Nintendo Switch: Reviewers are onboard, but there's still a mountain to scale to prove its relevance
The Nintendo Switch has launched, and it could be Nintendo’s biggest gamble yet.
Footage from the critically acclaimed Zelda: Breath of the Wild
The good news is that gaming reviews have been favourable; the bad news, from a business and marketing perspective, is that many people have remained doubtful – harking back to the recent failure of the Wii-U as a case in point that Nintendo has lost its way. But at a time where more and more people are entering the gaming sector, why can't this be Nintendo's most successful console?
The gaming world is yearning for ever more immersive, more expansive technology. By placing innovation at the core of the Switch, a hybrid games console that can also be played on the move, Nintendo, as with the Wii 10 years ago, looks set to mark a new chapter in home entertainment.
It is not fighting the same war as the PS4 and Xbox One; in fact, Nintendo will be happy to let these two juggernauts slug it out. What the Switch brings to the party is innovation, personality and that little touch of magic that only Nintendo can credibly boast when trying to sell a new console into a market full of sceptics.
The original Wii was an undeniable game changer for the industry. Not only did it manage to bring previously unachievable standards of interactivity and gameplay to living rooms, workplaces and old people's homes with its motion controls, it also managed to sell the concept of gaming to demographics that, until that point, had looked upon the pastime as a dark art.
Nintendo is the last of the pioneering gaming giants that, even with the demise of the Wii-U fresh in the memory, can still come out swinging. It is fast becoming an expert in its own ability to generate a kind of nostalgia 2.0 around its brand, something that even the hardiest of naysayers will find hard to resist.
The latest incarnation of the Zelda franchise (Breath of the Wild) looks breathtaking and should ensure long-time Nintendo fans will be queuing around the block come launch night. And anyone that disputes the power of nostalgia in gaming need look no further than the global Pokémon Go infatuation that hit in 2016.
(Ed: Furthermore, to help push the console, a month before this launch, Nintendo invested in its first ever Super Bowl ad, at a pricey $5m. It displayed the plethora of uses and adaptability of the console.)
The Switch is also the first device to actively bridge the gap between home console and on-the-go mobile gaming, meaning that players will no longer have to be sat in front of a TV to get that console experience.
However, there are three things that the success of this launch will depend on. The first is competitive pricing, and the second is the gaming partners that Nintendo can get on board – some well-known partners such as Activision, Ubisoft and EA would really boost sales. The third is the technical specifications: the better the spec, the more chance the console has to appeal to the hardcore gaming scene.
Yes, the console has its doubters. But I still think Nintendo deserves a pat on the back for launching the Switch. It spotted a gap in a mobile-centric market and launched a product that in time will bridge the gap between mobile and console gaming – whether via the Switch itself, or by providing the inspiration to other console manufacturers.
Alex James is a producer at launch marketing agency Five by Five.