Nintendo Switch

[Flojomojo]

That 40% figure is pulled out of his ass. It's actually more like 28-29%, and probably only that because of the digital only releases.

 

Hey, at least that's a source. What's yours?

[Downland1983]

 

I don't think we'll have numbers for a while, but it's probably a 13:2 (about 13 million Wii U's sold versus about 2 million Switches, I think) ratio in terms of raw system numbers. I agree with you though that since you'd figure a lot of the Wii U owners are Nintendo faithful, then a lot of them would have jumped on board the Switch, reducing the pool of potential Wii U BOTW buyers. Certainly some crazies would have bought both versions. I also think that over time as more of those Wii U owners move to the Switch, they may either buy or re-buy BOTW. I could see when the dust finally settles in say 3 or 4 years, if the final BOTW sales don't reach 60% of the Wii U's lifetime sales, which would both be a testament to how poorly the Wii U sold and how well BOTW should eventually sell once there are more Switch's in the wild.

 

As for right now, although again, we'll have to wait for the numbers, I bet constrained stock of the Wii U version means that the Switch version probably already outsold it.

 

I'm pretty sure I read somewhere that sales of Breath of the Wild were skewing 80% Switch to 20% Wii U.

[BillLoguidice]

 

Hey, at least that's a source. What's yours?

 

My ass is not a source, of course, nor do I like to actively pull things out of it. I was told the 40% figure by those in the industry when working on the Atari Flashback Classics stuff, but I admittedly did not see the hard numbers myself. Prior to that, I was going by the 30% estimate, but apparently it's now closer to 40%, at least on the Xbox One and PS4 sides. That seems reasonable to me considering the advantages having digital on those platforms entails. As was stated, with a physical disc not only do you have to transport it from console-to-console to play it, but you also have to install huge chunks of the game while still needing the disc. If you're going to go to all that trouble anyway, you may as well just get the more portable digital copy.

[Tanooki]

Oh it's a source alright, just not of gaming information.

 

Anyway, I'd concede digital is superior, if the end user is allowed to retain control over what they've actually paid for, and it is a PAID for situation like on GoG. When it's something that's lie tagged with BUY when it should say 'LEASE' (or RENT) then no. That's how the current model on some of Steam is, and all of what you can dredge up on any of the console makers systems across the board. Steam is in this interesting situation that the developer can choose a DRM wall of it being required, or you can side run it directly off the PC with no internet collection and there is an online wiki that charts each game as well. Those you can even toss onto storage like a GoG install I've read so you can own your media. I'd prefer digital entirely these days if I had proper ownership and control over the item I paid for, but since I don't I strongly and largely limit those buys to as few as possible and usually at the $5-10 level and exceedingly rarely over that mark.

 

It is moving towards digital but kinks need working out...and that includes the somewhat stormy and dicey cloud out there. Already was brought up that you can't always use your save data when you need it, but as of now it's 100% solid and excellent as an insecure backup service. I wouldn't trust it one damn bit for anything private from money to photos (as if the fappening wasn't reason enough on that one.)

[Tanooki]

On a more on the topic of Switch note -- I Am Setsuna finally arrived from overseas today and I'm overly impressed with it.

 

Just as advertised, it doesn't care what region the game came out of, it's on the nose working like a US release right out of the box. Icon on the screen says I Am Setsuna with all the other generalized info. Game fires up right in english, even asks if you want to keep the characters vocals on or not. The only tiny hang up, can't seem to cash in my nintendo coins on it, not that I really care but it thought the game wasn't setup for it yet I think the warning was about.

 

Visually it's pretty, the music with all that piano music is incredible. Gameplay is so an aping of Chrono Trigger with the techs and cross techs. It has a nice adaptation of the old ATB system with the added pull of Bravely Default where you can sit on a turn to gain powers for a stronger strike by not striking for a time later as a meter charges which is pretty cool.

