Nintendo’s Switch 2 reveal felt like a lightning bolt delivered straight from Zeus himself for everyone except, well, most people. In fact, since the console – which fans have spent years clamoring for – looks so much like its predecessor, some analysts predict it’ll have trouble appealing to a general audience.
“I can imagine ‘normies’ being a bit confused,” gaming industry consultant Serkan Toto tells GamesRadar+. “The device is bigger than the original Switch, but not comically large. The form factor, button layout, and overall design are very similar to Switch 1, so I can imagine issues arising when potential mainstream buyers look at the new device.”
I think people are familiar with numbers
Unlike Microsoft’s Xbox division
What’s there not to understand? It’s a better version of the first one. Isn’t this what console makers have been doing since the beginning of time? Wii U was weird with the screen on the controller and everything. None of that with Switch 2. Just more of what made it good in the first place.
If the graphics are a good enough upgrade I might pick one up. My current switch only gets used when a new Zelda game comes out (or I get nostalgic for some bowling)
The Wii had so many peripherals and used naming like “Wii blah” so often, that WiiU was viewed as an attachment and not a new console. The name Switch 2 is very clear. I don’t think it’s comparable at all.
Also, the Wii was a fad. Nintendo and others wildly overestimated how many people would come back and buy another console after buying a Wii. Turns out most of them were rotting in closets. The Wii U could have improved on the Wii in every possible way and it wouldn’t have done well.
This isn’t the case for the Switch. I don’t think the Switch 2 will do Switch numbers, those were very artificially boosted by the pandemic & the novelty of the form factor. However, I doubt Nintendo will have any trouble moving units.
This was written by someone with a raging Nintendo hate-boner. I’m certain because I have my own Nintendo hate-boner and even I’m not that deluded.
It’s like the switch, but 2. I just don’t understand it. /S
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The only thing I don’t actually understand are what appear to be the exact same sticks as my drifty joycons, and the $70+ price tags on Nintendo games. If Nintendo can aggressively slash game prices on sale and fix their hardware issues, I might buy it.
They are reportedly using hall effect sticks this time which cannot develop drift.
That’s a welcome development!
If this was true the PlayStation 2, 3, 4 and 5 would have all failed.
If parents weren’t confused by
Xbox Xbox 360 Xbox One Xbox Series S/X
Then the number 2 should be just fine.
I mean, they were. I have personally heard from people that couldn’t be bothered to understand the Xbox SKUs for the possibility of buying one because of how horribly Microsoft names things.
The Apple IIe would never have caught on. Of course we all still use Windows 3.1 and do spreadsheets on Lotus 1-2-3 as we dont understand software generations either. /s
They did all look very different from their predecessors though, especially the ps1 to ps2 jump was quite significant in terms of design.
Dunno, to my parents all consoles did look like cardboard boxes in the shop. What did clue them in, however, was the big number written behind the name.
They’re all Nintendos anyway, what’s the difference?
Yeah that’s totally fair.
When you see articles with “analysts say…” these days, it’s often just a wordy rewrite of some guy’s twitter post. Gotta be careful
Some analysts are morons. The reason the Wii U failed was because it wasn’t clear that it was a successor console, and not just a weird add-on.
People have been conditioned to understand numerical console increases for over two decades now thanks to the PlayStation.
Edit: As an aside, are there any console manufacturers besides Sony who have had sequential model numbers consistently? I’ve been mulling this under the last couple of hours and nothing comes to mind!
The reason the Wii U failed wasn’t because of its name. Sure, it didn’t help the slightest but Nintendo’s console iterations have struggled in the past because they hardly bring anything new. The Wii U brought literally just a gamepad (and stronger hardware, though marketing focused on the gamepad). Why pay so much for an incremental upgrade? The same fate nearly occured to the 3DS:
The Nintendo 3DS was released in Japan on February 26, 2011, and worldwide beginning the next month.[10][11] Less than six months after launch, Nintendo announced a significant price reduction from US$249.99 to US$169.99 amid disappointing launch sales.
After all, why pay money just for a 3D effect? Without continued support and selling at a loss, the 3DS would have bombed.
By the way, the Xbox One - despite its similary stupid name - never faced the same issues as the Wii U because people actually wanted it.
I can verify that. I am a video game fan, though don’t always follow everything that closely. I remember seeing Wii U for sale and not really understanding what it was. It seemed like just a Wii with a weird controller.
I had a coworker who was convinced that the whole thing was a scam. That it was just an upgraded Wii with a weird controller. So he went out and got a secondhand Wii U console. Just the console. Gave it to his kids for Xmas. Got mad when it didn’t work. Eventually got a gamepad (and maybe the power brick? I don’t remember if it’s cross compatible) and ended up spending more than buying it new.
I’m pretty sure even he can follow Switch -> Switch 2.
I find myself feeling bad for a lot of people’s kids and the ones in this story are no exception.
I can see people buying used without a dock and getting mad the old one won’t work. But then there’s usb-c so you can at least charge I for handheld;)
If gamers can navigate Xbox -> Xbox 360 -> Xbox One -> Xbox X -> Xbox S, I think they can figure out Switch 2.
Heh, glad you mentioned Xbox - they’re a perfect example of consistent inconsistency! 🤣
Even if they don’t buy consoles, it’s how most thing works, phones are an obvious example. iPhone 14 comes after iPhone 13, but iPhone 14 Pro and iPhone 14 Pro Max are just versions of 14.
Windows 7 8 9(lol) 10 11
Mac OS 7 8 9 X 11 12 13 14 15
People have been conditioned to understand numerical console increases for over two decades now thanks to the PlayStation.
And they even managed to do it while Microsoft counted to potato.
Also the touch component and motion controls were something of a turnoff for adults who bought previous generations.
I find these articles pretty funny and out of touch with every human being I know. I saw the media shit on the Switch 2, but it was exactly what I expected so I asked all my friends with a switch how they felt. Every single one plans on buying the new one at or near release. Many will be buying two so they can play with spouses or their kids. The tally for purchases in my small middle-aged friend group alone is over 50. Nintendo releases too many amazing exclusive games for us to ignore. I know I can turn to emulation, but I prefer to do that for older games that already made their profit so I can support the devs that make me happy.
Of all the things you can say about the Switch 2’s name, ‘confusing’ isn’t one of them.
Calling people “normies” as if Nintendo products and video games in general aren’t mass market items.
Ick.
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If “normies” are able to buy a Playstation 5 after having bought a PS4, 3, 2 and 1, Then I think Nintendo is going to be just fine.
I think Gen X parents and younger are familiar with how the newest edition of a computer is “better” than previous ones. I dont see this being an issue.
It also wasn’t an issue with the GB and DS lines, and the Switch notoriously follows the handheld pattern quite closely, so I don’t think this will be an issue.
