Developer Survey Reveals Worrying Lack Of Interest In Nintendo Switch

lol, this isn't shocking.

4500 devs, and 3% working on Switch... That's 135 developers

GDC ended the same day Switch released, so I'd say that while 3% feels underwhelming vs PS4/XBONE, it's not all doom and gloom

Depends on who the 3% are. That is 135 developers producing game.....or games for Switch. As long as it is the right companies then the numbers just don't matter. If Switch sells well the % will be much higher next year.

Doesn't matter how many are developing for what platforms if the stuff released it.

There's actually a few reasons for this. The first being Nintendo are being critical over which games see Switch release. They are going for quality over quantity and new rather then ports of games that came out in the last two years.

Granted some exceptions have been made but there is a reason why some devs, including Thomas Happ Games still can't get a dev kit and this is it. In Japan it's almost a case of anything goes as long as it sold well, but Europe and North America is a case by case basis also, there was a recent crisis where Nintendo nearly ran out of dev kits and needed to make more, which they have this month and are now able to send out.

So it's not there's no interest, its a case of Nintendo saying no quite a lot.

Bet the 3DS would have polled the same results back when it released, but look at it now. Maybe the developers are just watching and waiting before commiting.

now how many of those devs are the greenlight indies with stolen assets?

Quality, not quantity.

I imagine that most of those PC and "smartphone/tablet" games will be complete rubbish.

This survey is irrelevant - so many devs producing for Mobile and PC - etc. . . These games can also be ported to SWITCH quite easily as has been widely reported. . .

Nintendo are being pretty tight with the development kits though aren't they? (the developers of Axiom Verge can't get one apparently)

I don't think it's a great strategy on Nintendos part, but I don't think this means there's a lack of interest. (at least not one as stark as 3%)

Nintendo need to be way way more proactive about courting indie devs though. (and third parties but that's another story) It's really not that hard to find awesome indie games being developed if you know where to look.

To be fair this survey is a least from January. So many developers may have still been under NDA and so never mentioned that they were working on Nintendo Switch. But maybe there were only 135 (3%) developers working on the system from that point. It's hard to know. But I'm sure it's higher than that now.

After the generation that was Wii U, this was to be expected. Still sad to actually see the proof though.

The funny thing is I will probably buy 99% of the 3% on Switch (In some cases multiple copies for my kids and me) and 3% of the 27%/22% on my Ps4 or XboxOne.

Also, for people justifying this as "oh well Switch was just launching" what does that means months from now when all these developers would be getting close to releasing the software?

I don't see Switch improving on Wii U's 3rd party situation at all really.

On the surface this definitely seems troubling, but then I stepped back and stopped thinking if this was a huge deal or not. As other's have sad, quality, not quantity. I am currently a PC Gamer but strongly leaning towards picking up the switch and making that my primary system. The vast majority of games produced are not worth the time, so as long as quality games comes to the Switch I don't believe this is a serious issue

@gatorboi352 What 3rd party developers will hopefully realize is alot of people would rather be able to play a slightly less polished game anywhere. I will instantly choose a Switch version over any other because of the portability.

I understand that is my situation. I just also am confident that the portability factor is the majority.

4500 developers? Yeah if you count in smartphone game developers like AE (yes not EA). In that case, Nintendo doesn't need them, they need good, decent games that will sell the Switch. No one will buy a Nintendo Switch for these low budget indie games, Yooka-Laylee on the other hand is a indie game of a whole other level. So I do believe more good developers will follow in the future.

Wow. Loving the comment section

Why are people discrediting the mobile gaming market? The reason why so many developers flock to the smartphone is because they can make millions there. Sometimes billions.

That's like dismissing the Wii's success just because its consumer base was made of primarily casual gamers.

Hopefully the number just grows from there. At this point I'd rather have good indie support than anything else.

It was never gonna match PS4 or X1, but looking at their numbers in the prime of their lifespans vs Switch's numbers the day it released isn't exactly the best way to estimate its wellbeing..

I expect by this time next year, if things go well, it could be 10-12%. It's only going to go up as developers see it's warm reception and steady sales growth.

And now we start to realise the true extent of the problem. Although, hopefully a whole load of those are just really "indie-indie" developers who are basically chucking out mobile or Unity stuff thrown together in a few weeks that we wouldn't really want on Switch anyway—hopefully.

These findings make sense. The Switch is rather new and Nintendo's demographic is basically untested with most modern developers; we have Nintendo's questionable policies and stubborness to blame, two issues that lasted from the N64 era to the Wiiu era. The good news is that Nintendo is modernizing along with the launching of the Switch, not to mention that the company is getting more involved with outside developers. Hopefully things will work out for the company in the future. I think they will though, seeing how Nintendo has already conquered what is perhaps the greatest challenge the company will ever face, resurrecting a defunct gaming industry.

Those numbers for the PS4 and XB1 are dissapointing as well though. Those two companies have put in quite an effort, over the years, to keep up with the PC market, and yet they're percentage of developer interest remains measly in comparison. They're even being dominated by smart devices. There goes the almighty "more power equals better interest" theory. I get it though. This survey, along with the constant barrage of rushed titles, gimped ports, and questionable dlc, shows that we may have at least 4,500 companies that are in the process of replacing their passion for the art with a passion for profit. One can hardly blame them though as the cost of catering to our expectations can tip the scales these days.

Here's to hoping that the big three can stay afloat.

This makes sense. Gaming insiders see Nintendo as a novelty best not speak of at best. It's all about PC, mobile, and occasionally PS4.

One thing that can be said for Nintendo, though, is that their developer stable seems incredibly loyal, however small it is in reality.

The problem with these types of surveys is except maybe 3 or 4 games, no one cares about what's happening on Smart Phones when it comes to gaming. On Switch though, there's an excited audience for every game coming out. It's blockbuster films vs. Commercials. A real band vs. A cover band. Gaming authenticity doesn't exist on phones.

