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NINTENDO SWITCH ANDTHE POST-ZELDA HANGOVER - by Mr Biffo

18/4/2017

41 Comments

 
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Long term readers of this site will know that I've had my ups and downs with Nintendo. The emotional rollercoaster is all borne out of love, of course; just because you love someone or something doesn't mean you can't tell them when you think they're going wrong.

Allow me to remind you of this thing here; I wasn't sold by the messaging surrounding the Switch in the run-up to its release. That started to change as the launch approached, and when I finally got hold of one it literally blew my trousers off. They landed in a tramp's lap!

Alright, it helped that I had Zelda: Breath of the Wild to play on it... but I got what Nintendo was trying to do with Switch. I got the local multiplayer focus of the hardware... and it felt refreshingly at odds with Sony and Microsoft's approach.

However, regardless of what the hardware can do, every console lives and dies on its games. I, like others, criticised the Switch launch line-up, but those criticisms fell away as we all realised just how good Breath of the Wild was. With hindsight, I was potentially blinded by it - and I suspect I'm not alone in that. Now we're sort of post-Zelda, and having to deal with the hangover.

It was never going to last forever, of course; just as many of us are grinding to a conclusion on BotW, Nintendo has unveiled its Switch line-up for the rest of the year.

Underwhelming barely covers it.
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THE GAMES
The big games confirmed for Switch include Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, Arms, Splatoon 2, and - obviously - Minecraft and FIFA. Here's the thing: Mario Kart 8 has already been available for the Wii U, Splatoon 2 is essentially Wii U version of Splatoon with all the DLC, Minecraft is available on everything from your phone to your thorax, and Arms looks fun but feels like a have-a-quick-go-here-and-there multiplayer nonsense. 

And that's about it for triple-A games. We're probably getting Super Mario Odyssey later in the year, but what's worrying is that the most of the other games named are either pretty niche or re-released "special editions".

Ultra Street Fighter II: The Final Challengers doesn't have the strength of brand that it once did, Disgaea 5 Complete is going to appeal to nobody but the hardest of the hardcore... but Namco Museum, Sine Mora EX, BattleChasers: Nightwar, Sonic Forces, Rayman Legends: Definitive Edition, Payday 2, and bloody six year-old Skyrim are unlikely to enflame the sort of mass audience that you want buying your new console.

Of course, there could be more big, original, games to come this year, but it seems strange that Nintendo isn't revealing them. The company has always kept its nude playing cards close to its chest, but that seems like a peculiar strategy when it has a brand new console which it still needs to get people excited about. Breath of the Wild is incredible, but it's finite. It's one game.

It feels like Nintendo's line-up is appealing to a niche audience, not the traditionally broad Nintendo family audience. The number of old games it's listing is - frankly - bizarre. Has any new machine ever released with such a number of "special editions" and quirky Japanese RPGs? It feels like a peculiar way to sell make-or-break hardware.

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PLAYING AT
What is Nintendo playing at? There was all that talk of big third-party support... and the third-parties turn out to be mostly smaller developers, or big publishers re-releasing older games. The quality of those games is irrelevant; it's what they're doing to the perception of the Switch.

If Super Mario Odyssey turns out to be as good as Breath of the Wild it'll no doubt help sell the system, but everything else between now and then feels like filler. Arms, the one original IP Nintendo has announced, might be great, but it feels more akin to 1-2-Switch - a game designed to sell the quirkiness of the Switch, which people who already own the Switch will buy, rather than something which will drive hardware sales.

Fact is, I don't want Switch to fail. I love the philosophy behind it, that Nintendo is trying to connect people, that it's trying to say you don't need to be the most powerful to be the best. These are important, honourable, messages. Unfortunately, in order to sell its message Nintendo needs to be able to sell its machine. I only really bought into Switch once I'd played on one.

To a certain degree, early sales of the hardware have been healthy - Zelda alone has done that job. But what happens when Zelda is done and dusted, and you want the next big game... and there isn't one? Or you have to wait nine months for it?

