Apple's Domination of Component Supply Chain Said to Be Constraining Nintendo Switch Production

[Pilgrim1099]

I was able to get 2 switches without pre order, so I feel pretty good about myself. Until there are more games than Zelda and Mario kart ports I don't see why everyone wants one right now. Bring on the 720p ports of AAA titles and then you will see the switch market blow up. How many months will it take nintendo to release a freaking virtual console? Jeez Nintendo, here is my money, why don't you want it?
[doublepost=1496175609][/doublepost]
FYI, most modern triple a games run low res versions on 360 and PS3. The tegra chipset has more power than those machines so power is not a problem unless you are targeting 60fps at 1080p. There is literally no reason we can't have all AAA games running on switch with a lower resolution.

Anyone who tells you otherwise has no clue about "power".

Remember gta 5 runs fine on last gen hardware.
It's up to the developers to port and release these games on the switch.

If Nintendo releases a stupid iOS app for party chat and lobby setup, the switch is done.
[doublepost=1496176211][/doublepost]
the pro controller is hands down the best gaming controller I've ever used!!!

Regarding the virtual console, I think they will. It seems smart for them to start with the basics first and then build it out upon demand and growth. It wouldn't surprise me if and when they do put the virtual console online by the end of the year or so. I had a SNES years ago and loved it and then had GameCube. Traded that in for the Wii and enjoyed it. Skipped the Wii U, though.

But it's the Switch that I want badly and have had great difficulty finding one. I personally think it's one of Nintendo's best consoles since the SNES. Seriously. It's like the SNES all over again with an 'old school' meets 'new' approach.

The SNES retro console, however, is something I'm eyeing very, very closely so I can snap it up for pre-ordering and I know they're working on it.

Here's the sick thing. The iPad Pro has 256 GB of storage and costs nearly $1,100 dollars. Yet, the Switch is $299 and can expand storage of up to 2 TB, to my understanding. If this is the case, there is something very wrong with how Apple is approaching things. For a $299 tablet console that can expand up to 2 terabytes is impressive. Of course, it will cost more money to buy an extra memory card of up to 1 or 2 TB. But still, for a base price of $299 just to have an expandable console while iPad can't. That's very telling on how Apple like to rip and gyp our pockets with their unibody designs for all products, crippling our ability to use storage cards.

Nintendo got it right.
[doublepost=1496194550][/doublepost]

The iphone a more powerful device than the switch. Nintendo needs to focus on games for the app store and android

Keep smoking the Apple crack. Don't make me laugh. Can your iPhone go up to 2 TB of storage? NO. I've seen Zelda on the Switch and there is NO way in hell the iPad can do it. Do you have any idea how huge that game is in size? The iPad would choke.

The Switch, however, can. For $299, you can get a tablet console. No, a TRUE gaming console that can expand storage memory up to that much and using compressed cartridges that can play games that are around 10 to 40 GB ( maybe more ) without ever having to DOWN. LOAD. FOR. EVER. FROM. APPLE. STORE.

Especially if the games on the App store are over 2 GB, it will be a long wait while with cartridge, it's instantaneous. I'd rather have physical media over 'cloud vapor apps'.

 

[WRChris]

Regarding the virtual console, I think they will. It seems smart for them to start with the basics first and then build it out upon demand and growth. It wouldn't surprise me if and when they do put the virtual console online by the end of the year or so. I had a SNES years ago and loved it and then had GameCube. Traded that in for the Wii and enjoyed it. Skipped the Wii U, though.

But it's the Switch that I want badly and have had great difficulty finding one. I personally think it's one of Nintendo's best consoles since the SNES. Seriously. It's like the SNES all over again with an 'old school' meets 'new' approach.

The SNES retro console, however, is something I'm eyeing very, very closely so I can snap it up for pre-ordering and I know they're working on it.

Here's the sick thing. The iPad Pro has 256 GB of storage and costs nearly $1,100 dollars. Yet, the Switch is $299 and can expand storage of up to 2 TB, to my understanding. If this is the case, there is something very wrong with how Apple is approaching things. For a $299 tablet console that can expand up to 2 terabytes is impressive. Of course, it will cost more money to buy an extra memory card of up to 1 or 2 TB. But still, for a base price of $299 just to have an expandable console while iPad can't. That's very telling on how Apple like to rip and gyp our pockets with their unibody designs for all products, crippling our ability to use storage cards.

Nintendo got it right.
[doublepost=1496194550][/doublepost]

Keep smoking the Apple crack. Don't make me laugh. Can your iPhone go up to 2 TB of storage? NO. I've seen Zelda on the Switch and there is NO way in hell the iPad can do it. Do you have any idea how huge that game is in size? The iPad would choke.

