Switch 2

All posts tagged Switch 2

When Does A Game Cost Too Much.

Posted by Karl Weller on June 5, 2025
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The cost of new games has always been a contentious obstacle for most in the community. What is the maximum you are prepared to pay for new content? £50? £70? £100? Everyone’s tolerance is bound to be different and though there are numerous variables that go into a decision like this other than price, I believe that £70 may well exceed my limit for acceptability. There are few, if any game series that can command such extravagant price hikes. Something like GTA could price significantly higher than most other AAA titles. But if it does exceed the current pricing range of other conventional titles, that could shift others into doing the same. Where does this end? When does a game become widely accepted as too expensive? Also another persistent issue is the size of the games.

Take the newly released Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remake. At a cost of £50, which I personally believe is about £10 more than I’m willing to pay, the download capacity is over 120gb! Now my PS5, bolstered by an external 2tb hard drive, is struggling to compile a back catalogue of titles that is hardly extensive. Now I can manage this collection a little more efficiently, maneuvering save files or deleting games entirely would free up more space for such a sizable download. But even if I were comfortable with the price (which I’m not), or made a concerted effort to organize my save space (which I should do really), with my Internet connection, presumably powered by an old oil fuelled dickensian router, would require a full lunar sequence to download!

They these may seem like trivial and wholly personal issues that aren’t necessarily applicable to you. But that’s because our lines in the sand are in very different places. And it’s not one I’m prepared to cross. Yet, I say all of this having pre-ordered a Switch 2.

So…I Pre-ordered A Switch 2.

Posted by Karl Weller on April 17, 2025
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Considering my previous post, whereby I lambasted Nintendo’s direction for the next iteration of the Switch. I feel something of a hypocrite when I say that I’ve pre-ordered this misbegotten console. My shift from modest skepticism to “must have day 1” wasn’t one of sudden reassurance by Nintendo or even my typical proclivity for impulse, but rather an investment. Right now as it stands, I have the funds to purchase the Switch 2, having set aside a tidy little reserve for a console I was confident wouldn’t and couldn’t disappoint. Though my reservations about the console are still relevant, with the sharp price increase of first party games being a particular blotch, one that I believe will have reverberating circumstances for the entire industry, I’m still optimistic about the purchase.

It’s understandable that many would view my patronage to a conglomerate like Nintendo as a betrayal. A corporate shill who cares little for the rising gatekeeping from the rich that prosper from the objections of the poor. But really it’s just a selfish endeavor, one motivated by the potential investment of owning a console that at some point will release with titles I can play with my daughter. “Mario Kart” is huge in our household, being the only game that even my partner will happily participate in. There is bound to be a new “Animal Crossing” game in the near future too, another title that both myself and daughter are massive proponents of. And the thing is, my daughter is getting older, and already regarding me as “cringe”, so it won’t be much longer until she wants nothing to do with me. At least with the Switch 2, we can still have somewhat of a connection. Even if it means she humiliates me in “Shine Thief”.

Could The Switch 2 Fail?…No, Probably Not.

Posted by Karl Weller on April 10, 2025
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So the Switch 2. A console that I lauded as being the easiest win Nintendo could ever have. With the potential to be impervious to criticism. All Nintendo needed to do was summarize the hardware, demonstrate it’s capabilities as a true successor to a resoundingly successful console. Display all of their upcoming first party software that demonstrates the consoles superior graphics, and provide joy cons that are drift resistant. Announce a fair price, release date, and a slew of games to accompany the release and let the community salivate over another impending launch. A very simple remit, I’m sure you’ll agree. But one blatantly ignored by everyone at Nintendo. What’s curious is that on the surface it seemed rather positive. The Switch “Deux” does exactly what you’d expect a Switch successor to do. Bigger and better in every conceivable way. Like I said, Nintendo didn’t really have to do much. There was simply no reason to innovate, just tweak. Perhaps that’s a problem. Maybe it’s too safe. But considering the failure of the Wii U, you can hardly blame Nintendo for being cautious. What is more telling is their rather dooplitious business strategy.

The price of the Switch 2 doesn’t surprise me. It’s expensive, sure. But honestly roughly the same price point that many predicted, given inflation. What floored me was the cost of the games. “Mario Kart World”, the sole reason anyone would purchase a Switch 2 on day of release, is shaping up to cost around £75! That is a significant increase that could potentially have devastating consequences not just for this new console, but for the industry as a whole. This increase could prompt other developers to initiate their own price hikes. But it’s not just the cost, but Nintendo’s propagation of digital media too. Though there are still physical games available, the cartridges won’t always contain the game, but rather a key to download the game. This is a practice I’d expect from the likes of Sony or Microsoft at the height of their powers. Not Nintendo.

Though the dissent and consternation from the community is palpable, the Switch 2 is simply too big to fail. There will be enough loyal adopters that will relish the exclusivity of owning the next big Nintendo console to justify the inflated cost of these products. But it’s how casual gamers respond to the new price hikes that will determine the Switch 2’s longevity. This is certainly a black eye for Nintendo, whatever happens.

What do you think about the Switch 2? Do you think the Switch 2 could fail? Let me know in the comments below. Cheers.

Could The Switch 2 Fail?

Posted by Karl Weller on January 15, 2025
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As the gaming industry braces for the imminent announcement of the Switch successor, the tentatively titled Switch 2. Nintendo fans continue to speculate on the specifications of the hybrid console, with some commentators determining that the rumoured power of the console achieving the equivalent of a PS4, as being a detriment to the console’s success. Now anyone suggesting that power and graphical superiority equates to success, retains little knowledge of Nintendo’s values and storied history. As a perennial Nintendo gamer since I was old enough to recollect such things, as well as a firm advocate for their strategy in focusing on software as opposed to hardware, I can only foresee the Switch 2 as being an overwhelmingly successful machine. One that may dictate the future of console gaming.

Of course much of this success will hinder on a number of variables. With the sales disappointment of the “Wii U” still a lingering concern for any potential hardware release, Nintendo will be keen to avoid a similar disaster that afflicted them after the monumental success of the “Wii”. So to begin with calling it the Switch 2 will avoid any potential confusion that inhibits the Wii U’s success. Affordability is always an incentive, particularly for those with families that may feel an upgrade isn’t a necessity. So it’s important that Nintendo compliments its new hardware with desirable software that will entice consumers to upgrade. Thankfully this is traditionally where Nintendo has been very astute. The Switch launched with the humble little title called “Zelda: Breath Of The Wild”, accompanied by the likes of “Mario Kart 8 Deluxe”, “Arms” and “Splatoon 2” soon after. And if rumors are to be believed, the Switch 2 could be looking to launch with an even more impressive catalogue. Though it will probably just be a new Mario Kart.

With all that being said, the innovation in graphics isn’t the impressive leap that it once was. I’d go so far as to say that graphics have plateaued over the decades. Everyone of age remembers the distinct graphical superiority when consoles went from 2-d to 3-d. The same could be said between the PS1 to the PS2. Those were true generational leaps. That simply isn’t the case now, or perhaps just not that important. And really, how much more polish do games like Mario and Animal Crossing really need? These kind of games would lose a certain sense of identity if they were graphically motivated or framerate focused. Not to mention expensive and time consuming to develop. Ultimately what will drive the Switch 2 ‘s success will be what has made Nintendo the industry stalwarts they are; games. And with new content in development, coupled with supposed backwards compatibility and a back catalogue that Nintendo is proud to utilize, there may be more than a few looking to upgrade, myself included.