I love when you guys just have a good discussion about a topic. If the switch would've failed or if nintendo had just gone back to handheld, I don't know if I ever would've gotten back into gaming. It was the switch that got me back into gamer mode. I had spent years before that moving from place to place. Never being able to afford a system. The switch and breath of the wild got me through a tough time in my life, and I am so grateful for its existence and success.
Just the wii money alone set them up for yearly loss up until 2050. Even if the Switch was about as successful as the gamecube or n64, that would have been enough to keep them going for a good while. But we might have seen a big shakeup in Nintendo's philosophy and management going forward if the Switch was not a big success.
I got a switch in oct 2019. When i got it i as not knowing what to expect and not a huge gamer kind of only noticed its limitations, didn't use it much. I got sober in dec 2019. Got out of my hopefully last rehab January 2020. Got a part time job and buried myself in IOP classes. Then the world shut down, my kids who I only had part time custody of at the time came to live with me my lady and my step kids. If it wasn't for the switch, specifically witcher 3 at the time not sure i would have stayed sober. Gave me a huge distraction and a new hobby. Something to have in common with the kids which i didn't have. Today I have primary custody of all my kids and am still sober. Gaming is my favorite hobby. The switch is to thank for that as silly as that sounds. Edit: mario kart 8 was also a huge help but can't underestimate what playing witcher 3 and the discovery of bad ass handheld gaming did for a hobbyless drunk at 31 years old
I don’t think that there was ever a scenario where the switch would’ve failed. The switch is literally my dream console. When I was a kid decades ago, I thought that it would be really cool if there was a portable console, one that you could take on the go and play but also hook up to your TV. That ended up being what the switch is and instantly millions of people understood what the switch was and what it does and that’s why it sold so well.
That first Switch announcement trailer was some of the best marketing ever. In such steep contrast to the WiiU, everyone looked at the Switch and said "I get it, and I want it now." The appeal is so perfect and fundamental.
There were rumors that Nintendo had worked on a 2ds successor in case switch failed. I guess it just would've been dual screen switch lite. Anyway it means there was a scenario where switch was a bomb. I'm glad it wasn't cause switch is my all time favorite console and I'm a console gamer since PSX.
You say that and yet the Sega NoMad could do all that and yet it sold poorly, I'm happy the switch succeeded but never say never, it certainly could've failed
Microsoft's existence is vital to online gaming quality Sony's existence is vital to gaming's hardware quality & Valve's existence is vital to the Indie and dedicated minority of gamers BUT Nintendo's existence is vital to gaming culture... ...it would be bbbaaaddd if Nintendo failed 🎮
Nintendo will *NEVER* go with Sony, due to the bad blood between them. They'd go the way of Steam, most likely, if Microsoft didn't straight up buy them.
@guxtavo14 I remember hearing that Nintendo laughed at the offer. But, if it came down to it, I feel that Microsoft would at least pay for console timed exclusives, to get Nintendo games on their consoles first.
@@kildaver Nintendo could easily make a StarFox game in style of R&C. Problem is that Nintendo doesn't think out of the box and continues to just stick to space ship rail shooter.
If the Switch had failed, Nintendo would go ALL IN on mobile gaming (as they originally planned as their Plan B) and promote Dragalia Lost more frequently, thus making it a successful gacha! Dragalia Lost was the only good mobile game exclusive to that platform...
Watching this video I couldn’t help but notice how similar Nintendo is to the Muppets- Fun, colourful, crazy, a respect to old ways of doing things, innovation, kid friendly, a slightly tongue in cheek sense of humour. And like the Muppets, Nintendo has had ups and downs where people have ignored the product for something more mature, glossy, and more cynical. But people always come back to the Muppets and Nintendo because they are committed to quality, and respect their audiences and the standards are built on. These qualities are even more evident now with XBox and PlayStation becoming formulaic with lots of hidden charges and a general depressing style. The cream always rises to the top.
That direct with muppets and Starfox was soooooo good! I still feel the Switch success was built upon a great software launch in year 1 that catered for all genres. Really hoping that level of software will be available for Switch 2
@Gravy1255 then explain all the articles and videos from April/May 2017 going on about it's record breaking launch. Edit: for the record the Wii U also had a fantastic start having the fastest selling launch weekend for Nintendo upto that point. Unfortunately nearly everyone who wanted one bought it that launch weekend.
Nintendo probably would’ve went the way of Sega, scary to think about, since their games have a unique love, care and quality put into them unlike Sony and Microsoft
Okay I'm shutting that notion down right now. Nintendo is not the only company that has unique love to their games. SEGA's been doing better now than they ever were when they made consoles.