The Switch, however, can. For $299, you can get a tablet console. No, a TRUE gaming console that can expand storage memory up to that much and using compressed cartridges that can play games that are around 10 to 40 GB ( maybe more ) without ever having to DOWN. LOAD. FOR. EVER. FROM. APPLE. STORE.

Especially if the games on the App store are over 2 GB, it will be a long wait while with cartridge, it's instantaneous. I'd rather have physical media over 'cloud vapor apps'.

I bought a 200gb card and it was right at 80 US dollars. Obviously there will be a virtual console but what's the holdup right now? The switch runs pretty much the exact same OS as the Wii U and there's a virtual console for that. And SD card storage is not instantaneous, there are fairly significant load times in Mario kart and even more in Zelda. If you were talking about download time vs just popping in the game of course one way is faster, lol. I have NBA playgrounds, ultra street fighter 2 and MK8D all purchased from the eshop. The games are not that big and for me it's easier to download the game and be able to play any rather than swap cartridges. I did buy the Zelda physical copy.

The console itself is great from a hardware perspective. The software on the other hand feels rushed and incomplete. I can't pre pay or pre download games before they come out. There is no internet browser, no apps, no chat. And still friend codes? Wtf?

There is tremendous potential with the switch but I'm not so sure Nintendo will do the right things when it comes to software. Man that pro controller is incredible!
[doublepost=1496196019][/doublepost]

The iphone a more powerful device than the switch. Nintendo needs to focus on games for the app store and android

You are sorely mistaken on which device is more powerful. The iPhone focuses more on efficiency and not so much gaming capabilities.

 

[KAZphoto]

How much is supply constraint, and how much of it is douche bags buying them up and trying to resell them for profit?

Same goes for the nes classic and amiibo.

I was thinking the same thing. Probably also Apple's fault the Classic was in short supply.

 

[TomaxXamot]

Apple shipped the Air Pods separate from the latest iPhone. I think Nintendo could have gotten away with the same thing. Give you the bare minimum in the box, with a magical, but optional, add on sold separately.

Possibly, but they couldn't take the risk. Nintendo needed to make the Switch a hit after the failure of the Wii U. Sure they could last for years with their cash in the bank, but they needed a hit flagship product for a number of reasons and not including a dock would have been a risk. There have already been complaints of the pricing of the non-included add ons. Couple that with the lack of available stock on some of the add-ons and consumers would have been pissed if the dock wasn't included and was sold out everywhere for months and months. Also, without the grip it would have undermined the portable/home console hybrid concept.

 

[macfacts]

The iphone a more powerful device than the switch. Nintendo needs to focus on games for the app store and android

Never going to happen. Nintendo doesn't want to give up 30%

 

[Pilgrim1099]

I bought a 200gb card and it was right at 80 US dollars. Obviously there will be a virtual console but what's the holdup right now? The switch runs pretty much the exact same OS as the Wii U and there's a virtual console for that. And SD card storage is not instantaneous, there are fairly significant load times in Mario kart and even more in Zelda. If you were talking about download time vs just popping in the game of course one way is faster, lol. I have NBA playgrounds, ultra street fighter 2 and MK8D all purchased from the eshop. The games are not that big and for me it's easier to download the game and be able to play any rather than swap cartridges. I did buy the Zelda physical copy.

The console itself is great from a hardware perspective. The software on the other hand feels rushed and incomplete. I can't pre pay or pre download games before they come out. There is no internet browser, no apps, no chat. And still friend codes? Wtf?

There is tremendous potential with the switch but I'm not so sure Nintendo will do the right things when it comes to software. Man that pro controller is incredible!

As for the Switch OS being the same as the Wii. Are you certain? My understanding is that it was built from the ground up with a new UX. I haven't seen the Mario Kart game in person except for Zelda which surprised me. It's an impressive game, I'll tell you that. And yes, I did notice some loading times in between sequences or stages but not as long as you would with a CD or Blu Ray. I still think the cartridge or flash storage is far more stable/reliable. I'm old school so I remember the early gaming days of the Genesis and SNES ( still have the Genesis here with me in great condition ).

I use DSL at home ( cheaper that way while cable internet is monopolized by Comcast here and is too costly. I've had Comcast in the past and hate them ) and it takes a while to download about 1GB, probably an hour or so. Any bigger that goes from 2GB or higher will take more than 2 hours.

Hardware wise, it was impressive in person. Loved everything about it. They didn't add in the internet browser because they wanted, I believe, to focus on the games first until they can expand out to more features. One thing I liked was how Nintendo is now allowing imports for the new console and that regional locks are out of the window.