Need more info. Which 3% are working on Switch? Cuz if it's BG&E 2 we're good to go. If it's lazy ports of e-shop games. Nope.

And of course, the ones who ARE working on it can't get their games approved anyway right? lol. broken.

There is over 1,000 developers more for PS4. I hope Nintendo first party games are enough for people to buy the Switch so overtime more and more developers join the platform and we end up with some sort of beast 3DS.

Given the Switch's success so far I expect there will be a much larger percentage. However if the majority of them are working on PC and mobile (even the ruler of the bunch ps4 has a low percentage), this 3 percent in no ways rules out the console 3rd party devs people are looking for. I'm not going to be upset that King isn't making a Switch game. Calm down everyone, this isn't Nintendoomed.

^Splatoon is an FPS now. Okkkay. I know I need sleep.

@BLP_Software Presumably he meant "Freshest Paint Shooter".

You gotta be careful with these acronyms, otherwise people might assume you thought Splatoon was in first person or something.

@Maxz I just....blah XD Maybe he did. I mean that kinda fits to be fair.

Id say his acronym was stupid, but hey, I'm really sure that's an acronym for something flattering.

I assume Indie BS is Indie Best Sh**. And if he has more free Indie games on PS Plus than the population of Earth right now, I am more impressed that Sony is still afloat.

To be honest Nintendo make their own games and their stance by their own admission is this is our hardware it's up to you weather you want to develop for it, third partys really are much of a muchness that Microsoft an particularly Sony really need because if you look they don't have a lot by themselves, look at the wii u a console other than launch titles is Nintendo and not one of them is a stinker and the wii u will still look good in ten years time same as the Gamecube does, sometimes i think people that work in the media are thick, i have a ps4 and the wii u in terms of games in my book beats it easily it's just not meant to be a commercial hype machine, the Switch on the other hand?

It's almost like everyone forgets it took the PS4 well over 12-months to even begin to get anywhere with games--until then, it was lots of remasters and Bloodborne, basically (hell, the only retail game I owned for the first 18-months of its release was BB).

And it's the same reason why the Switch will take time to get rolling: third parties are going to take a wait and see to make sure it actually firmly takes off--if it does, the games will come in a torrent (just like PS4), which makes the remainder of this year critical for its success.

That said, it's probably a given that we'll see lots of Japanese games, a la 3DS on it, which, for someone like me, is really all I care about...though I understand this isn't good enough for most others.

doesn't really seem to mean much considering the VR games that exist or are announced

also linux and web browers?! how many linux exclusive games or great web browser games are there? ROFL

@zionich I am in the same boat. I work in IT, add in a web TV only porgram I watch and 6 hours or so a week of studying for certs and the last thing I want to do is game in front of a PC. Being able to game on my TV or switch, no pun intended, to another room is huge for me.

@JaxonH Agreed. I would place a monetary bet after seeing the sales numbers and increased production ordered by Nin that several of the bigger studios have started looking into developing bigger titles for the Switch. Their not charities, they want to make money, and their not going to neglect that many potential customers.

@BenAV Agreed. I would rather have ten devs producing quality, like Nintendo, Team Cherry, CD Projekt Red, etc then someone like EA which couldn't produce an interesting title if their business depended on it

@ECMIM yep. everyone is praising the PS4 so much right now because it did have a ton of great games released in the last half year. but everyone forgets that the only great exclusive before that period was Bloodborne.

Third party support isn't as crucial as Nintendo actually having a good lineup rather than letting the system flounder like they did with all the game delays for Wii U. I'm actually quite satisfied with the number of companies making games for Switch so far though.

It's Nintendo's job to create a large install base. Then the numbers will change.

This survey is a couple of months old. I think it is from like October/November of last year. I doubt Nintendo had sent out many dev kits by then.

And regardless, I don't expect Nintendo's share of developer interest to increase significantly in these GDC surveys, regardless of the success (or lack thereof) of the Nintendo Switch. I recall GDC surveys from a few years ago where only 4-5% of developers were working on Wii U games and 2-3% of developers were working on 3DS games, despite the 3DS's large install base for the surveyed GDC developers to take advantage of.

@Phin68 because the mobile phone game rush is well and truly over. Phone developers have long been saying its hard to get noticed because there is so many other games and apps - and all those games get revenue off adds or using money for in game items. And let's face it - they all suck!

Those are the kind of things serious gamers don't want in AAA games or games in general.

@iphys
For being 2 weeks old, yes I'd say I'm happy with the number of quality games on the way also. Of course, as time goes on I'll expect more from 3rd parties, but for now it's fine. Particularly Nintendo's own lineup. Getting Zelda, the best game I've ever played, day one along with SnipperClips, with an actual complete version of Mario Kart 8 with 8 battle arenas and 5 different battle modes, 40 characters and 48 tracks the month after, and Arms which looks like a breath of fresh air from the norm, and Splatoon 2 on the way in just a few months, with a new Xenoblade Chronicles sequel coming this year, and Fire Emblem Warriors also coming this year, not to mention Super Mario Odyssey which looks like the BotW of Mario games, and even 2 weeks in already have a new Fire Emblem confirmed to be on the way sometime after Mario Odyssey... it's a very nice lineup indeed.

And that's the thing. If they continue with a strong, consistent lineup like that for years to come, it won't take very many 3rd party games to fill out the lineup. Wii U needed it desperately because Nintendo was taking 9 months between releases. When they're averaging a game a month, it won't take nearly as many to fill in the blanks, cause there will be a lot less blanks to fill, and with the significantly higher interest in Switch than Wii U, there should be a lot more 3rd party games to fill them. That said, Skyrim and Rime and Ultra Street Fighter II and Sonic Mania are all games I will certainly buy. And the more that come the merrier.

