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[LordRaptor]

Agreed. Not to downplay others enjoyment of it but for all the praise it gets around here, it really doesn't look the part. Is there a demo?

Breath of Death and Cthulhu Saves The World are both very enjoyable homages to the SNES Final Fantasys - its not hugely surprising that people have high hopes for a homage to the SNES Chrono Trigger, or that people feel that would be a very good fit for the Switch, particularly given the presence of Streetfighter 2 and Bomberman games showing some SNES nostalgia even at publisher levels.

 

[Aroll]

You only get treated like royalty if you were chosen though.
The article says itself that they have not opened the floodgates. Zeboyd games posted this in another thread:

It does suck that company seems to have been shoved aside, but I think Nintendo is trying to do a different approach to indies this time around. In the past, Nintendo seemed to have the floodgates open and while that's not a bad strategy (it's one Steam and PS seem to adhere too), I think they got some feedback from some indie devs that the rate of games releasing digitally only on the system severely hampered the attention time individual releases got. Oh, Fast Racing Neo released at launch? If the next day 15+ other indie games released, it just pushes it out of the spotlight so fast that it gets buried.

Instead, Nintendo is trying really hard to lock down 1. Exclusive games. 2. Timed exclusive games. 3. Exclusive content in games, and lastly 4. Spacing releases in a way that gives sufficient attention to each title in their eShop marketplace. I firmly believe point 4 was based entirely on feedback they got during the Wii U/3DS era.

So, will Nintendo back off on point 4 and open the floodgates some day? Sure, once their eShop is so robust it will be hard to find what you want anyways. But, that's probably a year or two away. It sucks for those that didn't get lucky to be inside that inner Nindie circle, but Nintendo will probably eventually let you in. It's just going to take awhile while they explore this different approach to releasing indie games.

 

[RPG_Fanatic]

The indies they CHOSE were treated like royalty.

Their utter lack of any kind of information in their response to Zeboyd games shows they still don't seem to know how to cultivate some relationships even when it would cost them nothing but a personalized reply.

On the other hand they are doing a great thing by spacing out the releases to one or two per week "summer of arcade" style. It gives the titles time to shine and should see great attach rates for low price titles that might get lost in the shuffle otherwise.

I bet stuff like Fast RMX will do very well because of this.

It's times like these that I wonder what the devkit production is like. I mean the rise of indie games on consoles means more dev kits are needed compared to the pre-digital era. I wonder if the lack of information in the responses to Zeboyd games has anything to do with not trying to spread themselves to thin. It sounds like Nintendo wants to work closer with the indie developers and want to raise the quality floor from the WiiU eshop. Maybe Nintendo had a cap on the number of indies and devkits leading up to launch and this is the transitional period where they are getting the next batch of devkits ready and making sure the current lineup of titles are coming.

This is all speculation of course.

I'm totally ok with my Switch being a Nintendo, Japanese and indie game machine with the occasional port like Skyrim. I already have a PS4 to play the overbudget AAA games.

This is exactly how I feel about the Switch as well, and why I am happy with it the way it is. Though I have never been a fan of AAA game in general anyway.

 

[nitekrawlwer]

I really do love Nintendo's attitude in relation to indies as of late. Though I can think of a few reasons why being on steam could still not fit on Switch. That decision for 4GB of ram does make it impossible for a few titles to show up.

 

[Tonyx]

The 'too many indie games' is a problem many stores are facing right now.

I don't think there is a perfect way to handle it, but at least being aware of the problem is a good thing.

Anyways, Nintendo wanting to have indie games on board, in a way or another, is good. Hopefully their policies will work for developers too.

 

[Crub]

Eh, I like their games and I wish Zeboyd, as with any passionate indie developer, all the luck in the world... But Zeboyd's assets and artwork are distinctly on the amateurish side, even by indie standards.

Agreed! The one big gripe I have with the visuals in their games is that most of the graphics aren't true pixel art, but rather just downsampled "regular" art. The environments are blurry and aren't constricted to a limited color palette. This doesn't mesh well with the character sprites.

