Topic: Do you think Nintendo will have their own STEAM-like storefront?

Everyone pretty much has a laptop, desktop, tablet, or phone. Nintendo's focus would no longer include making consoles but creating something like STEAM, itch, etc. Rebuying games would be a thing of the past. Not anytime soon but in the future maybe after the Switch or two. With everyone now moving on to digital it seems like an unexpected move but a better one that would shake up the industry. They could still make an optional console to coincide with its storefront similar to the Steam Deck and maybe a pro-controller for fun. The storefront would include all their legacy games from the NES to now. I kind of look at STEAM as Netflix (without the monthly subscription, idk maybe for online play but ya), all the big console companies are on there now but later leave and branch out to form their own distribution service. Just something I was thinking about since I play PC a lot.

@Vivianeat
I don't think so.
I prefer traditional way to play video games with consoles and handhelds.
I never like handphone games and don't even care PC games.
Nintendo will not selling their games like STEAM style and I do not even like the idea like that.

What OS would it run? If it's a PC OS then they would be directly competing with SteamDeck.

If anything, it would be easier for Ninty to outsource to 3rd party to port / rebuild games for PC and sell on Steam rather than rebuilding the wheel.

Which they haven't done yet, even if though they have had plenty of opportunity.

Switch and switch games are selling bucket-loads, so I don't see the reason for them doing it.

If it's to grow as a company, then they would've created a £500 home console to rival the PS4 / Xbox

For a start, would definitely just be classic games if they were to go this route. I can't see them making a PC store front to sell the newest Zeldas and Marios because that'd just eat into the reasons why you'd buy Nintendo hardware. I for one would not be interested in the Switch if you could legally get and properly run new titles on PC. Especially with the acceleration in spec in the portable PC space

But for classic games? I could see value in making NSO classic game apps available on PC/mobile with cloud save crossplay etc. Both for me and for Nintendo. Because if they did that all of a sudden there's additional value to NSO and some reason to subscribe even if you don't have a Switch. And it's not like people don't already just run these games through non-official means on those platforms, I doubt anyone is buying Nintendo hardware specifically for SNES/NES/N64 games

Will it happen? Probably not. Does it make sense? I think so

Yeah....no. And I hope something like this never happens, unless maybe it's just for their retro games.

I don't want Nintendo to stop making hardware anytime soon.

Who knows Nintendo work in odd ways...

I mean you can buy games off the eshop on Nintendo’s website. I know it isn’t the same thing, but I doubt they go any further than this.

They have an eshop and a way to launch said software, downloaded from said storefront. Do you mean a way to launch those titles from the Nintendo eshop, elsewhere? Purely all on pc?

As for the legacy games, I'm sure there are licensing issues from existent to nonexistent studios. Might not see contra games because konami sells a contra series game. Same with the castlevania anniversary games, etc.

And with the studios starting their own steam like service, we already have ea/ubi services already, but it doesn't prevent those games from being sold elsewhere, ie steam.

Please Nintendo give us the option to purchase retro games on the classic consoles apps on Switch Online!

I want to frame that and hang it on my wall...

Isn't that what the eShop is??

There's like a bajillion problems, but I'd love to see Nintendo's own verison of early access.

I don't really see Nintendo properly going into the PC space. Of course there were the educational games in the 90s (e.g. Mario Teaches Typing, Mario is Missing) and most 3rd party Switch exclusives have gone to other platforms, mostly PC while remaining console exclusive (e.g. MH Rise, Bravely Default II) but as for normal Nintendo created games I don't see it happening unless the Switch's successor is a commercial failure like the Wii U (this time Nintendo doesn't have a backup system to rely on like they had the 3DS in the Wii U era and GBA/DS in the Gamecube era).

Maybe in 20-30 years, but not the foreseeable future

They go where the money goes. If people suddenly stop buying Nintendo hardware they might go this route, but for now we're okay. I just wish they'd bring back dedicated handhelds.

Seeing as you can't dock it, I'd think that the Switch Lite is a dedicated handheld. Sure, it plays the same games as a regular Switch, so isn't a distinct platform, but I don't think that having to make separate 3DS and Wii U games was doing Nintendo any favours in terms of productivity. I would like them to make a pocket sized clamshell version for ultimate portability though.

As for bringing games to other platforms, they're already doing mobile games. They might be horrifically monetized trash for the most part, but the idea that you had to buy Nintendo hardware to play a Nintendo game went out of the window years ago.

That's not to say that we should be expecting ports of Breath of the Wild and Super Mario Odyssey to start appearing on Steam any time soon, but never say never. Sony finally cracked a couple of years back and Microsoft have been supporting games on Steam for a long time, so Nintendo are the only remaining holdout on that front.

To be fair, I wouldn't be opposed to Nintendo releasing their heavy hitters on PC.
Would be nice to play Xenoblade 3 in 4K and Botw 2.

@BinaryMessiah ditto

Console games are really different from PC games (referring to: STEAM-like games from your post) it may happen but I think they should focus more on the possibility of playing Nintendo games into PCs like having a PC version of it.

@markmarkmark That would b a good start. Similar to dipping their feet into mobile phones.