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Forums - Nintendo Discussion - EA comments on Switch support, says most players also own a PS4/X1 and often play the publisher’s games on those platforms

HollyGamer said:
Then make your games compatible with Switch user EA.

We know Switch user are different from PS4 and Xbox fans, but there are games that cater for that market. It's time you EA try to make special games like how Square Enix and Sega make different kind of games for specific platform.

Why would they if they are already getting the results they want from what they are currently doing?



duduspace11 "Well, since we are estimating costs, Pokemon Red/Blue did cost Nintendo about $50m to make back in 1996"

http://gamrconnect.vgchartz.com/post.php?id=8808363

Mr Puggsly: "Hehe, I said good profit. You said big profit. Frankly, not losing money is what I meant by good. Don't get hung up on semantics"

http://gamrconnect.vgchartz.com/post.php?id=9008994

Azzanation: "PS5 wouldn't sold out at launch without scalpers."

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They could conclude that only for games that are on switch, don't?
If they don't launch because past data says that switch owners play in other platforms, they could also conclude that it won't sell on ps5 and scarlet, and decide not making games on them...



Well, suggesting the non-existant EA games on Switch sell better on PS4 than the Switch is pretty much dividing by zero




I love these threads. "I hate you EA! Nintendo fans would never buy your bad games! But you're wrong not to support Nintendo because that's a bad business decision because you'd be making a lot more money if you did! But I don't care at all! Hmph!"

Honestly, I understand where EA is coming from. The restaurant chain Subway recently realized that they were damaging their own margins by putting too many franchises too close to one another. In the pursuit of volume, they sacrificed efficiency to an unacceptable degree. One in the hand is worth two in the bush, especially when you divide those two with four store locations.

Publishers have to look at the data and ask themselves where and when it no longer becomes a positive to work on developing a new distribution channel. What is the potential gain? Because TOTAL sales no longer paint the full picture when a market is fragmented--they'll be looking more at unique sales opportunities in that situation. For example, if someone buys a game on Switch that would have bought it on Xbox otherwise, then you've just taken a hit to efficiency and lowered your margins.

It's a simple equation. Subtract the sales you think you would have gotten anyway from another channel from the total sales then compare the result against porting and marketing costs and decide if it was a worthwhile use of resources.

I've been saying this for years but I don't think EA is interested in splitting their market with another wedge on the pie chart. I don't believe they think it would be a much of a net positive in the long run. I don't think they're alone, either, as we've seen some publishers put some games on Nintendo hardware but not other games.

Am I saying they are right? I'm not, as I have no idea. However, I have no doubt that they have a lot more data than anyone here, so it's pretty hard to blindly contradict them.

On the other hand, I think they're overlooking something which I've come to think of as "The Bethesda Effect" (or, previously, the "The Ubisoft Effect"). Throw your full support behind Nintendo at the start of a generation and many of those "I hate the games X makes! I hate X for not supporting Nintendo!" comments mysteriously turn positive. Appeal to the ego of Nintendo-only gamers and I think the ratio of unique Nintendo sales will go up substantially.



pokoko said:
I love these threads. "I hate you EA! Nintendo fans would never buy your bad games! But you're wrong not to support Nintendo because that's a bad business decision because you'd be making a lot more money if you did! But I don't care at all! Hmph!"

Honestly, I understand where EA is coming from. The restaurant chain Subway recently realized that they were damaging their own margins by putting too many franchises too close to one another. In the pursuit of volume, they sacrificed efficiency to an unacceptable degree. One in the hand is worth two in the bush, especially when you divide those two with four store locations.

Publishers have to look at the data and ask themselves where and when it no longer becomes a positive to work on developing a new distribution channel. What is the potential gain? Because TOTAL sales no longer paint the full picture when a market is fragmented--they'll be looking more at unique sales opportunities in that situation. For example, if someone buys a game on Switch that would have bought it on Xbox otherwise, then you've just taken a hit to efficiency and lowered your margins.

It's a simple equation. Subtract the sales you think you would have gotten anyway from another channel from the total sales then compare the result against porting and marketing costs and decide if it was a worthwhile use of resources.

I've been saying this for years but I don't think EA is interested in splitting their market with another wedge on the pie chart. I don't believe they think it would be a much of a net positive in the long run. I don't think they're alone, either, as we've seen some publishers put some games on Nintendo hardware but not other games.

Am I saying they are right? I'm not, as I have no idea. However, I have no doubt that they have a lot more data than anyone here, so it's pretty hard to blindly contradict them.

On the other hand, I think they're overlooking something which I've come to think of as "The Bethesda Effect" (or, previously, the "The Ubisoft Effect"). Throw your full support behind Nintendo at the start of a generation and many of those "I hate the games X makes! I hate X for not supporting Nintendo!" comments mysteriously turn positive. Appeal to the ego of Nintendo-only gamers and I think the ratio of unique Nintendo sales will go up substantially.

You pretty much hit the nail on the first party.

In VGC it's something like "If EA change the games they make, how they make, where they launch, etc etc etc.... until they aren't EA anymore they will see more sales in Switch, I swear". EA won't change for the sake of pleasing a market they don't think will give they a ROI that is better than what they already have.



duduspace11 "Well, since we are estimating costs, Pokemon Red/Blue did cost Nintendo about $50m to make back in 1996"

http://gamrconnect.vgchartz.com/post.php?id=8808363

Mr Puggsly: "Hehe, I said good profit. You said big profit. Frankly, not losing money is what I meant by good. Don't get hung up on semantics"

http://gamrconnect.vgchartz.com/post.php?id=9008994

Azzanation: "PS5 wouldn't sold out at launch without scalpers."

Around the Network
SpokenTruth said:
Jpcc86 said:

It kinda did underperform, didnt it?

Based on what metric?

None whatsoever, it was a question not an affirmation. 



Jpcc86 said:
SpokenTruth said:

Based on what metric?

None whatsoever, it was a question not an affirmation. 

You can look at how much it sold on Switch versus other platforms.

8.88M X360

6.49M PS3

3.99M PC

3.36M PS4

1.83M X1

1.15M Switch

1.13M PS4VR



duduspace11 "Well, since we are estimating costs, Pokemon Red/Blue did cost Nintendo about $50m to make back in 1996"

http://gamrconnect.vgchartz.com/post.php?id=8808363

Mr Puggsly: "Hehe, I said good profit. You said big profit. Frankly, not losing money is what I meant by good. Don't get hung up on semantics"

http://gamrconnect.vgchartz.com/post.php?id=9008994

Azzanation: "PS5 wouldn't sold out at launch without scalpers."

Sooooo why does any company bother making Switch games.. what a dumb thing for EA to say. And they question why they are the most hated.



They say they have data that Switch owners would rather buy their games on other platforms. What data? All they have are 2 FIFAs (soon 3) along with 2 indie games published by them. There is no Star Wars, Battlefield, Madden, NBA Live, NHL, Need for Speed, etc. They flat out don't want to support it and I think the reason is Switch owners don't spend much on microtransactions.



So people want to play the version of fifa that is fully featured on ps4/xb1 over the version with most features taken out on switch. I feel like this has more to do with the game itself than the console it's on.