Nintendo Switch Topic; #byebyenx

[BullockDS]

Few things to report:

First: First Nintendo Switch Direct Airing on January 12th, 2017. This really seems like they're running down the clock more than necessary for getting relevant info out (this Direct seems to cover launch date, price[s], software, and perhaps specs).

Second: Nintendo Switch has a 6.2" 720p multi-touch screen. This isn't confirmed, but this is Eurogamer and apparently the source of this rumor is the same that provided EG with their on-the-money rumors about the base nature of the Switch, so I'm hopeful.

Finally: Investors Aren't Fans of the Switch. (If you can't read this article, as WSJ is notorious for, I've copied it into the spoiler at the end of this post.) I can understand where they're coming from in terms of the stock success Pokemon GO brought, but it's still disappointing that they're so dead set on Nintendo giving up consoles to go full-force on mobile. PokeGO was a flash in the pan success; I doubt something like Mario Run will come close to emulating that success; one of PokeGO's huge hooks was involving real-life interaction and travel in the proceedings; Mario Run doesn't seem to avail itself to that angle.

I do think that Nintendo is partially to blame for the negative investor reception to the Switch, though, in pushing the reveal off so long (and crucial details even longer). Having info ready earlier would've allowed them to smooth out this exact sort of scenario.

WSJ Article

Nintendo needs to make a switch—and quick.

The Japanese game giant reported dismal results for the six months ending in September, with sales falling by a third while it reported an operating loss. It has also incurred 39.9 billion yen ($383 million) of foreign exchange losses as a stronger yen reduced its overseas sales, which accounted for 71% of the total.

The company only managed to churn out a net profit thanks to a sale of its majority stake in Major League Baseball’s Seattle Mariners, which netted 62.7 billion yen. Unfortunately, it doesn’t have any more baseball teams to sell.

The good news: Mobile-gaming bets are paying off. Nintendo recorded 12 billion yen of profit from associate companies, mostly attributed to the hugely popular mobile game Pokémon Go, which has only been around for three months. That is equal to three-quarters of Nintendo’s net income for the previous fiscal year. The company owns a 32% stake in Pokémon Company, which co-developed the game with Niantic, a spinoff from Google.

To the annoyance of investors, Nintendo remains focused on consoles—and in a bad way. It revealed its new Switch console last week, which investors hated. The stock has fallen nearly 10% since the announcement. Going against two established console giants, Sony’s PlayStation and Microsoft’s Xbox, seems a more foolhardy proposition.

Meanwhile, as the Pokémon Go craze has showed, mobile games are clearly the way forward for the Japanese firm to revive its iconic status in the gaming world. Yet Nintendo has moved slowly. Super Mario, however, will make his highly anticipated arrival on iPhones in December.

Investors keep hoping such disastrous quarterly results will eventually get management to see that Nintendo’s future is more in mobile than consoles. So far, Nintendo is only halfway there.