@@shrekrealista5045 I think it's more that Nintendo games and IPs are more recognizable, IF you grew up on Nintendo rather than other systems and platforms. Nintendo just has something that others don't. Sega was the most Similar to them but they stopped making consoles a long time ago
If Switch didn't exist, i imagine so so many of the IPs would just be dormant with no ports, remakes, or rebuilds to speak of. The handheld PC market would probably not be where it is today. I imagine even the Steamdeck got inspired from what Switch did. So, that would either not be here or take much longer to get to us. Monolithsoft would not be as lauded as they are now because xenoblade as series could have ended with 2 or it would take them much longer to get 3 out. These are only some of the what ifs I could think of. There are just too many variables.
the irony being that most people's switch consoles failed. Joycons, game card readers, sd card slots, touch screen recognition... even the flimsy kick stands would fail. For a console with so many failures (and a terrible frame rate) it was a tremendous success
I remember the launch of the Switch being super stressful. I wanted one so bad, but they were out of stock absolutely everywhere all the time. I ultimately had to buy one of the manipulative GameStop bundles that forced you to get a bunch of unnecessary accessories and second-rate games, just so they could make a bigger sale on the console.
While I don’t think Nintendo would’ve gone the Sega route and went third party if the Switch had failed, it’s still something interesting to think about. After all, the WiiU had already flopped prior, and having two failures back to back might’ve meant that we would’ve also had a super slow crawl of game releases like the WiiU did. And they might’ve supported the 3DS for longer as well, meaning that we might’ve actually gotten Pokémon Stars (rumored Switch port of Sun/Moon) before Sword/Shield. Whatever the case, I’m glad we don’t live in this alternate timeline due to the Switch being the gaming console I both currently enjoy the most (especially when Sony and Microsoft barely release any games nowadays due to how protracted game development is) and have poured the most hours into collectively.
What wouldve happened to Nintendo if Switch failed: Thread forward for at least 5 years like they did the WiiU (6 years) then release a new system. They got cash reserves, unlike Sega.
If Nintendo went software only, i could see them doing cloud gaming. You can access their games theough mobile devices or even smart TVs, simular to Amazons service where you can play AAA games on your Firestick if your subscribed to Prime. If you have NSO and a devices that can install the client software, you can play Nintendo games wherever in the world. They would not put it on Xbox and or Playstation.
I don't think Nintendo was ever that warm & fuzzy. What comes to mind is the price fixing scandal, and the way they nearly killed StreetPass Network meetup groups,
The Wii U had probbaly one of the best UI that was never used. Since not a lot of ppl owned a Wii U they can't understand what they missed. It had the best internet browser at that time, it had Miiverse where u had fun communities for every game. You could chat with each other u could use Google Maps for fun, youtube was great, netflix on the pad. there was music in the E-shop and in the UI, u saw your little mii's and those of others talking about trending games. On your bday u get a little jingle and some applauds. It was doing so much fun stuff the Ps4 and Xbox didn't even have. Splatoon on the Wii U still is the most fun because u could easily jump places from the map that didn't overtake ur whole screen. And launch rockets, u could see where u needed to help. Ugh.. I just miss all of that. The Switch is just too bland
I agree with that the Wii U’s menus had charm, but you have to remember the *load times.* It took ages to go from a game to the home menu and back again. The Switch’s stark UI largely exists to enable quick access to the OS while games are running. Even intense loads like TOTK don’t slow down the interface.
I'm extremely grateful for the Switch for giving us Princess Peach Showtime and Metroid Dread. Remembering what happened with the Wii U's library, I don't think we would've ever gotten these two if Switch failed.
Nintendo has no worries now, the nurturing of their IP will pay dividends. One Movie costing $100-200 million is pretty much guaranteed to bring back a Billion [with merch also] and that's their higher echelon IP [Mario, Zelda, Mario Kart, Pokemon]. Whilst continually developing the rest over time.
I think a better way to do this thought experiment is to imagine a world where Nintendo was scared off of making the Switch because of the Wii U’s failure. The Wii U was kinda a proto-Switch but it could never quite do what it was trying to do well. If that had made Nintendo think people didn’t want a hybrid console, where would they be?
Tbh, I was scared in 2017 that the Switch might had made Nintendo take the same path as SEGA when the Saturn and Dreamcast failed. I am just happy the Swith was a success and still is, proving Nintendo has its good times and hope the next console keeps the hype up.
Man, that ending joke had so much potential. “if you guess the exact date the Switch 2 is revealed, you get extra oxygen. Because you need to step outside from being chronically online.” Also, it will be revealed January 28th.
To the point of the intro, that had a lot to do with Iwata and his leadership. The modern day Nintendo is more corporate. But it still has its fun side from its developers. It's just too bad we don't see that other side and things like Nintendo directs as of late.
You know we were having the same conversation when the Wii was at its zenith. I mean it was all on forums and in Game Informer’s comments sections, but they were there. I think people forget what a massive flop the GameCube was (only about 20 million installed units vs PS2’s 120 million). And the N64, though successful, didn’t meet Nintendo’s lofty expectations. But the Gameboy, GBC, Advance, and DS were such massive hits that it didn’t really matter. The Wii U sold even less than the GameCube. And the 3DS rode the struggle bus for a bit. I think if the Switch had failed, Nintendo would’ve gone full in on software development while releasing things like SNES and NES Classic, the Game and Watch Mario and Zelda, and maybe even other weird things. I think they would keep throwing ideas around until they sensed a demand for their hardware again, and then launched another console when they felt the timing was right - peak nostalgia, desire for home emulation of classics, whatever.