 

[Schnozberry]

It does suck that company seems to have been shoved aside, but I think Nintendo is trying to do a different approach to indies this time around. In the past, Nintendo seemed to have the floodgates open and while that's not a bad strategy (it's one Steam and PS seem to adhere too), I think they got some feedback from some indie devs that the rate of games releasing digitally only on the system severely hampered the attention time individual releases got. Oh, Fast Racing Neo released at launch? If the next day 15+ other indie games released, it just pushes it out of the spotlight so fast that it gets buried.

Instead, Nintendo is trying really hard to lock down 1. Exclusive games. 2. Timed exclusive games. 3. Exclusive content in games, and lastly 4. Spacing releases in a way that gives sufficient attention to each title in their eShop marketplace. I firmly believe point 4 was based entirely on feedback they got during the Wii U/3DS era.

So, will Nintendo back off on point 4 and open the floodgates some day? Sure, once their eShop is so robust it will be hard to find what you want anyways. But, that's probably a year or two away. It sucks for those that didn't get lucky to be inside that inner Nindie circle, but Nintendo will probably eventually let you in. It's just going to take awhile while they explore this different approach to releasing indie games.

I don't know if I prefer the Steam approach or Nintendo's curated approach quite yet, but we'll see as time goes on. I think there are benefits and drawbacks to both approaches. There are some games that seem like they would be natural fits on the Switch that aren't currently on the list (looking at you, Rocket League), but there is a lot of great content coming.

 

[jon bones]

I really like the way Nintendo is handling this.

Give the store a curated feel, give each indie it's time to shine.

This will really do well for MP games like Pocket Rumble, because they'll have solid exposure in the store which should lead to bigger, more involved communities.

 

[Enduin]

That's huge.

This is exactly what I wanted to hear since I'm far more interested in playing most indies on Steam on a handheld then on my PC.

 

[notaskwid]

Rocket League is a perfect fit, it really needs to come.

 

[Glass Shark]

That Nindies presentation last week was the sole reason I decided to get a Switch as soon as possible rather than waiting until Christmas. This is absolutely the right way to go for them.

Now give me Thumper with HD Rumble, damnit!

 

[IAmtheFMan]

Baker talks about their philosophy on the latest IGN NVC.

Seems they want fewer higher quality titles. Felt they kinda got burned on the Wii U with some cheap terrible shovelware. Also wants to try and get games coming out on the PC, PS4, and Bone at the same time on the Switch vs 6 months after the usual platforms.

Plus if you are a port Nintendo hopes you at least try and leverage the system's strengths in some sort of way like for local MP or HD rumble.

Worth a watch/listen for people who haven't.

IGN NVC Indies Podcast

I've been impressed with Baker since he's been visible in the PR scene. That interview on IGN in and of itself was more candid than Nintendo's been in the past. Yeah there was still some PR spin on it, but he spoke quite honestly about issues like indie developers in the late stages of Wii U and having conversations with them, etc. He touched on 3rd parties and acknowledged the troubled relationships in the past. There was none of the typical Reggie "what are you talking about? We have the BEST 3rd party support!" rhetoric.

I hope he becomes a regular voice for Nintendo, not just in the 3rd party and Indie realm.

 

[brinstar]

That Nindies presentation last week was the sole reason I decided to get a Switch as soon as possible rather than waiting until Christmas. This is absolutely the right way to go for them.

Now give me Thumper with HD Rumble, damnit!

Thumper is comfirmed

 

[ultrazilla]

That's good, indie games are one of the biggest reasons for my purchase of the switch and it's nice to know that nintendo is taking it seriously.

When I look at my 300 plus Steam game library, a vast majority of them are actually Indie titles. So the fact Nintendo has changed their approach to them and to a certain extent, trying it with third parties, bodes well for the Switch.

For my Switch I've got Zelda and Fast RMX and gonna pull the trigger on Shovel Knight and Blaster Master 0 tomorrow.

 

[Trago]

Multiplayer indies on the go would be amazing. A bunch of my coworkers already have Switches, and are all gonna get Mario Kart to play with each other during breaks. Stuff like Speedrunners, Gangbeasts, etc. would be PERFECT.

Nintendo pls.

