Switch Outsells Wii

[MrBeefy]

Super DualSwitch (DS)

 

[Atariboy]

I rather figure Nintendo will play it safe this time around and do a conventional successor. Significantly more capable hardware, greater storage space, etc. And full backwards compatibility with Switch software.

 

Reinventing the wheel didn't provide longevity for them in the past, at least with the Wii. And the last time out the gate their attempt to evolve gaming didn't even yield much in the way of sales with the Wii U. I also bet they have no desire to go back to separate console and handheld lines (or abandoning one of the two), locking them into something capable of covering both segments. Nor do I suspect they're ready to bet the farm on something very different. Not when what the world (And their shareholders) expect a better Switch.

 

I'm sure it will offer something interesting and fresh when the time comes (I'm personally hope it's a while). But I bet at its heart it will be easy to see that it's an evolution of the Switch when they do unveil it one day.

 

 

Edited February 19, 2022 by Atariboy

[hwrd]

4 hours ago, MrBeefy said:

Super DualSwitch (DS)

 

 

That, I would buy!!!!!!!      ?

[Steven Pendleton]

Whatever they do next needs to not have garbage controllers. Please, have functional controllers this time. Go ask Sega to license the Saturn controller since Sega actually knows how to make controllers and especially d-pads, make an exact copy of the original Saturn controller but glue 2 analog sticks on there like what Sony did with the original PS1 controller, and there you go. Perfect console controller.

 

Then go back to Sega, get Atlus to make some more exclusive games, preferably better than SMT V turned out (still have not finished that, by the way...), throw in 2D Metroid and Fire Emblem, and I'll buy it.

[Tanooki]

They said months ago they were looking to a ten year life and I’d believe it. They have zero motivation to can the thing with sales being high and not falling off coupled with the lame part shortages. The support is strong in some ways still growing which is screwball given a systems life handheld or console. 
 

Given the nvidia tech and relationship they could use a newer variant of what’s here now so the old and new works. Keep the same hybrid style to capture more people who want one other or both. 

[MrTrust]

Shouldn't there be some sort of "inflation" calculation when comparing console sales?

 

For instance, the Switch has sold 100 million units and the Atari 2600 30 million units, but the world has roughly twice as many people in it as there were in 1980.  There are 100 million more people in the US now than there were in 1980.  The median age in 1980 was 30, and now it's 35.  These things have to have some effect on console sales.

 

How you would quantify that, I don't know, but what does it mean for the Switch to outsell the PS2 in the US when there are 50 million more people here now than there were in 2000?  Shouldn't it at least be determined what percentage of a market actually bought a system at a certain time, and estimate that same percentage (roughly) of the excess people there are now would have purchased the older system, and apply that to the sales gap?

 

Is the Switch more than three times as popular as the 2600?  Raw numbers say yes, but maybe all things considered it's only twice as popular.  Who cares?  Well, what would be the point of comparing sales across generations unless you're trying to find out which was more popular?

[roots.genoa]

3 hours ago, MrTrust said:

Shouldn't there be some sort of "inflation" calculation when comparing console sales?

Absolutely, records will always become easier to break with time, and it's (mostly) true for sports too. That's why a "failure" like the Wii U sold as much as consoles that were considered as moderate successes in the 80s or 90s.

[MrTrust]

12 hours ago, roots.genoa said:

Absolutely, records will always become easier to break with time, and it's (mostly) true for sports too. That's why a "failure" like the Wii U sold as much as consoles that were considered as moderate successes in the 80s or 90s.

 

Yeah, I would say if you're trying to determine "most successful" console, it's hard not to give the title to the original Playstation.  100 million units on a system that launched in '94?  That's nuts, and you're talking like a 3:1 market share over the nearest competitor.  I'd think the Switch would need to get closer to 130 million to claim that crown.  Of course, it's probably more fitting to compare the Switch to the DS, in which case it would have a loooooong way to go.