Also the Wii was very creative/silly and yet still successful, so I'm not sure in their minds they have necessarily changed with the Switch. That creativeness flowed into a bunch of their games, with Zelda Breath/Tears and Mario Odyssey/Wonder in particular.
First point hits the nail on the head, Nintendo doesn't really come across as the fun company with the same energy they did 10 - 20 years ago. Everything in the news is just lawsuits, lawsuits, corporate statements, lawsuits. Directs, particularly, are void of personality if you're looking at them relative to how they would announce things at E3 years ago.
Strange what proper marketing can do for you. Wii U had no sales but had some amazing software for that console. It sells so good the second time around because Nintendo really pushed the console in so many advertisements that catered towards everyone. The Wii U never tried for that everyone audience and tried telling you it was different than the regular Wii. Nintendo learned that which is why they dropped that amazing first trailer showing you what it could do and what it could be.
5;40 Great video guys! I still think docked Switch plays different version of resulting game then handheld Switch. Peace, Unity and Having fun, I'm excited for Switch's successor!
About 3/4 of the way through I got the idea of “well if Nintendo left the market, that would have left a giant hole for Google Stadia to invest even harder and possibly become an actual viable contender”
The switch is great as a product category but I miss their smaller handhelds massively. Nothing on the market at the moment compares to the Nintendo 2DS XL and 3DS handhelds. The smaller form factor is under appreciated and way way more comfortable than games on an iPhone etc. I hope one day Nintendo return to that market.
People have been asking "what if" Nintendo fails since they failed with the N64... than the Gamecube... than the wii U came. Fac is, they will always come up with something else and will survive
I know! They wouldn't be suing everyone in sight. They wouldn't be taking down channels for showing tiny clips of their games. They would actually be putting some effort into infrastructure and next generation consoles. Anything I missed?
It’s funny, I see how Nintendo is the least serious out of all other companies and we want them to just be more silly. I think they just want people to take their product seriously
Did you see how many other companies it inspired to create handhelds? However it is targeted at a different audience, an audience i believe Nintendo has lost by holding off on a new and more powerful console.
My hot take. Is even if they went to somewhere else to release their games it would still feel like Nintendo with how strict they put rules on it all, like even if they went to sony you'd see the biggest clearest divide between what comes from Nintendo vs Sony because of how Nintendo thinks But then my real take is that. I don't think they'd give up. Nintendo to me feels like a very stubborn creative. They'd possibly take a break but they'd rather die before admitting defeat or letting someone else publish there own games, they'd have that creative itch to make a new console for all their new games and ideas
If the Switch turned out to be Wii U 2.0, I would think that Nintendo would go the route Sega did. That would be dropping out of the console business and becoming a platform independent game developer.
If the Switch failed, Nintendo would probably have focused on handhelds like the 3ds, maybe they would have brought back the gameboy and just stick to lower budget games
I think the steam deck still would be a success without the switch. as long as there are people using steam there will be an interest for a portable device to play those steam games
Don't even propose the idea... It's too painful to consider lol... Nintendo probably would've went bankrupt and maybe even had to make games for another publisher 😭
i don’t think it would matter which platform they go IF they happen to stop doing hardware, because according to kit and krysta former nintendo marketing employees their bosses always says SOFTWARE SELLS HARDWARE. and all these years they have amassed a large number of incredible IPs that Steam, PS, and Microsoft would all be willing to get it for themselves throw in Epic there too! and with that said there’s no way they will stop doing hardware even if the switch had failed because again, SOFTWARE SELLS HARDWARE… it’s a great way of thinking
I find Nintendo to be unpredictable. But I'm sure they would have tried to maintain their ecosystem somehow if the Switch had failed as they are very protective over their IP's. I could totally see them to implement a service inside Steam, PSN and MS store where they would have most of the royalties and control over their own games. Ironically the reason why Nintendo broke up with Sony in the early 90s.
14:05 Good discussion so far and Splatoon is an interesting one to consider. I feel like Splatoon was born out of the Wii U gamepad and more generally motion controls. Would that game exist without Nintendo's history of working with motion control? Yes it would be good to have a better network with a lot more players to play with on Xbox or Playstation. I think though that Splatoon fans would agree it'd still be a downgraded experience. Do you think Nintendo would have continued Splatoon at all on consoles without motion control enabled controllers?
As an aside, I think one thing that could help with Splatoon's popularity is if there were other games that used motion control aiming. Kind of like how if you've played Kirby then you have all the skills you need to play Mario. There isn't a similar game for Splatoon. Imagine if Nintendo had a single player 3rd person action adventure game, like Ratchet & Clank, with Splatoon controls. Whether a person plays it before or after playing Splatoon, each would reinforce the same skills and potentially even sell each other. It's also one of my hopes for Metroid Prime 4 that it pushes forward motion aiming rather than the antiquated Z-targeting, that could make it a good boost to Splatoon.