 

[GDGF]

Thumper is comfirmed

HD Rumble for Thumper is too.

 

[Robert at Zeboyd Games]

I've tried emails & tweets, but I just tried DMing Baker so we'll see if anything comes of that.

Agreed! The one big gripe I have with the visuals in their games is that most of the graphics aren't true pixel art, but rather just downsampled "regular" art. The environments are blurry and aren't constricted to a limited color palette. This doesn't mesh well with the character sprites.

I think it looks really good. I will admit that it's got more of a Saturn look to it than SNES since it's a little higher resolution, has a much less limited color palette, and doesn't use tiles.

As far as why people are excited, this RPGamer preview article (covers the first few hours of the game) is a good overview. I'm also really proud of our trailer. Combat is really good (uses a different system than any other turn-based RPG I can think of), the music is really fantastic, and it's just a great time. It's a HUGE step up from our previous games in every way and people seemed to like them.

 

[heringer]

I've tried emails & tweets, but I just tried DMing Baker so we'll see if anything comes of that.



I think it looks really good. I will admit that it's got more of a Saturn look to it than SNES since it's a little higher resolution, has a much less limited color palette, and doesn't use tiles.



As far as why people are excited, this RPGamer preview article (covers the first few hours of the game) is a good overview. I'm also really proud of our trailer. Combat is really good (uses a different system than any other turn-based RPG I can think of), the music is really fantastic, and it's just a great time. It's a HUGE step up from our previous games in every way and people seemed to like them.

It does look great, can't wait for your game (Vita or Switch for me)!

I'll say the only small gripe I have with the visuals (and it's the same gripe I have with Chrono Trigger) is that when your character is running diagonally the sprite is the same as when the character is running straight. I thought other games, like Secret of Mana, handled this better by making the diagonal movement show the side of the character. Don't know if it's clear what I mean, but it's a personal thing.

 

[Pinky]

Good stuff. The Switch could certainly benefit from a healthy library of indie games and it looks like they're already off to a good start.

 

[nampad]

"The way we're looking at Switch is this is a complementary platform. If it's on Steam, then there's no reason why it shouldn't be on Nintendo Switch as well," he remarked.

This quote is funny because there is so much stuff on Steam that I am sure would be never allowed on Nintendo, e.g. (NSFW) http://store.steampowered.com/app/563760/ (NSFW)

 

[djtiesto]

Hopefully indies don't flood the system with open world early access survival crafting games.

I have no idea even what this is (Minecraft?) but it sounds horribly unappealing for me. I am hoping that some of the indies get retail releases with a lower price point... love how with PS4 you can get some of the indies on disk (Lumo, Shovel Knight, etc)

 

[brawly]

Vital? Not too sure about that. Helpful? Sure.

Can't be too vital since, unless they are exclusive and got a sweet, sweet deal, those indie games will be everywhere else as well.

If I had a PS4 and Switch, I'd get indie games on the Switch. Provided they cost the same. Unlike AAA titles I also don't expect too much of a graphical difference from indies and portability is pretty damn sweet (though we need a goddamn Dpad joycon)

 

[LordKano]

This quote is funny because there is so much stuff on Steam that I am sure would be never allowed on Nintendo, e.g. (NSFW) http://store.steampowered.com/app/563760/ (NSFW)

This doesn't look worse than Senran Kagura, and it got two games on 3DS.

 

[Robert at Zeboyd Games]

Got a positive response from Baker about releasing our game on Switch later this year, so I'm pleased about that. No details finalized yet, but it looks probable.

 

[Oregano]

Got a positive response from Baker about releasing our game on Switch later this year, so I'm pleased about that. No details finalized yet, but it looks probable.

Huzzah! Good to hear.

 

[jon bones]

Got a positive response from Baker about releasing our game on Switch later this year, so I'm pleased about that. No details finalized yet, but it looks probable.

😁😁😁

 

[Kouriozan]

Got a positive response from Baker about releasing our game on Switch later this year, so I'm pleased about that. No details finalized yet, but it looks probable.

Glad to hear it.

 

[tebunker]

I've tried emails & tweets, but I just tried DMing Baker so we'll see if anything comes of that.



