WHY is Nintendo so good right now? How will it sustain this?

The Unsent · Mar 22, 2018

Younger blood for their managers, we'll seeing Mario and Zelda become more sandbox because of what's popular. Also good timing for the switch being released in '17 since PS4 and XBO were out for about four years. I don't know how they will sustain it, I guess more smash bros and some fantastic online multiplayer games will help.

Skittzo · Mar 22, 2018

violent said:
Even Nintendo fans didn't invest a great deal in the Wii U. I think you underestimate the severity of that notion. It's really not difficult to understand how fans received a taste of something special and then received trash immediately after. It was a jarring evolution that left many longing for what they felt with the Wii. And that longing lasted years. By the time the Switch came out, they got back what they had a taste for and should be rightfully happy.

It's not some crazy notion. It's expectation, disappointment, and resolution.

It's absolutely a crazy notion in that it does not explain how they are doing so well right now. Sure, it is possible some Wii U owners felt that way. That in no way can begin to explain why the Switch outsold the Wii U's lifetime sales in less than a year though. There weren't enough Wii U owners to feel that disappointed...

Seriously, think for a minute about this argument because it falls apart under the slightest bit of scrutiny.

NotLiquid · Mar 22, 2018

The Switch is still following the blueprint that Iwata left off with. The man was made CEO for a reason; he's a guy with a vision, and if that vision doesn't pan out, he is great at learning from it. Learning from shortcomings is what got us the DS, that's what got us the Wii, and that's what now got us the Switch. He also did a great job shifting around talent and letting people like Miyamoto and Koizumi cultivate new generations of designers and developers.

And if Nintendo is performing good, then the third parties will come, which is what they're doing more right now. They needed a great console, and they got one. With that you got more of a slew of games on a hardware that people actually enjoy to play on.

violent · Mar 22, 2018

skittzo0413 said:
It's absolutely a crazy notion in that it does not explain how they are doing so well right now. Sure, it is possible some Wii U owners felt that way. That in no way can begin to explain why the Switch outsold the Wii U's lifetime sales in less than a year though. There weren't enough Wii U owners to feel that disappointed...

Seriously, think for a minute about this argument because it falls apart under the slightest bit of scrutiny.

You're right. It's Nintendo magic.

Marufuku · Mar 22, 2018

Nintendo works with the long term in mind.

Many things that Nintendo planned long time ago are coming to fruition just now, and sometimes unforeseen events occur.

For exemple, the new Develpment Center in Kyoto was planed long ago to unify Nintendo's many hardware and software divisions under one single roof, giving more agility and flexibility to the development of new products, and to house more employees, giving more workforce to the development of products.

The terrain where the Development Center resides was purchased in 2008, but construction just started in 2012 due to problems like soil contamination, and the Development Center ended up being inaugurated in 2014.

As to who is responsible for this, it's a team effort, it's not just one person.

But I think Iwata was vital to modernize Nintendo post Yamauchi era, and the results of this modernization are outliving Iwata himself.

silver1289s · Mar 22, 2018

I think the biggest reason is how memorable the console itself is. Its unique in a non gimmicky way. Couple that with Nintendo's marketing, its been a home run. The games have been great, but I honestly don't think they are the main reason. The Wii U had a pretty solid lineup as well.

I have met people that still think the Wii U is an add on. No one has been confused about what the Switch is, or what it is capable.

Titik · Mar 22, 2018

The good thing about Nintendo, (and Sony to a lesser extent) is that they experienced all the ups and downs of being the market leader, being in the middle and being the absolute last place for everyone (sales, mindshare, developer support). They have learned and will hopefully equip them with those experiences for more longevity in the future. I'm excited for the future of gaming as a result!

ASaiyan · Mar 22, 2018

Nintendo has always been the best developer in the industry. They've just made things even more action-packed recently by taking the decision to stop splitting their software teams; so now you have the prospect of Mario, Zelda, Metroid, Smash, Pokemon, Fire Emblem, and others, all appearing on the same console. But otherwise they are pretty much on the same track of innovation and excellence they've been on for years. The dire situation caused by the Wii U was probably an extra motivator.

