Some people are still waiting to get their hands on the Nintendo Switch while others will soon be able to place orders for their custom Nintendo Switch unit. The console is out of stock in most markets. The demand is so strong that whenever a retailer receives a fresh stock, they sell out in a few hours. Many are still paying a premium over the console’s standard price to buy it.
What do customization options include?
The Japanese company has announced that it would start taking pre-orders for custom Nintendo Switch units from August 22nd. However, not everyone will be able to pre-book their custom sets because the offer is only for the Japanese market at the moment. We would love to see Nintendo coming up with a similar plan for the US and European markets.
What does customization mean for the Switch? Well, the customization options are mainly for the accessories rather than the console itself. According to Dual Shockers, people looking to buy a custom Nintendo Switch will be able to choose from five different colors for Joy-Con controllers and seven colors for the strap attachment. The Joy-Con colors are neon-red, gray, neon-green, neon-yellow, and neon-blue. Besides these, the strap attachments will also be available in neon-pink and black colors.
The customization doesn’t seem all that exciting now, does it? This could be a small step in bringing bigger customization options in the future, probably around the holiday shopping period. Considering the Switch is still in short supply around the world, Nintendo wouldn’t want to shift focus to heavy customization at this point. Its primary focus is to meet the consumer demand.
Customers will get their custom Nintendo Switch from Oct. 01
Besides the colors of your choice, there is at least one benefit of buying the custom Nintendo Switch console. Japanese customers can place the orders on August 22 without having to worry about the console running out of stock. Nintendo has promised that all pre-orders received on August 22 would be shipped by October 1. You’ll have to wait for your console for a little over a month, but you’ll certainly get your Switch.
Pre-orders received after August 22 will be fulfilled sometime in October. Also, there is a catch: buyers will not be able to cancel the orders once placed. Nintendo did not reveal whether it intends to offer customization options in other countries as well. Anyway, most of the Joy-Con colors offered under customization are already available as Nintendo had released some new colors with Splatoon 2 last month.
Gamevice sues Nintendo
While Nintendo Switch is enjoying grand success, a gaming accessory company has sued Nintendo for allegedly copying the design from one of its products. Gamevice said in its lawsuit that the Switch violates a patent for concepts they had used in their Android-based gaming slate Wikipad. The Switch does look similar to the Wikipad. The Joy-Con controllers are also similar to Gamevice’s peripherals that you can attach to a smartphone or tablet to play games.
Gamevice has demanded a complete ban on Nintendo Switch sales, besides an undisclosed amount in damages. Nintendo stands to lose billions of dollars if the case tilts in Gamevice’s favor and the Switch gets banned. However, there are many differences between Nintendo’s product and Wikipad. Nintendo has been working on similar handheld consoles for at least five years. Gamevice began working on Wikipad around the same time.
Will EA bring more games to the Switch?
Gaming giant Electronic Arts has dropped hints that it could bring more games to Nintendo Switch. Patrick Soderlund, the Worldwide Studios VP at Electronic Arts, said in an interview with Edge Magazine (via Nintendo Insider) that whether the developer would bring more games to Nintendo Switch will depend on the success of FIFA 18 on the platform.
Soderlund added that if there is a business opportunity, Electronic Arts will bring more games to Switch. At the end of the day, the developer has to consider the resources it puts into a platform. He added that EA was testing it out with FIFA and “maybe a couple of others” to see how they perform. It means we could see one or two more EA games on the Switch, besides FIFA. If they are successful, the company would consider bringing more of its portfolio to Nintendo Switch.
How many units will Nintendo Switch sell in its lifetime?
Nintendo Switch sales have held strong since its launch in March. Nintendo revealed during its quarterly earnings call that it had sold more than 4.7 million Switch consoles by the end of June. The company has asked its suppliers to double the annual production capacity from 10 million to 20 million units. Demand for the console is expected to rise further during the holiday shopping period.
Experts forecast that Nintendo Switch would exceed the Wii U’s lifetime sales figure of 13.5 million units in less than a year. Industry analyst Michael Pachter said in the latest episode of his podcast that Nintendo would continue to rule the portable console market. Pachter predicted that the Switch would sell nearly 50 million units in its lifetime if the price remains at $300. The lifetime sales could jump to 70 million units if it cuts the price to $200 sometime in the near future.
