Community Gaming | Geek Life: Augmenting Reality

Nintendo Switch may be leaving some gamers cautiously excited for a new console. Ever since the drastic departure of the mainstream gaming audience when Nintendo GameCube was released, the Nintendo franchise made a switch into family/group gaming and activities, beginning with the launch of the Wii. Is Nintendo attempting to lessen the divide of mainstream and family gaming? Or simply improving on the success of the Wii system? Tomorrow, we're going to have our questions answered live by Nintendo in Japan. If you haven't seen the Nintendo Switch introduction yet, take a look. Nintendo Switch Console: Introduction Just going by the introduction video alone, the Switch is an interesting move for community gaming. One thing I hated about two-player split-screen gaming is, well, the split screen. If both (or more?) players have a Switch console, then they can simply focus on their POV, without distraction. It's still great to see a portable console that encourages social play, even if only one player has access to the full Switch game console though. Having the L and R Joy-Con controllers separate into two individual controllers themselves for 2 player gaming on one screen is also an awesome concept. I'd like to find out if these controllers work as separate units on a big screen, when the console has been switched to TV mode. Yay for the Nintendo Switch Pro Controller! Nintendo seemed to be dead-set on making controllers that looked much different than the mainstream gaming community would ever imagine, and be relatively used to. Intuitive playing is difficult on most Nintendo systems, as the A and B buttons were not always where'd you expect them. On the Wiimote, the B button is a trigger button on the back of the controller. The only similar controller Nintendo had ever produced for "pro" playing is the Cube controller, and maybe the N64 controller, though that third prong in the middle was distracting. While the graphics don't seem to be up to PS4's level of realistic 3D modelling, it's certainly improved. This is one area that even frustrated Wii fans. It will be interesting to see which graphics card will be running this system. I absolutely love the fact that while the gamer can play on the TV, the game can be paused and Switched to mobile mode with so much ease. Kit and Henry are both baby gamers, and want to hog the TVs for their gaming needs all day long if they could. They can't. We have set gaming time that they're allowed, but it's sweet to know that, we as one big happy family, wouldn't have to fight over whether the next hour will be Nintendo gaming or Netflix. Both can happen at the same time, if that's how our day is going to roll. Add to the fact that mobile mode can be used by two players at the same time, and our after-dinner entertainment is going to have less meltdowns for everyone involved. Gone is the encouragement for active playing. One thing Jay and I both loved about the Wii was the get-up-off-your-butt and play mentality. Mind you, these days we leave our house for activities, like actual bowling alleys, tennis courts, and yoga studios, instead of the simulated Wii world. So while that fad was awesome, it might be a good thing that it's being left behind. I'm highly interested to see if there will be any plugins involved. Xbox, Playstation, and even the Wii had video addons to stream movies and TV (Netflix and Hulu are both available on the Wii.) Will this new console have added streaming capabilities, or are they leaving that to the Rokus, Chromecasts, and SmartTVs? Watch the Nintendo Switch Unveiling Live There is a live presentation from Tokyo happening this Thursday January 12th, 8PM PT & 11PM ET right on YouTube, and I so can't wait to see what Nintendo will showcase for the Switch. From the introduction video, the system looks awesome as a whole, so now it's up to what kind of games are going to be developed for it. It's rumored that the console will be priced around $250US, which is half of the cost of a newly launched Xbox or Playstation unit. Is it worth it though? The first set of released games may be the deciding factor. Nintendo may have also changed their tune on software design though, as there is recognition in partnering up with a ton of top gaming developers, including UbiSoft, Warner Bros, SEGA, and ActiVision. Up to this point, Nintendo games have largely been made in-house, or they've carried a strong leading role when the development teams were outsourced. It's possible that the name "Switch" could also be referring to Nintendo finally reaching out and inviting leading gaming developers to play in their sandbox. Does the Nintendo Switch console sound like a great addition to your household? If it was just Jay and I, I think we would consider grabbing one eventually. With Kit and Henry though, we just might finally replace our Wii a little sooner than we thought.

Tag: Community Gaming

Nintendo Switch: Bridging the Divide for All Gamers

Technology. Collectibles. Travel.

Technology. Collectibles. Travel.