 

Re: the Wii U, I want to say it didn't fail so much as it was abandoned.  It feels like from the Gamecube up until the Switch, Nintendo was always pushing a consistent stream of marquee games, while the console would get an opening salvo, then one tentpole game per year with a B-side like Mario Soccer 6 montha later.  I'd have to go back and look at the releases side-by-side to prove it, but it sure felt that way

[roots.genoa]

The problem with Wii U and 3DS' launches, is Nintendo tried to leave more room for third parties to shine. They released quite modest games themselves (Pilotwings on the 3DS, Nintendo Land and NSMB on the Wii U) while there were actually a lot of third party games in their launch line-ups. Unfortunately, third parties didn't really seize the opportunity, with mostly lazy ports (3DS' SF4 port was impressive, but was necessarily a downgrade for fighting games enthusiasts). There were a few gems like the Ghost Recon's strategy game from XCOM's creator in the 3DS line-up, but it was alas widely overlooked (and yet, not only was it very good but it offered tons of content; I played like 50 hours and it has been my most played 3DS game until Resident Evil Revelations iirc).

 

[MrBeefy]

There will always be a bunch of factors. Like how PS2 was helped by being a cheap DVD player for the time and had multiple uses. You won't be able to quantify it all but it's still interesting.

[derFunkenstein]

Yeah I bet the PS2 was a first DVD player for a whole bunch of people, myself included. And the PS3 was my first BluRay player as well. 

 

The Switch being Nintendo's only system right now (as opposed to supporting two for nearly 30 years) allows the company's dev teams to focus on one hardware platform and pump out the games. Porting the best Wii U games to the system actually helps increase the number of really good games, too, since the first-party Wii U library is criminally under-appreciated. 

 

I feel like the PS4/Xbone and later the PS5/XSX have really left my gaming "tastes" behind. I'm not a big shooter dude and I don't really dig realistic-looking third-person adventure titles that also seem to need to add tons of cover-based shootouts. They all start to feel very same-y. I recently played Mario Odyssey for the first time and was totally blown away by how simple it was to pick up yet so very tough to master. It's been a blast. I know it's old, but I recently just got into the Switch for real after mostly having it for a year as a Mario Kart and Tetris 99 machine. 

Edited February 21, 2022 by derFunkenstein

[Steven Pendleton]

17 minutes ago, derFunkenstein said:

Yeah I bet the PS2 was a first DVD player for a whole bunch of people, myself included.

My family got a PS2 for Christmas of 2000. We basically only ever used it as a DVD player until I got the US release of Tales of the Abyss in October of 2006. It just sat there and collected dust most of the time.

[derFunkenstein]

well that is a shame because its library is absolutely incredible

[zzip]

On 2/19/2022 at 11:40 PM, MrTrust said:

For instance, the Switch has sold 100 million units and the Atari 2600 30 million units, but the world has roughly twice as many people in it as there were in 1980.  There are 100 million more people in the US now than there were in 1980.  The median age in 1980 was 30, and now it's 35.  These things have to have some effect on console sales.

 

How you would quantify that, I don't know, but what does it mean for the Switch to outsell the PS2 in the US when there are 50 million more people here now than there were in 2000?  Shouldn't it at least be determined what percentage of a market actually bought a system at a certain time, and estimate that same percentage (roughly) of the excess people there are now would have purchased the older system, and apply that to the sales gap?

 

Is the Switch more than three times as popular as the 2600?  Raw numbers say yes, but maybe all things considered it's only twice as popular.  Who cares?  Well, what would be the point of comparing sales across generations unless you're trying to find out which was more popular?

I don't even think it's population growth as much as globalization.   More markets opened for consoles over the decades since videogames first became available.

[LIME LYSTA]

I can all but guarantee you it's also the system with the most controllers sold lol.

[zzip]

12 hours ago, LIME LYSTA said:

I can all but guarantee you it's also the system with the most controllers sold lol.

I wonder how many of those total sales were people rebuying Switch Lites because the controllers broke?

[MrBeefy]

I must be lucky. Mine haven't gone out yet.