Topic: The Nintendo Switch Thread

Me either, but square is a giant corporation who can't just change direction quickly and port the game over when a new console is revealed. I'm sure there's a bunch of bureaucratic stuff. Point is, just like ff15, don't be so hasty to say it'll never happen on the Switch, it just may take a little while after the released.
Excluding timed exclusivity, then probably a year after release.

@Grumblevolcano Hah, then Sony will be sure to find out what the PC can do to their little "dominion" in the West. Reminds me of articles like these: https://www.gamereactor.eu/news/545083/Sonys%20Ryan%20on%20Sw... stuff like that truly churns my stomach.

But Switch is still selling well, even here. It's been in stock at my favoured, and one of the largest, retailer for a few weeks, but the grey one is sold out again. I'd like to see Nintendo gain a stronger market here.

But when push comes to shove, we'll probably see this continue without much, if any, push-back from Nintendo. They're not in it to compete any-more, haven't been since Gamecube.

@Operative2-0 Question is, how relevant is it still after being released after quite a while? Skyrim should give a good indication of said relevance.

I was watching IGN's (mini) Game Scoop podcast last night, where the guys were talking about some of their favourite games from the Gamescom event in Germany - and Daemon made a really interesting comment that kind of went under the radar a little bit...apparently, he asked one of the guys at Square Enix about possible Switch ports of Lara Croft and the Guardian of Light/Temple of Osiris - and instead of the usual corporate swerve, the guy kind of hinted that they could happen - potentially good news (if nothing definitive at this stage)

Here's the video for anyone interested:

(EDIT: Oops, that didn't work! Not sure how to post a time-stamped YT videos here...but the comment is made at about 25:09! )

I like how some of you guys are taking up the role of an (armchair) insider without any sources to back up what you say. All these ‘why isn’t that game on the Switch’ theories are the kind of things you would read in a fan fiction Nintendo magazine!

I want to play the third Bit.Trip Runner game, for example, but I don’t go around saying things like so-and-so company ‘banned’ their games, or are paying to keep so-and-so game off other systems. It is an exclusive game for the Switch, and I accepted that.

If anything, we should be grateful for the surprisingly good support so far, after coming off the back of the rather underwhelming Wii U. Who can blame these companies for taking a cautious ‘wait and see’ approach?

The Switch is barely five months old. Patience is a virtue.

@Peek-a-boo Yeah, that's basically how I see things too I've heard that there weren't too many Switch dev kits handed out before the consoles grand reveal - if that's the case, it's hardly surprising that it's taking a little while for third-parties to get their games on the system...sure, it'd have been nice to at least have some firmer announcements by now but, as you say, after the WiiU, the cautious approach was perhaps to be expected.

I think that there are signs that things are starting to pick up a bit though - EA announcing the gorgeous looking Fe for Switch was a pretty nice surprise - and Virtuos recently announced that they have a 'AAA' game in the works for the console too (Assassin's Creed: Ezio Collection, perhaps?) ..if we're still having these sorts of conversations after, say, E3 next year, there'll be reason to be alarmed - but I'm feeling pretty optimistic myself

@NaviAndMii You remember that FromSoftware was one of the names at the January event? Wonder what they're up to...

@Peek-a-boo I'm surprised you're in this thread. Haven't you got more GT Sport gifs to be posting?

And seriously, how big is your HDD man, I'm actually jealous.

I think people at this point are just sick of Sony getting all the third party games. Like we get a good version of FIFA that is also portable. Cant be advertised on TV though can it? So only hardcore gamers will know. Typically a market that doesn't care about FIFA. Whoops.

Look at something like Monster Hunter. Yeah, World started back in 2013, but where is XX? Seiken Densetsu Collection? Hell, the Secret of Mana remake is a 2018 Vita game. How insane does that sound?

How about those Legacy Collections from Capcom? Where IS DQ11? It's these questions that aren't being answered because "Adult reasons" and people jump to the most logical conclusion: The same adult reasons that kept Rise of the Tomb Raider on Xbox One for a year.

This wait and see approach is bafflingly inconsistent. Capcom wants to go gung ho, but wont, and doesn't bring over the most basic of things. Square says they are in, then doesn't do anything with it, or simply wont say, again, because "Reasons".

There is no problem with exclusives. There IS a problem with the never ending cavalcade of "Adult reasons"/News later/Not stated if exclusive or not and timed exclusives, that is really starting to get on people's wick.

I'm very quickly becoming an advocate of all games just being platform agnostic and streamed, so you can play on whatever box with whatever controller, congrats, and the box is just a streaming brick, because while people are grateful for the better support, it's also maddening for it to be inconsistent with no reasons given.

@BLP_Software I'd give MS a thumbs up for letting people know it's a timed exclusive. May suck, but at least they're not hiding it.

Also, I vehemently agree with your inconsistency point. Capcom has done quite well on Nintendo systems with MH, and I've seen many state that it's portability is why they like it so. Those people are going to have to replay Generations until it nearly falls apart...

