comment about the Switch being a "Retro Gamers Dream."  So is every modern console - unless you mean you want to play the S/NES library via a subscription service which does sound appealing some days.  However, the Xbox 360 had Gameroom, tons of retro physical and digital releases as well as a slew of retro-inspired games in the Xbox Live Indie Games section.  Some of that is now gone, but much of it is still playable via backwards compatibility.

I hear you and do understand, there's an awful lot of great retro stuff out for all of the modern consoles.  But full overview, if you look at the library of games coming out on Switch it really outpaces what's out for the others (arcade classics types).  And though I don't have a comprehensive list to compare, it just seems like the Arcade Archives series does more Switch than any of other others.  Not even just talking about the Donkey Kong series/ Mario Bros (which of course are great) for the AA series...  But stuff like Skyforce Reloaded and the Psikyo shooters, I don't believe those are available on the other systems.  And a lot more of the indie stuff on Switch feels and looks retro based, styled, targeted.

 

And I didn't think I would, I tend to hate portable game consoles as well... But I have found myself using the Switch on a stand along with a pro controller from time to time, and/or when I'm on trips.  It's super handy, and a nice escape to be able to go a few rounds of Front Line, Crazy Climber, Moon Patrol, Mat Mania, Elevator Action, USFII, whatever, nearly instant boot up and play, easy and quick shut down and stow away.  

[Steven Pendleton]

On 2/20/2020 at 3:00 AM, wongojack said:

S/NES library via a subscription service which does sound appealing some days

What's going to happen to these when the servers get shut down? What's going to happen to the "free" games for PS+? I don't know if Xbox has something like that, but same question if it does. Will these things remain playable? My guess is "no" but maybe I'm wrong.

 

Aside from pay to play online, which is wrong and shouldn't exist, the system itself is very good. I bought it just for Shin Megami Tensei V back when it was being hinted at but before it was actually announced. I gambled and won, because they announced it maybe 2 weeks later. Every other game on the system is basically just a bonus for me.