FLASHY... AAAAH-AH!
While we can debate the merits of the PS4 and Xbox One, there's no question that both systems are overburdened with big, flashy, attractive games. Nintendo may not be competing directly with the Xbox One and PS4, but that isn't necessarily how consumers will view it.

Last week I argued that Switch would outlive the PS4 and Xbox One because it isn't playing the Most Powerful Hardware game. I still stand by that, but the system can't achieve that unless Nintendo gets its act together; at the point I wrote the article I was hopeful that Nintendo was about to unveil some major surprises. That hasn't happened. I feel a bit bereft and abandoned, to be honest.

As far as we know the only other triple-A Nintendo game we're getting this year is Super Mario Odyssey, which makes just two such games for the new system in its first nine months. That's not good enough, frankly, however enjoyable some of those smaller games are. All it's going to do is push the Switch deeper under the TV, where it'll gather dust - just as so many Wii Us did.

​This is a crucial time for Nintendo, and it needs to be pulling out all the stops to prove that the Switch is more than just one game.
FROM THE ARCHIVE:
MR BIFFO'S FOUND FOOTAGE - UPDATE & GALLERY!
CALL OF DUTY IS BECOMING A MOVIE UNIVERSE - WHAT'S THE POINT?! - BY MR BIFFO
​
ALL THE VIDEO GAMES THAT PETA HATES​

41 Comments
A kid called Dave
18/4/2017 11:20:55 am

Arms, to me, is a cheeky way of flogging more controllers at 70 quid a pop on top of 50 quid for the game. Arms and a bloody leg mate.

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Abdu
18/4/2017 05:52:58 pm

I dunno if the writer missed the moment Nintendo said, E3 will be when they will be revealing a lot of new games for Switch as well as some surprises.

It makes sense to get the ball rolling during E3 as all the announcements will surely gain more steam and attention.

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Dave Smith
18/4/2017 08:36:49 pm

I really wouldn't hold my breath for new AAA games at E3!

Da5e
20/4/2017 11:37:25 am

'E3 will be when they will be revealing a lot of new games for Switch as well as some surprises.'

That's an awful way to do things. Imagine if all the albums being released in a year were announced at the same time in a big conference centre, or if all the big films all got their reveal trailers on the same weekend in the G-Mex or whatever. Why, you'd be so snowed under by the mass of sudden information that it would severely impair your ability to judge those items on their own merit!

Jez
18/4/2017 11:33:23 am

Valid points all so I'm hoping for a big E3 from Nintendo. A couple more big first party games would be just the ticket. I'm still deep into Zelda so won't feel the lack for a while but a new metroid or F-Zero would cement the system with me. There's always Mario though!

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CoffeeJezus
18/4/2017 01:38:19 pm

I've been staring down the Switch for a while. Zelda was lovely, but it's also lovely in its Wii-U incarnation as well.

As for upcoming stuff, there's nothing immediate to turn my head. I thought Sonic & All-Stars Racing Transformed was a far better game than Mario Kart 8. Beyond that ... ?

There are rumours of a Xenoblade Chronicles X port - a game I really adored - which may be enough to tempt me, but again, it's on the Wii-U.

I'd flat out LOVE a new Monster Hunter on it. I put 350+ hours into Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate on Wii-U and that's a game which I miss from the big telly anyway, but the option to take it anywhere would be as tempting as Breath Of The Wild seems.

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Jareth Smith
18/4/2017 01:49:44 pm

Well a lot of people simply won't have played what the Wii U had to offer - lots of gamers were too snobbish to give the console a try. So the return of Mario Kart 8, which is an absolute masterpiece, is a brilliant idea and should help shift more consoles.

I think the mix of indies, Nintendo exclusives, and third party support seems to be far up than on the Wii U so it's all progress. My interest has always been quality over quantity anyway, which is why I've skipped on the PS4 and Xbox One in favour of Nintendo and Steam.

Plus it's early days for the console. You have the usual batch of gamers effing and blinding about how the Switch doesn't have any titles (apart from, you know, one of the greatest video games of all time), as they did with the Wii U, yet they were strangely supportive when the PS4 and Xbox One launched with nothing of interest. The first big Xbox One releases was, disastrously, Titanfall - a glorified CoD clone was supposedly the big moment for Next Gen gaming. How embarrassing that all looks several years on.