ASaiyan said:
They are the best developer of all time, plain and simple.

They are a frequent winner of Metacritic's "Developer of the Year" award, which is based on average Metascore of all titles published that year, as well as individual awards from outlets like Geoff's Game Awards. Last year alone, they released two titles - Breath of the Wild and Mario Odyssey - which are seriously mentioned in conversations about the greatest games of all time. And of course, for literal decades Ocarina of Time has been one of the rote and almost token mentions for "Best Game Ever".

They're not perfect, and like any dev they sometimes whiff (see: Zelda 2, Wii Music, Animal Crossing: Amiibo Festival). But they hit more often, and I'll say it, hit harder, than anyone else can hope to compare to. The closest runner-up I can think of is Atlus, and even then they are not nearly as prolific (and, I'd argue, not quite as flawless) in producing content as the Big N.

Say what you want about hardware, but as far as software goes, Nintendo has always meant magic.

darkside · Mar 22, 2018

Cybersai said:
I'd argue their Wii-U output in the first year was better than the Switch (if you don't count Breath of the Wild as a Switch game), but otherwise its been all good.

I agree with you honestly. This years Switch lineup must be great for people who didn't own a Wii U but I'm not a fan of this first half year lineup at all, I haven't had a reason to turn my Switch on at all. Hopefully they drop some big announcements at E3 for the back half of this year

Skittzo · Mar 22, 2018

violent said:
You're right. It's Nintendo magic.

Nowhere did I say anything remotely like that.

I gave my reasons- they focused on their major strength, handhelds. They smartly arranged the right titles to show off with their handheld which cemented the idea that this isn't an ordinary handheld, it's a handheld that plays big console games too. The Switch as a concept, and as a device is extremely appealing.

The success of the Switch cannot be explained by saying that the Wii U left Nintendo fans hungry. That's all I'm taking issue with. It's illogical nonsense.

Meelow · Mar 22, 2018

requiem said:
The biggest difference I've noticed is finally understanding who their primary audience is: people who grew up with Nintendo. The Wii U era always felt like Nintendo were trying to convince themselves they were still the kids console of choice, but that audience is too busy playing Minecraft to care about what Nintendo is doing.

Labo obviously shows they still want that audience, but it's not their primary target anymore.

True. Even Miyamoto said that Nintendo can't cater to the casual audience anymore and for the future Nintendo would be pushing for the more core audience.

Fruit&Nut · Mar 22, 2018

There's never been a handheld with such a luxuriously sized screen. I think that is one of the reasons its so great to game on, in handheld, and why its suceeded. I can't get enough of those really cool eshop games.

violent · Mar 22, 2018

skittzo0413 said:
Nowhere did I say anything remotely like that.

I gave my reasons- they focused on their major strength, handhelds. They smartly arranged the right titles to show off with their handheld which cemented the idea that this isn't an ordinary handheld, it's a handheld that plays big console games too. The Switch as a concept, and as a device is extremely appealing.

The success of the Switch cannot be explained by saying that the Wii U left Nintendo fans hungry. That's all I'm taking issue with. It's illogical nonsense.

You didn't say that. What you did say is that you have heard this argument numerous times and it appears to upset you. Rather than consider how much leverage the argument has, you would rather disregard the notion entirely. Your mind is made up, you have no intention of considering any contrary argument, yet you still choose to address the statement. You are not the person to have this discussion with.

I mean no offense personally as I respect your passion for your opinion, I just have no intention of having a pissing contest with you.

Thatguy · Mar 22, 2018

They exited the console business and combined pipelines into 1 strong portable with a dock included. they gave some devs a chance. Personally the only 2 games I would call "so good" are BotW and Splatoon. Everything else have been same old Nintendo. Mario Odyssey wasn't special. Kirby is painfully overpriced. ARMS lost momentum. We're a year on and still no online account system or virtual console. Even BotW was delayed for Switch and robbed WiiU of having ANY exclusive Zelda. Splatoon 2 is, lets be honest, really just another deluxe port of the first game where half of the content is the same.

