Skip to main content

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!
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Key Competency #4: A Dash of "Not-Care-itude"

As an avid listener of The Tim Ferriss Show  podcast, I listened to a recently uploaded episode complementary to his new book Tools of Titans (review incoming) that covered a number of tough questions he encouraged everybody to ask themselves. One of the questions he shared was, "How would you run your business if you were only allowed to work that business two hours a week?"
Post a Comment
Read more

Five Games to Play While Listening to Podcasts

I'm a big fan of podcasts. I regularly listen to at least two podcasts every day, ranging from business to comedy to video gaming. Speaking of that last one, the best time to listen to podcasts (aside from exercise) is while playing a video game. Now, you can't just play any video game while listening to podcasts because it's just not conducive in every situation. For example, I would never suggest you play something like Call of Duty online while listening to a podcast. All your brainpower will go to the game and zero to the podcast. So when coming up with this list, I held to these couple of criterion for games suitable for simultaneous podcast: Can't be heavily story driven (Looking at you, Telltale Games) Can't be something that involves a ton of strategy Can't can't CAN'T be multiplayer Keeping these criterion in mind, here are five games I'd suggest you check out.
Post a Comment
Read more

I'm Not the Tech Expert You Think I Am (Top 5)

Amongst my family and friends, and I am known as the tech guru. Any time they have any questions, I'm usually the first guy they call. And it's pretty understandable why: 9 times out of 10, I can help solve their problems. It's kinda weird and doesn't make sense to me. For example, I've been asked numerous times for help with something on Facebook. Um...... I don't have Facebook. (Well, at least, not anymore. I had one from 2008-2011 but haven't had one since.) This isn't to say, however, that I am useless here. In fact, my track record for solving Facebook questions is 100% so far. So what is it about me? As the title of this posts suggests, I'll be the first to raise my hand and tell you that I am not a tech expert. I have no formal training, no formal IT certifications, and only took one computer programming class in high school. So what I hope you learn from this post is what you can apply to become a "tech expert" yourself.
Post a Comment
Read more

About LYEATT

This is my third attempt at starting a blog like this. Each other time I started, I was so concerned about views. How many people read what I wrote? Did anybody express appreciation over it? Did anybody have any other thoughts to share about it? The truth is, I heard nothing. Seemingly nobody cared! Although… I should say that really didn’t give either much to gain traction. Each maybe had three or four posts before my self-consciousness got the better of me and shut them down. So why now? Why try again?
Post a Comment
Read more

Decision Fatigue and Five Tips to Avert It

One of the best things about living in Bloomington-Normal is the diversity of restaurant choices we have to choose from. Want one of the big chains? We've probably got it. Nice local restaurants? Yup. Italian, Chinese, American, Thai, and Indian places? Check. Ironically, one of the worst things about living in Bloomington-Normal is, you guessed it, the diversity of restaurant choices we have to choose from.
Post a Comment
Read more