Nintendo SWITCH presentation to be held January 12 2017

Nintendo News: Nintendo Reveals Plans for Nintendo Switch Presentation

REDMOND, Wash.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- In a presentation to financial analysts today in Tokyo, Nintendo Co., Ltd. president Tatsumi Kimishima announced that major details regarding the company’s new Nintendo Switch home gaming system will be shared at the Nintendo Switch Presentation 2017. This will be an event for invited media, financial analysts and trade partners in Tokyo that will be globally livestreamed on Jan. 12, U.S. time. The presentation will include the launch date and pricing for Nintendo Switch, as well as a look at the lineup of games currently in development.

The Nintendo Switch Presentation 2017 will include the launch date and pricing for Nintendo Switch, as well as a look at the lineup of games currently in development. (Graphic: Business Wire)

Kimishima also announced that Nintendo Switch sampling events for invited media, partners, and consumers will take place in the U.S. and Europe after the presentation at later dates. There will be opportunities for the public to participate in other hands-on events around the same time, details of which will be announced later.

The exact time of the Nintendo Switch Presentation 2017 will be announced through Nintendo’s social media channels in the coming weeks. Last week, Nintendo Switch was first revealed in a video, available at http://www.nintendo.com/switch.

For more information about the company’s financial results in fiscal first half, please visit https://www.nintendo.co.jp/ir/en/.

Source: Nintendo Presss Release  

Nintendo Switch is not compatible with 3DS cartridges

Nintendo Switch is not compatible with 3DS cartridges

Yesterday (October 20th 2016) Nintendo revealed their newest hardware the NINTENDO SWITCH. You can read the press release for that here .  

Nintendo released a promotional video that showed the hardware using a cartridge/ SD card format for its game media .  You can watch that promotional SWITCH video by clicking here or view it below :

This picture collage (which I edited and cropped ) above was provided by Nintendo on its website:  http://www.nintendo.com/switch 

and you can clearly see that this new hardware uses a SD card / cartridge format of some kind. Since the Nintendo 3DS and DS also use a cartridge format many people wondered if the Nintendo SWITCH could play Nintendo 3DS game cartridges . Obviously since the Nintendo SWITCH doesn't have an optical disk drive Wii U and Wii games are not compatible with this new hardware . Recently Famitsu (A popular Japanese publication) confirmed that the Nintendo SWITCH is not directly backwards compatible with the Nintendo 3DS game cartridges . It can be assumed that Nintendo DS game cartridges are also not compatible with the SWITCH hardware since it uses similar technology to the Nintendo 3DS . 

Nintendo has a long standing tradition of supporting previous portable hardware in new hardware iterations . The Nintendo 3DS supports DS games , the Nintendo DS supports Game Boy Advance games, and finally the Gameboy Advance supports Gameboy Color and original Gameboy games . It looks like this tradition will end with the Nintendo SWITCH. 

Currently it is unknown if the Nintendo SWITCH has touch screen technology. The Nintendo 3DS and DS use touch screen technology for its hardware, so it would be difficult if not impossible to play many 3DS or DS games without a touchscreen of some fashion. If the Nintendo SWITCH does have touch screen technology , what kind is it ? The 3DS and DS use resistive touch screen technology and modern mobile phones and tablets use capacitive technology. If the SWITCH uses capacitive touch screen that might make it difficult (but not impossible) to play 3DS and DS games that use the older resistive touch screen technology . To learn more about touch screen technology please click here .  

It was not clear from that video if the Nintendo SWITCH can play video games in stereoscopic 3D. I assume that the Nintendo SWITCH won't have stereoscopic 3D visuals since at no time during the video was stereoscopic 3D mentioned or alluded to . Now it can be possible for the Nintendo SWITCH to play digitally downloaded Nintendo 3DS video games that users have purchased via the eshop , but we don't have any information on that either. We currently have no information on the operating system or software that the Nintendo SWITCH is compatible with at this time. Stay tuned to www.3dor2d.com to get up to date information and analysis on the Nintendo 3DS , Nintendo SWITCH, and more 3D news  . 

Source: Famitsu (Article is written in Japanese) 

Engine Software commits support to Nintendo Switch

Time to Switch it up!

Engine Software, veteran independent game developer, is following up Nintendo’s big announcement and teaser o its latest home console: the Nintendo Switch TM. We are delighted to announce we will fully support Nintendo’s new hardware as we always have supported Nintendo’s platforms in the past, all the way back to the Super Nintendo.

One of Engine Software’s key strategies has always been helping indies, developers and publishers branch out to other platforms, whether that is through full design and development on a specific platform or adapting existing games to a specific platform.

