Topic: The Nintendo Switch Thread

Once again, there's no apparent reason Doom Eternal would not be on Switch in the exact same manner as the last game.

@kkslider5552000 I dunno, if they couldn't get the port working it'd be one way to actually release it. We might not be getting anymore real third party ports past this point.

Oh boy it looks like those RE3 Cloud Version datamines returned in full force

Now that this is definitely becoming a more common fixture on the platform heading into next-gen, I have a feeling we might actually see the full fat RE Engine titles from Capcom make it over, as well as potentially stuff like Kingdom Hearts III, NiER Automata and Final Fantasy VII Remake since they are obviously way too graphically intense to run natively on the console

I wonder if Nintendo dabbling with cloud gaming in the west is a litmus test for Xbox Game Pass?

Probably not, but it's interesting to think about.

I doubt they're putting Game Pass on any other consoles period. Series X/S are meant to be their gaming hardware vehicle for Game Pass, while PC and mobile compliment it.

@TheFrenchiestFry

No disagreement, I just find the cloud gaming situation on Switch mildly dubious.

It feels as though more is coming than just RE 3 Remake.

@Magician I have a feeling the other REmakes and potentially other RE Engine games will show up on Switch now like DMC5 and RE Village. I also think FFXV's likelihood of being on Switch just greatly increased now that it's known they actually tried porting the game natively but the Switch just couldn't handle it.

I also wouldn't be surprised if FFVII Remake got similar treatment after the 1 year PlayStation exclusivity period is up, and this applies to future VII Remake games as well

I'd imagine the cloud games coming to the Switch will be the same as the ones on Google and Amazon's thingy majiggers. Which surprisingly doesn't include GTA 5.

@ToadBrigade wait for the PS5 version lol

@TheFrenchiestFry I don't see why the Switch couldn't also compliment the Series S/X. Honestly, I think the big issue is the system doesn't have enough overhead dedicated to the OS to manage gamepass. I could see it coming on a revised model or successor though.

@link3710 No it's not that, it's just that even though Switch has 2 proper Microsoft games under its belt, it's clear that the platform is far from a priority for them, especially with their own next gen console around the corner. If they put something like Game Pass on what's technically a competing console, it would probably lessen the incentive of buying an Xbox for the person who's strictly a console gamer. Switch is more like an extended family member rather than a true component to the long term Xbox ecosystem, and I don't see them doing anything as big as putting the major first party content or services like xCloud/Game Pass on Switch simply because it would probably sway people away from fully committing to their core devices. Series X/S will be the hardware they use as a vehicle to push Game Pass and their first party offerings. Putting them on PC is fine because Microsoft owns Windows and thus sees it fit to integrate it with the Xbox brand, but putting it on other consoles like Switch or PlayStation will really lessen any and all reasons to even invest in an Xbox or PC altogether since you can just play those games on other consoles.

@TheFrenchiestFry I don't think Microsoft cares at all about Xbox Series X/S hardware sales, just Game Pass subscription numbers. It's more likely something like the way Microsoft wants to implement Game Pass is off-putting for Nintendo, say for example Microsoft may want Game Pass to be plastered all over the eshop like it is on the Xbox store currently.

It's really in your face on the Xbox store, you want to buy a game that's in Game Pass? Too bad, the default option isn't even buying the game anymore it's "Get Game Pass" or probably install if you already have Game Pass.

@Grumblevolcano Well yeah that's why they see Series X and S as a vehicle to push Game Pass instead of the only option. Xbox is no longer a console. It's a multitude of devices that connect together and play the same games, but for the core console gamer who doesn't care about xCloud or PC gaming, the Xbox will be that centerpiece that gets them to invest in that ecosystem.

I mean, it would, but there's no reason in actual reality to assume that. If there's actual reason to assume Doom Eternal is somehow different enough from the previous game where porting would be more difficult, I'd be happy to hear it. But until then, I can't fathom assuming anything beyond "it'll come out eventually."

Ya, let’s not get carried away. Just because a cloud based game was announced and released doesn’t mean previously announced titles are suddenly going to jump the native ship. It’s not taking them multiple years to develop a cloud version port of DOOM Eternal. And cloud games are announced as cloud games.

