Finally, the Switch console from Nintendo is officially released, if gamers can find one. Most social media reports give the impression the Switch is near impossible to find, as fans point out the Switch is sold out at their local stores. A few Nintendo fans, who might live in less populated towns, claim the Switch could be picked up easily from walking in.
According to New York Times reporter Nick Wingfield, the Switch is selling better than the Wii in 2006. He recently had an interview with Reggie Fils-Aimé, the president and COO of Nintendo of America.
The interview is unpublished as of this writing, but Wingfield posted the claim on Twitter.
2. Fri-Sat sales for Nintendo Switch exceeded first 2-day sales in Americas for any system in Nintendo history. Next biggest was Wii.
— Nick Wingfield (@nickwingfield) March 6, 2017
Skeptical readers might notice how no hard numbers were provided. Also, the source is Reggie, so take anything he says with a grain of salt unless those hard numbers are shown.
Ben Gilbert of Business Insider agrees readers should be careful:
“No actual numbers were provided, so it’s tough to make a direct comparison with the Wii.”
“And there is clearly some metrics cherry-picking at play here, since Nintendo didn’t publicly measure the Wii’s success based on the first two days of sales when it launched back in 2006. All we know is that the Wii sold 600,000 units during its first eight days on the market.”
Gilbert goes on to admit that the Switch is doing well, and is at least more successful than the Wii U at this point. The hard part will be retaining the momentum.
What does all of this mean?
The Switch is probably selling in high numbers at the moment. A lot of hype surrounded the console heading towards its release, as Nintendo made some improvements in marketing the product.
At the heart of every successful long-lasting console though is a quality product. Nintendo needs to deliver on its promises, and the biggest hurdle for them to clear, besides delivering quality games, might be convincing gamers on its online infrastructure. Will paying a monthly fee to play online, no matter how low the price, be worth it?
Can Nintendo convince gamers that requiring a smartphone app for voice chat makes sense? Is there going to be easier interaction with strangers online, or will it be a hassle?
For now though, Nintendo fans are right to celebrate a successful Switch launch.
from Nerd Reactor
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