And I should note, because of the console's hybrid functionality, every single game feels like it has more weight to it. Each and every game feels valuable, mostly because each game offers a console and handheld version in one. Which just one year ago, would cost us $100 for a Wii U and 3DS version, and even then there was no save transfer (and certainly not seamless even if there was) and the handheld version was SD pixelated version. With Switch, every game feels like 2 games. Which only serves to make the lineup feel even stronger.

@lifepsychedelic yes but considering the pole is from GDC and how many serious devs (in other words, games from devs that don't even match Binding of Isaac quality) is highly likely. Its got very little to do with fanboyism.

Honestly if they said everyone mobile game dev out there wanted in on this system I'd want to puke and thank god Nintendo has these curated policies!

@westman98 so it's possibly before the full unveiling and very old. Love how the tipster sends in everything negative.

Could we get a link to the actual article posted so we can actually get dates and a clear picture of what's going on?

@OzHuski
http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2017-01-12-developers-think-switch-can-best-wii-u-survey

"That's according to the Game Developers Conference's fifth annual State of the Industry Survey, which was taken by more than 4,500 developers (primarily in North America and Europe) over a three-week period in November and December."

The survey did indeed take place before the January 12th Switch presentation.

@ECMIM I remember the dry Ps2 and Ps3 launch as well.

I'm not sure the actual amount of indie games released on XB/PS over the last couple of years but I can honestly say I only bought a dozen or so. From the free Gold/PS Plus offerings I maybe enjoyed half of them? I honestly bought more indies on my Wii U. And in the future, especially if it's a multiplayer game, I'll be buying for the Switch. I'm already hyped for at least 10 of the Nindie showcase games. I'll take hand picked games which fit the system over a splattershot, release everything approach any day.

@westman98 very well done sir! This should have been included in the article and also a link posted. What is "tipped" doesn't give a clear enough picture and the person doing it is clearly trying to hate on the Switch.

So I'd like to know why all these negative posts go up - without links - but when tips of new games coming to Switch are submitted, they aren't posted?

I would think developer's would definitely want their games on Switch right now not a lot of competition for sells , yet it does seem Nintendo is going the quality over quantity route which is a good thing Wii U had way too much shovel ware on eshop.

This is very upsetting.

Spread the news Nintendo fans we need the Switch to sale very well, that money 💰 and high install base will change developers minds.

@3MonthBeef no actually.. I just worded that paragraph wrong and was actually asking Nintendo Life to do that. But Westman being the guy he is - did a fantastic job.

@3MonthBeef

I read Westmans comment, this isn't even an issue, since the switch is selling out everywhere developers should definitely be excited to be working on the Switch.

That's fine. It just launched, and there are still lots of good games coming for the Switch.

While Nintendo has seemingly done a better job of cultivating some kind of interest in the Switch from most major publishers the majority of developers knew nothing about it for a long time. So most of those who were left in the dark are probably only considering producing content for it right now. On the other hand, I'd say Nintendo is lucky that even today that there are developers out there who consider having their game on a Nintendo console an honor.

Good thing I have a PS4 also

@3MonthBeef it's sad.. I'm only new to NL (as of about 8 months ago) but I enjoyed the honest posts and the fact they didn't just bash Nintendo every chance they had for clicks.

Last few weeks though its been getting rougher coming here as you have the trolls hating and clear bias towards negative posts. If I wanted negativity - I'd just visit Kotaku.

Good thing I bought a Nintendo console for mainly Nintendo games.
I have two very powerful PCs, an Xbox one, a Wii u, 3ds xl, GameCube and a Dreamcast to keep me preoccupied while I wait for more switch games or if I want to play 3rd party games.

Well, I mean it makes sense, most developers are still waiting to see what the Switch really has to offer

Well it's not like third parties haven't been enforcing a console duopoly since the end of the Wii's lifecycle. Too many media outlets mistakenly put the onus on Nintendo to obtain third party support when this is all happening in a free market system, for better and worse. Simply, if no extra developers choose to make games for the Switch, then none will.

I'm fine with just Nintendo and Capcom games for now.

The question to ask here is this: Who ARE these 4500+ developers, and are these developers anything that ANYBODY buying a Nintendo, Playstation, or XBox device actually cares about? More specifically, ask yourself this. Over your entire gaming life how many discrete developers have you actually played games from, current or defunct? How many have you heard of. As someone who's been multi-platform starting with NES through current with a sizable period on PC, who buys TONS of games and doesn't stick with any single game for too long (preferring single player experiences to long-term multiplayer hobbies in games) if I said that number of developers, for me, was 500 I would probably be exaggerating heavily. Across all platforms. Including the PC golden age.

So who are these thousands of developers that we're factoring into this percentage. And what percentage of THOSE developers are one-dude-in-his-basement studios?

If we pare the numbers down to just Sony/Microsoft/Nintendo, we get much more sensible numbers in terms of games that console players care about, but keep in mind Sony and Microsoft have been allowing more and more of the "trash" level games (so did WiiU) that nobody buys.

Conversely, what percentage of the devs developing for Nintendo are bringing that title to platforms OTHER than Nintendo? Nintendo tends to get more exclusivity than the others and operates it's own ecosystem unique from others.

A headline of "Less indie and third party developers developing for Nintendo than for the other consoles. Fewer low budget developers developing for consoles at all than for mobile and PC" just doesn't generate many clicks or forum rants.

Lets follow up this thread with what the launch-window multiplat indies see sales-wise on Switch versus other platforms about 6 months from now

Only 135 publishers making games for the Switch.

But one of them is Nintendo.

Just when you think Wii U was bad... Nintendo made Switch looks like a Skunk for 3rd parties. When VR development is 8x more than your console, you know you are in deep trouble.

I see the spin doctors are out in force, in these comments.

@NEStalgia Great points, this article seems suspiciously too click-baity in my opinion. I guess Galactus's little rant a day ago might be justified.

A point that needs to be considered here is how many developers actually had a dev kit before this survey was taken.. as the survey states, it's developers currently developing for the platform.

