E
Evan Marks
Guest
The Switch is an incredible device! That's something that I'm sure everyone in this group can agree on. I think most of us have a Switch or are at least trying to get one. With this incredible system, I think Nintendo is drawing a lot of newcomers in here and I wonder if you're caught up on what Nintendo's relationship with third parties is like. There is a storied conflict beginning with the NES, but that's chronicled elsewhere. Often in these debates people will reference the PS4 and the Xbox Ones first year.
While that's well intentioned, I don't know how helpful it is. I've been on team "be patient, wait for E3" for awhile, and now that it's come and gone, people are correct. Nintendo has a problem with third parties.
Instead we should turn our thoughts to the Wii and Wii U. For two generations (well, one and a half) third parties scrambled to give Nintendo ports and exclusive versions of games, as well as all new games built from the ground up, but the problem is, those games didn't sell.
The Switch's problem isn't the timing, or the power, or the install base, or the lack of developer interest. I firmly believe that the third party issues are rooted in over a decade of developer effort being wasted on games that don't turn a profit. The Wii U's first year was bursting with third party desirable games but the console was owned by the Nintendo hardcore or people who owned multiple consoles, and neither of those groups were keen on Call of Duty or Assassins Creed on Wii U. BUT THEY WERE GOOD PORTS! It's not the developers fault for not taking the risk on Switch, and it's not Nintendo's fault either. The blame rests on Nintendo fans and our years of not buying multiplatform games. (Obviously some of you did buy them, I'm not saying no one did. But numbers in the 40-50,000's don't mean squat. Even with a low install base)
Personally I am a Wii U owner who bought Watch Dogs, Call of Duty and Deus Ex, but I didn't really enjoy them. I play Nintendo games because there is nothing else like them!
That's not to say that the Switch deserves the same fate. It's understandable that big companies are intrepid about what games they would put on the Switch. It's not Nintendo's fault either. They have reached out to Ubisoft (Rabbids) Bethesda (they are publishing Skyrim on their own dime) and 2k (2k18) Nintendo is sticking their neck out at one more chance to get some solid third party support on their console. It's a good console (remember the beginning of the post?) and devs are eager to support it. But it's gonna be an uphill battle to show third parties that we want their games and that they aren't wasting their time. What is it gonna take third parties for you to want to support them? What games are you looking for?
While that's well intentioned, I don't know how helpful it is. I've been on team "be patient, wait for E3" for awhile, and now that it's come and gone, people are correct. Nintendo has a problem with third parties.
Instead we should turn our thoughts to the Wii and Wii U. For two generations (well, one and a half) third parties scrambled to give Nintendo ports and exclusive versions of games, as well as all new games built from the ground up, but the problem is, those games didn't sell.
The Switch's problem isn't the timing, or the power, or the install base, or the lack of developer interest. I firmly believe that the third party issues are rooted in over a decade of developer effort being wasted on games that don't turn a profit. The Wii U's first year was bursting with third party desirable games but the console was owned by the Nintendo hardcore or people who owned multiple consoles, and neither of those groups were keen on Call of Duty or Assassins Creed on Wii U. BUT THEY WERE GOOD PORTS! It's not the developers fault for not taking the risk on Switch, and it's not Nintendo's fault either. The blame rests on Nintendo fans and our years of not buying multiplatform games. (Obviously some of you did buy them, I'm not saying no one did. But numbers in the 40-50,000's don't mean squat. Even with a low install base)
Personally I am a Wii U owner who bought Watch Dogs, Call of Duty and Deus Ex, but I didn't really enjoy them. I play Nintendo games because there is nothing else like them!
That's not to say that the Switch deserves the same fate. It's understandable that big companies are intrepid about what games they would put on the Switch. It's not Nintendo's fault either. They have reached out to Ubisoft (Rabbids) Bethesda (they are publishing Skyrim on their own dime) and 2k (2k18) Nintendo is sticking their neck out at one more chance to get some solid third party support on their console. It's a good console (remember the beginning of the post?) and devs are eager to support it. But it's gonna be an uphill battle to show third parties that we want their games and that they aren't wasting their time. What is it gonna take third parties for you to want to support them? What games are you looking for?
