Nintendo Switch 2 seems not innovative. After trying it, it is 100% DNA Nintendo

Today is thrown Nintendo Switch 2 And, as some claim, “it is the least innovative console in history.” That exaggerated phrase can be read in Redditbut although it may seem that it is the impression of a single user, the truth is that there is a runrun both inside and outside the industry about the role of the New Nintendo console.

Nintendo Switch It was a revolution. Although it was the concept of Wiiu brought to an end to which, by technologythat machine could not reach, the hybrid console has not only filled the pockets of the Japanese company with More than 152 million units soldbut opened the way for the definitive success of this type of devices.

Steam Deck, Asus Rog Ally either Lenovo Legion Go They drink, unquestionably, of switch, and it is unquestionable that the machine was more than an innovation, a revolution. The problem is the phrase that Nintendo is synonymous with innovation In everything he does when, precisely, when talking about historical consoles, we see that It is not so much like that.

In fact, Nintendo Switch 2 is the most logical thing they could do from Nintendo.

Nintendo Switch 2 is 100% Nintendo spirit

Beyond what users can think about the machine, that it does not innovate when, apparently, it was forced to it is something that is resonating within the industry. On who? Then by one of the most authorized voices: Shuhei Yoshida.

Yoshida was an emblematic piece of PlayStation. It was one of the initial members of the PlayStation project when Sony wanted to stand up to Nintendo after the betrayal of the Nintendo PlayStation and it was the President of Sie Worldwide Studioscoordinating dozens of studies and, currently, The indies that arrive in PlayStation.

His career is full of successes (also some other bad decision, such as Do not trust in ‘Demon’s Souls’the game that preceded successes like ‘Dark Souls‘,’Bloodborne‘ either ‘Elden Ring‘), And after his retirement he is dedicated to saying what he thinks about the industry.

Your opinion about Nintendo Switch 2? That Nintendo sacrificed innovation to have a more powerful console. In a recent podcastYoshida commented that “Nintendo is losing its identity. For me, they have always been those who created new experiences, such as designing a hardware and games that together give us a new experience. ”

Basically, Nintendo has opted only for more power. In fact, The only thing he likes It is the ‘Welcome Tour’ (a collection of mini -games that will allow us to know the console better) and ‘The Duskbloods‘, The new of the creators of …’ Demon’s Souls’.

But the opinions that Nintendo should really worry are those of their investors. In the presentation of the financial results, one of them asked about Switch 2 is a “bridge” console towards a new more innovative generation, and it was Nintendo’s own president, Shuaro Furukawa, who took the baton confirming that the hardware is more polished than in Switch and that innovation goes on the other hand.

“In recent years, developers have needed higher performance processing to achieve one of Nintendo’s most important objectives: new ways of playing. Therefore, this time we aim to design a hardware with a great performance capacity, ”said Furukawa.

In summary: more power will allow ways to play that could not be experienced in Switch, and two of their first games are an example. ‘Mario Kart World‘It is huge, with an open world mode and 24 runners on the track, something impossible on Switch. AND ‘Donkey Kong Baniza‘It is a show in the destruction of the stage.

Nintendo always innova?

When we talk about games, and here it is already a personal issue, I consider that the company always offers something new. Two recent examples are ‘The Legend of Zelda Tears of The Kingdom‘carrying to the extreme the freedom of the first installment with a large engine of physical and a’Super Mario Wonder‘That shows that, after so many years, the formula of the Super Mario in 2D is not exhausted.

But, when we talk about hardware, the thing is very different and, in fact, that “Nintendo always innova” has only been seen twice: when they have urgently needed it.

In this graph we can see something vital for any company: Hardware sales. It is with video games with what they get money, but in the end it is the fish that bite the tail and more consoles sold more potential software.

And what the figures tell us is that, if we do not count the Nesyour first console, Nintendo has only taken the imagination for a walk when his business was in danger. After nes, he arrived SNESwhich was a generational change from 8 to 16 bits and, therefore, only had more power. More than the same of SNES to a Nintendo 64 That it was a beast, but that stood out for its analog stick in the command resulting from the need to control characters in three dimensions.

That extra power allowed the 3D that were already in other systems. Nintendo 64 stuck a tube, but the worst came with its next console: Game Cube. Was A authentic graphic beastmore powerful than PlayStation 2 that swept his generation, but sold extremely little. There Nintendo needed a change and, with the code name ‘Nintendo Revolution‘, they launched Nintendo Wii.

He sold what is not written and, after her, tried, precisely, to innovate. The result? A wiiu that arrived with A bad namea worst marketing and the doors of a generational change -that of Xbox One and PS4– For which it fell in potential. Nintendo was held for sales of Nintendo DS and Nintendo 3DSbut a new revolution was urged and Switch arrived.

After 152 million consoles sold, and counting, Nintendo cannot play it with hardware And, precisely, he has done the same thing that already worked with Super Nintendo and with his portable consoles: more power, better hardware and some other new thing, such as the joy-with with mouse mode.

Of seven desktop consoles launched by the company so far, if we count switch, only two were a revolution -wii and switch-, and as sales reflect, both arrived by strict need. In fact, to your own Nintendo Switch Oled He was already blamed that He was not revolutionary.

If we talk about laptops, there we could say that DS was innovative thanks to his new way of playing with his two screens, but, again, the previous laptops only increased the power and little more, because it was what worked in each era.

And it is not to defend a Nintendo who is making questionable decisions with Nintendo Switch 2 (as Limit Nintendo Online Functions without meaning In the first switch, THE PRICE OF THE GAMESSW The controversies Game Key Card), But that innovation that is present in their games It would be a shot in the foot if they wanted to reinvent the wheel After a console that is the second best selling in history.

And we will see if at any time it surpasses the mythical PlayStation 2 and its 160 million units.

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