Nintendo Switch Lite: Great System, Terrible Mistake

[rainless]

Welcome to the CORONAVIRUS Edition of my video game post.

It's COVID2020... Nintendo Switch is out of stock everywhere on the planet as parents frantically rush to find something for their children to do while at home indefinitely. Fortunately there are much more Switch Lites available. Nintendo is over the moon! Sales have skyrocketed!

...and they may have finally spelled out their own doom.

I know I've made many "Nintendo is Doomed" posts in the past... this is largely because they can't seem to help from sabotaging themselves. Take an overnight sensation like the Wii... then just stop making games for it altogether after the first year.

Then build a console that NOBODY was demanding (not the Virtual Boy... the Wii-U), and finally the ultra-popular Switch.

Now I actually OWN a Switch Lite and I love it. I think it improves upon the Switch in every way. I think it was STUPID... of course... to not have any video output AT ALL... even if it was just a composite deal or a wifi video out... or some kind of way to stream the screen... there were options.

But I didn't really care. I was just looking for something to do while sitting on the toilet.

What I never could've imagined though... is that there's NO WAY to connect the Switch Lite and use it as a regular controller for the Switch. Not only that... but there are a thousand different options they could've gone with in terms of connectivity... but, for reasons only known to Mario, they opted with "NONE."

With MILLIONS of Switch Lites sold during the pandemic... that's a short-term one-time price spike that's only going to come back and haunt them (like every other hardware decision they've made since the Nintendo64) in the long run.

And I just do not... understand... WHY?

Why would they do that? Imagine a home that already ha the original switch and, instead of buying a new set of joycons for 75 bucks... you get the kids a switch lite each. That way they could all go out and have their own individual games and systems and save files and all come home and play mario kart together on the big screen using those same systems. (You could do it now... if you use wi-fi and get 4 or five copies of mario kart.)

Am I missing something here?

 

[BugFreak]

Why would they do that? Imagine a home that already ha the original switch and, instead of buying a new set of joycons for 75 bucks... you get the kids a switch lite each. That way they could all go out and have their own individual games and systems and save files and all come home and play mario kart together on the big screen using those same systems. (You could do it now... if you use wi-fi and get 4 or five copies of mario kart.)

Because most Americans that already own a Switch will (or already have) buy the Joycons AND the Lite for each kid. Profit made on both by Nintendo. Also all the people that bought a Lite during this nonsense will eventually buy a Switch so they can get together on the big screen like you said. Again, double profit.

Releasing the Lite like this gives them a reason to release version 2 with connectivity, again selling more consoles because everyone will go out and buy that one. Think of it like the first Apple watch. It connected to your existing phone and that was about it. Now they have cell capable ones, health trackers and all that other bs they have released in new versions and Apple nuts have bought each release like clockwork. Nintendo is working for the same profit style.

 

[Janus67]

To me the biggest mistake is the joycons can't come off. For how many people suffer from joycon drift (google it if you don't know what I mean) at least with regular JoyCons you can send them back to Nintendo, if you have a Lite you have to send your whole console and you won't even get all of your data back.

 

[BugFreak]

That I agree with. I've had two do it so I can see that being a problem with the Lite.

 

[Janus67]

Yeah, it's for that reason [among others] that we got the kids their own regular switch instead of a lite to avoid that issue in the future.

 

[rainless]

Because most Americans that already own a Switch will (or already have) buy the Joycons AND the Lite for each kid. Profit made on both by Nintendo. Also all the people that bought a Lite during this nonsense will eventually buy a Switch so they can get together on the big screen like you said. Again, double profit.

I think you're absolutely wrong. Especially about the "most Americans" part. The United States currently has its highest unemployment level since the Great Depression. Some of the companies that closed their doors at the dawn of the pandemic won't be opening them up again. And that $1200 stimulus check won't be enough to get a Switch Lite for each kid, a Switch, a bunch of JoyCons, AND pay the month's mortgage payment.

People are going to be looking to save money in any way they can (while still, of course, keeping the kids entertained), and the FIRST question on their minds will be: "Why the hell doesn't the Switch Lite connect to the Switch at all?

Releasing the Lite like this gives them a reason to release version 2 with connectivity, again selling more consoles because everyone will go out and buy that one. Think of it like the first Apple watch. It connected to your existing phone and that was about it. Now they have cell capable ones, health trackers and all that other bs they have released in new versions and Apple nuts have bought each release like clockwork. Nintendo is working for the same profit style.

There's a HUGE difference between Apple and Nintendo. Apple tech are essentially fashion items. You've gotta have the latest Apple Watch and iPhone like you used to have to have the latest pair of Air Jordans to be cool.

At the office... at the club... (That Samsung Galaxy SIII ain't gonna cut it...)

Nintendo tech? Not so much. (As proven by the Wii-U.)

The minute people get frustrated enough with Nintendo's tech limitations... it's game over and on to the next system.

 

[BugFreak]

I think you're absolutely wrong. Especially about the "most Americans" part. The United States currently has its highest unemployment level since the Great Depression. Some of the companies that closed their doors at the dawn of the pandemic won't be opening them up again. And that $1200 stimulus check won't be enough to get a Switch Lite for each kid, a Switch, a bunch of JoyCons, AND pay the month's mortgage payment.

People are going to be looking to save money in any way they can (while still, of course, keeping the kids entertained), and the FIRST question on their minds will be: "Why the hell doesn't the Switch Lite connect to the Switch at all?

I think you are over estimating the intelligence of most Americans. Take into consideration this article. Instead of paying bills, they went out and bought TVs and other gadgets like video games. Under half actually put it in savings for when they will need the money.

Nintendo's profit plan would have been put in place long before the virus problem so the current unemployment while a setback, was not considered at the time. Unemployment because of this is also temporary and consider another point, a good portion of the people unemployed will make more after the $600 bonus than they did working. At least for the next few months until their jobs come back. The rest will be going back to work much faster than 2008 or the depression. I won't get into too much more detail here because it can easily get political but this is way different than 2008 or the depression.

There's a HUGE difference between Apple and Nintendo. Apple tech are essentially fashion items. You've gotta have the latest Apple Watch and iPhone like you used to have to have the latest pair of Air Jordans to be cool.

Basically all companies strive to have a business like Apple for obvious reasons. Do you really think that same fashion mentality does not come into play when little Johnny asks his mom and dad for the new toy because his friend has it? Add to the fact that most parents spoil their kids and want to make sure their kid has the newest, fanciest toys it gets even worse than just a style item.