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Forums - Nintendo - Why would devs back another underpowered Nintendo console?

bonzobanana on 20 December 2016

Nintendo's portable products are still seen as successful and the Switch gives publishers the chance to get another chunk of money from their 360 and ps3 titles. Publishers are keen I'm sure at this point to see another area of revenue open up.

I'll probably buy the skyrim cartridge if it supports VR.

http://www.geforce.co.uk/whats-new/articles/maxwell-architecture-gpus-the-only-choice-for-virtual-reality-gaming



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maxleresistant on 20 December 2016
Miyamotoo said:
maxleresistant said:

1.you can't know that

2. agreed

3.I don't why they should care about that, but ok.

4.you can't know that either

5.and you can't know that either.

Maybe rephrase it as something you think might be happening. Because only 2. is a fact, the rest is just suppositions

I didn't said that all reasons I listed are facts, but IMO possible reasons why 3rd party supporting Switch.

And about point 1., offcourse that Switch will be more popular than Wii U in any case.

You didn't say that they are facts, but the way you wrote them, it's clearly like you are stating facts.

Maybe try to use stuff like "may" or "should" or "could", or "I think". I don't if english is your native language or not, but well now you know.



fleischr on 20 December 2016
Mummelmann said:
fleischr said:
The only logical explanations are:
1. Switch is probably more powerful than currently believed
2. All 3rd parties are in on some ruse to build up hype for the Switch only to disappoint us more than we ever were with the WiiU

3. They're blowing hot air and won't end up giving proper support, besides poor ports, ports of older games and casual fare, as was the case with the Wii and the Wii U.

There is absolutely no reason to think that this will end up differently. Nintendo are in a historically weak position as far as developer incentives go and power argument is only one part of the problem; demographics and relations and past sales are entirely different ones, and probably even more important. I remember reading a thread on GTA VI on Switch, everyone was arguing whether or not it would have the horsepower to run, while all I could think of was; where on earth is the incentive for putting a GTA game on a Nintendo console? Chinatown Wars sold a whooping 90k in its first three weeks on the DS and GTA is probably among the most dismissed major franchises among Nintendo fans online.

So, the only logical explanation is number 3, obviously. The Wii U had developers and publishers "commit" to developing for and supporting the platform, even big ones like Ubisoft and EA, we all know how that went. Leaning on the whole "but the Switch has more positive buzz" doesn't really change much, especially with the cold, hard figures available to us through this site and other sources, which show the reality and market these developers face.

Number 3 is really the same as number 2.



I predict NX launches in 2017 - not 2016

Random_Matt on 20 December 2016

They won't, they will test the waters for the first 12 months, then 3rd party will stop. My prediction anyway.



Mummelmann on 20 December 2016
fleischr said:
Mummelmann said:

3. They're blowing hot air and won't end up giving proper support, besides poor ports, ports of older games and casual fare, as was the case with the Wii and the Wii U.

There is absolutely no reason to think that this will end up differently. Nintendo are in a historically weak position as far as developer incentives go and power argument is only one part of the problem; demographics and relations and past sales are entirely different ones, and probably even more important. I remember reading a thread on GTA VI on Switch, everyone was arguing whether or not it would have the horsepower to run, while all I could think of was; where on earth is the incentive for putting a GTA game on a Nintendo console? Chinatown Wars sold a whooping 90k in its first three weeks on the DS and GTA is probably among the most dismissed major franchises among Nintendo fans online.

So, the only logical explanation is number 3, obviously. The Wii U had developers and publishers "commit" to developing for and supporting the platform, even big ones like Ubisoft and EA, we all know how that went. Leaning on the whole "but the Switch has more positive buzz" doesn't really change much, especially with the cold, hard figures available to us through this site and other sources, which show the reality and market these developers face.

Number 3 is really the same as number 2.

It's not a ruse if everyone knows it'll happen though. "Ruse", as defined as "A wily subterfuge", doesn't really fit the bill here. There is no subterfuge, seeing these developers' past history with Nintendo. It would be like showing surprise if a person convicted of multiple murders were to kill again.

I suppose it's a matter of semantics, so I guess we can technically both be right (or wrong).



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fleischr on 20 December 2016
JRPGfan said:
fleischr said:
The only logical explanations are:
1. Switch is probably more powerful than currently believed
2. All 3rd parties are in on some ruse to build up hype for the Switch only to disappoint us more than we ever were with the WiiU

1) nintendo went around with bags of money, and baskets full of cookies.

2) the reason they didnt like the Wii U, was the concept (split gameing, between 2 screens ect), and they like this concept better.

3) maybe they think this has a chance of actually selling well (unlike the Wii U).

1. I don't think that's their style. Everyone knows that Nintendo consoles always live and die based on the success of 1st party.

2. Execution matters more than concept. No matter how interesting the concept is - if their products can't run on the Switch or if it's more trouble than its worth, they won't go for it.

3. Maybe true, but likely irrelevant actually. Even great-selling Nintendo platforms like Wii, DS, and 3DS have kind of left 3rd parties in the dust in terms of sales performance. Sports games, CoD, Assassins Creed and others underperfomed on the Nintendo platform despit being big hits on PS3/360.



I predict NX launches in 2017 - not 2016

DélioPT on 20 December 2016

It's not like they are fully onboard too.
We don't exactly the level of support that is coming. That's something we'll find out in January.

About them actually being there. Well, many things can explain that: better deals; ports being more simple/costing less; Switch being both attractive to console gamers and handheld gamers.

Again, we don't really know what kind of support Nintendo is getting from western 3rd parties.
Actually, what matters the most is how well it does on Switch so more games can keep coming.

Power becomes secondary if you see that money can be made on a platform.
If that happens, then you can bet ports will come even if they are the worst looking ones.



fleischr on 20 December 2016
Mummelmann said:
fleischr said:

Number 3 is really the same as number 2.

It's not a ruse if everyone knows it'll happen though. "Ruse", as defined as "A wily subterfuge", doesn't really fit the bill here. There is no subterfuge, seeing these developers' past history with Nintendo. It would be like showing surprise if a person convicted of multiple murders were to kill again.

I suppose it's a matter of semantics, so I guess we can technically both be right (or wrong).

I think the likes of 2K, From Software, and Bethesda know exactly what they're implying when they put their brand next to the Switch and how that implication may differ from reality



I predict NX launches in 2017 - not 2016

fleischr on 20 December 2016
DélioPT said:
It's not like they are fully onboard too.
We don't exactly the level of support that is coming. That's something we'll find out in January.

About them actually being there. Well, many things can explain that: better deals; ports being more simple/costing less; Switch being both attractive to console gamers and handheld gamers.

Again, we don't really know what kind of support Nintendo is getting from western 3rd parties.
Actually, what matters the most is how well it does on Switch so more games can keep coming.

Power becomes secondary if you see that money can be made on a platform.
If that happens, then you can bet ports will come even if they are the worst looking ones.

But here's the thing, bad ports usually make bad sales - regardless of whether you're in the heights of WiiU success or the pits of WiiU lows.

it's a waste of developers time better spent on making games better.



I predict NX launches in 2017 - not 2016

Player2 on 20 December 2016

I don't expect western support to be more than a bunch of ports.

Japanese support is a different matter. Many of their games sell primarily in Japan and they can't rely forever on the ever-shrinking Japanese Playstation userbase exclusively, especially now that it seems that Vita isn't going to have a sucessor. Switch is the last hope for many small and mid-sized teams to not become mobile devs in the next years.