So, Nintendo finally announced their new console, the Switch and we are all pretty excited. We now know we’re getting a portable handheld console with detachable controllers and the whole thing can be connected to the TV.
The Switch will outsell the Wii U by a factor of 3 to 1, firstly because of the trailer. The trailer tells us exactly what the console is and how it is used, without saying a word. Compare this with the Wii U trailer and it told us via on-screen text what we could do. The Switch is pretty much the Wii U in reverse.
With games from the whole spectrum of gaming, from Mario and Zelda, to Just Dance, there are games from the outset; they are in development, and the Switch is supported from most of the the big name studios. This brings confidence to a potential purchaser, knowing games will be fully supported and not just given up on, as per the Wii U. Another success for the Switch is the use of the Unreal Engine 4, although it is never a guarantee of a studio making their games for the Switch, it certainly makes their life easier to do so with UE4.
The Switch is being released at the right time and perfect for casual and core gamers alike, which the Wii U failed on both counts. Ultimately, the marketing from the Switch makes it clear what the product is, through the images of the product ‘switching’ between how the product is to be used. Was the Wii U a Wii upgrade, or a successor? It was marketed poorly with no decent branding, which affected sales.
The unknown element here is the price of the console, with is still to be confirmed. Despite not knowing how much the Switch will cost, I do think that it will sell much, much better than the Wii U with its wide array of supported games and superior marketing.