So to me you have the Zelda team continuing to be awesome as they always have, no change there.
Splatoon is the fresh team and so glad they got the chance
Mario team continuing to be tone deaf on what made Mario 64 so good
B teams still cranking out B-tier games like Kirby, Yoshi, etc
Fire Emblem team doing the same as always
Pokemon and Metroid lets wait and see
Retro lets wait and see

To me they're the same old Nintendo. They hit one out of the park every decade or so, and the rest of the time they push out a lot of garbage. No I'm not forgetting about Star Fox Zero, the WiiU Mario tennis game, all those HD ports, New Super Mario Bros games, Nintendoland, etc. With switch they exited consoles. People want to compare Switch sales to WiiU because nintendo tells them to, but in terms of what it can do its a portable through and through. It has a LOT more in common with Playstation Vita than PS4. So how is Switch doing when compared to 3DS, DS, GBA, or GB? Still think they're doing "So good"?

Dragonyeuw · Mar 22, 2018

Cybersai said:
I'd argue their Wii-U output in the first year was better than the Switch (if you don't count Breath of the Wild as a Switch game), but otherwise its been all good.

I'd love to see the actual argument for this. From my memory, there was a first party drought between their launch software and Pikmin 3.

Cynn · Mar 22, 2018

Who's responsible? Customers. The Wii U did most everything the Switch is as far as game dev. It had Smash, it had gimmick and motion games, it debuted Splatoon, it had Breath of the Wild, it had Mario Kart, etc etc.

Other than sticking the whole console into the game pad this time and staying on course what has changed? Other than people being aware these things exist now of course.

ReitStuff · Mar 22, 2018

IchigoSharingan said:
In 4-5 years, absolutely. Right now? Too soon to say that since they just recently released the shackles of creative freedom on him.

Maybe. All I know is that before that Switch Presentation last January I had never heard of him.

Deleted member 2145 · Mar 22, 2018

Satoru Iwata, basically

LegendofLex · Mar 22, 2018

skittzo0413 said:
It's absolutely a crazy notion in that it does not explain how they are doing so well right now. Sure, it is possible some Wii U owners felt that way. That in no way can begin to explain why the Switch outsold the Wii U's lifetime sales in less than a year though. There weren't enough Wii U owners to feel that disappointed...

Why do you think Wii U disinterest was so intense? It's because no one wanted what Nintendo was selling. The software lineup was generally poor and only rarely intersected with what fans were actually looking for. In hindsight, the GamePad was a solution searching for a problem, and the problem most people wanted solved was one it expressly didn't solve (full portability--which Switch has now achieved). Even as a Wii U owner, when I saw Wii U I realized that what I really wanted was something like Switch--in early 2013 I wrote an article defending the GamePad as a likely stepping stone to the hybrid solution we have today.

What people wanted was what Nintendo is now selling, and that demand was pent up for a good five years. For Zelda in particular, the demand for a bold new open-world benchmark adventure was pent up for more than 10 years. There's no reason it should have taken that long.

As someone who personally rather liked Wii U, I look at Wii U as Nintendo finding wild success with Wii, then doing the opposite of what people wanted (with not only the hardware, which went from the sleek and simple Wii Remote to the bulky and complex Wii U GamePad, but basically all the software not named Mario Kart, Smash, or Splatoon) for about five years until they finally gave fans the stuff they'd been begging for for years on Switch.

silver1289s · Mar 22, 2018

darkside said:
I agree with you honestly. This years Switch lineup must be great for people who didn't own a Wii U but I'm not a fan of this first half year lineup at all, I haven't had a reason to turn my Switch on at all. Hopefully they drop some big announcements at E3 for the back half of this year

I agree with this. I plan on picking up Kirby to end the drought. I didn't really enjoy the demo that much, but I'm willing to give it a try. I'm not really a fan of the Nindies. I don't play many indie games, and if I do, they are on my PC.

giapel · Mar 22, 2018

See, software wise they've always been strong and the WiiU was better in software than the last years of the Wii. It's the hardware side that was such a letdown on the WiiU era. But they've turned it around, and what a turnaround that was!!!

