Because I've read enough threads on here to know how this discussion might go, let me establish a few things first:
-The Nintendo Switch continues to sell incredibly well and will no doubt do so throughout the 2018 holiday season
-The Nintendo Switch has a large library of fantastic games that cater to a variety of tastes
-A big appeal factor of the Switch is the portability of the device - this also means it's power shortcomings are understandable and can be forgiven and that some games might be more appealing on Switch as opposed to more traditional devices
None of these are being debated in this post.
Now, to my point: For a person who plays a large amount of games, often at launch, it increasingly feels like the Switch has some serious software issues of late. While last year saw big new titles like Splatoon 2, Mario+Rabbids, and Mario Odyssey, halfway through 2018 there is scant sign of that same kind of original content until Pokemon and Smash Bros hit near the end of the year. While one might point out that Nintendo's first party output in general is commendable - the lack of big 3rd party support due to the device's low spec means that Nintendo *has* to go above and beyond to ensure they frequently put out new and exciting games on the platform. And while there is a large quantity of third party titles and indie games overall on the eshop, I'm not sure how anyone can say these aren't more often than not, ports of games previously released on other platforms, either Nintendo's own previous system (WiiU), or other current platforms like PC/PS4/XB1. While this is fine for a more casual audience, the fact is that in a lot of cases I've already played these titles elsewhere - and if I didn't, it's because I wasn't interested in them.
The amount of new original content arriving day and date on Switch still feels pretty sparse, hell two of the most talked about games in their E3 direct were Hollow Knight and Fortnite. Wolfenstein 2 is arriving later this year well after its launch elsewhere and at half the framerate. Again, this is entirely understandable and it's a miracle it runs on it at all - but that doesn't change the fact it's yet another game that anyone interested in probably already played.
So I guess what I'm getting at is do we think this is going to be the legacy of the Switch - a few great 1st party releases a year sprinkled among constant late/inferior ports, or will developers catch up and manage to start including the device with the launch of their titles, making it a more viable option? Is the Switch really mostly for people who want a great handheld gaming experience, despite it being equally marketed as a home console?
-The Nintendo Switch continues to sell incredibly well and will no doubt do so throughout the 2018 holiday season
-The Nintendo Switch has a large library of fantastic games that cater to a variety of tastes
-A big appeal factor of the Switch is the portability of the device - this also means it's power shortcomings are understandable and can be forgiven and that some games might be more appealing on Switch as opposed to more traditional devices
None of these are being debated in this post.
Now, to my point: For a person who plays a large amount of games, often at launch, it increasingly feels like the Switch has some serious software issues of late. While last year saw big new titles like Splatoon 2, Mario+Rabbids, and Mario Odyssey, halfway through 2018 there is scant sign of that same kind of original content until Pokemon and Smash Bros hit near the end of the year. While one might point out that Nintendo's first party output in general is commendable - the lack of big 3rd party support due to the device's low spec means that Nintendo *has* to go above and beyond to ensure they frequently put out new and exciting games on the platform. And while there is a large quantity of third party titles and indie games overall on the eshop, I'm not sure how anyone can say these aren't more often than not, ports of games previously released on other platforms, either Nintendo's own previous system (WiiU), or other current platforms like PC/PS4/XB1. While this is fine for a more casual audience, the fact is that in a lot of cases I've already played these titles elsewhere - and if I didn't, it's because I wasn't interested in them.
The amount of new original content arriving day and date on Switch still feels pretty sparse, hell two of the most talked about games in their E3 direct were Hollow Knight and Fortnite. Wolfenstein 2 is arriving later this year well after its launch elsewhere and at half the framerate. Again, this is entirely understandable and it's a miracle it runs on it at all - but that doesn't change the fact it's yet another game that anyone interested in probably already played.
So I guess what I'm getting at is do we think this is going to be the legacy of the Switch - a few great 1st party releases a year sprinkled among constant late/inferior ports, or will developers catch up and manage to start including the device with the launch of their titles, making it a more viable option? Is the Switch really mostly for people who want a great handheld gaming experience, despite it being equally marketed as a home console?