It's been obvious that a lot of studios haven't been able to get their hands on a development kit yet & many of them that managed to get one are still using a much older kit.

Other than that, I think @NEStalgia has is spot on... how many of those thousands of developers are just providing shovelware that probably wouldn't see many copies sold on the PS4/XB1 themselves? Lets see how the games on the Switch sell & then check back how many developers are working on the Switch... when they're ABLE to develop for the Switch.

Clearly the Switch will be getting the cream of the crop & the others will get junk shovelware.
If I keep telling myself this it's gotta be true!

Well it's not like the dev kits have been hanging on trees. So quite many couldn't REALLY be working on Switch games even if they wanted to. And since this survey doesn't take into account the size of the developer, I will go ahead and assume that there are abot ten times as many developers to question now as the would have been ten years ago.

More than a thousand new games are released on iOS and Android every week. I not sure it's worrying that this doesn't happen on Switch.

I'm not sure if anyone else has mentioned it because I haven't read the 75 comments before mine but has anyone else noticed that the 3ds doesn't feature on the list at all.

That seems rather strange to me... There must be at least one developer creating something for it???

Seems almost that the list was created just to paint a negative picture on the switch so I'm not going to take it too seriously

Lmao the fanboy spinning in this thread is hilarious, keep it up. Hope you guys somewhere deep down do realize that this survey is in fact very worrysome.

Otherwise you are just being delusional.

Nintendo SHOULD make a VIRAL from Nintendo Switch.
People will Hyped even more when the games from Switch become a Viral.
Make some Magic, Nintendo !

@Yasume
Keep on dreaming , loather.
Any swan song to sing again ?

@Marios-love-child well then a skim of previous comments reveals it seems this entire article was created to paint a negative picture on the Switch. What the article conveniently leaves out is that this survey was done months ago, before even the January 12th Switch presentation. So when developers didn't even know how the public would react to the system, when Nintendo was being super limited on who they even gave dev kits to because they still had a lot to reveal (at that point face it, only big studios would've gotten a kit), when nobody had yet to see if the system would actually sell or even what Nintendo had planned for the system... 135 developers (likely bigger ones) were working on Switch games. But sure, leaving most of that info out, seems pretty clear Nintendo is doomed.

Either way the usual crowd that thinks Nintendo is doomed are conveniently ignoring this too. I don't know what is more amusing. I love NL but between the negative articles and the even more negative community (at least the most vocal members) I'm this close to finding a new site to replace this.

Not worried at all, once all devs start making games on the switch from the 3ds, the library will be great. Imagine the next Monster Hunter, Pokemon, Dragon Quest and so on. We don't a carbon copy library like the xbox/ps4 and also all Nintendo teams are making games for the switch.

What this shows me is, that developers just don't have any faith in the console at this point.

Nintendo is seriously going to have to work tooth and nail to get games out of the door to get customers on board in order to get third party devs back on board. Can they do it? I'm not sure, but I know for a fact that no one will put up with releases every 6 months like on the Wii U.

@Gunnerholic
Don't worry about that. Even most developers put their focus on ps4/xbox1/pc but most of their games are Typical adult games (fps, criminal games, killing games, etc) or Minecraft clones or Boring football games or not so wonderful genre games. A lot of carbon copies, looks very Unattractive in my opinion compared with 2000's era games, even The Sims 4, The Sims series that usually I Love it looks a bit boring from I heard most people . Keep our eyes on Nintendo. Nintendo Switch's Magic will make our wish come true.

@Anti-Matter I agree to an extent and hope you are right, however some of those types of games are what entice people into buying consoles plus missing out on the gems in between. We'll have to wait and see.

I don't find this worrying at all. For one we have no idea who is in those percentages. If developers like Platinum, Yatch Club, Ubisoft, Image & Form etc were not in it then it would be worrying. But we already know they, along with many other great third parties, are.

Plus it's early days. The system has yet to prove itself.

Who ran this survey, Ben Croshaw and Jim Sterling?

Let's face it guys who in there right mind was going to buy 4.500 games anyway from these devs. you probably won't buy all the games from the 3% either. Games released or not on the switch,you should be happy with what you have or what you can choose from in the future.. Too much spinning and crying overthis,it's like been in kindergarten. There one thing for sure the switch will get plenty indie support even if it doesn't get big AAA 3rd party support. Just like Wii U owners,Switch owners will just have to soak it up,you made your bed now lie in it. Stop acting like owning a switch gives you privileges to all the devs and their games. This isn't aimed at switch owners that have taken this article with a pinch of salt but the switch owning cry-baby faithful fanboys that need to get real and get a grip

@Honelith the 3ds was at 9 or 11% as far asIcan remember.

@Marios-love-child also the Vita is missing. Perhaps the focus was not on dedicated handhelds?

I do remember 3ds being low last year. Like 2%.

In my experience 99% of indie developers have either PC or Mobile as their primary platform. That is, the platform they are testing the game on every day during development.

When asked about other platforms, a yes answer can range from anything between simple intention to port to a platform, to "we signed up up for the dev program but haven't got any further" to "we have a devkit but not started porting as we've not finished the game for PC/Mobile yet" to "we ran a build off on the devkit some months ago and it worked, but not got any further" to finally actually actively porting / developing on device.

There's a lot of indies in particular who have a PS4 or Xbox devkit but it's just sitting gathering dust.

Mixed in with that will be bigger studios whi may be bringing one or some, but not all their games to certain systems. And finally, most devs with a switch when the survey was taken, would have been working full time on it in order to take advantage of the release window opportunity. That also makes them less likely to travel to GDC, and so take part in the survey.

Given all that, it's a bit hard to extrapolate. The same survey next year, if we see developer interest towards Switch at similar levels to WiiU, then may be a cause for concern. Especially if the dev program is more open than it is at the moment.