If I were to download the games, I'd rather have at least 300-500 GB on storage card. I know it can go up to 2 TB but it would only make sense if the user plans to build a huge archive of games without physical copies. I can see that reasoning.

I'm waiting for the Switch library of games to increase to give me more solid reason to buy the console but I've a feeling I may want to grab one soon before the end of summer. That Disgaea RPG looks beautiful along with the new Street Fighter which I would not mind buying either. But I know there is a new Castlevania 'spiritual' successor in the works by Koji, who left Konami, to bring his game to the Switch. If it's as good as Symphony of the Night on Playstation, then I'm getting it. I've high expectations as Castlevania is a work of art.

This is one reason why I think Apple is going to have a very hard time standing out to compete in the games industry. After all, Microsoft and Sony are not standing still. Especially with Nintendo Switch which, I suspect, will become a monster in 2018.

 

[ArtOfWarfare]

To increase momentum, rumor is that Nintendo is going to sell a core unit without the dock for around $200 - I myself don't use the dock.

How much does it cost Nintendo to make the joycons + core unit? I'd imagine it's not much less than $200...

 

[trainwrecka]

I only have Zelda, Mario Kart, and Snipperclips, so maybe one of the other titles requires them, but the straps aren't necessary for any of those games. It's certainly more comfortable holding the controllers with the straps, but I wouldn't say they're needed.

Snipperclips is so much better with the straps - especially for my kiddos. The mini-games that require them in 1-2 Switch make another case for having them in the box. ARMS doesn't need them, but the controller feels better in the hand with them on.

If you have kiddos, consider grabbing 1-2 Switch. We've had some hilarious moments with that oddball game.

Playing on an external screen is nice, but not necessary. I actually played Zelda in handhold mode for the first week after getting the system. Didn't bother dealing with the rats nest and hooking up the dock until later.

Me too, but now that I've played on the big screen, I should've played all the boss battles that way.

The grip is the part that holds two joycons together to turn them into a single dual stick controller. Like the straps and dock, it's nice, but not necessary.

Agree - love the split controllers.

 

[WRChris]

As for the Switch OS being the same as the Wii. Are you certain? My understanding is that it was built from the ground up with a new UX. I haven't seen the Mario Kart game in person except for Zelda which surprised me. It's an impressive game, I'll tell you that. And yes, I did notice some loading times in between sequences or stages but not as long as you would with a CD or Blu Ray. I still think the cartridge or flash storage is far more stable/reliable. I'm old school so I remember the early gaming days of the Genesis and SNES ( still have the Genesis here with me in great condition ).

I use DSL at home ( cheaper that way while cable internet is monopolized by Comcast here and is too costly. I've had Comcast in the past and hate them ) and it takes a while to download about 1GB, probably an hour or so. Any bigger that goes from 2GB or higher will take more than 2 hours.

Hardware wise, it was impressive in person. Loved everything about it. They didn't add in the internet browser because they wanted, I believe, to focus on the games first until they can expand out to more features. One thing I liked was how Nintendo is now allowing imports for the new console and that regional locks are out of the window.

If I were to download the games, I'd rather have at least 300-500 GB on storage card. I know it can go up to 2 TB but it would only make sense if the user plans to build a huge archive of games without physical copies. I can see that reasoning.

I'm waiting for the Switch library of games to increase to give me more solid reason to buy the console but I've a feeling I may want to grab one soon before the end of summer. That Disgaea RPG looks beautiful along with the new Street Fighter which I would not mind buying either. But I know there is a new Castlevania 'spiritual' successor in the works by Koji, who left Konami, to bring his game to the Switch. If it's as good as Symphony of the Night on Playstation, then I'm getting it. I've high expectations as Castlevania is a work of art.

This is one reason why I think Apple is going to have a very hard time standing out to compete in the games industry. After all, Microsoft and Sony are not standing still. Especially with Nintendo Switch which, I suspect, will become a monster in 2018.

It may well have been built from the ground up but it's essentially the exact same ui and even less features. There is no acceptable reason for why they shipped the console without any app support. I'm telling you as an owner of 2 different switch consoles, one neon and one grey, load times are not near as fast as you think they are.

As I said before I own all the big titles that are out and let me tell you, as pretty as Zelda is, there is still significant load times in everything you do. The only way you get around loading is if you stay in one area and don't do missions or those weird tree looking bunkers you go in for skill points.

Hardware alone does not make this system worth buying. There needs to be software support and that is no where to be seen. Virtual console should have been there from day one so when everyone finished botw, they had something else to play. If the GameCube Virtual console is what's holding it up they should just release what they have working and then add others in later.