RROCKMAN · Mar 22, 2018

Iwata

Deleted member 3017 · Mar 22, 2018

violent said:
You didn't say that. What you did say is that you have heard this argument numerous times and it appears to upset you. Rather than consider how much leverage the argument has, you would rather disregard the notion entirely. Your mind is made up, you have no intention of considering any contrary argument, yet you still choose to address the statement. You are not the person to have this discussion with.

I mean no offense personally as I respect your passion for your opinion, I just have no intention of having a pissing contest with you.

I'd argue skittzo0413 is one of the more open minded users on this forum, so I'm not sure you're reading this situation correctly. He'll freely admit when he's wrong. Honestly, your argument is just kind of weak and really doesn't do much to explain Switch's record-breaking success.

Skittzo · Mar 22, 2018

violent said:
You didn't say that. What you did say is that you have heard this argument numerous times and it appears to upset you. Rather than consider how much leverage the argument has, you would rather disregard the notion entirely. Your mind is made up, you have no intention of considering any contrary argument, yet you still choose to address the statement. You are not the person to have this discussion with.

I mean no offense personally as I respect your passion for your opinion, I just have no intention of having a pissing contest with you.

Fair enough on that last part, but for the record I tried to point out why I find the argument illogical. If Nintendo fans were hungry at any point after the Wii then why did they not buy the Wii U? 13.5 million people bought the Wii U over 4 years, if every single one (obviously the most extreme case) of them felt so disappointed with it that they were hungry for a new console (which is what you seemed to imply with your first response to me) then how has the Switch already sold over 15 million in less than one year? The answer is that this cannot possibly be a primary explanation for its success.

So that's why I find the argument illogical.

LegendofLex said:
Why do you think Wii U disinterest was so intense? It's because no one wanted what Nintendo was selling.

What they wanted was what Nintendo is now selling, and that demand was pent up for a good five years. For Zelda in particular, the demand for a bold new open-world benchmark adventure was pent up for more than 10 years.

As someone who personally rather liked Wii U, I look at Wii U as Nintendo finding wild success with Wii, then doing the opposite of what people wanted (with basically everything not named Mario Kart, Smash, or Splatoon) for about five years until they finally gave fans the stuff they'd been begging for for years on Switch.

I absolutely agree with this. The Wii U failed because it was an undesirable product, from concept to hardware to marketing to software- though its overall library is pretty good the fact that it took about a year to start getting any real system sellers is a major problem.

My point, however, is that the Wii U failed due to its own merits, just like the Switch is succeeding on its own merits. The Wii U didn't cause millions of Nintendo fans to suddenly become hungry for a Nintendo console- if it did then why didn't those people actually buy a Wii U?

The explanation presented by violent (which I've seen several other people try to argue) seems to suggest that the primary reason for the Switch's success IS due to Nintendo fans being hungry for a console since the Wii U was a dud. But that basically says that the Switch isn't succeeding due to its own merits (which I think is absolutely the case), rather it's succeeding because nobody wanted the previous console. But why didn't that console succeed if people were so hungry?

Hence the illogical nature of that argument.

Fuchsia · Mar 22, 2018

Well having a year with Mario and Zelda both coming out and being phenomenal definitely helped a lot. Pushed me to get a Switch that's for sure.

But they were all about their "chase the illusive casual market" with the wii. That worked for a time and sort of tapered off near the end. Then they tried to do it again, but with a worse gimmick with the Wii U and failed really badly. They knew the Wii U was dead so they clearly seemed to spend its final years developing for Switch to ensure its first year could succeed.

What's more, the actual concept of the switch's hardware is great. While underpowered compared to the ps4 and Xbox, it's portability offers a convenience and novelty that has obviously resonated with millions. The actual system itself is fun to use for me personally in a way that the Wii and wii u were not. So, it its core, the concept is strong. The games build upon that as many actually target Nintendo's core fan base which Nintendo had been paying slightly less attention to when they were chasing the blue ocean. Pair that with a Nintendo that is clearly hungry and isn't coasting like before and the rest is history.

This second year has been interesting so far, however, as there are a lot of ports so far filling lulls in their schedule. But other heavy hitters like LABO and potentially Pokemon will likely make certain that Nintendo continues to sell a ridiculous amount of Switches. The fall/holiday season will be interesting. Im staying tuned to E3 to see what big players they reveal for that time.

