First Impressions - Nintendo Switch
Anyone who knows me knows I'm a bit of a Nintendo fanboy out of the gate, but I'd like to discuss my first impressions, good and bad, of the new Nintendo Switch.
First, The Good
Upon first viewing, I was surprised to see this seemed to be geared toward adults. It's a real departure from Nintendo's focus on the kid demographic for as long as I can remember (bloodless Mortal Kombat on the SNES, anyone?). The games showcased (Splatoon, Mario Kart, unnamed Mario title, Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild) seem to be mostly Nintendo's evergreen franchises, and in any case, should appeal to a wide range of audiences.
My second big surprise was at how much this seemed geared to the on-the-go aspect of (young) adult life. A real emphasis was placed on the constant movement we experience in our day-to-day, and it seems Nintendo is really attempting to make gameplay experiences seamless between sitting on the couch, and, say, waiting for the bus.
The versatility of the Switch's controller units is brilliant. So far we've seen a dedicated handheld unit (with the two halves of the split controller on it), the "Wii U style" control with the screen between the two halves, the "Wiimote + Nunchuk" combo style play, the two-player configuration where each player gets a half, the four-player configuration where each player, again, gets a half a controller, and some sort of successor to the Wii U Pro Controller. I count six configurations based on a fairly singular set of hardware. I'm impressed. I hope functionality/battery life/tactility are as good as they look.
Critics will say it's all been done before. It's easy to mistake the Switch as a Wii U Gamepad/Tablet with a removable Wiimote and Nunchuk. What distinguishes the Switch from the Wii U is the UX behind it. The Switch is designed with mobility in mind, and I believe that will make all the difference when it comes to how it is seen in the eyes of the consumer market.
My Concerns
Nintendo seems to have hit it out of the park in terms of creating something that will fit seamlessly into the hustle and bustle of adult life. The first-party titles carry the same appeal Nintendo titles always have, and Nintendo has said that third-party development will see better support than the Wii U did. Having said all of that, I can't say I don't have a few concerns about the damn thing.
Battery life is my first issue. The Wii U Gamepad claims up to 8 hours of gameplay on a single charge, and I find myself getting closer to maybe 4-5 on my unit. While marginally acceptable for a home unit, I'm concerned about those numbers on a unit that's designed to have the potential to go mobile. Additionally, the Wii U's processing was done on the home console, and streamed wirelessly to the Gamepad via video. The Switch will run processing off it's main handheld unit, and that's where I fear the battery life will get even dicier. Word has it the Google Ara was killed off by its lackluster battery life (a result of its modularity). Will the Nintendo Switch suffer the same fate?
I also worry about developers and their interest in providing a truly great experience for both mobile and home console gamers. There are considerations to make when designing for either, and making an experience work for both isn't necessarily easy. Certain interfaces that work well on your 50' TV won't do on a ~10" screen, necessarily. Color schemes that do well at home may not do great in the sunlight, and great, simple mobile gameplay may seem sluggish and dumbed-down when transferred to the couch.
Last concern is esports. Take one look at smash.gg and you'll see there's a small but dedicated scene for pro Splatoon. However, that scene is unfortunately still a ways away from spotlit stages and pro player uniforms. For the Switch to truly succeed in the esports realm, it will require games that have great depth of play and a great spectator experience, on the Nintendo Switch platform. It must be fun on the go, but deep enough to create a dedicated scene. Arguably the only game to really succeed in the mobile and esports arenas so far is Blizzard's Hearthstone, and that's a card game with fairly simple inputs and a high level of strategy. I'm excited, though nervous, to see what Nintendo is interested in creating to succeed in that realm.
Final Thoughts
I'm really excited to see what Nintendo comes out with in the following months. They've certainly piqued my curiosity, but it'll take great followthrough and great developer involvement to create a great console that successfully fulfills this new daring role they've carved out for it.