The Nintendo SwitchTM is as of now fully included in this and our engine, tools and development pipeline for the new console are already set up. Our first game is already well underway but it is a bit too early to announce that quite yet.

We recommend any indie, any developer, any publisher interested in Nintendo’s new console to get in touch with us. We are ready to go now.

Copyright © 2016 Engine Software B.V., All rights reserved.

Source : Engine Software Press Release

Nintendo reveals next new major hardware THE Nintendo SWITCH

Nintendo Switch World Premiere Demonstrates New Entertainment Experiences from a Home Gaming System

Full game demonstrations, the list of launch window titles, as well as launch date, price, product configuration and related specifics, will be shown and announced prior to the March launch. (Photo: Business Wire)

Detachable Controllers Reinvent Gaming

REDMOND, Wash.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- In an introductory video released today (http://www.nintendo.com/switch),      Nintendo provided the first glimpse of its new home gaming system and revealed that it is called Nintendo Switch. In addition to providing single and multiplayer thrills at home, the Nintendo Switch system also enables gamers to play the same title wherever, whenever and with whomever they choose. The mobility of a handheld is now added to the power of a home gaming system to enable unprecedented new video game play styles.

In addition to providing single and multiplayer thrills at home, the Nintendo Switch system also enables gamers to play the same title wherever, whenever and with whomever they choose. (Photo: Business Wire)

At home, Nintendo Switch rests in the Nintendo Switch Dock that connects the system to the TV and lets you play with family and friends in the comfort of your living room. By simply lifting Nintendo Switch from the dock, the system will instantly transition to portable mode, and the same great gaming experience that was being enjoyed at home now travels with you. The portability of Nintendo Switch is enhanced by its bright high-definition display. It brings the full home gaming system experience with you to the park, on an airplane, in a car, or to a friend’s apartment.

Gaming springs into action by removing detachable Joy-Con controllers from either side of Nintendo Switch. One player can use a Joy-Con controller in each hand; two players can each take one; or multiple Joy-Con can be employed by numerous people for a variety of gameplay options. They can easily click back into place or be slipped into a Joy-Con Grip accessory, mirroring a more traditional controller. Or, if preferred, the gamer can select an optional Nintendo Switch Pro Controller to use instead of the Joy-Con controllers. Furthermore, it is possible for numerous people to bring their Nintendo Switch systems together to enjoy local multiplayer face-to-face competition.

“Nintendo Switch allows gamers the freedom to play however they like,” said Reggie Fils-Aime, President and COO, Nintendo of America. “It gives game developers new abilities to bring their creative visions to life by opening up the concept of gaming without boundaries.”

Developers can design their games supporting a variety of play styles, which gives gamers the freedom to choose an experience that best suits them. Some of the publishers, developers and middleware partners announcing support for Nintendo Switch are as follows:

Some of the publishers, developers and middleware partners announcing support for Nintendo Switch are shown in this visual. (Photo: Business Wire)

• 505 Games• LEVEL-5 Inc.• Activision Publishing, Inc.
• Marvelous Inc.• ARC SYSTEM WORKS Co., Ltd.
• Maximum Games, LLC• ATLUS CO., LTD.
• Nippon Ichi Software, Inc.• Audiokinetic Inc.
• Parity Bit Inc.• Autodesk, Inc.
• PlatinumGames Inc.• BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment Inc.
• RAD Game Tools, Inc.• Bethesda
• RecoChoku Co., Ltd.• CAPCOM CO., LTD.
• SEGA Games Co., Ltd.• Codemasters®
• Silicon Studio Corporation• CRI Middleware Co., Ltd.
• Spike Chunsoft Co., Ltd.• DeNA Co., Ltd.
• SQUARE ENIX CO., LTD.• Electronic Arts
• Starbreeze Studios• Epic Games Inc.
• Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc.• Firelight Technologies
• Telltale Games• FromSoftware, Inc.
• THQ Nordic• Frozenbyte
• Tokyo RPG Factory Co., Ltd.• GameTrust
• TT Games

• GRASSHOPPER MANUFACTURE INC.

• UBISOFT• Gungho Online Entertainment, Inc.
• Ubitus Inc.• HAMSTER Corporation
• Unity Technologies, Inc.• Havok
• Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment• INTI CREATES CO., LTD.
• Web Technology Corp• KOEI TECMO GAMES CO., LTD.
• Konami Digital Entertainment Co., Ltd.

Today’s video incorporated short glimpses of representative gameplay to demonstrate the liberating nature of the Nintendo Switch home gaming system. Full game demonstrations, the list of launch window titles, as well as launch date, price, product configuration and related specifics, will be shown and announced prior to the March launch.

Source : Nintendo Press Release  

Edit : Added middle photo and some more links to Nintendo Switch website.