Servbot24 · Mar 22, 2018

Earlier today I literally thought about making a parody thread called "Why is Nintendo so awesome?" and though better of it.

Anyways it's because Mario and Zelda came out in the same year. Which was last year. I'm waiting on new games to come out this year.

Metallix87 · Mar 22, 2018

Wii U had a lousy gimmick. Switch has a better one with obvious appeal. Simple.

Broken Hope · Mar 22, 2018

Actually having hardware that isn't come obscure piece of tech that needs custom coding in a big way sure helps. The Switch isn't super powerful but at least its hardware is similar enough to the PS4 and XB1 that games can be ported given enough care.

LegendofLex · Mar 22, 2018

skittzo0413 said:
The Wii U didn't cause millions of Nintendo fans to suddenly become hungry for a Nintendo console- if it did then why didn't those people actually buy a Wii U?

The origin of the demand for good Nintendo products is not Wii U.

But Wii U (and to a lesser extent 3DS) failing to be a good Nintendo product is the reason why that demand was so pent up for so many years.

It's the same reason why the first two NSMB games exploded, even though the interest clearly didn't translate over to future systems - people wanted new 2D Mario games, and hadn't gotten them in 15 years. But this didn't create a sustained mania for new 2D Mario games - the conversion rate to post-Wii systems was very low - probably because the quality of the products just wasn't there compared to past 2D Mario games.

Deleted member 3017 · Mar 22, 2018

skittzo0413 said:
If Nintendo fans were hungry at any point after the Wii then why did they not buy the Wii U?

Well, I do think there is some truth to the notion that Wii U wasn't enough to satisfy many Nintendo fans, while Switch is a much more desirable console for them. But I also don't believe this is the primary driver of Switch's success. It's certainly a part of it though.

Servbot24 said:
Earlier today I literally thought about making a parody thread called "Why is Nintendo so awesome?" and though better of it.

Anyways it's because Mario and Zelda came out in the same year. Which was last year. I'm waiting on new games to come out this year.

It's more than "Mario and Zelda came out in the same year"....it's the type of Mario and Zelda games the Switch received. If a traditional 3D Zelda and Super Mario 3D World 2 launched in 2017, the situation would almost certainly be different today.

Skittzo · Mar 22, 2018

LegendofLex said:
The origin of the demand for good Nintendo products is not Wii U.

But Wii U (and to a lesser extent 3DS) failing to be a good Nintendo product is the reason why that demand was so pent up for so many years.

Right, demand was pent up for a good product. That's a different argument, since it allows for the Switch to be succeeding due to its own merits, in that it is a good product. I still don't think that's the primary reason for success but it's a whole lot less illogical than the general "Nintendo fans were starved for consoles" idea.

shadowsdarknes · Mar 22, 2018

Nintendo executed a concept we have wanted for a long time.

I really like the idea of console games on the go. The online system and lack of software disinterests me at the moment. And while something like Dark Souls sounds awesome on a portable, the idea of playing on a better online network at double the frame rate continues to demonstrate more value.

Thatonedice1 · Mar 22, 2018

Man you guys that are complaining about having nothing to play are confusing me. I just finished Xenoblade 2 like 2 weeks ago and decided to go back and play Zelda and Mario for DLC and post game stuff. Don't know where you guys find the hours to finish these games so fast. And when I get the money I plan on buying Bayonetta 2. Haven't played it yet. And we got Smash later this year... Man I don't understand how anyone can complain lol. Unless they want Nintendo to make games they normally don't make.

jorgejjvr · Mar 22, 2018

Kimishima

maximumzero · Mar 22, 2018

Nintendo has never stopped making great games, you just stopped paying attention.