My point here is, not related to Digi as I always find Mr. Biffo constructive in his criticisms, but a lot of gamers simply have an elitist complex and go crazy about anything Nintendo related. This leads to points of hypocrisy, amongst other grievous behaviour, such as bombarding BoTW on Metacritic with 0/10 reviews whilst stating "Nintendards" must die of "brain cancer". And these cretins wonder why non-gamers refuse to take their hobby seriously.

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Spiney O'Sullivan
18/4/2017 02:40:38 pm

Console launches are usually a bit rubbish, but comparing the Xbone launch to the Switch isn't quite right. Microsoft owned the previous generation, and then completely dropped the ball. Nintendo didn't have the ball to start with, having just came off a generation that was a disaster on par with the GameCube. They can't afford two bad generations in a row, and really need to storm out of the gate here.

Personally I love the hardware as the focus on local multiplayers is great, but since I own a Wii U, I'm really waiting for a reason to buy (and a price drop on Bomberman).

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T-Wigs
18/4/2017 03:02:10 pm

Generally agree with most of your comment but its a bit harsh picking on Titanfall really, its much more than a mere COD clone and along with its sequel deserves alot more sales and popularity. It also wasn't Xbox One exclusive at launch which confused matters more.

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Dan Whitehead
18/4/2017 03:26:58 pm

"Well a lot of people simply won't have played what the Wii U had to offer - lots of gamers were too snobbish to give the console a try. So the return of Mario Kart 8, which is an absolute masterpiece, is a brilliant idea and should help shift more consoles."

But if those "lots of gamers" didn't buy a Wii U to play those games, why would they buy a Switch? That seems like a circular argument. It's the console you buy to play all the Wii U games that you didn't play, even though you can still buy them for the Wii U at a fraction of the price if you really want to? That's pretty weird.

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Jareth Smith
18/4/2017 05:07:46 pm

As the Wii U had such a botched marketing campaign and plenty of other consumers didn't understand what it was. The ones who did snubbed it, primarily, as it's graphics aren't quite as good as the PS4 and Xbox One. "The Wii U's crap" my friend confidently claimed, having never played on one, and who bought a PS4 and yet only plays FIFA on it.

Don't be vacuous - it's not a circular argument. The Switch has been massively well received, it's launched with a killer title, and now Mario Kart 8 (the series being a massive hit) will now get a proper run on a console which has enjoyed widespread acclaim across the press and consumers. It's an entirely different situation to the Wii U, which is why more will (and, indeed, already have) been inclined to buy a Switch.

Richard Worrall link
18/4/2017 07:14:50 pm

Weird, perhaps, but a legitimate phenomenon.

I buy most consoles, but never bought a Wii U despite its great catalogue. The rubbish looking hardware was a total deal breaker.

I'm not talking about graphical power but ergonomics and function. Switch fixes those problems, and I'd be delighted to play Wii U stuff on it that I missed.

Benny
19/4/2017 08:20:52 am

Whilst we are not being vacuous , how about that 'masterpiece' descriptor?

BingBong
18/4/2017 01:55:29 pm

If you don't own a Wii U then I think the Switch would be a brilliant purchase. Zelda, Mario Kart 8 and Splatoon are all fantastic games; each one arguably has a shout for game of the generation so far. If Mario is anywhere near as good at xmas then 4 exceptional games in 9 months isn't too bad.

If you were a Wii U owner (like me), then there are no really good reasons to get a Switch. Its good for nintendo that there are only about 50 Wii U owners in existence

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Tom E
18/4/2017 02:03:07 pm

The problem with the internet is that there’s a lot of chest-beating and spin. People have opinions and they often want their opinion to be accepted by everyone. However, there’s something that trumps opinion every time: observed data. So, I did some analysis of the available data on a couple of things and the conclusions are very interesting.