 

S-E even put a fold out manual in the game box too! And one of their S-E fanclub pieces of paper with a purchase code in there too. It was nice to see a print manual, even if it was just a folded over full color thing, it's something!

[Atariboy]

I wonder when we'll get details of the Virtual Console? One thing I'd love to see is single screen multiplayer for two players for whatever Nintendo handhelds might be covered (I'd hope the entire Game Boy range is here).

 

Likely too much to ask for the Switch to emulate too many instances of the same system simultaneously, but two player multiplayer on your television with the display split in half like a console title handles splitscreen multiplayer, would go a long way towards correcting the flaws that sometimes detracted from GBA downloads on the Wii U. Mario Kart Super Circuit for instance looks and plays great on the Wii U, but is bland as a single player experience.

 

And while I'd likely never take advantage of it, I'd hope to see full functionality here for Game Boy multiplayer when multiple systems are connected wirelessly in handheld mode (Does the 3DS do this with Virtual Console downloads? I only ever bought 3D Classics releases, never a VC game).

 

Ideally with today's transfer speeds and internal storage space, they could even allow you to temporarily share your VC game until the systems are disconnected, eliminating the last roadblock that hindered the concept back in the day.

Edited March 23, 2017 by Atariboy

[Asaki]

And yes, physical sales are no doubt greater than digital sales on the Switch because Nintendo has designed the system in such a way to encourage that. The paltry 32GB of internal storage all but demands it.

That's what the SD card slot is for

 

As was stated, with a physical disc not only do you have to transport it from console-to-console to play it...

"Have to"?

How else are you going to bring a game over to a friend's house, or let them borrow it?

 

And while I'd likely never take advantage of it, I'd hope to see full functionality here for Game Boy multiplayer when multiple systems are connected wirelessly in handheld mode (Does the 3DS do this with Virtual Console downloads? I only ever bought 3D Classics releases, never a VC game).

I'm not sure exactly what you mean, but the only Virtual Console title for 3DS that supports multiplayer is Pokemon Red/Green/Blue/Yellow.

[Atariboy]

I'm talking about Game Boy/Game Boy Color games on the 3DS Virtual Console that were originally developed with link cable support for multiplayer.

 

I was asking if they allowed multiple 3DS systems to connect directly to each other via WiFi to enable this functionality, out of curiosity since it sets a precedent where we could expect at least wireless support between Switch systems for such downloads on the Switch if they ever appear.

 

And there should be far more than that on the 3DS Virtual Console, if the VC versions supported this feature. Pac-Man, Super Mario Bros. Deluxe, Radar Mission, Tetris, Baseball, Golf, Dr. Mario, and likely several additional link cable enabled releases were made available on the 3DS VC.

Edited March 23, 2017 by Atariboy

[Prosystemsearch]

I'm talking about Game Boy/Game Boy Color games on the 3DS Virtual Console that were originally developed with link cable support for multiplayer.

 

I was asking if they allowed multiple 3DS systems to connect directly to each other via WiFi to enable this functionality, out of curiosity since it sets a precedent where we could expect at least wireless support between Switch systems for such downloads on the Switch if they ever appear.

 

And there should be far more than that on the 3DS Virtual Console, if the VC versions supported this feature. Pac-Man, Super Mario Bros. Deluxe, Radar Mission, Tetris, Baseball, Golf, Dr. Mario, and likely several additional link cable enabled releases were made available on the 3DS VC.

Yeah that.

Also, the 3DS VC deserves to have TG-16 and maybe also Sega Genesis/Mega Drive games on it.

 

I also really hope that the Switch VC goes online by either December of this year, or early this year.

[Flojomojo]

I wonder when we'll get details of the Virtual Console? One thing I'd love to see is single screen multiplayer for two players for whatever Nintendo handhelds might be covered (I'd hope the entire Game Boy range is here).

...