Anyways, I can appreciate the concern over successful cloud games impacting future native titles. But frankly, I don’t think that’s going to be an issue. The next generation switch is only 3-4 years away. At which point most games will run natively just fine. In which case, they won’t have any reason to rely on the cloud. These cloud games may be relatively successful, but they’ll never sell as much as a native version of the game. I wouldn’t worry too much about it. I say if you’re interested, enjoy it for what it is without stressing over cloud versions suddenly taking over for every 3rd party game released.

Besides, by the time enough cloud games release on Switch and see enough success to definitively show viability to the extent future ports not already being worked on are supposedly being moved over, the next system will be releasing anyways. And if Switch 2 lands in the 8th gen power ballpark, there won’t be much need for relying on cloud versions. So ya, just enjoy it for what it is while you can.

@JaxonH I was thinking more that they planned a native Switch version and at some point cancelled it because they couldn't get it to run decently so they did a cloud version instead and will launch it with all the Year 1 Pass content included.

@JaxonH See that's where the issue is. If they make enough money on cloud games, they won't switch back to native ports when next gen rolls around.

@TheFrenchiestFry On the other hand, GamePass on Switch would also encourage Switch + PS4 owners to jump to Switch + XBSX instead when they upgrade. I geniinely don't think GamePass on Switch would lower Xbox sales at all, in fact, as things stand now it'd probably help.

@Grumblevolcano
I mean, that’s pretty wild, baseless speculation. I could speculate that Nintendo is secretly trafficking heroin into China too, but I don’t really have any evidence suggesting that’s the case and it’s not very likely to be the case. Doom Eternal was not secretly cancelled and switched over to a cloud game. It just wasn’t. Panic Button is handling the port, just like DOOM, and Wolfenstein, and Wolfenstein Youngblood.

@link3710
For one, they won’t “make enough”. To “make enough” they’d have to make more than a native game would sell, and that’s not going to happen.

For two, even if they did “make enough”, that doesn’t mean they’d just keep doing it once they have hardware that can run a game. Otherwise they’d be releasing cloud versions on PS and Xbox. But they don’t because they don’t need to (and because cloud versions will sell less, see point #1). Once the next switch is out it’s going to be no different than PS or Xbox inasmuch that, it’s a normal platform that can handle normal games.

It’s not like cloud versions don’t require the same amount of work. We read reports that porting a game to the cloud is just as difficult and just as expensive and just as time-consuming as making a PlayStation version of a game. Relax, A few cloud games releasing because they can’t run on the hardware right now doesn’t mean we’re in danger of mass numbers of third-party developers permanently switching over to making cloud games for dedicated hardware that’s perfectly capable of running the game natively and would sell 10x more as a result.

All this is, is a backup plan for games that can’t run or would look like Outer Worlds if they did. They won’t make as much money, but it can still be profitable as a “better than nothing” alternative. Any game that can run with satisfactory results will be ported natively. Otherwise you’d see cloud games all over the PS storefront right now. There’s no reason once Switch 2 releases that developers would treat it differently than any other platform. Platform A and platform B. Both can run the game natively. Why would they choose to natively port to one but not the other? It’s doesn’t make sense. Especially when they would get more bang for their buck making one cloud version that runs on every platform, yet they still don’t do it. If porting cloud games that could run natively with satisfactory results is more lucrative, they’d be doing it on every single platform.

Seems like there’s a lot of irrational paranoia in response to this, conspiracies of already announced native games being secretly cancelled and switched to cloud games, 3rd parties deciding to just stop developing games natively even when they can run fine, even though that’s not happening on any other platform... careful consideration is one thing, but I think maybe everyone needs to just take a breath here.

@JaxonH The silence is why I think circumstances may have changed, we haven't heard anything about DOOM Eternal Switch for over a year now outside of the usual smoke and mirrors of "more news coming soon" teases followed by months of no news.

https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2019/10/doom_eternal_has_be...

I'm not worried about the Switch port of Doom Eternal. From July through September every time Id Software was asked about it their response has continuously been, "it's coming" or "soon". I think it's a good candidate for a January release. But if we get to the end of March with no release or even an update, then I'll worry.