Had they failed they would probably just become a multiplat publisher like Sega and man, I wouldn't mind seeing Super Mario Odyssey at 4K60fps on my PC...in a native code that is :]
It would be a total disaster if Nintendo left the hardware market. We'd see a lot less innovation and experimentation from them if they went third party. Nintendo is vital for this industry to thrive the way it does and I hope they stay successful and competitive for years to come.
I doubt Nintendo would go exclusive with PlayStation. Yeah they are both Japanese companies, but there is a long history of bad blood between them going back to when Nintendo abandoned their joint SNES CD addon project. The whole reason Sony brought the PlayStation to market was to spite Nintendo. Also, Microsoft and Nintendo have also had a long history of being friendly to eachother, so if Nintendo were to have gone software only and decided to make their games exclusive to 1 platform, I think it would have been Xbox before it would have been PlayStation.
I can't even see Nintendo failing with two consoles in a row so I have no answer. But I do know how they can make the Switch 2 not failing! Nintendo just needs to make the next 3D Zelda, 3D Mario, Mario Kart, Animal Crossing and Super Smash Bros exclusive to the Switch 2. Then it'll automatically sell like hotcakes!!
I wish the switch to fail so we can have all the great games in one platform or pc , imagine a PS5 with all the Nintendo and Microsoft exclusives on board. Is better for us
I do believe these two things are true : the Nintendo Switch is the only system to benefit the pandemic. People had to stay at home and Xbox series and ps5 were held by scalpers. Look at the spike in sales in 2019, 2020 and 2021. Secondly i believe Nintendo has waited too long to launch a new system. New third party releases are struggling with performance and loading times and the handheld market is being flooded by decent emulators and handheld pc's. PlayStation has already released a pro version of the ps5 when rumor says the new console will have ps4 power
If the Switch had failed, handheld game designs might still be viable. We might not be wasting resources on 5/10 console games that could have been 10/10 handheld games. This isn't hypothetical. Think about how Scarlet and Violet are just what Pokemon IS now. Think about how we'll never get another Platinum or X/Y again. That's part of the legacy of this system, unfortunately.
![PS5 Pro Is Selling Better Than PS4 Pro. | New PS3 Streaming Games Coming To PS5. - [LTPS #648]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/86mXY0V7OvE/mqdefault.jpg)
It's sad how much Iwata tried to turn the company around and had such high hopes for the Switch but never got to see it be a success
I love when you guys just have a good discussion about a topic.
If the switch would've failed or if nintendo had just gone back to handheld, I don't know if I ever would've gotten back into gaming. It was the switch that got me back into gamer mode. I had spent years before that moving from place to place. Never being able to afford a system. The switch and breath of the wild got me through a tough time in my life, and I am so grateful for its existence and success.
I'd have saved a small fortune, that's for sure.
Nintendo’s recent ventures into mobile, movies, and theme parks makes me think that they are trying to future proof themselves.
2017 - the Switch fails
2018 - Nintendo files for bankruptcy
2019 - the world descends into chaos
So it just goes to crap a few years earlier.
Just the wii money alone set them up for yearly loss up until 2050. Even if the Switch was about as successful as the gamecube or n64, that would have been enough to keep them going for a good while. But we might have seen a big shakeup in Nintendo's philosophy and management going forward if the Switch was not a big success.
2020 - the Amico was released and saves the world.
No one would’ve survived 2020 at that rate
Would probably just end up like Sega
I got a switch in oct 2019. When i got it i as not knowing what to expect and not a huge gamer kind of only noticed its limitations, didn't use it much. I got sober in dec 2019. Got out of my hopefully last rehab January 2020. Got a part time job and buried myself in IOP classes. Then the world shut down, my kids who I only had part time custody of at the time came to live with me my lady and my step kids. If it wasn't for the switch, specifically witcher 3 at the time not sure i would have stayed sober. Gave me a huge distraction and a new hobby. Something to have in common with the kids which i didn't have. Today I have primary custody of all my kids and am still sober. Gaming is my favorite hobby. The switch is to thank for that as silly as that sounds.
Edit: mario kart 8 was also a huge help but can't underestimate what playing witcher 3 and the discovery of bad ass handheld gaming did for a hobbyless drunk at 31 years old
Awesome 🎉
"What if the Nintendo Switch Had Failed?"
Alex, Felix, and Zion would be making videos for OutsideXbox.
That’s pretty strange when you think about it! XD
Why OutsideXbox and not PureXbox? PureXbox is one of this sites siblings sites, after all.
making videos for Play Store.
Push Square or Pure Xbox more likely. But only Alex. Zion and Felix wouldn't even be on the network
I wouldnt have come back to console gaming if it failed
I don’t think that there was ever a scenario where the switch would’ve failed. The switch is literally my dream console. When I was a kid decades ago, I thought that it would be really cool if there was a portable console, one that you could take on the go and play but also hook up to your TV. That ended up being what the switch is and instantly millions of people understood what the switch was and what it does and that’s why it sold so well.
That first Switch announcement trailer was some of the best marketing ever. In such steep contrast to the WiiU, everyone looked at the Switch and said "I get it, and I want it now."
The appeal is so perfect and fundamental.