@koekiemonster
Hey Bro,vita wasn't missing really. It will be part of the ps4% because of cross-buy. Many ps4 indie games come to vita under the guise of ps4 release dates,not all of them but certainly a decent %

I didn't expect the Switch to do great tbh.. I mean I thought the novelty would wear off eventually..
Even by looking at the adverts on tv, it's advertised like the Wii was back in the day.. Only, this time you can play it in a tent!
It's a portable Wii, why those kids were so hyped up about it I've no idea (maybe cuz they want free games? lol). But I refuse to buy my kid one..
I don't doubt it's still a great console, it's just not enough for me..

What's new?
Well it won't be the fact Nintendo learned from hindsight and has loads of 1st party games lined up.
Of course history is repeating. Nintendo might not want the extra work, but the vast majority of devs want to work with the more powerful tech.
I've never owned a Playstation or an Xbox. I've always been a Nintendo geek, but even I'm getting fed up now.
We're paying more money for less games and inferior graphics. On top of this it's no secret that most dev do not like Nintendo. Nintendo are taking the mickey but the devs are getting the last laugh.

That Smartphone/Tablet percentage irritates me.

That said, at least the games Switch is getting are pretty good. I imagine those numbers will change this time next year once everything has picked up.

This is a bit misleading though. Of those 4500 developers, how many are actually high profile enough to really matter? There's only a few dozen developers out there who really matter when it comes to supporting a console, the rest make small, cheap mobile games that most people will never hear of.
You could probably break down a consoles success to a few key developers and titles, and that's probably closer to 1% of that 4500.

As long as switch has a library of games equivalent to a 3ds/Wii u combined in a couple years, who care how many devs are supporting it. My buddy and I sat around last night playing Zelda on switch, he loved it, bit always poke fun at my love for Nintendo stuff. Then we started playing battlefield on his Xbox1 and it's just so boring. And most of his library are 360 games. best part, is I can take my system with me to play anything. He can't

Wait and see is the best strategy. I doubt I will get a switch this year, not enough titles interest me yet.

Less support than Apple TV doesn't sound good.

On top of what other people have said, isn't GDC mostly Western devs anyways?

Nothing new. We already know Nintendo Switch will not be the target for most Developer Teams. By the way, the fact the console is new is not the only reason of this 3%.
Nintendo Switch is not that powerfull as PS4 and XboxOne are and so, at this time, cant host some of the currenlty best games which are about to come.

But .... i think Switch will cut it's space time by time, expecially as a portable console, on some old ported games (maybe readapted) and some new exclusive.

I don't think 'lack of interest' is an accurate way of interpreting these numbers. We know of devs who are interested in developing for Switch, but haven't been given access to dev kits yet (the Axiom Verge guys, for example), and others like Jools Watsham (from Atooi), who at the time of this survey was fairly open on Twitter that he was trying to get a dev kit, but did not yet have one. He has since confirmed Treasurenauts to be in development for the Switch.

If the results are the same next year, THAT could be called lack of interest. Right now, it's more lack of access...

If nintendo stops beeing so selective about indies then things will improve. Don't blame developers for the lack of interest

Clickbait title. Those numbers don't imply a lack of interest in the Switch.

It has already been revealed that, currently, Nintendo is taking a curated approach and is only working with a limited number of third party developers to bring their content to the system. People without dev kits can't develop for the system.

@Uranux I guarantee you that 95% of those devs aren't developing games that are big budget enough for the Switch's specs to be any kind of deterrent.

y'all are doing Nintendo proud with all this damage control. Reminds me of the Funzo episode from the Simpsons when everyone in Springfield is fighting to be the first one to buy the toy and the toy executives are watching security footage, goading on the rioters.

"Only 22 seconds from muttering to door smash. That projects to a profit of $370 million!"

"I'd still sleep a little easier if I saw some trampling."

Moe gets trampled

Never stop doing you Nintendrones, never stop.

Buhahaha I knew it! No sale this time with Switch Nintendo... you can't be in between WII U and Xbox one hardware wise. If you would've used a better CPU and more RAM game studios would be more excited to work on their games on your system! Nuff said

Anyone expecting massive support from third party developers on a Nintendo system is delusional and hasn't been paying attention post SNES. Anyone here criticizing "fanboys" (and "fangirls") for being totally okay with this should leave and play a game on their phone.

@powersgenty - I think you just really wanted to use that Simpsons reference because it has zero relevance to this article/comment section.

@theinstruct0r Lol what? Almost all games released so far and 95% of upcoming games for the Switch ARE (old) ports.

This is months old news, from before the January reveal.

3% took a gamble and 3% will win big. Fast RMX made millions already I'm sure. Most developers want a safe, secure income. I'm sure developers are checking out the Switch now.

@Jaxx2507
Hi.
Not enough what ?
Switch itself is already 2 in 1: Home Console and Handheld in One body.
Don't compare it with PC.
Being (Too) Powerful is NOT the KING of All. Not even everything that you need.
Sometimes, the smallest things or unexpected one can change the world.
Just remember, don't be so demanding.

I think that most are taking a wait and see approach. If the Switch is successful then they'll soon be jumping on the bandwagon and will pump out some quick overpriced shoddy ports.

@Anti-Matter
I mean it's not enough to make me to buy it.. When the Wii arrived, THAT was impressive, it was totally different to what PlayStation and Xbox were doing and I loved it.. I bought one immediately after trying it out for the first time.. But this is more of the same.. Only, you can play it anywhere..
PC gaming? I dunno where you got that from but I don't PC game, never have.. I love consoles..
And yep, small things can indeed change the world, but it sure as hell won't be the Switch.. Sorry..

@Ninphysics
That would be my approach if I was a publisher. Get a game out in the first few months when there isn't as much competition and it should get decent sales. Unfortunately the gaming industry is very reactive though, so by the time they make a move the ship will have sailed and they'll be left fighting for sales.