And while I'd likely never take advantage of it, I'd hope to see full functionality here for Game Boy multiplayer when multiple systems are connected wirelessly in handheld mode (Does the 3DS do this with Virtual Console downloads? I only ever bought 3D Classics releases, never a VC game).

Real soon now, I would think ... if their free trial is going to be worth anything. I hope they pick a big, fun game to kick it off, or they'll be laughed at online like never before. Not Urban Champion or some other D-lister.

 

3DS Virtual Console games are single player only.

[Andromeda Stardust]

I wonder when we'll get details of the Virtual Console? One thing I'd love to see is single screen multiplayer for two players for whatever Nintendo handhelds might be covered (I'd hope the entire Game Boy range is here).

 

Likely too much to ask for the Switch to emulate too many instances of the same system simultaneously, but two player multiplayer on your television with the display split in half like a console title handles splitscreen multiplayer, would go a long way towards correcting the flaws that sometimes detracted from GBA downloads on the Wii U. Mario Kart Super Circuit for instance looks and plays great on the Wii U, but is bland as a single player experience.

 

And while I'd likely never take advantage of it, I'd hope to see full functionality here for Game Boy multiplayer when multiple systems are connected wirelessly in handheld mode (Does the 3DS do this with Virtual Console downloads? I only ever bought 3D Classics releases, never a VC game).

 

Ideally with today's transfer speeds and internal storage space, they could even allow you to temporarily share your VC game until the systems are disconnected, eliminating the last roadblock that hindered the concept back in the day.

Switch is a quad core processor, so four Game Boy cores on one screen would be easy, however some games rely on not seeing what your friend is doing, which would mess it up if you could simply view your opponent's screen.

 

Also I'm a bit disappointed that 2DBoy did not have cross buy from Wii-U on Little Inferno and Resource Machine. I bought both of those on Wii-U (and World Of Goo on Wii) and at least for Wii-U, Nintendo has a record of all my purchases, and 3DS since the NNID creation. The developer manual said that devs could offer discount pricing for consumers who bought specific titles, but I do not know if support covers Wii-U/3DS. I rebought the trio of games anyway as they were all excellent and I'll enjoy playing them again.

[Atariboy]

I more had in mind the complexities of the Game Boy Advance as the likely culprit in holding them back from opening it up fully, if anything like this even happens. I believe that one could go up to 5 systems for linked up multiplayer.

 

Simultaneously emulating up to five instances of the GBA at a level of quality as seen by M2's emulator on the Wii U, quite possibly might be a bit too much for today's hardware. But I doubt taking it to at least two player multiplayer would be a stretch for the system.

 

Sadly, the reality likely will be something far less entertaining. No multiplayer at all, or worse, Nintendo deciding that the Switch is more console than handheld and keeping this line or at least the older portion of it, away from the Switch Virtual Console just as Game Boy and Game Boy Color games never appeared on the Wii or Wii U (Despite the presence of an in-house emulator on both consoles).

Edited March 25, 2017 by Atariboy

[Asaki]

And there should be far more than that on the 3DS Virtual Console, if the VC versions supported this feature. Pac-Man, Super Mario Bros. Deluxe, Radar Mission, Tetris, Baseball, Golf, Dr. Mario, and likely several additional link cable enabled releases were made available on the 3DS VC.

Just Pokemon, AFAIK.

[Schizophretard]

I'm hitting the age where I need reading glasses to enjoy gaming on the tablet. On top of not having much time to play! Life is cruel!

Thankfully even at my age now I still have better than 20-20 vision so I can deal with little things like GB Micro screens perfectly well, so something Switch sized is all the better. Even with the inches in size it is, it never feels cramped or small enough to lose quality of detail. Every little maggot crawling around on the ground in Isaac is very visible as is the little squish stain stepping on them.

I'm naturally nearsighted so I just take my glasses off. If my eyes ever get stiff enough so they can't focus close up with corrective lenses, I'll simply remove my glasses and hold the tablet six inches from my face...