There were rumors that Nintendo had worked on a 2ds successor in case switch failed. I guess it just would've been dual screen switch lite. Anyway it means there was a scenario where switch was a bomb. I'm glad it wasn't cause switch is my all time favorite console and I'm a console gamer since PSX.
You say that and yet the Sega NoMad could do all that and yet it sold poorly, I'm happy the switch succeeded but never say never, it certainly could've failed
@ the Nomad was just an expensive Sega Genesis that ate up batteries.
Microsoft's existence is vital to online gaming quality
Sony's existence is vital to gaming's hardware quality
&
Valve's existence is vital to the Indie and dedicated minority of gamers
BUT
Nintendo's existence is vital to gaming culture...
...it would be bbbaaaddd if Nintendo failed 🎮
Nintendo will *NEVER* go with Sony, due to the bad blood between them. They'd go the way of Steam, most likely, if Microsoft didn't straight up buy them.
MS tried buying Nintendo before. It's clear how it went
@guxtavo14 I remember hearing that Nintendo laughed at the offer. But, if it came down to it, I feel that Microsoft would at least pay for console timed exclusives, to get Nintendo games on their consoles first.
There is no bad blood in business. Guess who is making Zelda movie? It's Sony.
@hododod246 Sony PICTURES. Call me when they port Ratchet and Clank to the Switch.
@@kildaver Nintendo could easily make a StarFox game in style of R&C. Problem is that Nintendo doesn't think out of the box and continues to just stick to space ship rail shooter.
I’m grateful I’m living in the universe where the Switch was a success.
Same here
If the Switch had failed, Nintendo would go ALL IN on mobile gaming (as they originally planned as their Plan B) and promote Dragalia Lost more frequently, thus making it a successful gacha!
Dragalia Lost was the only good mobile game exclusive to that platform...
@@tintinfinite3388 ...put Dragalia Lost on Switch. Charge us $30-40, let us earn everything in game, and I'll buy it. Immediately, if not sooner.
Watching this video I couldn’t help but notice how similar Nintendo is to the Muppets- Fun, colourful, crazy, a respect to old ways of doing things, innovation, kid friendly, a slightly tongue in cheek sense of humour. And like the Muppets, Nintendo has had ups and downs where people have ignored the product for something more mature, glossy, and more cynical.
But people always come back to the Muppets and Nintendo because they are committed to quality, and respect their audiences and the standards are built on. These qualities are even more evident now with XBox and PlayStation becoming formulaic with lots of hidden charges and a general depressing style. The cream always rises to the top.
Kinda like disney. Now they're in their cynical period, but in the eisner and walt era, they were stellar.
If the switch had failed it would have been so sad..
...that starfox reel alone was worth it.
Which reel? Did I miss something?
ah sorry, I found it 2:36. It seems my eyes may have glossed over it.
Theys just go back to the drawing board ..and we'd possibly have the 4DS instead.
That direct with muppets and Starfox was soooooo good!
I still feel the Switch success was built upon a great software launch in year 1 that catered for all genres.
Really hoping that level of software will be available for Switch 2
3:31
That's shameful Alex, stop with the revisionist history; from launch Switch was breaking sales records.
Switch was slow to start. It may have broken WiiU sales lol
@Gravy1255 then explain all the articles and videos from April/May 2017 going on about it's record breaking launch.
Edit: for the record the Wii U also had a fantastic start having the fastest selling launch weekend for Nintendo upto that point. Unfortunately nearly everyone who wanted one bought it that launch weekend.
From what I remember it sold well and it definitely was hard to find in stores for the first few months bc it was selling well
Man, so glad to hear Zion again. I really miss his content on this channel.
A Zion is never late, not is he early, he arrives precisely when he means to.
So lovely to hear you three chatting together. ❤️
Nintendo probably would’ve went the way of Sega, scary to think about, since their games have a unique love, care and quality put into them unlike Sony and Microsoft
Okay I'm shutting that notion down right now. Nintendo is not the only company that has unique love to their games. SEGA's been doing better now than they ever were when they made consoles.
But Sony games has care and quality too. Astro Bot was amazing.
@@shrekrealista5045 I think it's more that Nintendo games and IPs are more recognizable, IF you grew up on Nintendo rather than other systems and platforms. Nintendo just has something that others don't. Sega was the most Similar to them but they stopped making consoles a long time ago
@@DrAnimePhD We are very lucky that Sega is doing a lot better with Sonic
Let's make sure it stays that way!
You havent seen 360 games yet bruv
If Switch didn't exist, i imagine so so many of the IPs would just be dormant with no ports, remakes, or rebuilds to speak of. The handheld PC market would probably not be where it is today. I imagine even the Steamdeck got inspired from what Switch did. So, that would either not be here or take much longer to get to us. Monolithsoft would not be as lauded as they are now because xenoblade as series could have ended with 2 or it would take them much longer to get 3 out. These are only some of the what ifs I could think of. There are just too many variables.
the irony being that most people's switch consoles failed. Joycons, game card readers, sd card slots, touch screen recognition... even the flimsy kick stands would fail.