@Jaxx2507
The PS4/XBO are very much more of the same, the PS3/360 could have continued and aside from the slight bump in graphics it would still be pretty much the same games. I only bought those consoles to continue to have a broader choice of games but I wasn't particularly excited about it.

The Switch does seem rather like a 'Wii 2' but I don't think that's a really a bad thing as I loved the Wii. As with any Nintendo system it will have the great first party games and they alone make the Switch a must buy for me.

@Jaxx2507
I think you need help to identify what kind of game genre you like most.
Me, myself like Life Simulation (The Sims, Animal Crossing New Leaf, My Sims), Rhythm (Dance Dance Revolution), Japanese RPG (Final Fantasy series, Kingdom Hearts, Fantasy Life 3DS, Golden Sun NDS), Sandbox / Platformer (Lego City Wii U, Super Mario Galaxy, Kao Kangaroo 2), Party (Wii Party, Mario Party), Fighting / Combat Sport (Street Fighter Alpha series, K-1 World GP, Animal Boxing NDS), Girlie games (Cooking Mama, Style Savvy Fashion Forward 3DS), Misc games (Tomodachi Life), Fitness games (Wii Fit, Gold Gym Cardio Workout Wii), Adventure (Pokepark Wii), etc.
Find your genre that you like most.
I'm sure you can engage some games judging from Youtube first to find out the gameplay of games that you wanna know about.
Happy hunting some nice games.
I'm sure Switch will satisfy you enough from lovely Mario Kart 8, so exciting ARMS, So Adventurously Lego City Undercover, So Universally Mario Odyssey and many more.

@CaPPa
I respect your choice..
I'd never diss people for buying it..

@Anti-Matter
Cute..
But I'm good lol.. I'm happy with PS3/PS4 until Nintendo do something amazing again..

I am sure it will go beyond 3% as it is early days for Switch at the moment. I hope Nintendo work even more closely with developers though!

Sega Nomad = Nintendo switch
Both portable both home console

There is going to be a lot of money on the table for that 3%.

I've already made the same mistake I did for the Wii and WiiU where II impulsively bought into the Nintendo Accessory fever and may end up with more controllers than actual games.

With the Switch then I already have 4 JoyCons, a bunch of charging solutions, cases and a Pro Controller. But every time I look at the game schedule I keep wondering if I'll ever put all this gear to use or if it will all get filed away with my Wii and WiiU stuff.

Hopefully, IF Nintendo fails to deliver on games again then they'll at least go to their classics in some sort of emulator.

3% isn't much. I sure hope Nintendo try to get more 3rd party developers on board, and especially try to get some of the big AAA games on the Switch.

Some sources say that Nintendo turned down some developers for not using Switch gimmicks.

@gatorboi352 proof of what?This was in January 2 months before the switch was released.

Maybe the Switch will surpass the Wii U by a couple of millions in sales. But I don't see a big success here. There's zero hype outside of Nintendo-centric sites. And most people want the most powerful version of each game, that's why PC is king and it's followed by the most powerful console, the PS4.

Maybe power does not equal better, but the PS4 has amazing exclusives. It is slowly becoming a brilliant console. And Nintendo just offers the same old games. A remastered Mario Kart and a Super Mario game... Nintendo turned their back on gamers, with the exception of Breath of the Wild. I hope they learned from it.

@UK-Nintendo yes that was just a Sega not a new console/handheld lol

@Al_Godoy lol Sony don't have the best exclusive a few good yes..Even crash is a timed exclusive and that was Sony's Mario lol

@Slim1999 that was a handheld and you can plug it to the tv. Also use 2 controllers

I'm not really surprised, and this doesn't mean much. If the number hasn't improved much a year from now, that's when we'd be in trouble.

@subpopz it says: are you currently developing for Switch? At the moment of asking very few developers are. That's what is says.

@Slim1999 development takes tome. Games don't magically are there. Most of them take a year at least.

Whatever the spin may be... this news just isn't good. I would rather hear 3000 developers are busy developing Switch games, but alas...

@Xaessya that would be weird as some games available don't use the gimmicks...

Who develops for a web browser? I guess it's for those game hosting websites or something.

This would be more concerning if we didn't know Nintendo was heavily curating the content. I am quite happy with my Switch, I already have seven games for it, with another four on my eShop wishlist for when I can afford them, so it's not like the content isn't already there. (Of course the only game I've really PLAYED is Zelda, but I will finish that eventually and I will need something to play after.) I think that Nintendo is probably "curating" a bit too heavily, but with the hype and initial sales of the thing, they can maybe afford to at this time. There are totally people like me dropping loads of cash on multiple games out there already, supporting the developers that ARE on the system.

@theinstruct0r What! Near enough every game on the Switch is a port. Also, if Nintendo equates quality to games like 1-2-Switch and Bomberman R then I'm done.

@3MonthBeef I joined this website back in 2013 as well and I fully agree with you on these points. Also, I enjoyed reading your rant today.

This info is useless for any of the systems involved. The actual companies making games would be good though.

What is GDC?

If Nintendo finds a way to make a profit and keep in business, I don't mind Switch becoming a Nintendo-and-indies-and-occasional-3rd-party machine that I can play on the go. I also have a PS4 and the catalogue is so robust that it really puts things in perspective. I'd be kind of surprised to see Nintendo catch up. So I've stopped looking at this as a race between the consoles. It's sad, of course, to have less 3rd party options for my Switch, but it's not the end of the world. Nintendo isn't going bankrupt and my Switch isn't becoming less fun. When a 3rd party multiplatform game comes out on Switch, I lean toward the Switch version because of portability and because I want to support the publishers who gave it a shot. For those who can't afford both a Switch and another system, that's a problem, however, which really sucks.

