My reactions:
The live event itself could've been much better. They used to do these in English, not dubbed Japanese, and the stage presence of the people they had do most of the talking wasn't exactly great. Unveiling the pricing at the beginning is exactly what people always ask for, but at the same time it comes as a huge blow if you don't know all the capabilities first, so that surprised me. At first I was like "Whoah - I was expecting more like 200, not 300", and then when they showed everything the hardware can do I understood.
Speaking of pricing: I'm not surprised or appalled, like so many others are. I get it: they put top-notch hardware into this, and not only that but both the technical and aesthetic design are really polished. I feel like they are probably selling it roughly at cost, looking at the components. And that's bulk cost: because all that hardware bought separately would cost much much more than 300. So I'm getting one on launch day, and I think it's fair.
Now, when it comes to game pricing... I've always felt like games are overpriced, period. It seems like only Steam is getting the right idea these days. Especially digital editions should be much cheaper than physical ones - you're getting a "lesser" product (cannot resell - even though Europe made not allowing reselling illegal, need storage space, cannot lend out games to friends/family) and they can distribute unlimited copies at practically no cost. This should be reflected in the price! Also, it's not as expensive to produce physical copies anymore either. If games like Zelda, MK and Splatoon were priced at, say, 30 instead of 60, not only would nobody mind the cost of online and the cost of the console as much anymore, but it would set a new standard for cheap quality games. I think the additional sales from such a pricing will easily offset the loss of profits. Even better would be perhaps making all games free with the online service... but I doubt even Nintendo has the balls to try a play like that any time soon.
The hardware itself: I'm amazed. The sheer amount of sensors/controls and ways to use every single piece of hardware they have is astounding. Somehow they were able to cram all that stuff into those tiny controllers, without compromising the feel of them. I remember the Wiimote feeling really awkward when held sideways, but these look like they are much more naturally adjusted to different styles of play. The way the strap connects to the rail instead of being an afterthought like the straps were with the Wiimotes is nothing short of genius. I will actually *want* to connect those straps this time around, because they actually make the controller more comfortable to use.
The choice to charge over USB-C is great. This means every single powerpack/emergency charger/etc will work with the system! Who cares about the battery life (not that it's bad, considering the specs!), I have dozens of battery life extenders already lying around waiting to be used on this thing. And several dozen compatible chargers. Also: no more getting overcharged for cables! Excellent. And don't forget that USB-C can also be used in reverse, to connect other USB devices or attachments. They basically solved all interconnect problems with a single standard connector.
I mean.. to summarize... it's basically a high-end tablet with an Nvidia GPU, video-out, and detachable controllers, backed by Nintendo. That sounds like a killer combination to me - this actually could appeal to both the core gamers *and* the casual market without making either feel like the odd one out.
Just a random thought: I would not be surprised if the controllers could actually connect to cellphones (and computers) as well. With Nintendo pushing more strongly on the mobile market lately, it would be a pretty nice move to make them standard Bluetooth HID compatible/capable. That way, they can be used as controllers for practically all games. But that's likely just a pipe dream... It would be the first official Nintendo controller to allow such a thing, but it would certainly be nice. PS has been doing this for a while, so it's not unheard of. Incidentally, that would also mean the revers: other Bluetooth controllers would work with the Switch. And it would explain why older Nintendo controllers are not compatible with Switch, as they do not use a standardized connection method.
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HiradeGirl:
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NinStar:
