The Nintendo switch is indeed an interesting release by Nintendo. It was branded as this hybrid cross between a console and a mobile gaming platform. It tries to be a jack of all trades and master of none.
Above we can see the primary two modes it is used in. The console mode where the mobile screen is tucked away into the console port allowing a TV screen to be used and the handheld mode which allows the switch to be used as a mobile gaming device. Before analyzing the functional uses of the Nintendo switch, I like to bring attention to the logo Nintendo has chosen for the switch. The logo is not only visually very similar to the actual device but is also visually very similar to a Ying-yang symbol, alluding to the Asian background which Nintendo comes from. I think it represents the company's product since it brings such a since of familiarity with it by referencing the Ying-Yang symbol and the company's Asian roots.
Even though the Nintendo switch has reportedly been a very huge success in opening retail sales, I can help but feel that its trying to fill too many roles at once. While it does not perform any of the tasks poorly it doesn't excel at the roles either.
Here is a picture of its third mode as splitting the pads on each side into a smaller controller for two players to use. As you can see from the picture it's somewhat awkward to hold as the pads on the side end up being very small. Furthermore, since the pads need to be configured for 3 different modes in all three modes it ends up not being the most comfortable to hold since it has the constrictions of having to be compatible the other modes.I for one cannot say that I would find the Nintendo switch a very useful device since it doesn't fulfill any of it's roles particularly well and I do not see the appeal of portable gaming. Moreover, I am somewhat worried about the hardware aspects of the Nintendo switch such as losing, a pad, or wearing down the pad, which would break the entire system.
I will admit that it's an amazingly novel idea, and maybe for some will fit this niche where it works for them as an all purpose gaming platform. When this product is compared to the price of buying a console and a mobile gaming platform it actually saves quite a bit of money. Buying a console and a handheld device would be about the range of 400-500 USD depending on what consoles to buy. While the Nintendo switch is only 300 USD.
You would also save money on not having to buy two different sets of games, for two different platforms. Perhaps this is the reason that the sales are currently doing so well for the Nintendo switch; For those consumers where the unification of these two platforms is significant, the product's hybrid niche wins them over.
Talking about niches. Discord has been one of the biggest success in voice services converting many gaming communities of users from competitor services. Its a start up company that know's its target audience very well and have developed its product specifically for this target audience. Since it's debut in march 6th 2015, it's almost been 2 years since it's released and it's has a total of 25 million register users as of December 2016.
It has gained an average of one million users per month usually converted from staple competitors such as Skype which has made it's debut over a decade ago in 2003. It was so successful in its first year that PC gamer announced it as the number one voice service platform available for gamers and streamers.
It's success is based heavily off of the various design choices that appeal to the specific needs of a target user base. On top of that it has very smooth UI designs and also features which promote a sense of community such as having custom chat servers, and bot scripts for those servers. Here's a list of features it boasts over it's competitors.
Another aspect of what makes discord so successful is that they are partnering with popular streamers in the community which then uses and promotes discord. As well as promoting a sense of community through the use of custom chat channels. It has really nailed the aspect of the voice service which the gaming community needed, a social aspect.
Not only is discord reaching out to popular stars in the community but it also proving API tools and tutorials for the community to get involved when they create their own chat channels. Community members can create their own custom bots which can perform a wide range of tasks for their specific channels. This provides an excellent platform for the community to grown on its now and not just reply on the development team.
By knowing the niche that the product needs to fill, and by knowing the specific needs of the users, Discord has become a very rapidly growing service which is currently dominating the PC gaming community.
Bibliography:
http://www.nintendo.com/switch/
https://discordapp.com/
Bibliography:
http://www.nintendo.com/switch/
https://discordapp.com/
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