Topic: The Nintendo Switch Thread

@Paraka Mm, doesn't sound good for them then. Regardless, afterwards we both pretty much said the same thing.

@FragRed Oh I know, I said at the start he was spreading horse..erm...nonsense. But certainly food for thought.

Another Switch game announced.

Stardew Valley for the Switch to be submitted to Nintendo for testing later this week:

https://twitter.com/Tiyuri/status/902553786618667009

@OorWullie That... does look surprisingly fun.

Oh I hope NintendoUK hasn't spoilt the direct tomorrow. Having said that...omg the indie game scene is looking amazing!

@antster1983 Ahh, Tiyuri, one the developers who used to work for Redigit on Terraria a while back,

@UmniKnight - Not entirely. Various departments within a company sort of work like sister companies. Where making a whole new system this fresh off a PS4 Pro release would require hundreds of millions in marketing, testing, selling into stores, selling kits into dev teams... The deals making exclusive pale in comparison. Generally they front a good sum of dev costs and run marketing with a system and game shelf space already pre-sold into stores.

Look at it similar to how Disney owns Marvel and the Comic sector of Marvel is in the tubes. Marvel CAN have an experiment or two with restructuring their workforce. However, just cause theu have billions at their back doesn't mean Disney is willing to part with so much just flushed down the toilet with a avenue of revenue being butchered by various failed practices. Think of it that way, but with Sony in its entirety to owning Sony Entertainment.

@Paraka So by that same definition, Nintendo isn't doing deals either? Or is that something different? I read elsewhere that someone claimed that Nintendo doesn't do (looks up the quote) eh, I'll just copy paste the quote "Nintendo have a strict rule of "no money-hatting" people because they know that these 3rd parties will continue to ask for more and more money if they were conditioned into taking bribe money."

@UmniKnight - Nintendo has a reputation of not seeking deals the same way Sony and MS do, that's an absolute surety. However, though Nintendo doesn't often make an offensive effort, they do make deals. They're just often... More thorough on the part of Nintendo. The money hats are often offered with publishers when games and their localization efforts are thin (happens around consoles phasing). A prime example is the Op. Rainfall trilogy late in the Wii's era.

Nintendo makes deals and becomes involved with the development process directly. It is why we see Last Story and Pandora's Tower, though not made by Nintendo, has enough hands in it that they essentially belong to Nintendo (unless further deals are struck, like LEGO City was). It is also why we're even getting Skyrim, Nintendo is getting involved as publisher, as opposed to just a few hats, game gets out and then the whole deal washes away for another hat.

This has downsides, which includes lacking freedom of development cycles adhered to by the third party themselves (example: Ubisoft's Rayman Legends delay to meet a simultabeous release). And a major turnoff for others is Nintendo taking publishing reigns or offering development assistence also limits re-releases and ports if given. Generally making them legal exclusives. Which is actually quite clever, just not many third parties bite due to wanting the re-release cashings.

@Paraka So, basically, Nintendo's deals are stuff like FE: Warriors, Mario + Rabbids and the likes?

@UmniKnight - Yes and no. They are the most prominent ones you'll likely see. But various efforts you'll likely see is Nintendo as a publisher for a third party. And a select few (Sega and Atlus) doing publoshing for them. Games like Bayonetta, Taiko Drum Master, Last Story and Pandora's Tower are ones you'd have to skim the credits for to see how much Nintendo is involved.

@UmniKnight Nintendo has had 2 major types of 3rd party deals over somewhat recent past:

• Collaborations (e.g. Mario + Rabbids, FE/Hyrule Warriors)
• Funding completion of projects stuck in development hell (e.g. Bayonetta 2)

@Paraka Interesting, so which of the current projects would you point out as those Nintendo is deeply involved with? Since Nintendo publishes them, it's hard to distinguish if it's really a "third-party" or not.

@Grumblevolcano I see. So, let's take the Monster Hunter and Secrets of Mana rumours as true for this instance, surely Nintendo won't let that slide? I mean MH has been doing very well for them, and many times have I heard that the Western base is built with their help, and that Nintendo has even done most of the leg-work for the game here.

@UmniKnight - As of currently the two Nintendo involved themselves in on Switch alone is Skyrim (publishing) and Taiko Drum Master for the Switch (partial development, assets assist).

@Paraka I see. So another question, pertaining to third-parties: Which would you think will be most influential as to further third-party support?

@UmniKnight Strong sales for third party software is what will influence further support.

@IceClimbers Aye, but it wouldn't surprise me if some in particular are being used as measuring stick, like Rabbids for example.

@UmniKnight The correct answer would be this: The more consoles are sold, the more likely that 3rd-party companies will likely invest their time and money to make games for that console. Look at Wii, third parties are still making games for it, despite its discontinuation about 4 years ago.