Aggregated Metacritic user data shows that BoTW is the least-liked major 3D Zelda game Nintendo have ever released. Specifically, an astounding 1 in 3 people didn’t rate it positively (slightly more than the also poorly rated Skyward Sword) relative to only 1 in 10 not rating OoT/MM/WW/Link Between Worlds etc. positively. To be clear, this is with statistically significant data (at least 1000 data samples); the other games in the series don’t have enough data to conclude confidently. The data is there for anyone to reproduce this analysis.

This is very telling and you can’t argue with observed facts, regardless of where your opinion may lie. While Nintendo as a company isn’t likely going anywhere, the respect they’ve earned in the last 30 years may not be replicated in the next. It would appear from this observed data their focus (at least for 3D Zelda games) has shifted away from producing the highest quality art which is liked immensely—and even loved—by the most, to producing a game product which is talked about, reviewed highly by loud statistically numerically insignificant ‘professional’ reviewers, and subsequently purchased the most, as principal consideration. Profit-focussed rather than admiration-focussed. The most interesting observation in the data comes from the recent game Link Between Worlds (released between Skyward Sword and Breath of the Wild). Statistically significant data of a game released in between the two worst rated Zelda games of recent time, shows it has a very high admiration level comparable to the best—only 1 in 10 didn’t rate it highly. And to emphasise; this is a ‘sequel’ game (to Link to the Past, which the analysis suggests is the most liked of all Zelda games, albeit not being statistically significant), where much of the experience—and even the overworld—is one many have already experienced very closely. That’s impressive—very impressive. The data proves beyond all reasonable doubt that the traditional formula for gaming satisfaction in Zelda games clearly works across a global population, even if not necessarily from a sales/shareholder perspective. This is very interesting data that Nintendo may well benefit to reflect on.

Similarly, many have argued we were spoiled with the Wii U and the Switch is a retrograde. So, I did some more analysis of the available observed data to see what cropped up. Global sales data shows it has been the worst console launch (total sales) for a major home Nintendo console in over a decade and two console generations. The Switch has sold only 73% of what the Wii U sold, globally, in the first month—typically showing the strongest sales from early adopters. That’s poor and surprising, particularly given it was supposed to ‘fix’ everything that was ‘wrong’ with the Wii U, and the magnitude of positive spin headlines there have been. For example, recently we’ve seen headlines akin to the Switch being the “best selling console ever” but they don’t stress this is only in the US/Spain etc. and the world is a much bigger place than any one country. Again, you can’t argue with observed data.

In summary, I've found the data is precisely in line with the arguments and points outlined and considered with the highest levels of articulation by some writers out there, relatively numerically insignificant as they are, which just goes to show a well-reasoned, informed, and neutral opinion often better fits the eventual observed data.

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Tom E
18/4/2017 02:04:24 pm

(Correction: "The Switch has sold only 78% of what the Wii U sold")

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Ant
18/4/2017 02:46:46 pm

Or written another way, there are more trolls on metacritic nowadays than there used to be; trying to use unverified metacritic user reviews as a criteria for anything is nonsensical.

Likewise, trying to extrapolate information from 2 launches is pointless when one came out in q1, the other in the Christmas lead-up, on top of switch being impossible to buy for many, is equally spurious.

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Tom E
18/4/2017 03:09:07 pm

I'm not sure you appreciate what "statistically significant" means. The size of the sample is over 1000 and considered mathematically to be sufficiently representative of the population taking into consideration the effect of outliers (i.e. 'trolls'). Furthermore, your suggestion also wouldn't explain the equally statistically significant data for Link Between Worlds; comparably recent and considerably higher rated than the two games it sits in between.

It is simply not possible to argue away the observed data with opinion. This data constitutes an observed fact; BoTW is statistically not liked as much across the global population by a substantial margin.

As for Switch sales data, it's still a fact. While it's true it's first month is out of a holiday season, but it's also true that the Wii U was sold out in that holiday period and sales figures therefore represent an underselling by the same token. Fact is, Switch did not sell as well globally as the system it replaced in its first month, for whatever reasons, despite an always increasing population of gamers. People can mull why. This is of course not to say how sales will evolve, but the first month is often a good indicator. Essentially, I'm just repeating myself now...

