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[Tobor]

If 3rd Partys would help to make the Nintendo Switch a success with awesome games, than they get a system with customers who buy their games

I hope everyone understands what I mean, it's also in 3rd Partys hands if they can make money from customers of the Nintendo Switch

But they need to support the Nintendo Switch as soon as possible, and don't make heartless ports, and release the games with all the love the other console versions get

It's the other way around. It's on Nintendo to build a user base to buy the Western AAA games. They would need to re-position their brand to draw in that user base.

The PlayStation and Xbox brands have been carefully cultivated over the years to be synonymous with Western AAA games. Nintendo does the opposite. And as long as that continues, nothing will change. And maybe that's ok. Nintendo isn't interested in selling these types of games, and their user base isn't interested in buying them.

 

[Maxrunner]

So far? Poorly.

Dragon Quest Heroes 2 comparison.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mhM2LishpXc

Not only 30fps vs 60 for the others, but also looks quite poor as well.

Reminds me of my current shit computer. Where I have to go into the graphics settings in my games and turn everything to low 1 by 1 till I get decent framerates.

Well snake pass looks decent.

 

[NahaNago]

I doubt AAA western devs are going to be putting their games on the wii U outside of some maybe some artsy stuff and sports games. I doubt even AA or A games from western devs are coming to the switch and i don't see why all of a sudden they would change their tune about bringing their games to the switch. It's a combination of devs not thinking their games will sell on Switch, to gamers not buying it since its not the best version, and i'm sure their are a multitude of other reasons/excuses for the game not coming to Switch.

 

[ghostwritingduck]

I think the distance between PS4 and Switch is smaller than PS3 and Wii. Here are some current gen games that were also released on last gen.

Rise of the Tomb Raider
Metal Gear Solid 5
Persona 5
Forza Horizon 2
Titanfall
Destiny
Call of Duty Black Ops 3
Dying Light
Project Cars


This doesn't include huge re-releases of last gen games such as GTA5 and Last of Us.

 

[Neoxon]

I think the distance between PS4 and Switch is smaller than PS3 and Wii. Here are some current gen games that were also released on last gen.

Rise of the Tomb Raider
Metal Gear Solid 5
Persona 5
Forza Horizon 2
Titanfall
Destiny
Mortal Kombat X
Call of Duty Black Ops 3
Dying Light
Project Cars


This doesn't include huge re-releases of last gen games such as GTA5 and Last of Us.

Actually, Mortal Kombat X's last-gen version was cancelled.

 

[Piscus]

I think they could do well, if 3rd parties tried. I doubt that they will, though.

Spoiler

"Try" meaning do stuff like they did on the Wii U port of Need for Speed, but NOT do stuff like sitting on it for six months before releasing it. "Try" meaning actual, full-fledged versions of games for the Switch like CoD did on the Wii.... but NOT random on-rail shooters from certain IPs when people want a traditional game in the genre that made the IP famous in the first place.

 

[ShadowFox08]

No. Its easy to see why too. To have robust third party support you need to be the market leader or be easy to develop for. Nintendo definitely isn't the market leader and they have an incredibly weak console that requires it to be played portably. Both will make porting current gen games down difficult. Nintendo's insistence on using old cheap hardware and weird hardware options is why they can't get third party support on their home consoles.

Nintendo's mobile tegra hardware is actually top of the line for a handheld. They have more modern features than ps4/xbone actually, so it can narrow the power gap a little from seeing specs on paper. the power gap is narrowed significantly when compared to Wii u. Switch shouldn't have a problem scaling games from ps4. We'll be getting lower resolution and/or lower graphical fidelity in some areas. For cod, it will probably be 720p docked(assuming ps4 is 1080p), with lower graphical fidelity in some areas like textures and lighting. But it should still look pretty damn good. Switch's weakest point is its low bandwidth, but that could be alleviated a bit with tile based rendering.

I think the distance between PS4 and Switch is smaller than PS3 and Wii. Here are some current gen games that were also released on last gen.

Rise of the Tomb Raider
Metal Gear Solid 5
Persona 5
Forza Horizon 2
Titanfall
Destiny
Call of Duty Black Ops 3
Dying Light
Project Cars


This doesn't include huge re-releases of last gen games such as GTA5 and Last of Us.

Its a LOT smaller. PS4 is well above 10x more powerful than the Wii.
Ps4 is roughly 3x as powerful as switch after you count switch's newer hardware and fp16 support.