I think it looks really good. I will admit that it's got more of a Saturn look to it than SNES since it's a little higher resolution, has a much less limited color palette, and doesn't use tiles.



As far as why people are excited, this RPGamer preview article (covers the first few hours of the game) is a good overview. I'm also really proud of our trailer. Combat is really good (uses a different system than any other turn-based RPG I can think of), the music is really fantastic, and it's just a great time. It's a HUGE step up from our previous games in every way and people seemed to like them.

I saw yesterday that Dwbakes tweeted/asked devs like yourself to DM him and another guy to get in the pipeline. Hopefully that works. However I saw someone else tweet him saying they were in charge of your game and that you were just subcontractors to them etc and it all seemed weird since I had never seen them associated with your game or development.

Either way hopefully something comes of it. It sounds like they are opening the doors to get more people in.
Edit glad to hear!

Got a positive response from Baker about releasing our game on Switch later this year, so I'm pleased about that. No details finalized yet, but it looks probable.

 

[Mpl90]

Got a positive response from Baker about releasing our game on Switch later this year, so I'm pleased about that. No details finalized yet, but it looks probable.

Yes, that's great!

 

[meanspartan]

They should be. Switch isn't powerful enough to run the big budget multiplats for the most part, so it will need all the indies it can get to effectively be the 3rd party support.

 

[serenewarfare]

Got a positive response from Baker about releasing our game on Switch later this year, so I'm pleased about that. No details finalized yet, but it looks probable.

There's the happy ending we were looking for.

 

[LordKano]

Got a positive response from Baker about releasing our game on Switch later this year, so I'm pleased about that. No details finalized yet, but it looks probable.

Yo congrats dude ! I'll look forward to it.

 

[Quonny]

Good. Console launches need indies to cover all the holes in the lineup, and they should be treated well.

 

[RampagingSoul]

Got a positive response from Baker about releasing our game on Switch later this year, so I'm pleased about that. No details finalized yet, but it looks probable.

Great news!

 

[Cerium]

Got a positive response from Baker about releasing our game on Switch later this year, so I'm pleased about that. No details finalized yet, but it looks probable.

That was fast! Looks like Damon Baker is really doing good work. I knew I had a good feeling about him.

 

[GulAtiCa]

Got a positive response from Baker about releasing our game on Switch later this year, so I'm pleased about that. No details finalized yet, but it looks probable.

That's great news!

 

[Rezbit]

That's great, hope Damon Baker can keep building a good rep like that. He certainly knocked it out of the park with his Indie presentation a few weeks back.

 

[wazoo]

Indies games do not need AAA power. They are perfectly fine with an handheld. Vita had plenty of those but lacked 1st party push (beyond the launch). Also, Nintendo demographic is perfectly fine playing portable which helps.

Also, the UI of the switch is much more friendly to eshop news and display. It is very hard to miss that there are games in digital form available now.

 

[noshten]

I'm really interested in finding out how indies did at launch. This is pretty much the best launch Nintendo has had in ages and Nintendo hasn't really flooded the launch with their own game or large 3rd party games. Things like Shovel Knight, Fast RMX, Snipperclippers show a good variation of different types of titles that are not very expensive and people who bought Zelda might check out one or two of those games.

 

[Nezzhil]

Got a positive response from Baker about releasing our game on Switch later this year, so I'm pleased about that. No details finalized yet, but it looks probable.

Awesome! Congrats, I'm sure that some Switch owners will be hungry to play RPGs on the go.

 

[jonno394]

Got a positive response from Baker about releasing our game on Switch later this year, so I'm pleased about that. No details finalized yet, but it looks probable.

Just saw the twitter post, happy to hear someone finally replied!

https://twitter.com/werezompire/status/839595153438355456

 

[jon bones]

Just saw the twitter post, happy to hear someone finally replied!

https://twitter.com/werezompire/status/839595153438355456

already backed, but will happily repurchase for Switch

 

[brinstar]

Got a positive response from Baker about releasing our game on Switch later this year, so I'm pleased about that. No details finalized yet, but it looks probable.

Glad to hear it. The more RPGs the better I always say