For a console with so many failures (and a terrible frame rate) it was a tremendous success
And they have the pandemic to thank partially
I remember the launch of the Switch being super stressful. I wanted one so bad, but they were out of stock absolutely everywhere all the time. I ultimately had to buy one of the manipulative GameStop bundles that forced you to get a bunch of unnecessary accessories and second-rate games, just so they could make a bigger sale on the console.
While I don’t think Nintendo would’ve gone the Sega route and went third party if the Switch had failed, it’s still something interesting to think about. After all, the WiiU had already flopped prior, and having two failures back to back might’ve meant that we would’ve also had a super slow crawl of game releases like the WiiU did. And they might’ve supported the 3DS for longer as well, meaning that we might’ve actually gotten Pokémon Stars (rumored Switch port of Sun/Moon) before Sword/Shield. Whatever the case, I’m glad we don’t live in this alternate timeline due to the Switch being the gaming console I both currently enjoy the most (especially when Sony and Microsoft barely release any games nowadays due to how protracted game development is) and have poured the most hours into collectively.
If my grandma had wheels, would she have been a truck?
I read that in Gino D’Campo’s voice
A bicycle.
What wouldve happened to Nintendo if Switch failed:
Thread forward for at least 5 years like they did the WiiU (6 years) then release a new system. They got cash reserves, unlike Sega.
2:22 I get you Zion. I got the same impression.
Nintendos handhelds never fail. It was a smart move to give up on consoles.
Felix saying he doesn't want that much money was such a nice & humble thing to hear ☺️
Reason the direct is more comedic was really due to 2 persons: Iwata and Reggie and not due to console success or failure, imo.
If Nintendo went software only, i could see them doing cloud gaming. You can access their games theough mobile devices or even smart TVs, simular to Amazons service where you can play AAA games on your Firestick if your subscribed to Prime. If you have NSO and a devices that can install the client software, you can play Nintendo games wherever in the world. They would not put it on Xbox and or Playstation.
I don't think Nintendo was ever that warm & fuzzy. What comes to mind is the price fixing scandal, and the way they nearly killed StreetPass Network meetup groups,
What if I chased you around with a shovel?
You'd be shovel knight
@@thecunninlynguist Reminds me how far back Yacht Club Games is with their releases.
Not that it bothers me, but it's kinda standard at this point.
@sparkypack don't remind me lol. I contributed to their Kickstarter for that new game and patiently waiting for it
@@thecunninlynguist haha.. 🤭 but pretty sure your contribution will result in a good game.
Oh Swindon. I participated in a project at White Hart. What a pain that was
The Wii U had probbaly one of the best UI that was never used. Since not a lot of ppl owned a Wii U they can't understand what they missed. It had the best internet browser at that time, it had Miiverse where u had fun communities for every game. You could chat with each other u could use Google Maps for fun, youtube was great, netflix on the pad. there was music in the E-shop and in the UI, u saw your little mii's and those of others talking about trending games. On your bday u get a little jingle and some applauds. It was doing so much fun stuff the Ps4 and Xbox didn't even have. Splatoon on the Wii U still is the most fun because u could easily jump places from the map that didn't overtake ur whole screen. And launch rockets, u could see where u needed to help. Ugh.. I just miss all of that. The Switch is just too bland
I agree with that the Wii U’s menus had charm, but you have to remember the *load times.* It took ages to go from a game to the home menu and back again. The Switch’s stark UI largely exists to enable quick access to the OS while games are running. Even intense loads like TOTK don’t slow down the interface.
I'm extremely grateful for the Switch for giving us Princess Peach Showtime and Metroid Dread. Remembering what happened with the Wii U's library, I don't think we would've ever gotten these two if Switch failed.
Lads, longer form discussion video’s are the best. Hope you’ll produce more of them, more often.
Nintendo has no worries now, the nurturing of their IP will pay dividends. One Movie costing $100-200 million is pretty much guaranteed to bring back a Billion [with merch also] and that's their higher echelon IP [Mario, Zelda, Mario Kart, Pokemon]. Whilst continually developing the rest over time.
I think a better way to do this thought experiment is to imagine a world where Nintendo was scared off of making the Switch because of the Wii U’s failure. The Wii U was kinda a proto-Switch but it could never quite do what it was trying to do well. If that had made Nintendo think people didn’t want a hybrid console, where would they be?
Tbh, I was scared in 2017 that the Switch might had made Nintendo take the same path as SEGA when the Saturn and Dreamcast failed. I am just happy the Swith was a success and still is, proving Nintendo has its good times and hope the next console keeps the hype up.
I guess we’ll never know ✋🎤
I don't think Nintendo became "more serious and professional" like Zion said because the Switch was successful, but because the Wii U failed
yup , agreed.
Man, that ending joke had so much potential. “if you guess the exact date the Switch 2 is revealed, you get extra oxygen. Because you need to step outside from being chronically online.” Also, it will be revealed January 28th.
To the point of the intro, that had a lot to do with Iwata and his leadership. The modern day Nintendo is more corporate. But it still has its fun side from its developers. It's just too bad we don't see that other side and things like Nintendo directs as of late.