I'm doing the same thing, I'm afraid. When playing the Switch, it's now glasses off. I'm usually OK when playing with contacts.

I'm not old enough yet (37) that my corneas have hardened, but my fiance is in her 40s and started wearing progressives a couple years ago. I've always been nearsighted such that my eyes can't focus farther than a foot from my face without glasses. It actually made playing 3DSxL a bit of a pain as the sweet spot has you hold it further away from the face than what I'm accustomed to. This is partially remedied with the N3DS autotracking but it still needs a certain distance away from the face to work.

I have been noticing the last few years that I have had to squint and adjust the distance to see tiny screens like on handhelds. So, I went to the eye doctor. Without even cracking a smile, he told me that I really need to stop masturbating. While blushing from embarrassment, I asked him why that is. He answered,"Because I'm trying to work on your eyes right now."

[Andromeda Stardust]

I have been noticing the last few years that I have had to squint and adjust the distance to see tiny screens like on handhelds. So, I went to the eye doctor. Without even cracking a smile, he told me that I really need to stop masturbating. While blushing from embarrassment, I asked him why that is. He answered,"Because I'm trying to work on your eyes right now."

[BillLoguidice]

Spot-on RE: Zelda: https://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2017/03/27

 

[Tanooki]

Well played penny arcade. It's the one damning thing to me in the game to really complain about. Breaking weapons is garbage. I've hated it since I first experienced it in the early 90s with Final Fantasy Legend 1 and 2(ie SaGa) on Gameboy. It's a loathesome disgusting thing to add into a game that gives it NO value at all. Sure they give you lots of drops to replace weapons, but why really add that in in the first place? All it does it create a bad situation when something snaps in a fight and you have to toggle a menu to grab something else breaking up the flow.

 

That old GB game you had limited inventory, yet each time I went exploring the full area I could then hit, and especially with dungeons(cave, etc) I'd probably grab 10 swords per character which was a total waste of space and money. Yet I'd have to keep doing that as stuff would break so often and no spell to repair or refresh, and that game didn't do the drops. It's why I still don't have them currently, though FFL3 stopped it, and that one I'd buy again first or if I just grabbed one it would be it.

[Andromeda Stardust]

Well played penny arcade. It's the one damning thing to me in the game to really complain about. Breaking weapons is garbage. I've hated it since I first experienced it in the early 90s with Final Fantasy Legend 1 and 2(ie SaGa) on Gameboy. It's a loathesome disgusting thing to add into a game that gives it NO value at all. Sure they give you lots of drops to replace weapons, but why really add that in in the first place? All it does it create a bad situation when something snaps in a fight and you have to toggle a menu to grab something else breaking up the flow.

 

That old GB game you had limited inventory, yet each time I went exploring the full area I could then hit, and especially with dungeons(cave, etc) I'd probably grab 10 swords per character which was a total waste of space and money. Yet I'd have to keep doing that as stuff would break so often and no spell to repair or refresh, and that game didn't do the drops. It's why I still don't have them currently, though FFL3 stopped it, and that one I'd buy again first or if I just grabbed one it would be it.

Normally I have found the game drops so many weapons, I'm constantly discarding stuff more often than not. Now that I've got an actual house, I now have a stash of ++ Guardian melee weapons from a "Major Test" Shrine that I can call on whenever, and possibly stock up for the big Ganon fight. Another minor quibble is for two handed weapons, I must dequip my current weapon in order to swap. That makes it a pain, especially if my enemy is already in midswing when I call up the inventory menu, and don't have time to put that slow, heavy club away for a faster weapon that potentially does bonus elemental damage. I've taken a couple extra hits that way. Say I've got an ice wand I wanna freeze my foe with then hit em with something stronger.

 

Another thought occurred, my third divine beast, I rekt my master sword early on during one of the Ganon fights (Fireblight Ganon no less, and IMO the hardest main quest boss I've experienced thus far), so maybe a potentially useful strategy is to deliberately break the master sword on some rocks or some crap before fighting the beast / entering the castle, so it's fully charged again by the time you fight the boss. So tempting not to just whack at ordinary foes with the Master Sword, despite the game telling me not to abuse it.

[Tanooki]

I did discard a lot of stuff too, got kind of annoying in the end having to reopen a chest if it was nicer stuff.

 

I really should read up on that house thing, seems handy and I never did it. I have not gone back since I finished it a couple weeks ago, but that's primarily since I've messed with my other games since (Isaac and mainly Setsuna since it showed up.) I kind of forgot about Blaster Master which is a crime, but that honestly is how i tend to mentally treat digital download leases, like throw away garbage to mess with randomly. I just don't perceive them to be 'real' I guess so I don't value them the same in the least bit.

 

I haven't had the luck of busting the sword other than a couple times in the wild, never on a boss, but that's got to suck, yet your idea is sound. Break it, then let the clock ride, save, then do your job.

[Atariboy]

Sounds like we might have our first victim of media costs. Warner Brothers is apparently shipping Lego City Undercover on an 8 GB cartridge, with a mandatory 13 GB download. Wii U version was 19 gigs.

 

That will be one thing in favor of the Wii U version.

Edited March 28, 2017 by Atariboy

[Schizophretard]

Sounds like we might have our first victim of media costs. Warner Brothers is apparently shipping Lego City Undercover on an 8 GB cartridge, with a mandatory 13 GB download. Wii U version was 19 gigs.

 

It might as well be a download only game at that point and not because of it being 13GB but because it has a mandatory download at all. Someday when it is put in a Switch it would be unplayable because there would be no server to download from.

[Punisher5.0]

Sounds like we might have our first victim of media costs. Warner Brothers is apparently shipping Lego City Undercover on an 8 GB cartridge, with a mandatory 13 GB download. Wii U version was 19 gigs.

 

That will be one thing in favor of the Wii U version.

Ridiculous at $60. Especially considering it's a remake.

[keepdreamin]

People keep asking me why I still use an old Samsung Rugby flip phone for talk and text. It has survived 4-foot drops on concrete, and when questioned as to why I didn't upgrade, I'll proceed to take the phone out of my pocket, and drop it on the floor just to prove my point.

 

You know you can buy cases, right? I've dropped my smartphone countless times, down concrete steps even. Otter box has saved it.

[Keatah]

That's funny. People pay a premium for a thin svelte device. And then put these clodhopper cases on them..

[Asaki]

It's a loathesome disgusting thing to add into a game that gives it NO value at all. Sure they give you lots of drops to replace weapons, but why really add that in in the first place? All it does it create a bad situation when something snaps in a fight and you have to toggle a menu to grab something else breaking up the flow.

It does give it value, because breaking weapons on monsters does crit damage, especially if you throw it at them.

 

I also like it because it makes treasure more valuable. In Wind Waker, Twilight Princess, and Link Between Worlds, almost every treasure chest was full of rupees that you didn't need. The new game, like Skyward Sword, does a much better job of making rupees valuable again, and most chests hold weapons that might better what you have.

 

I also like having a variety of weapons for different situations, and the quest for replacements when I break or lose something I really like...my heart sank in my chest when I got zapped by an electric Keese and watched a certain shield slide over the edge of a cliff @_@

 

 

After prematurely ransacking Castle Hyrule, I keep getting the more powerful weapons from random loot drops elsewhere in the game.

 

 

...so maybe a potentially useful strategy is to deliberately break the master sword on some rocks or some crap before fighting the beast / entering the castle, so it's fully charged again by the time you fight the boss.

That's what I do.

 

 

I killed the first two Divine Beast bosses using nothing but arrows, though. I still need to fight the other two, but I'm distracted by sidequests.

 

Edited March 28, 2017 by Asaki