Ya these numbers are very similar to the Wii u numbers before its launch. Part of the problem is Nintendo being so secretive with the switch. The other problem is hardware performance makes it a chore to downgrade a title for it. Its really hard to justify bringing a game to a platform that asks you to take things out just to try to hit a technical challenge that we as developers had finally left behind on ps3 and x360. I'm not even talking about graphics only in this statement. Switch is powerful, but not capable. You'll see some great things from Nintendo once they stop doing tiny upgrades and ports of last gen games. Its for that reason you won't see games currently I'm development being released.

Nintendo is hoping to pull a 3ds out of their hat by releasing a steady stream of games you'll want to utilize in two scenarios. This is why many predictions place the system in a league of 20 to 30 million by end of life. 3ds developers and indies will turn their gaze towards it, but don't expect the likes of ea , square, 2k, or Activision to extend it any special courtesy. Hopefully it'll do well enough to grab some attention. I'd like to see mass effect trilogy on it, but that is unlikely given the size of all three games with dlc and ea desire to focus on Andromeda.

The system will have games not just from Nintendo, but sadly you'll be using it mostly as a portable and device you hook up for stints of smash. If you're a Nintendo fan you'll swear by the machine I'm sure, but the nature of the switch still makes it a compliant to a ps4 and not a replacement for one.

It seems 95% of posters are unaware that this survey was taken in November/December last year,before the console was fully revealed and these numbers were already reported 2 months ago.It would have helped if the article pointed this fact out.

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2017-01-12-developers-think-switch-can-best-wii-u-survey

If the console hadn't had it's full reveal at that time and with very few dev kits sent out to select developers,there's obviously isn't going to be a huge percentage working on it.If that survey was taken in the past few weeks then it would certainly be higher.

Good. Look at the systems that are leading in this survey, and their respective reputations in the area of software quality. Even on PS4 it is becoming very difficult to find good games amid the swell of awful shovelware. For Nintendo to practice discretion in this area would be a good thing. And all reports suggest they are doing just that.

But mostly we know that this means very little when considering how secretive Nintendo were about Switch pre-launch. No surprise they didn't want to risk the system being outed just so they could let the RCMADIAX's of the world drop digital deuces on the eShop. That said, Switch just came out. Give it time and I'm sure the schlock will appear.

Another thing that we should not be alarmed about is that, a large amount of these developers are low end developers making garbage smart phone games. This article is pointless, move along folks nothing to see here.

This survey is so irrelevant at this point.

"Web Browser = 13%"

wtf

"Thanks to SLIGEACH_EIRE for the tip."
Of course, of course...

The lack of games on switch is my biggest fear regardless of hardware. This isn't a good sign!?!

@Phin68 They are discrediting the mobile market because while there's a whole crap ton of them now, pretty much all of them have never worked on a home console level game, and have never made games for handhelds or consoles alike.

All the presence of mobile developers is doing is inflating the numbers and making things seem much worse than they really are.

@Al_Godoy Nintendo hasn't turned their back on anybody. The ports are there purely to pad out the launch window now. Soon the real meat of the consoles library will come around, hopefully.

I love the argument for quality over quantity that gets trumpeted about and would agree but then I look at the launch title vroom in the night sky and weep, besides zelda could last me at least five more years so i'm good.

@powersgenty "Damage Control"

Wow, are you just a total and complete idiot? Too dumb to read between the lines and realize that the majority of the smartphone devs have no experience with console games and solely make their revenue from them, and have little to no reason to go to consoles for their profits?

They inflate the numbers, plain and simple. Which makes the situation look a whole lot worse than it really is. There's also the fact there may be some overlap with devs citing they're making up games for multiple platforms, which also inflates the numbers.

Use your brain before you go start calling people things you have no business calling them, drone. : P

3% is pretty pathetic. Doesn't matter if 3% means 135, the number is low as hell and most importantly, it shows Nintendo's ineptitude to better relationships with devs. While most are defending and damage controlling this pathetic number, few seem to point out that the Switch is not gonna get most of the major AAA releases and the latest games from the industry's best devs out there. No "ifs", no "buts", you just leave your bias at the door and look at all the GOTY contenders from the last couple of years and you'll often see games that do not come to Nintendo. These are games that are well received by critics and fans and no amount of fanboy bias changes the fact that they are good games.

Also, LOL at people saying stuff like "but these numbers are just bad steam greenlight games" But you know, a lot of good games make up these numbers for PC too! Bet you haven't thought about that. And because the Switch only has like 135 devs working, doesn't mean that because it's a low number that all of them are good. After all, games like Meme Run made it to the Wii U eShop. Just pointing out the blatant fanboy rose-tinted glasses arguments that are common on this thread where people try to make PC, PS4, XBOX ONE numbers look bad and the Nintendo numbers look good. More games come to your system, more GOOD games come to your system, simple as that. The bad ones you just ignore. I doubt it's hard to understand this concept.

Pc/Mac, Tablets and VR headsets as options? Invalid. Or joke. We're close enough to the 1st of april, after all.

Sloppy reporting Nintendo Life. The original source that you should be citing is here: http://cogconnected.com/2017/03/gdc-2017-nintendo-switch/

You should never source reddit unless it is an AMA.

Also it is unfortunate that it was your readers that found that the GDC survey was taken during the disclosure period of the NDA.

@3MonthBeef I do have to admit, that I'm starting to get just slightly annoyed at some of the picks (like this months-long outdated poll, even if it is official) for tipped articles. I've been sending in various tips on articles for over a month now, which have been about interviews with developers (two of them for Shin'en Multimedia in particular), and even a second opinion high detail specs list with accompanying teardown from a group other than iFixit. I even sent in one about a Youtuber who discovered a then-unknown feature of BotW before release. The response to these? Nothing. Articles with actually interesting or potentially not widely known information are getting skipped over, while outdated "olds" like in this article are chosen.

Personally, I have nothing against ol' Sliggy, and I don't think his negativity is simply for it's own sake, like you and many others believe (perhaps short-sightedly). However, it does irk me a bit that NL staff didn't do their homework before pushing this one out. I'm inclined to believe it was indeed for the clicks- Galactus kind of has a point when articles like this are posted. Not because of it's negative intonation, but because it's using outdated information that should have been double checked beforehand.

