{"id":19341,"date":"2017-01-13T12:39:15","date_gmt":"2017-01-13T12:39:15","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.biphoo.com\/bipnews\/?p=19341"},"modified":"2017-01-13T12:49:06","modified_gmt":"2017-01-13T12:49:06","slug":"five-telling-things-we-learned-about-the-nintendo-switch","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.biphoo.com\/bipnews\/technology\/five-telling-things-we-learned-about-the-nintendo-switch.html","title":{"rendered":"Five telling things we learned about the Nintendo Switch"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Five telling things we learned about the Nintendo Switch<\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n

Five telling things we learned about the Nintendo Switch:-<\/strong> Nintendo has finally raised the curtain on the Nintendo Switch, its first console since 2012, and set out an ambitious vision for how home and mobile gaming could blend in the future.<\/span><\/p>\n

These are the basics: The console will be $300, about $50 pricier than expected, and comes with two motion-sensitive controllers and a detachable 6.2-inch touch screen. It will go on sale March 3 and has a battery life that ranges from 2.5 hours to 6.5 hours depending on the game.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Switch operates on WiFi. Nintendo didn\u2019t announce cellular connectivity \u2014 so no promises of multiplayer on the subway yet. If online, users can play together in the same room, or in online multiplayer matches \u2014 but online services will not be free. Nintendo will provide a free trial of its online services until the fall of 2017.<\/span><\/p>\n

Also, there was no mention of multimedia services, such as Netflix or Hulu, coming to the Switch, so this may really be a gaming-focused tablet. We shall see.<\/span><\/p>\n

Those are the basics. But I\u2019ve also compiled a list of things that I found most intriguing about the Switch right off the bat.<\/span><\/p>\n

It steals the best features from past consoles. Nintendo has a reputation for picking over its own bones, but it has smartly stolen from itself in this case. Ahead of the announcement, there was a lot of speculation over whether the new console would have motion gaming like Nintendo\u2019s Wii. It does, as well as a souped-up version of haptic feedback (a.k.a., the buzzing in a controller or \u201crumble pack\u201d), which gives you a sense of speed, distance and force as you move your hands. Nintendo has also retained the touch screen from its failed Wii U, which was one of that console\u2019s best features.<\/span><\/p>\n

It wants you to play in big groups. The whole idea of the Switch is that it\u2019s portable, and there\u2019s definitely a push from Nintendo to take it with you to parties for after-dinner (or after-drinks) play, as you might a board game or a deck of cards. When the Wii came out, playing with it became a common activity for family and friends hanging out together. Nintendo seems to want to capture that same energy of same-room multiplayer \u2014 something I think the gaming world has been slowly losing with an increased focus on online multiplayer.<\/span><\/p>\n

Players can join up to eight Switch consoles together on a local network, meaning that Nintendo is definitely encouraging big groups to play together. There are some caveats: extra controllers are a whopping $80 per pair or $50 individually, which is quite steep. And maybe you can\u2019t do gaming picnics in the park since the Switch requires WiFi connection.<\/span><\/p>\n

The group-gaming aspect seems to solidify that Nintendo\u2019s competitors in this space are not only Sony and Microsoft but also Apple and Google, which have been trying to make group gaming with smartphones a thing through their television accessories. That leaves Nintendo sort of straddling two worlds. If it follows through on the Switch\u2019s promise and applies its gaming chops, it could win both markets.<\/span><\/p>\n

But Nintendo doesn\u2019t want you look at it all the time. There was a lot of talk during the presentation about being able to look into the eyes of your opponents, rather than solely at the screen. The two games that Nintendo highlighted while introducing the controllers are both multiplayer games that are meant to be played in a room with another opponent, facing that opponent. The \u201c1,2, Switch\u201d title, which was made just for this console, has you playing Ping-Pong and facing off in gun battles, for instance.<\/span><\/p>\n

That could sound like a small thing, but it’s essentially the opposite of what we\u2019re seeing happen in almost every other type of gaming. Virtual reality almost always isolates you from anyone else in the room with you. Ditto for games that don\u2019t allow a split-screen, local multiplayer experience. But Nintendo\u2019s trying to put the social back in gaming \u2014 and not just through tweets and posts.<\/span><\/p>\n

It seems to be aimed at adults, not kids: Games just aren\u2019t a kids\u2019 thing anymore \u2014 at least not solely. The average gamer in the U.S. is 35 years old and has been playing for 13 years. Judging from Nintendo\u2019s promotional images and even the types of games on offer, this is not really a kiddie console \u2014 they\u2019re going after young professionals.<\/span><\/p>\n

Of course, it is very early in the Switch\u2019s life as a product; we may see tons of kids games announced later today as Nintendo offers media the chance to play with it. But in the presentation, there was a definite focus on games that appeal to older players. \u201cSkyrim\u201d was one of the big rumored launch titles \u2014 now confirmed \u2014 and it\u2019s rated \u201cM\u201d for Mature.<\/span><\/p>\n

That\u2019s not to suggest Nintendo could be abandoning its family-friendly image \u2014 there were far too many cartoon characters on show for that \u2014 but it is a subtle shift in messaging that could help it shake the image of being a company that\u2019s not appealing to \u201chardcore\u201d gamers.<\/span><\/p>\n

Nintendo is making an effort to show it\u2019s learned from its mistakes. In addition to the slightly older messaging, Nintendo also spent a good chunk of its presentation talking about third-party developers and partnerships \u2014 that\u2019s a shift from past generations and an apparently sincere attempt to answer criticism that Nintendo relies too heavily on its own games and characters for its appeal.<\/span><\/p>\n

Nintendo said it\u2019s working with third-party developers on 80 games. And those names don\u2019t only include the usual, largely Japanese, firms such as Square Enix.<\/span><\/p>\n

Electronic Arts made an appearance on the presentation stage saying a Switch version of \u201cFIFA,\u201d its most popular game, is on its way. \u201cSkyrim\u201d is made by Maryland\u2019s own Bethesda Softworks. Both companies in the past often developed games first for the PlayStation, Xbox and PC markets rather than Nintendo. That sort of attitude from big publishers essentially pushed gamers to look at the Wii U as a second console rather than primary one. If Nintendo can keep up its partnerships and follow through, that would be good for its players and the company.<\/span><\/p>\n

Source:-\u00a0https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/news\/the-switch\/wp\/2017\/01\/13\/five-telling-things-we-learned-about-the-nintendo-switch\/?utm_term=.bd4280b2c3d9<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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