 

[NMFried]

I think the dev environment is there, and if first party Nintendo content brings big sales numbers, I could see third parties jumping on board for Year Two. Wouldn't be surprised if they're waiting for E3 to blow out.

EA sports titles can surely be handled. Shooters could have downgraded ports. I mean, even the Wii had Black Ops, COD4, etc in some fashion.

If the Switch sales continue like they have, third parties will want to cultivate the console's younger audience by releasing their big sellers. Think what would have happened if EA or Ubisoft doubled down on the Wii at its height instead of PS3/360. Or rather, if the Wii U had launched in 2009 or 2010. Those kids who grew up with the Wii would have bought a Wii U, instead of a 360 or PS3.

 

[mlclmtckr]

Even so, I think most people playing it on the low end PCs aren't doing it because they want to. If you can pay the same amount of money for a PS4/X1 and Call of Duty, or a Switch and Call of Duty, wouldn't the higher fidelity versions be more appealing? Portability is a bonus, but not all people game on the go and the market may not be there for it.

Maybe not, but I think it's a strong enough possibility for a publisher to test the waters. I bet there is a decent market for an ugly-but-portable COD.

 

[Fisty]

I'm hoping Skyrim on Switch is a success (and I truly believe it shall be so) for that may cause the Western giants to consider giving the platform more serious support.

:X

Remember Mass Effect 3, Deus Ex HR, Batman Arkham City? Late ports won't save anything. If (and I mean IF) Switch manages to convince major devs and pubs to bring multiplatform games DAY ONE, then let's talk. A year-late port of a remaster of a 5 year old game isn't going to move the needle in the slightest

 

[ghostwritingduck]

Actually, Mortal Kombat X's last-gen version was cancelled.

It makes sense with the new systems having taken over.

My point is that a lot of recent big games were very playable on older systems. The Switch is at least as powerful as those systems. Gameplay can be maintained while scaling back graphics with many current games.

 

[SolidSnakex]

I think Blunty brought up an excellent point about the potential third party ports on the Switch. The portability of Switch games could be a major selling factor & a great reason to get your game on the platform (if possible). If you're already gonna sacrifice performance for a console, why not sacrifice a little more for the Switch?

Because the baseline that they've been working with for three years now has been the Xbox One. For the Switch they'd not only need to change their baseline, but change it in a negative way. How often does that happen in gaming? Where someone during the console lifespan developers start targeting a console that's even less powerful than where they started?

Nintendo ultimately made their bed with the decision to once again release an underpowered platform. You can't point the figure at them because of Nintendo's own decision.

I think the distance between PS4 and Switch is smaller than PS3 and Wii. Here are some current gen games that were also released on last gen.

Rise of the Tomb Raider
Metal Gear Solid 5
Persona 5
Forza Horizon 2
Titanfall
Destiny
Mortal Kombat X
Call of Duty Black Ops 3
Dying Light
Project Cars


This doesn't include huge re-releases of last gen games such as GTA5 and Last of Us.

There is no last gen version of Dying Light. In fact, developes actually specifically noted that they killed the last gen version because they'd have to compromise their vision in order to get it to work

Much of this “next-gen feel” is tightly connected to the technological side of Dying Light. For instance, up to 200,000 objects can be displayed in the game at once. Add to this our use of realistic, physics-based lighting technology and you really start to push the next-gen systems to the limits. Features like these along with our core gameplay pillars – such as the player-empowering Natural Movement, threefold character development system, and vast open world – are all an inherent part of how Dying Light plays. However, combining all of these into one fluid experience is only possible on technologically advanced platforms.

Therefore, after thorough internal testing, we have come to the conclusion that we have no choice but to leave past-gen systems behind and release Dying Light exclusively on the next-gen consoles and PC. Put simply, older consoles just couldn’t run the game and stay true to the core vision of Dying Light at the same time.

To ensure you enjoy Dying Light as much as we would like you to, we chose to release it without any compromises on the three strongest systems available. Thanks to this, you’ll get the full and best experience regardless of the platform you play on.

 

[KageMaru]

Nintendo would need to foster a larger audience of gamers that 3rd parties cater to. Sony and MS have done a great job building a user base that is attracted to AAA 3rd party games. The same can't be said for Nintendo, so they'll need to work on that before there is hope for more consistent 3rd party success.

 

[CronoShot]

Indies, yes.

For the most part, major western third parties won't even give it the time of day. So no, it's not getting Destiny, Call of Duty, Battlefield, Assassin's Creed, etc, and no one should have expected it to get them.

But that's par for the course with Nintendo consoles.

 

[gtj1092]

They will come flocking now that Lego City sold more on switch than ps4.