Dan Whitehead
18/4/2017 03:38:28 pm

"It is simply not possible to argue away the observed data with opinion. This data constitutes an observed fact; BoTW is statistically not liked as much across the global population by a substantial margin."

But your "observed data" is unreliable because there is no guarantee that it represents what you say it does. A sample of over 1000 verified, randomised data points would be significant. Over 1000 self-reporting unverified data points is too noisy to be significant. You say the data proves conclusively that 1/3 of players did not like Breath of the Wild. I'd say that it could just as easily prove that around 300 trolls used their free Metacritic account to tank the game's rating because of weird, petty system rivalry. Or that an even smaller number of trolls using multiple accounts did that instead. If the past few years have proven anything, it's that there are more than a few hundred idiot gamer trolls on the internet.

Now that doesn't mean that your reading is incorrect, but it's not the cut and dried certainty you seem to think. Not by a long shot.

T-Wigs
18/4/2017 02:56:11 pm

Sounds like Michael Pachter tribute act

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Tom E
18/4/2017 03:13:24 pm

Data is data not an act. This was an objective assessment of what's true, whether I or other people personally like it or not. What's more important is what's taken away from these facts, rather than how they might be rationalised away with a head under the sand.

Tom E
18/4/2017 04:00:14 pm

RE Dan Whitehead
Just to be clear, I didnt say 1/3 people didn't like BoTW, I said 1/3 people didn't rate it positively. Important distinction. Not positive means "mixed" and "negative" combined.

You can suggest anything you like about the data (e.g. 300 trolls), but the onus is on you to evidence that this is what happened--something you claimed was easy. Speculation is easy; it's another thing entirely to evidence. This is the best aggregate statistically significant data available; I welcome additional data if you'd like to present some. Unfortunately, it's not very convincing to rubbish available data through vague speculation and without any evidence whatsoever.

Nick
18/4/2017 11:41:14 pm

Dan is correct. 1000 self selecting reviewers from a non curated collection is not a "statistically significant" sample and anyone with even a undergraduate understanding of research methodology would realise so. Data is not an absolute the collection method and interrogation is key. The onus is on you to defend your data.

Tom E
19/4/2017 01:57:14 am

There are over 10,000 data samples on there for BoTW; 1000 is just a minimum threshold. I accept the data doesn’t strictly represent a true random sample because it's opt-in, and that you therefore couldn’t rely on it for confidence intervals in more detailed analysis. But this represents the best dataset available, and at worst, the closest approximation to that required for statistical significance. It remains a strong indicator of popular opinion. Confidence in its accuracy comes from several considerations:

• Fringe voting works at both ends and is accommodated by the broad binning through use of only two categories (also why the numerical user mean score of “75%” currently, isn't necessarily representative)
• There is no evidence that the dataset is grossly unrepresentative
• General popular opinion from the historical games is well reflected in the data

While not an ideal dataset, people simply cannot dismiss it outright. Unless people present evidence to the contrary or a better (truly random) dataset, this remains the best source of objectivity currently available.

E Tom
19/4/2017 08:27:28 am

'Data is data not an act. This was an objective assessment'

Opinion discarded

Tom E
19/4/2017 02:56:59 pm

Not sure what you mean.

It’s worth noting that rarely is a random sample truly random. Statistical methods can account for this. In this case, the massively broad binning of this non-random data into simply “positive” or “not positive” (based on 80/100 value associated with each data point), and the very large sample size, reduces uncertainty that it isn't representative of a wider population. It automatically accommodates for fringe voting, as a fringe vote is lumped with a moderate vote in the coarse bin and indistinguishable. What’s important to take away from this, is for these 10,000 people at the very least—and likely the wider population—BoTW is considered the least satisfying 3D Zelda game to date, and not rated positively only marginally more so than Skyward Sword. The traditional Zelda formula consistently shows in such a comparative analysis, across games new and old, to give the highest positive rating.

Random Reviewer
26/4/2017 03:37:26 am

There are things raw data, by itself, cannot show you. One of these is the intent of a person leaving a score on metacritic or a similar site. Console Fanbois will leave negative scores on a game they haven't played in order to spitefully tank the title's average score. In fact, they may create multiple accounts to do so. It is a practice that is widely recognised and has been observed and reported on many times.