Pandy · Mar 22, 2018

I really wish he'd been able to stick around long enough to see how the groundwork he laid up to and during his would pay off for Nintendo. I'd love to have seen him in a Direct messing about with Labo (something that must have been set in motion before he passed, given how tied the Switch's form-factor is to it). :(

I'm torn on whether or not the gif is in bad taste, but in the context of the success of Nintendo/Switch, combined with Iwata's playful nature, make me feel it's still on the right side of the line.

requiem · Mar 22, 2018

Thatguy said:
People want to compare Switch sales to WiiU because nintendo tells them to, but in terms of what it can do its a portable through and through. It has a LOT more in common with Playstation Vita than PS4. So how is Switch doing when compared to 3DS, DS, GBA, or GB? Still think they're doing "So good"?

Lol...yes? It's outsold every platform's first 12 months on the market except for the GBA. This is a GameFAQs-level post.

LegendofLex · Mar 22, 2018

skittzo0413 said:
Right, demand was pent up for a good product. That's a different argument, since it allows for the Switch to be succeeding due to its own merits, in that it is a good product. I still don't think that's the primary reason for success but it's a whole lot less illogical than the general "Nintendo fans were starved for consoles" idea.

I don't think anyone is buying a Switch just because they're starved for Nintendo consoles.

I think the hugeness of the Switch surge does have a lot to do with Switch marking a period of renewed interest, though, like it did for NSMB. Unlike NSMB, though, I think the final product actually lives up to its potential, and will be more sustainable than NSMB was as an ongoing venture.

Dragonyeuw · Mar 22, 2018

Cynn said:
Who's responsible? Customers. The Wii U did most everything the Switch is as far as game dev. It had Smash, it had gimmick and motion games, it debuted Splatoon, it had Breath of the Wild, it had Mario Kart, etc etc.

Other than sticking the whole console into the game pad this time and staying on course what has changed? Other than people being aware these things exist now of course.

Well marketing, for one. Nintendo advertised the Wii U so poorly that many consumers thought the gamepad was an add-on for the original Wii. And it seems once sales flat-lined early on they decided to focus their attentions on the 3ds, which they had just rescued the year before with a hard price slash.

The Switch concept is easy to market, and clearly its appeals in a way the Wii U hardware never did. As a long-time Nintendo fan, the main appeal for me is that I don't have to invest in 2 separate ecosystems for the next 5+ years in order to access everything Nintendo has to offer. Truth be told, I didn't even know I wanted something like the Switch until it was revealed.

Dad_and_Videogames · Mar 22, 2018

I love my Switch but I don't feel they are sustaining. 2018 has been a real dog and I haven't really seen anything to change my mind. 2017 was so amazing they could never follow that up, really.

Skittzo · Mar 22, 2018

LegendofLex said:
I don't think anyone is buying a Switch just because they're starved for Nintendo consoles.

I think the hugeness of the Switch surge does have a lot to do with Switch marking a period of renewed interest, though, like it did for NSMB. Unlike NSMB, though, I think the final product actually lives up to its potential, and will be more sustainable than NSMB was as an ongoing venture.

Yes, again I do agree. Things like Pokemon GO helped with that renewed interest to. I'm not arguing otherwise.

I'm responding to this argument:

The abrupt failure of the Wii U after the resounding success of the Wii left Nintendo fans hungry.

Which does not seem to take any of that into account. It's literally just suggesting that Nintendo is doing very well now because Nintendo fans were hungry for Nintendo consoles.

Qwark · Mar 22, 2018

Nintendo has always been good, it's just the Wii U came out too early for its own good (among other reasons) and as a result was a little half-baked. In spite of the hardware, Wii U had a lot of great games though.

I don't think Nintendo can sustain their incredible 2017 momentum, but that's ok, they've got promising things coming and they're in a good position now.

Deleted member 3017 · Mar 22, 2018

Qwark said:
I don't think Nintendo can sustain their incredible 2017 momentum, but that's ok, they've got promising things coming and they're in a good position now.

They absolutely can sustain the momentum and they almost certainly will. I think a lot of you are extrapolating the first six months of 2018 into the remainder of Switch's life, which is weird.