But I think things will remain as is. Switch will get the same 3rd party Western games as Wii U and more Indies and will serve mainly as 3ds successor.

 

[Piscus]

If the Switch is successful and builds a large enough audience, I do see western third-parties showing up. They'll want a slice of that money, after all. That doesn't mean I necessarily think they'll bring their AAA game. But they'll definitely fart something out to try and rake in some dollars.

 

[btrboyev]

3rd parties would probably be surprised if they actually gave a shit.

 

[True Fire]

Skyrim will be successful. So many Nintendo-only fans will be dying to play it after all of these years. I have a feeling it'll have (minimal) mod support, which might be a first for a handheld/Nintendo.

I can see Bethesda porting Fallout 4 to the Switch as well. It's the same engine as Skyrim Special Edition, which is coming to the Switch. And, let's be honest, the game wasn't even a graphical powerhouse in 2015.

I can see Hitman being ported to the Switch for Season 2.

I don't think the Switch will receive annualized franchises (Assassin's Creed, Call of Duty, etc.) but at this point, does it really matter? Once the Switch becomes a runaway success, third parties will start experimenting by default.

 

[Guardians]

It's the other way around. It's on Nintendo to build a user base to buy the Western AAA games. They would need to re-position their brand to draw in that user base.

The PlayStation and Xbox brands have been carefully cultivated over the years to be synonymous with Western AAA games. Nintendo does the opposite. And as long as that continues, nothing will change. And maybe that's ok. Nintendo isn't interested in selling these types of games, and their user base isn't interested in buying them.

Sure, Nintendo also has to build the install base for the Nintendo Switch

But I still believe that 3rd Partys have alot of influence if a system like the Nintendo Switch becomes successful or not. Or could you imagine a Playstation or XBox without any 3rd Party support? Would you still think they would have archived the install base they have now?

And I don't think that Nintendo Fans don't want Western AAA Games, we just don't want late and light ports, or old games expensive as hell which are already cheap on other platforms

 

[Zakkath]

Who would buy Destiny on the Switch when they can get a better version on every other platform ? I don't think you'll see much more AAA 3rd party support on the Switch than you saw on the last two Nintendo consoles.

 

[archreaper93]

I feel like Skyrim will be the test.

 

[Astral Dog]

No.
Indies,maybe

 

[RiccochetJ]

I think third parties will give it a shot. However I could easily see consumers just going back to only buying games made by Nintendo though. I think EA sports titles will be the barometer.

 

[TheFatMan]

For Indies and maybe a few remakes it might do pretty well.

I doubt very much it's going to buck the trend with newer 3rd party studios and AAA games. The hardware just isn't strong enough to run most of these games without serious graphic downgrades.

 

[LCGeek]

For big ones no, they will always be their own worst enemies on nintendo platforms. For any 3rd party on steam that isn't interested in a only what specs bring to the platform no doubt and time will prove that alone.

 

[Trace]

It's too weak to do an easy port from PS4/Xbox One for most of the large 30 fps titles, so no.

 

[SolidSnakex]

I feel like Skyrim will be the test.

It's not really a test because it's last generation port. Unless we're just talking about the platform getting more games that could be a decade or half a decade old by the time they release on it.

 

[Richie]

:X

Remember Mass Effect 3, Deus Ex HR, Batman Arkham City? Late ports won't save anything. If (and I mean IF) Switch manages to convince major devs and pubs to bring multiplatform games DAY ONE, then let's talk. A year-late port of a remaster of a 5 year old game isn't going to move the needle in the slightest

All of them in the Wii U, which indeed couldn't be saved at all. The Switch is a different story. I do agree that release parity on noteworthy multiplatform titles is preferable; thus, if Skyrim does well, I wouldn't think it a stretch that third parties take notice and decide to put newer games on Switch in the same day as PS4/XB1 and see what happens.

If Skyrim fails it sure as hell is going to set an uninviting precedent. If it finds success I'm optimistic that, too, will have an effect, but in that case, for the positive.

 

[AquaWateria]

Honestly all I care about is Japanese third party, indies, and Nintendo games at this point. Would it be nice if Western Third Parties actually gave a shit and not release a shitty port yes, but its just gonna stay the same.

 

[dragonflys545]

I think the distance between PS4 and Switch is smaller than PS3 and Wii. Here are some current gen games that were also released on last gen.

Rise of the Tomb Raider
Metal Gear Solid 5
Persona 5
Forza Horizon 2
Titanfall
Destiny
Call of Duty Black Ops 3
Dying Light
Project Cars


This doesn't include huge re-releases of last gen games such as GTA5 and Last of Us.