This system could be great but Nintendo does not know how to do a proper OS. That is why I can't recommend anyone buy it.

You can expect a 2tb sd card to be more expensive then the console itself. And storage doesn't make a console great.

I do feel for you on the dsl connection, though. I recently moved from a place with 3mbps to my house now with 24mbps. That's why I'm all digital.

I still can't say enough good things about the pro controller, though.

 

[happygodavid]

I don't wanna get too off topic here, but in light of all the comments, I thought I'd share the results of a poll I did of Switch buyers (trying to determine who was buying it and if not, why). It's a long read, but if you're interested, here's the link, complete with all the disclaimers.

https://www.reddit.com/r/NintendoSw...ndo_switch_ownership/?st=J3ET2DG4&sh=02268a01

 

[charlituna]

I agree, even the article says that phone developers offer better deals and larger orders, seems like Nintendo, once again, planned poorly

Yep. And after the crap they pulled with the Classic I'm not really feeling a lot of sympathy for Nintendo

 

[Pilgrim1099]

It may well have been built from the ground up but it's essentially the exact same ui and even less features. There is no acceptable reason for why they shipped the console without any app support. I'm telling you as an owner of 2 different switch consoles, one neon and one grey, load times are not near as fast as you think they are.

As I said before I own all the big titles that are out and let me tell you, as pretty as Zelda is, there is still significant load times in everything you do. The only way you get around loading is if you stay in one area and don't do missions or those weird tree looking bunkers you go in for skill points.

Hardware alone does not make this system worth buying. There needs to be software support and that is no where to be seen. Virtual console should have been there from day one so when everyone finished botw, they had something else to play. If the GameCube Virtual console is what's holding it up they should just release what they have working and then add others in later.

This system could be great but Nintendo does not know how to do a proper OS. That is why I can't recommend anyone buy it.

You can expect a 2tb sd card to be more expensive then the console itself. And storage doesn't make a console great.

I do feel for you on the dsl connection, though. I recently moved from a place with 3mbps to my house now with 24mbps. That's why I'm all digital.

I still can't say enough good things about the pro controller, though.

I wouldn't be surprised for the 2 TB card to cost comparably to the console or more but probably is going to be rare unless the user has plans to install every game on one card virtually. I can see that reasoning. But storage is vital for any console especially when dealing with a game that's large on size. For example, Skyrim is supposed to be coming to Switch and that game, I suspect, is around 6 to 10 GB in size, and I play this a lot on my PS-3 which has 300 GB of storage internally.

Realistically, between 300-500 GB for the Switch makes sense if players want to expand their storage for most games.

My DSL works fine for the most part and streams pretty good when it comes to Netflix. However, cable internet costs more than that and can be overkill. I pay close to about $40 a month for DSL internet access alone while Cable internet costs close to about $75 to $99 a month here. It's insane.

As for the virtual console, it's coming: http://kotaku.com/nintendo-details-switch-online-service-will-be-20-yea-1795743981

I knew they would plan on this eventually.

 

[WRChris]

I wouldn't be surprised for the 2 TB card to cost comparably to the console or more but probably is going to be rare unless the user has plans to install every game on one card virtually. I can see that reasoning. But storage is vital for any console especially when dealing with a game that's large on size. For example, Skyrim is supposed to be coming to Switch and that game, I suspect, is around 6 to 10 GB in size, and I play this a lot on my PS-3 which has 300 GB of storage internally.

Realistically, between 300-500 GB for the Switch makes sense if players want to expand their storage for most games.

My DSL works fine for the most part and streams pretty good when it comes to Netflix. However, cable internet costs more than that and can be overkill. I pay close to about $40 a month for DSL internet access alone while Cable internet costs close to about $75 to $99 a month here. It's insane.

As for the virtual console, it's coming: http://kotaku.com/nintendo-details-switch-online-service-will-be-20-yea-1795743981

I knew they would plan on this eventually.

Nintendo said they are undecided about the virtual console. What you linked to is Nintendo online service and the games included are redone to include multiplayer. There's only a handful of titles that's been announced for that. For 20$ a year, I don't expect much good from their service.

I love what the switch could be but Nintendo can not and will not make intuitive, feature rich software. They either don't know how or choose not too. It's pretty unfortunate.

I'm hoping and praying for some real news at e3 but I'm not holding my breath.

I'm also on dsl for 39.99, it's 24down and 2 up. I would gladly pay 75$ for fiber optic internet but it would seem that will never be an option for me. I don't know if I could justify spending 75$+ for cable, I think you made the right call.