Of course, we cannot say how many of those people there are in your 1000 sample, but the point is that neither can you. There is room for contention because there is a wrinkle in your data - it does not allow for the erratic behavior which tribal loyalty often produces. Those pointing this out to you are not burying their heads from the sand, but rather trying to pull yours out. And I say all this as someone who doesn't really have a strong draw to any single console manufacturer.

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Tom E
26/4/2017 08:39:34 pm

I agree. I am fairly confident the data is reasonably representative for all the reasons I've outlined above, even after consideration of the ways in which data contamination can creep in. It's a very telling indication whether we like it or not.

Random Reviewer
26/4/2017 10:08:56 pm

Tom E: Since I can't reply direct I'll just pop this here.

It isn't a case of disliking the data, more pointing out how it isn't as ironclad as you seem to think it is. Sure, one can top and tail the results to remove the most negative and positive results to try and negate the effect of both trolling and loyalty blinded fanbois. However, this doesn't account for the more subtle trolling and promotion.

Speaking frankly, I have never gone in for blind fandom and couldn't give a blind horse's cock about defending Nintendo or any other company just for the sake of emotional loyalty.I haven't played BoTW and have no stake in defending the game simply for the sake of it.

But the capital T truth is that sometimes, statistics are not definitive 'proof' unless you have some quality control in how they are collected. I'd wager that sites like metacritic fall short in that respect. Most humans are emotional creatures and there is a large subset of gamers that will skew any attempt at rational, statistical analysis based on user review scores. In fact, I would suggest you will find this applies to lots of other areas in life as well.

To speak your language, what you would term 'contamination' I would call a truth you do not have access to - people's individual biases. Negating this by removing the most outlandish scores is a good start, but it isn't enough on its own. You would have to find some way of building that into your model. Perhaps interviewing each subject and asking pertinent questions before asking them to give their rating.

Simply put, your data isn't as cut and dried as you seem to think, even allowing for the sensible precautions you have taken.

Tom E
28/4/2017 12:11:02 pm

You're welcome to do this formally, but you'll have a hard time defending your custom analysis for the very reasons the more dismissive have raised. The data is fairly solid for all the reasons I've outlined in detail above. What's also interesting I haven't mentioned is that the statistical distribution of BoTW is actually very similar for both separate Wii U and Switch datasets. This again supports its accuracy and representativeness; it would be very difficult and motiveless for any one individual to influence an entire dataset to produce this fine-scale patterning in the result that very few people would even notice. There's no way anyone objective wouldn't look at the data and conclude it was considerably more likely than not that it was representative, despite the lack of quality control over the data accretion process. Same conclusion as before: BOTW is the least-liked major 3D zelda game they've made--and only slightly less liked than Skyward Sword.

Paul
18/4/2017 03:09:51 pm

One thing I have noticed about consoles is that it can take two years for it to find its feet (though the current generation seems to be struggling more than the previous). I certainly remember the initial games for the PS2 feeling like updated PS1 games. Similar with the 3 and 4. The Switch may well be having similar problems. A fork in the road, as it were. Thing is, we're still currently at the fork - we probably need to wait a couple of years to see how far from that we've got.

The Switch has some exciting potential. I hope that's realised.

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Tom E
18/4/2017 03:22:39 pm

For interest, I plotted sales data (freely available for reproduction purposes) for the Wii and Wii U and after 24 months, the rate of sales of both was actually in relative decline. The sales rate of a console is strongest initially and trends to a plateau—hence why first month sales are such an indicator of future sales potential forecasting. When the sales gradient reaches a particular value, it appears the end of life call is made and talks of a new console bubble up. Data is an interesting thing. The games library of a console may very well mature after a couple of years, but rate of sales doesn't.

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Spiney O'Sullivan
18/4/2017 03:25:56 pm

If you've put this data analysis on a blog or forum, I'd be interested to see it.