Weren't these all ported by different developers? If they decide to toss money into some unknown developers to port them it could happen. Or if Nintendo wants to drop some money to get them, otherwise I don't know.

 

[Guardians]

I feel like Skyrim will be the test.

No I really don't want to attack you, but this is a great example of what I mean

3rd Partys releasing an ass old game for the Nintendo Switch. Than the game doesn't sell because everyone played it already on other systems. And than 3rd Partys complaining that 3rd Party games don't sell on the Nintendo Switch

It's the same old story I know from the Nintendo Wii U

Edit: That's one reason why everyone thinks that 3rd Party games doesn't sell on Nintendo Systems

 

[elchebib]

With the current gen systems in their 4th year, the gap between the Switch and the future Xbox Scorpio/PS5? is going to be even larger. Developers will always want the best possible hardware to develop on to be able to produce their best games in term of graphics/particle effects/AI/frame rates etc. The Switch will definitely will loose even more ground in the coming years unless Nintendo churns one out every 2 years or so which I personally don't see happening.


Edit: I have also read people saying that Nintendo does not need 3rd party support to succeed. This has been said of the Gamecube (to a lesser extent) and the WiiU. In my opinion, 3rd party AAA support is essential to keep players engaged in the platform during down times when Nintendo is working on their own AAA games. Keeping people engaged in your platform is very important to lock players to your platform and keep the player's investment in it.

 

[Doorman]

"Can" has never been the problem. What you need to ask is "will."

And the answer to that is still no. Western "AAA" third party publishers have a marginal-at-most interest in Nintendo's ecosystem and at this point I have no reason to believe that trend won't continue ad infinitum. There will always be some excuse or other for Nintendo to not receive the same type of support as its competitors. Luckily for Nintendo, they don't really need that in order to continue a very successful and profitable business.

 

[Father_Brain]

For Lego games and Just Dance, possibly, For indies, sure. For Western AAA games... lol.

 

[WhiteWaterM00se]

I think there is a place for game like GTA V, Red Dead 1, Bad company 2, Rise of tomb raider, Borderlands 2, mass effect trilogy, garden warfare, Blops 2, persona 5 could all find ports on Switch and do quite well.

 

[Prisoner KSC2-303]

For AAA Western third parties? No, and it isn't because of the power disparity. They know where the market for their games is and it's already well established.

I can definitely see it getting the smaller titles and maybe a few farmed out bigger ports though.

 

[KageMaru]

Skyrim will be successful. So many Nintendo-only fans will be dying to play it after all of these years. I have a feeling it'll have (minimal) mod support, which might be a first for a handheld/Nintendo.

I can see Bethesda porting Fallout 4 to the Switch as well. It's the same engine as Skyrim Special Edition, which is coming to the Switch. And, let's be honest, the game wasn't even a graphical powerhouse in 2015.

I can see Hitman being ported to the Switch for Season 2.

I don't think the Switch will receive annualized franchises (Assassin's Creed, Call of Duty, etc.) but at this point, does it really matter? Once the Switch becomes a runaway success, third parties will start experimenting by default.

Isn't the Switch version of Skyrim lacking many of the SE enhancements? The convenient thing about Skyrim is there is a last gen version to pull assets from for the Switch if necessary. I don't think porting Fallout 4 would be nearly as easy. Besides Fallout 4 struggles at times on consoles much more powerful, while Skyrim is the easier game to run. Not sure Fallout is really a shoo-in for the platform.

Honestly all I care about is Japanese third party, indies, and Nintendo games at this point. Would it be nice if Western Third Parties actually gave a shit and not release a shitty port yes, but its just gonna stay the same.

Problem with Nintendo platforms is we don't always know if the port is shitty or if the hardware is the bottleneck. That's why a part of me wishes they went with a XBO/PS4-type console with great API support and a real push to build 3rd party relations. I think a $300 dedicated Nintendo console with decent hardware and proper 3rd party support would sell great.

 

[Kimawolf]

I think, as funny as it is, Skyrim, a old game, will surprise people in sales and have 3rd parties re-evaluating their games. Skyrim will fill a fairly big void on the system, especially those people who still have the open world itch and loved BotW.

 

[Skittzo0413]

I think the Switch is by far the best chance Nintendo has had to regain significant western AAA support since the N64, but I still don't know if it will happen. The major differences here are:

1. The flagship first party game is an open world adventure/rpg-lite, which is currently the most popular AAA genre. This means the current Switch audience is far more likely to buy such games than the Wii Sports or NSMBU audiences.