What would I do with all that money (game wise), BUTTON MAPPING across all controllers and games. That's what I would do!
Thanks for making me LOL at the end 😂
I miss the dream team of Iwata, Reggie, and Bill. I like Koizumi enough, Tezuka is cool, and Doug is kind of a charisma vacuum.
You know we were having the same conversation when the Wii was at its zenith. I mean it was all on forums and in Game Informer’s comments sections, but they were there.
I think people forget what a massive flop the GameCube was (only about 20 million installed units vs PS2’s 120 million). And the N64, though successful, didn’t meet Nintendo’s lofty expectations. But the Gameboy, GBC, Advance, and DS were such massive hits that it didn’t really matter.
The Wii U sold even less than the GameCube. And the 3DS rode the struggle bus for a bit. I think if the Switch had failed, Nintendo would’ve gone full in on software development while releasing things like SNES and NES Classic, the Game and Watch Mario and Zelda, and maybe even other weird things. I think they would keep throwing ideas around until they sensed a demand for their hardware again, and then launched another console when they felt the timing was right - peak nostalgia, desire for home emulation of classics, whatever.
Also the Wii was very creative/silly and yet still successful, so I'm not sure in their minds they have necessarily changed with the Switch. That creativeness flowed into a bunch of their games, with Zelda Breath/Tears and Mario Odyssey/Wonder in particular.
First point hits the nail on the head, Nintendo doesn't really come across as the fun company with the same energy they did 10 - 20 years ago. Everything in the news is just lawsuits, lawsuits, corporate statements, lawsuits. Directs, particularly, are void of personality if you're looking at them relative to how they would announce things at E3 years ago.
Strange what proper marketing can do for you. Wii U had no sales but had some amazing software for that console. It sells so good the second time around because Nintendo really pushed the console in so many advertisements that catered towards everyone. The Wii U never tried for that everyone audience and tried telling you it was different than the regular Wii. Nintendo learned that which is why they dropped that amazing first trailer showing you what it could do and what it could be.
5;40 Great video guys! I still think docked Switch plays different version of resulting game then handheld Switch. Peace, Unity and Having fun, I'm excited for Switch's successor!
There was a substantial line at the midnight release I went to for the Switch, so I think it probably varied from area to area.
About 3/4 of the way through I got the idea of “well if Nintendo left the market, that would have left a giant hole for Google Stadia to invest even harder and possibly become an actual viable contender”
The switch is great as a product category but I miss their smaller handhelds massively. Nothing on the market at the moment compares to the Nintendo 2DS XL and 3DS handhelds. The smaller form factor is under appreciated and way way more comfortable than games on an iPhone etc.
I hope one day Nintendo return to that market.
It would have been over for Nintendo.
shareholders would have sold the company, and both Disney and Apple were interested in buying.
@@enorma29 and Microsoft.
It feels like during the Wii U era, Nintendo needed us. Now, they really don't.
My meaningless prediction is: December 12th for Switch 2 mini-reveal, proper reveal/trailer at the end of January. Releases in May!
February 20th, 2025.
I look forward to receiving my very-much-real prize.
People have been asking "what if" Nintendo fails since they failed with the N64... than the Gamecube... than the wii U came. Fac is, they will always come up with something else and will survive
I know! They wouldn't be suing everyone in sight. They wouldn't be taking down channels for showing tiny clips of their games. They would actually be putting some effort into infrastructure and next generation consoles. Anything I missed?
They would have went soley to handheld as their handhelds always did well.
It’s funny, I see how Nintendo is the least serious out of all other companies and we want them to just be more silly.
I think they just want people to take their product seriously
The Steam Deck has in all likelihood sold less than the Vita so far, I don't know why people treat it as a huge success that has changed the industry.
Did you see how many other companies it inspired to create handhelds? However it is targeted at a different audience, an audience i believe Nintendo has lost by holding off on a new and more powerful console.
My hot take.
Is even if they went to somewhere else to release their games it would still feel like Nintendo with how strict they put rules on it all, like even if they went to sony you'd see the biggest clearest divide between what comes from Nintendo vs Sony because of how Nintendo thinks
But then my real take is that.
I don't think they'd give up. Nintendo to me feels like a very stubborn creative. They'd possibly take a break but they'd rather die before admitting defeat or letting someone else publish there own games, they'd have that creative itch to make a new console for all their new games and ideas
If the Switch turned out to be Wii U 2.0, I would think that Nintendo would go the route Sega did. That would be dropping out of the console business and becoming a platform independent game developer.
Oh good Zion still works there lol I haven’t seen him in a video for a while
A Zion is never late, not is he early, he arrives precisely when he means to.
If the Switch failed, Nintendo would probably have focused on handhelds like the 3ds, maybe they would have brought back the gameboy and just stick to lower budget games
I think the steam deck still would be a success without the switch. as long as there are people using steam there will be an interest for a portable device to play those steam games
Don't even propose the idea... It's too painful to consider lol... Nintendo probably would've went bankrupt and maybe even had to make games for another publisher 😭
We would have had another generation of Nintendo America skits and I’m a little sad we didn’t get any more.