Tom E
18/4/2017 03:47:22 pm

I've uploaded some Excel spreadsheets to wikisend:

* Zelda game data (originally from user metacritic data as of a few days ago):
[URL=http://wikisend.com/download/304690/ZeldaStatsData.xlsx]ZeldaStatsData.xlsx[/URL]

http://wikisend.com/download/304690/ZeldaStatsData.xlsx

* Wii/Wii U console sales (can get from Wikipedia):

[URL=http://wikisend.com/download/162670/NintendoConsoleSalesFigures.xlsx]NintendoConsoleSalesFigures.xlsx[/URL]

http://wikisend.com/download/162670/NintendoConsoleSalesFigures.xlsx

Tom E
29/4/2017 12:23:25 pm

Unfortunately, we're still seeing some very questionable half-truths being reported in the (mostly US) media with the recent release of Switch sales figures. Headlines revolving around the new 2.74m sales figures are typically reading as: "Switch has sold more than Wii U did in it's entire first year". Alas, this is a cherry-picked sub-set of the total data available. This data is for the US only, and the world is a far bigger place than any one country. The reality is that 2.74m Switch sales represents only about 84% of the total Wii U sales by this time in its life. That's pretty shocking given that the Switch was intended to 'fix' what was 'wrong' with the Wii U, particularly from a sales and shareholder's wallet perspective. That's not to say anything about future sales rates, but this figure as the most accurate fact isn't being reported anywhere. Why? It clearly illustrates that, so far, the world doesn't like the Switch as much as the Wii U in an as apples-to-apples comparison as you can get. There is some very questionable reporting occurring; half-truths and incomplete picture presenting are hallmarks of abuse of voice and ulterior motives. Look out for them, and don't let an one country make you think they're representative of the world, no matter how big they are.

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Spiney O'Sullivan
18/4/2017 03:15:35 pm

One positive thing I would note is that while Rime isn't Switch-exclusive, it does look great. Really gorgeous visual style.

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DEAN
18/4/2017 10:55:43 pm

Big time - I can't wait to get me some of that!

But yeah, the Switch... we sold ours and are going to look again around Christmas... maybe even then still leave it a while.

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Ken Wesley
18/4/2017 06:49:32 pm

Splatoon 2 isn't just a the first game with the DLC stuffed in it. The testfire showed that this is a brand new game with more than just a spit shine of graphics. And for the DLC that was added to Splatoon, which was slowly added at no extra charge, whatever new stuff that comes to Splatoon 2 aint coming to the first one.

Compared to the Wii U's lifespan in that first year, the Switch has a way more robust software lineup and that's before E3. Plus, the whole 'show all your cards' method is a bit of a bum one, considering how games can and have been canceled. Hi, ScaleBound!

I'm okay with Street Fighter 2 because I'm primarily a Nintendo console owner who has not bought a Street Fighter game because of that reason.

Also, some friends who are Switch owners are not necessarily Wii U owners, so they're probably not rushing out to get an older console (which hasn't received a price cut) to save a few bucks on a older game. Some potential MK8 Deluxe owners may not have played MK8 or probably an Mario Kart in sometime.

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Alastair
18/4/2017 09:12:53 pm

I'm halfway glad, I've both Zeldas, Kirby and one and a half Metroids to finish on the Wii before I buy a Switch.

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AK Bell
19/4/2017 08:02:20 am

I think long term the switch will be fine, and long term will be when I get around to buying one.

It's the new Vita. But it'll sell 3DS numbers. It's going to keep selling and selling when Pokemon and monster hunter come out, but I think it's going to be backed up by everything niche coming out for it. Quietly, Vita was a lovely bit of equipment with plenty of interesting stuff on it. So now, If you want to play a JRPG, you'll need a switch. Indie games on the go, switch. I don't think it'll have the same issue with Wii or Wii U getting lesser versions of franchises ...It'll have that noise at the start, but it'll quickly be ignored by FIFA and the like, and the good will start sneaking in.

That said, the biggest worry will be Nintendo selling stuff in their eshop and promotion. Being a modern, online thing ...they're not very good at it.

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Benko
19/4/2017 08:19:20 am

It's the Wii/ WiiU 2 until proven otherwise

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