2. The power gap between the Switch and PS4/XB1 is far, far lower than that of the Wii. Any PS4 game can be ported if there is interest from the publisher, and we've heard the porting and developing process in general with the Switch is much, much faster and easier than that of the Wii U.

We'll see what gets announced at E3 but I think there's potential.

 

[Hcoregamer00]

If the gets switch day and date releases, then yes, I think many will be happy with the sales numbers. If they do half assed, terrible unoptimized ports, they are going to get the equivalent sales.

I see switch being the best modern Nintendo console for western third party and sales, but first you need to bring in effort and actually made the damn game available

 

[sixteen-bit]

I wouldn't expect AAA titles tbh, but I can see it being profitable for the smaller releases

 

[GeoramA]

People saying indies must have missed Dan Adelman calling Nintendo "douches" over Axiom Verge not coming to Switch.

Doesn't sound like anything is changing unless Nintendo thinks your worthy enough.

 

[Madness]

With indies? Sure. I think it's a good environment for them.
With AAA I'm not entirely sure. The portability is nice and it'll provide a better selling point than in previous generations, but it's a two way street. If you don't bother building an audience for over a decade I'm not sure you can expect to be welcomed with open arms.
We'll see

Same. I just can't see a Rockstar build ports or games for the Switch. Indies will do well. Maybe you might get ports. But with AAA development taking years, millions of dollars they wouldn't invest in something very different from the competition without heavy incentive. Even as successful as the Wii was, by 2010 was full of shovelware and rarely any great AAA third parties.

 

[BD1]

I think the big sports franchises could do really well on Switch. Really well.

But I don't think it will ever be a AAA 3rd party oasis or anything.

 

[BumRush]

If the "pretty good approximation" of PS4/One games requires a lot of rework, I don't think we see it. But if most of it is easy to port, and the Switch sells, we might.

 

[psynergylover]

the Switch will get some support but I doubt it's going to get many of the heavy hitters of the past and the future.

 

[Tobor]

Sure, Nintendo also has to build the install base for the Nintendo Switch

But I still believe that 3rd Partys have alot of influence if a system like the Nintendo Switch becomes successful or not. Or could you imagine a Playstation or XBox without any 3rd Party support? Would you still think they would have archived the install base they have now?

And I don't think that Nintendo Fans don't want Western AAA Games, we just don't want late and light ports, or old games expensive as hell which are already cheap on other platforms

No, because they both did the work to align their brands with the content 3rd parties want to sell.

Ask yourself this. Will Nintendo change their brand? Will they focus on software that will help draw in the customers who buy Activision and EA games? No. They are going to stay the course no matter what. They've proven that over the years.

Nintendo wants to sell Nintendo games. Which is fine for them, but its oil to the Western third parties vinegar. They don't mix.

 

[Polygonal_Sprite]

Pre launch before we knew the hardware specs I was very hopefully.

Post launch and now we know the hardware specs I would say Nintendo have neither the network infrastructure nor the hardware grunt to run the big name AAA Western third party games on Switch.

Even something as small scale in terms of environments like Snake Pass really struggles to run on Switch while docked. It's sub HD resolution looks quite frankly hideous on my large HDTV and something more akin to a 360 game despite the games impressive use of tech and art. It's decent looking in handheld mode though as some consolation although it's again sub native. It just shows you the kind of downgrades necessary to get modern games running on it.

They can however differentiate themselves by offering a hybrid device that plays phenomenal looking Nintendo games aswell as tons of indies and a few Japanese third party games which is exactly what they're doing.

 

[NOLA_Gaffer]

Things will be as they always have been. The Switch won't get major third party releases just as practically every console going back to the SNES didn't get any.

 

[Smiles and Cries]

If there was a trend towards western 3rd Party support we should have seen much more announcements of major fall 2017 titles. E3 announcements are still possible.

Maybe the support just won't happen this year and 2018 will prove to be different.

If you can't get Destiny 2 on the Switch then I really don't see a change in attitudes towards supporting Nintendo hardware.

It has to become a normal 3rd Platform that everyone assumes will get a port. Just like everyone expects PS4 + Xbox One versions of every non-exclusive title.

Nintendo platform ports still seem to be an afterthought, a rare special case to consider later or a task outsourced to a small unknown developer.

So far I think 3rd Party support for Switch is looking worst than Wii U, I know it is early but all the logos on paper does not really represent real games at this point. So hope E3 changes things.