MoonFrog · Mar 22, 2018

-Attractive hardware (in terms of appearance, specs, and special functionality)
-The hardware also positions them as more of a luxury item than a budget handheld (the latter being the space they tend to want to occupy). Coupled with an onslaught of enthusiast (Wii U successor) software and they manage to carve out an initial position for the device in the portable space as distinct from mobile gaming as possible. They needed to do that to revitalize their portable business after the collapse in that market from DS/PSP to 3DS/Vita, imo.
-Great managing of software pipelines to produce an insane confluence of important titles hitting the console early on (Zelda and Mario (and, to a lesser extent Xenoblade) to get core consumers hyped; Splatoon and Mario Kart to get people playing the device together, (particularly important for portables in Japan).
-This confluence looks to continue with Nintendo having already announced such heavy hitters as Smash and Pokemon for the device as well as fan favorites like FE and (omfg) HD Metroid Prime
-Zelda and Mario play to pent-up enthusiast wishes aged a decade or more and do so in absolutely convincing and "Nintendo" ways. This is tremendous towards creating the zeitgeist. (Again, announcing Metroid Prime 4 feeds this image).
-Use of Wii U ports (underplayed gems) to bolster the catalog--particularly relevant is Mario Kart.
-Embracing indies and the desire to play those games on a hybrid platform.

Basically, they catered to their enthusiasts and gaming enthusiasts to create hype around the system among the people that'd talk about it the most. This creates a position to grow from when it was doubted such could be had.

The fact they all the while they were also preparing Labo speaks volumes about the scope of their ambitions despite playing at us so hard and winning so many of us. Nintendo still wants to build up the audience it wants. It just has also embraced us.

srtrestre · Mar 22, 2018

shadowsdarknes said:
Nintendo executed a concept we have wanted for a long time.

No joke, I've been dreaming of being able to bring my game with me since the NES era. Portables sort of helped, but this is the first time that dream has been fulfilled to the extent I always desired.

violent · Mar 22, 2018

skittzo0413 said:
Fair enough on that last part, but for the record I tried to point out why I find the argument illogical. If Nintendo fans were hungry at any point after the Wii then why did they not buy the Wii U? 13.5 million people bought the Wii U over 4 years, if every single one (obviously the most extreme case) of them felt so disappointed with it that they were hungry for a new console (which is what you seemed to imply with your first response to me) then how has the Switch already sold over 15 million in less than one year? The answer is that this cannot possibly be a primary explanation for its success.

So that's why I find the argument illogical.

I get what you are saying but please understand the validity of the argument has a lot to do with the release time of the device. The Switch has certainly had an impressive first year. I don't think anyone can argue that. Sustainability is the remaining factor and until we see what the future holds, the opinion can easily land on either side of the fence. If 2 years from now the Switch is still growing, I would certainly have by then readjusted my belief on the core reason for success. But just the same, if sales begin to drop, it will justify the belief. Fact is, it's too early to tell and I am simply taking a reserved stance on the current state of things.

Medalion · Mar 22, 2018

It won't. It has its ups and downs almost every other generation. Staying winning is boring.

Pooh · Mar 22, 2018

They've never NOT been good when it comes to software. They're the kings of it.
When they make attractive hardware as well they become unstoppable.

Servbot24 · Mar 22, 2018

maximumzero said:
Nintendo has never stopped making great games, you just stopped paying attention.

I would definitely beg to differ. As a Wii U owner I know painfully well there were long periods of time they stopped making great games.

requiem said:
Lol...yes? It's outsold every platform's first 12 months on the market except for the GBA. This is a GameFAQs-level post.

That should be standard though, right? There are more video game fans now than ever, and as fans continue to age they often have more disposable income. I think it's natural that each new console would sell more than the previous one, until consoles start dying. The impressiveness of Switch to me comes mainly from the turnaround they had after Wii U.

Insert I like my Switch and it's doing great comment here to placate people.

Qwark · Mar 22, 2018

OrbitalBeard said:
They absolutely can sustain the momentum and they almost certainly will. I think a lot of you are extrapolating the first six months of 2018 into the remainder of Switch's life, which is weird.

I mean, I think they'll be very successful, but I don't think they're going to meet the incredible 1-2 punch of BotW and Odyssey again. I'm just saying they've already set a very high bar for themselves.

WHY is Nintendo so good right now? How will it sustain this?

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