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[LordKano]

So our good old SuperMetalDave64 interviewed Brjann Sigurgeirsson, CEO of Image & Form (the studio behind SteamWorld Dig and SteamWorld Heist). The video is 1h30 but the actual Nintendo Switch discussion begins after 36 minutes.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1a8mPecHpSc

Here's what I thought were points worth discussing :

- It's Nintendo who actually approached them to ask them if they wanted to develop games on Switch, and gave them a devkit.
- The Image & Form CEO speaks about how tight the NDA was, and how they "absolutely couldn't talk about it".
- Not the whole team was disclosed to work on the console, they have a special room for the allowed developpers.
- They're effectively working on a "project" they don't want to talk about it because they feel like they announced Steamworld Heist too early.
- They also don't feel like making sequels, they prefer to make something new every time.
- The Image & Form CEO was worried about how they would sell the concept in the reveal trailer, but ended relieved as he really liked the video.
- The Switch is qualified as a "straightful" development system, opposed to all the problems they had on Wii U with Unity. He talks about how easier it is to work with it.
- He said that right now the most exciting thing about the Switch is how "they haven't really mentionned everything"
- He talks about how they had to develop games "for the 3DS" (by that he means that they couldn't make games for HD systems and then scale down, because of how weak the 3DS is) and now they're relieved it's not a weak-ass system anymore.

Now let me remind you that "SteamWorld Quest" kinda leaked a few months ago and that it has a high chance to be the next iteration of the SteamWorld univese.

Overall they seems pretty excited to work on the Switch, and they are one of the first indie devs (and one of the first europeans devs) to have a devkit.

 

[Skittzo0413]

The bit about them being approached by Nintendo (versus the other way around) is very good to hear and very encouraging in terms of indie/third party support.

 

[UnemployedVillain]

It's interesting how the Switch's main premise seemed fairly clear from the reveal trailer, but from leaks and devs it sounds like there are aspects of it that haven't been shown off yet

 

[Ninja Dom]

SteamWorld Heist is getting a lot of promotion from Nintendo themselves.

 

[bennywhatever]

This is fascinating. Love that the devs working with the Switch had to work in their own secret room.

 

[NateDrake]

SteamWorld Heist is getting a lot of promotion from Nintendo themselves.

Yup. Nintendo embraced that IP and really pushed it on the eShop.

 

[KAL2006]

The most exciting thing they haven't mentioned everything


I wonder if he is talking about Touchscreen and pointer controls and Gyro as those things are also not that exciting. If it's something else then I'm surprised Emily or Laura hasn't leaked this. Unless it's s software thing with the OS we don't know about.

 

[DownGrader]

The bit about them being approached by Nintendo (versus the other way around) is very good to hear and very encouraging in terms of indie/third party support.

I feel like they are still really sorry for the draconian policies of WiiWare and DSiWare and they do their best to win the hearts of indie developers - and it seems they do succeed.

 

[purseowner]

The bit about them being approached by Nintendo (versus the other way around) is very good to hear and very encouraging in terms of indie/third party support.

Playtonic to make a new 3D Donkey Kong. Book it.

 

[Debirudog]

Playtonic to make a new 3D Donkey Kong. Book it.

 

[jaypah]

Haven't revealed everything? Oh, they must be talking about the SCD inside the Joy-Con charging dock.

 

[Proelite]

Haven't revealed everything? Oh, they must be talking about the SCD inside the Joy-Con charging dock.

Guess what GPU architecture would be powering that SCD.

 

[jaypah]

Guess what GPU architecture would be powering that SCD.

Pikmin?

 

[L Thammy]

our good old SuperMetalDave64

 

[LordKano]

I would also like to add something else to the topic about Nintendo approaching indie devs to make game for the Switch. Back in october, the indie-centered Game Connection event occured in Paris, and even though Nintendo wasn't physically present, it seems like they had some reps there according to the french news site Le Monde.

According to the report, three Nintendo reps were present and talked to the french dev teams that were there. They seemed more open to unpopular indie games, compared to the Wii U area.

 

[Oersted]

The bit about them being approached by Nintendo (versus the other way around) is very good to hear and very encouraging in terms of indie/third party support.

Being easier to develop for than WiiU is also not bad news

 

[Sylverstone14]

The bit about them being approached by Nintendo (versus the other way around) is very good to hear and very encouraging in terms of indie/third party support.

SteamWorld did start on DSiWare, after all!

Just that it wasn't until SteamWorld Dig where the series got much more attention.

Still, I am glad to hear how they've been courting indie devs. I knew that events like the Shovel Knight amiibo being brokered was leading to bigger things for indies on Nintendo.

 

[blu]

Guess what GPU architecture would be powering that SCD.

DMA.

 

[@MUWANdo]

SteamWorld Heist is getting a lot of promotion from Nintendo themselves.

They're a little closer to Nintendo that most people assume: Image & Form is owned by Bergsala, Nintendo's Nordic distributor.

 

[ShockingAlberto]

I feel like they are still really sorry for the draconian policies of WiiWare and DSiWare and they do their best to win the hearts of indie developers - and it seems they do succeed.

It is not about being sorry, it's about being less wrong.

 

[jabberwocker]

It's interesting how the Switch's main premise seemed fairly clear from the reveal trailer, but from leaks and devs it sounds like there are aspects of it that haven't been shown off yet

How if it ran ios... That would be pretty big... Since ios is a closed system and the games are on cards this isnt too hard to fathom?

 

[Deleted member 465307]

How if it ran ios... That would be pretty big... Since ios is a closed system and the games are on cards this isnt too hard to fathom?

I would say there's less than a 0.01% chance that Apple would license iOS to another hardware manufacturer. Did you mean Android? Because Switch running iOS is really hard for me to fathom.

 

[jabberwocker]

I would say there's less than a 0.01% chance that Apple would license iOS to another hardware manufacturer. Did you mean Android? Because Switch running iOS is really hard for me to fathom.

Miyamoto was on stage at apple keynote adverting a nintendo game on ios. Who would have though that a few years ago?