The verdict by games players has yet to be learned, but stockmarket investors have given a thumbs-down to Nintendo’s new Switch gaming console, unveiled late last week but which is not due to reach stores worldwide until March 3.
The stock plunged 5.9 percent on Friday after pricing and other details were released, and fell a further 3.6 percent yesterday, bringing the decline in the company’s market value to about US$2.7 billion over the two trading days.
The Switch is Nintendo’s biggest bet in years, according to a Bloomberg report. It has been described as a bold attempt to unify gameplay at home and on the go with a tablet sporting wireless controllers that can be used anywhere, but also connects to TVs.
“Whether that wager pays off depends on whether people are willing to pay US$300 or 30,000 yen [Australian price: A$469.99] for a machine that offers a lot of incremental improvements and ideas, but no single technological or conceptual breakthrough that makes the Switch easy to understand,” according to Bloomberg.