Pretty sure if Nintendo went under it would take all of its IP with them. There simply wouldn’t be Mario anymore.
If the Switch failed, then I'd be sad & will find refuge in PC gaming
So what happens if the Switch 2 fails ?
i don’t think it would matter which platform they go IF they happen to stop doing hardware, because according to kit and krysta former nintendo marketing employees their bosses always says SOFTWARE SELLS HARDWARE. and all these years they have amassed a large number of incredible IPs that Steam, PS, and Microsoft would all be willing to get it for themselves throw in Epic there too! and with that said there’s no way they will stop doing hardware even if the switch had failed because again, SOFTWARE SELLS HARDWARE… it’s a great way of thinking
Shigeru Miyamoto, the last man remaining 💪
I find Nintendo to be unpredictable. But I'm sure they would have tried to maintain their ecosystem somehow if the Switch had failed as they are very protective over their IP's. I could totally see them to implement a service inside Steam, PSN and MS store where they would have most of the royalties and control over their own games. Ironically the reason why Nintendo broke up with Sony in the early 90s.
Maybe they would've gone back and made the 3DS 2. The 4DS. Oh, if only.
14:05 Good discussion so far and Splatoon is an interesting one to consider. I feel like Splatoon was born out of the Wii U gamepad and more generally motion controls. Would that game exist without Nintendo's history of working with motion control? Yes it would be good to have a better network with a lot more players to play with on Xbox or Playstation. I think though that Splatoon fans would agree it'd still be a downgraded experience. Do you think Nintendo would have continued Splatoon at all on consoles without motion control enabled controllers?
As an aside, I think one thing that could help with Splatoon's popularity is if there were other games that used motion control aiming. Kind of like how if you've played Kirby then you have all the skills you need to play Mario. There isn't a similar game for Splatoon. Imagine if Nintendo had a single player 3rd person action adventure game, like Ratchet & Clank, with Splatoon controls. Whether a person plays it before or after playing Splatoon, each would reinforce the same skills and potentially even sell each other. It's also one of my hopes for Metroid Prime 4 that it pushes forward motion aiming rather than the antiquated Z-targeting, that could make it a good boost to Splatoon.
Lovely to see the trio together! I had thought of this topic just a few weeks back, so it's interesting to hear you talking about it
This video references alternate history.
Had they failed they would probably just become a multiplat publisher like Sega and man, I wouldn't mind seeing Super Mario Odyssey at 4K60fps on my PC...in a native code that is :]
Wait, Alex is from Swindon?
That's where the Lawnmower kerfuffle happened!
Wow, a video with Zion. It's been a while!
Nintendo has infinite ideas
The end of videogames and ultimately society itself :(
It would be a total disaster if Nintendo left the hardware market. We'd see a lot less innovation and experimentation from them if they went third party. Nintendo is vital for this industry to thrive the way it does and I hope they stay successful and competitive for years to come.
Switch 2 needs a price cup.
I doubt Nintendo would go exclusive with PlayStation. Yeah they are both Japanese companies, but there is a long history of bad blood between them going back to when Nintendo abandoned their joint SNES CD addon project. The whole reason Sony brought the PlayStation to market was to spite Nintendo. Also, Microsoft and Nintendo have also had a long history of being friendly to eachother, so if Nintendo were to have gone software only and decided to make their games exclusive to 1 platform, I think it would have been Xbox before it would have been PlayStation.
I see where hes coming from.. nintendo are way too professional indtead of showcasing their awesome personality.
Mario Wonder on PC, Xbox One, Xbox Series, PS4, and PS5
But echo of wisdom does run well
I can't even see Nintendo failing with two consoles in a row so I have no answer. But I do know how they can make the Switch 2 not failing!
Nintendo just needs to make the next 3D Zelda, 3D Mario, Mario Kart, Animal Crossing and Super Smash Bros exclusive to the Switch 2. Then it'll automatically sell like hotcakes!!
This is an interesting what if it really makes ya think 😁
I wish the switch to fail so we can have all the great games in one platform or pc , imagine a PS5 with all the Nintendo and Microsoft exclusives on board. Is better for us
Alex you live in Swindon !
Same here
I do believe these two things are true : the Nintendo Switch is the only system to benefit the pandemic. People had to stay at home and Xbox series and ps5 were held by scalpers. Look at the spike in sales in 2019, 2020 and 2021.
Secondly i believe Nintendo has waited too long to launch a new system. New third party releases are struggling with performance and loading times and the handheld market is being flooded by decent emulators and handheld pc's. PlayStation has already released a pro version of the ps5 when rumor says the new console will have ps4 power
Oh, well, why doesn't Echoes of Wisdom run well then?
If the Switch had failed, handheld game designs might still be viable. We might not be wasting resources on 5/10 console games that could have been 10/10 handheld games. This isn't hypothetical. Think about how Scarlet and Violet are just what Pokemon IS now. Think about how we'll never get another Platinum or X/Y again. That's part of the legacy of this system, unfortunately.