@BLP_Software I think that "adult reasons" could extend well into other marketing and logistical considerations. It's not necessarily the case that Sony has the third parties on the hook and they can't bring anything to Switch (although they obviously do have some hooks in some third parties).

Like for DQXI - the "adult reasons" could simply be that Square Enix have a marketing plan for the game that's based on maximising sales of the 3DS and PS4 versions before bringing the Switch version to the fore. That's to the mutual benefit of Sony, Nintendo and Square Enix. Better to get the money in quickly - someone who waits for a port might not buy the port in the end (especially since there are always some negative reviews that might put them off). If it's a great game people will buy it again but if it's a mediocre or bad game you've lost a sale.

As for Capcom with their retro collections skipping Switch there's a simple explanation: their executives are out of their minds and don't know what they're doing.

@UmniKnight No, actually - how did I not notice?! FromSoftware, huh? I dare not speculate too much - but **whispering quietly** I just Googled 'FromSoftware Switch' and the top search result was a (potentially untrue) report about the Dark Souls Trilogy potentially being ported over! ..and, a little further down, a Reddit rumour speculating whether they might be developing Metroid Prime 4? That'd be interesting!

EDIT: Their latest Nintendo release was Monster Hunter Diary Poka Poka Airou Village (try saying that drunk!) on 3DS - so I'd be kinda leaning in that direction if I had to put my money on something...

@NaviAndMii I wonder how many of these projects Nintendo themselves is keeping under wrap, as we all know they like their secrecy. I wonder when we'll see another Direct...

Edit: That's an overall problem with some of these games, they get announced, and then stay in Japan, which is maddening. Yes, the Switch is region free, but if it's got no English patch....

@StuTwo That DQXI plan also runs the risk of "Who would buy the Switch port" when it comes 18 months from now?

As for Capcom, yeah...Capcom. I don't think words can describe that mess.

It's something to watch, as for now Sony has a hand, most definitely, in some of these games, and with their hold on marketing rights, the general public wont know about Switch versions for instance, which is a big problem. The other instances, executives will be dumb. XD

Companies are afraid to say. Like if the game wont work on Switch, at least explain that? If its taking longer than planned, please, at least tell us?

@BLP_Software What has Sony to do with XX?

I also think it's weird they would pay for "exclusivity", but allow the games on Xbox and PC...

Are they also paying Activision to keep Call of Duty off the Switch? Or EA and Battlefront II?

@UmniKnight If my memory serves me correctly, there's usually a Direct in September (?) ..fingers crossed! Nintendo are sure to want to hit holiday season hard though so, who knows, maybe they still have a surprise up their sleeves? ..there seems to be a convenient little window after Mario Odyssey for something else, perhaps?

..and, yeah, I wish that more games would get localised too - I was listening to an IGN podcast the other day & someone wrote in to the show from Norway and basically said that next to no games are available in his native language (Norwegian) - probably not even Mario Odyssey from what he was saying! In this day and age, I'd expect better - much better...

@Octane There are games that aren't those I'm referring to.

In fact, I'm not talking about those at all. It's a mix of keeping games off Switch, executives at third parties being dumb, and companies not talking, full stop.

@BLP_Software Yup. There isn't much to understand in silence, though an explanation will get people far less angry, only upset I'd reckon. Yeah, that DQ thing will be interesting to match sales with the others. I will laugh my pants off if Switch sells more than both the others at some point.

@NaviAndMii I'd reckon that window is for Xenoblade 2, given it isn't delayed.

@BLP_Software I can understand people feeling frustrated, because I spent nearly four long years as a sole Wii owner whilst knowing that both the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 were getting all of the worthwhile third party games. I have ‘been there, done that’ many, many times over the years as a Nintendo fan.

But not once did I get into a grumpy slump and start saying the things that I seem to read in this thread every time a new game skips the Switch. Personally speaking, I cannot fathom or see any logical reasoning behind what Sony has to gain by ‘paying out’ or ‘banning’ the likes of Secret of Mana, Mega Man Legacy Collection and the Disney Afternoon Collection. They are relatively small games in the grand scheme of things.

As @NaviAndMii says, not all developers managed to get hold of a dev-kit at the time and for those of whom did, they were sensibly putting their sensible hats on after reflecting upon the outcome of Nintendo’s last console.

Third party wise, if there isn’t much in the way of improvements by E3 next June while the Switch continues to sell really well, then perhaps then is a time as any to get into a grumpy slump. Don’t forget that the Tokyo Game Show is in September; plenty of new Japanese developed games will soon be announced!

p.s. First party wise, however, Nintendo has done really well so far. Less than five months in, and Switch owners are playing Breath of the Wild, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, Arms and Splatoon 2 with Mario + Rabbids to look forward to next week. That’s one big game for every month thus far, with Super Mario Odyssey and Xenoblade Chronicles 2 on the way.

@Peek-a-boo People keep refering to Tokyo Game Show as something that we should look out for in the West. There's no guarantee that any game there gets a localization, since it is the Tokyo Game Show after all.