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The Nintendo Switch's Untapped Potential

It's no secret that I am excited for the Nintendo Switch. I already have it pre-ordered and have even requested that day off work for its release. To top that, I've watched pretty much every YouTube video I can to learn more about the console.

In a recently uploaded video, MatPat of The Game Theorists duked it out head-to-head against none other than the president and COO of Nintendo of America, Reggie Fils-Aime. The topic: whether or not Nintendo should continue in the hardware console market or become a pure software company much like SEGA. Check it out below:

 Link to "Should Nintendo STOP Making Consoles? - DeadLock (Feat. Reggie from Nintendo)

I'm really impressed with Nintendo for agreeing to do this video. MatPat definitely didn't go easy on Reggie. He made a lot of valid points, so kudos to Nintendo for tackling these matters head on.

But as much as I am impressed with Nintendo for their endeavors with the Switch, I haven't heard much about one thing. One thing that could truly propel them back to the top, like the Wii days.

Let's get into it!

THE BEST SELLING CONSOLE TODAY

One of the points cited by MatPat in the video above was the Wii U's dismal sales compared to its prime competitors: the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. Let's recap what these numbers were again...


  • Wii U: 12 million units
  • Xbox One: 25 million units
  • PS4: 50 million units

So which one is the best selling console? Well... it depends on how you look at it. Let me clarify by adding a new number here:



That last number doesn't even include tablet gaming. If you look at it that way, mobile gaming blows every console out of the water. It kind of makes sense. Mobile games are easy to build, quick to distribute, and cheap to purchase. According to Mojang in 2015, Minecraft: Pocket Edition alone has been downloaded a whopping 30 million times. And according to this CNBC article, mobile gaming revenue was set to surpass console gaming revenue in mid-2016.

Clearly, there is money in mobile gaming.

NINTENDO'S OTHER PORTABLE CONSOLE

Let's not forget that Nintendo still has another portable console: the Nintendo 3DS. The 3DS may have had a slow start when it launched in 2011, but its user base has since grown and grown. To date, Nintendo has sold roughly 57 million units. That's even more than the PS4. (Granted, the PS4 came out two years after the 3DS.)

Clearly, Nintendo still has a hold on the mobile console market. Even though Sony once again tried to penetrate the market with its PS Vita, the Vita was sadly a flop. (As a Vita owner, this does make me sad because I do love my Vita!)


The Nintendo 3DS is one of my favorite systems, but I'll wholly admit that it is limited. Of course, there's the lesser processing power, but what's more important is that it is just not a console suitable for traditional mobile gaming. I’m speaking to two things: the dual screen and resistive touch screen. This means you have to use a stylus on the touch screen as opposed to the capacitive screen found on every smartphone and tablet. As a result, games found on iOS and Android are not typically found on the Nintendo 3DS.

SO... WHAT DOES THIS ALL MEAN?

Let's tackle this section by quickly recapping the strengths and weaknesses of Nintendo's current consoles and the mobile platform.

Wii U
  • Strengths
    • Very strong first party title support
  • Weaknesses
    • Use of resistive touchscreen in GamePad
    • Lack of third party support
    • Lack of portability

 Nintendo 3DS
  • Strengths
    • Very strong first party title support
    • Portability
    • Price
  • Weaknesses
    • Dual screen
    • Use of resistive touchscreen
    • Low processing power

 Mobile Platform
  • Strengths
    • Very strong platform for smaller games
    • Capacitive touch screens
    • Portability
  • Weaknesses
    • Lack of hard controls to meet gaming standards
    • Relatively high price compared to Wii U and 3DS

 What this means that the Nintendo Switch has the ability to corner the mobile gaming market while simultaneously alleviating the weaknesses of its preceding consoles.

Think about it. I know a ton of parents that buy a kid either a tablet or something like an iPod Touch because of the cheap mobile games like Angry Birds. Those things aren't cheap. At the same time, parents are still prone to buy either the Wii U or 3DS, or maybe even both. With the Nintendo Switch, parents don't have to buy 3 different devices. They can buy one: the Nintendo Switch.

And this is what baffles me about Nintendo: they haven't mentioned this notion at all. Nintendo can capitalize big time on this idea, yet it has gone wholly unmentioned. I understand their push to corner the hardcore gaming market, but if they truly wanted to drive sales, this is the route I would go.

 SUMMARY

  • The most profitable gaming market is actually found in mobile gaming.
  • Nintendo's current consoles, Wii U and 3DS, have weaknesses that are not conducive to the mobile market.
  • The Nintendo Switch alleviates the weaknesses of Nintendo's preceding consoles and also makes it a viable platform for the games typically found on iOS and Android.
  • Where parents are apt to buy three different pieces of hardware for their kids (Wii U, 3DS, and smart device), parents now only have to buy one device: the Nintendo Switch.
  • Nintendo should capitalize on that last point!
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