It might be conspiracy theory-ish, but now I'm wondering if some of the articles NL publishes have to be vetted by Nintendo or some other source... As if they're not allowed to write about certain things. Maybe I'm just wildly misinterpreting the situation... But I think that's probably closer to the truth than your silly idea of "Sliggy could be Illuminati!?!?" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PJLSzsEjpWM"

I bought a Switch but, just like when I bought a Wii U, I am very happy with it being a "Nintendo franchises machine", besides the occasional indie gem here and there. I was very happy with my Wii U (which was mostly a "second console" when I had a PS3 back in early 2013 and continued to be so when I got a PS4 at some point in 2014, can't remember when).

If you buy a Switch to play AAA third-party games, I'm afraid you're doing it wrong: go with a PS4/XB1/Pro/Scorpio/PC and buy a used Switch in a couple of years (so you can play Nintendo's wonderful 1st party games).

Kinda sucks for Nintendo, but they have to accept they can't "fight the big guys" unless they put out a machine that's as boring, non-gimmicky or innovative, but as über-powerful and compatible (in terms of architecture) as the competition.

@helbertpina Uh... Nintendo is one of the big guys... They're a multibillion dollar business, that makes them a Goliath too- just not as big a Goliath as some of their competitors. The idea of them being some kind of underdog is an illusion.

@darth2d2 Since when do internet news/fan sites rely only upon primary sources?

@subpopz Get real would you please? I post in loads of positive stories. I post in the news.

Was this negative?

https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2017/03/star_wars_rogue_squadron_studio_factor_5_is_apparently_back_from_the_dead

@subpopz Nah, NL staff ultimately made the decision to publish months-old outdated information. They're the ones who deserve your ire, not Eire.

@SLIGEACH_EIRE Personally, I think NL should have published your "YouPorn visitor decline" forum link based on an article from The Sun, instead of this. If they're just going to publish articles for the clicks anyways, that would have generated a lot more clicks!

Also as a point for developement support and timelines for the Switch I would like to reference the end of this interview: https://youtu.be/PY7ZfrFQJYs. Dev couldn't get the game to run on Wii U. It took them only 3 days to port a running build on Switch. That is one developer bringing two games to the Switch because of how easy the port from Wii U was. I can see other Wii U titles being ported for the same reason once the Eshop curation lets up. Specifically Devil's Third multiplayer since Nintendo could use an exclusive free to play.

@EngieBengie

-and you just like the other guy don't seem to understand the numbers are old as hell, and the fact single developers developing for multiple platforms, which inflates the numbers, along with the massive amount of mobile devs in the mix.

Go ahead and call what a lot of people here are doing "damage control" all you want. You're just coming off as a pompous poo.

@SLIGEACH_EIRE Sadly lots of people like focusing on the negative more than the positive. Cause those tend to stick out more.

The people who need to get real though are the people calling others responses "damage control". It's like they think we're literally all in Nintendo's employ just for the sake of dissenting their fabricated majority.

@darth2d2 That interview would actually make a good base for an article right there.

"Developer That Struggled To Get Their Game Running On Wii U Ported It To Switch Within 3 Days"

This was made in December 2016, that's before even the presentation. Developers weren't even allowed to say if they were making games for the switch. just something to think about. We hardly knew anything about the console too. Plus we don't even know what kind of developers they were even interviewing.

What's a more disturbing result than this "3% of unknown figure" article is the trend by the staff here at NL following these days much much too closely in lockstep with their Eurogamer cousins in style. More articles are clickbait than not,and it's clear NL isn't putting any of their own manpower behind their news, but grab the clickbait headlines from other news blogs (that themselves re clickbaity) more often than not (credit to Slig or not), and then follow up with Talking Point articles that are also lowest common denominator.

In the vein of Fi, I estimate an 84.3% chance that this forum-provoking thread will result in a Talking Point article by Tom in the next week positing "Why that 3% figure isn't as bad as it seems, but might show tremendous hurdles Nintendo faces with the Switch" in order to fan the (false) flames all over again from scratch. Predicting things like this about a site is NOT something the site should be proud of. It's also a relatively new phenomenon. I used to visit the news here for a dose of sanity after the clickbait filler on other sites, plus to read the comments of the pretty stable community. It seems pretty much only since Switch hype came into play that they started following the trends of other more toxic sites.

The short term gain probably looks fantastic on their Google Analytics panel. I just hope they realize that the way these things go is after the toxins set in and become a staple, the traffic goes "pop" all at once, as soon as the last straw breaks the Divine Beast's back. Nintendo gamers don't tend to wallow in the internet sewage pool as readily as "gamers" from the rest of the gamesphere.

@Yasume -and you're delusion-ally spinning on old, old, old numbers from a while ago.

@PlywoodStick Ya that was funny. I'd say they'd like to post it but because of the content and the age of some people on this site it's maybe best to give it a wide berth.

@Gunnerholic This Survey is over 2 months old dude. Scour the comments more.

@MegaVel91 Maybe so but that's not my fault I'm just replying to the so called 'news' that the site puts out.

@CircuitWrangler3 Nintendo have always been stubborn. It's the way they work.

@Gunnerholic It kinda is, cause some reading would've done wonders. : (

@sillygostly
Quantity BRINGS quality. PC has the largest amount of terrible games, but at the same time because there's no filter it has the largest amount of quality games as well.

It's like people who don't bother to take free money because it's a couple of cents. Net gain will always be more than selective gain.

Those numbers would probably be higher if the games were cheaper and Nintendo and their overpriced flash memory manufacturer weren't taking such a large cut. I know Nintendo has to protect their retail partners, but this should should have been the generation where Nintendo started charging logical prices for eShop games. I've outgrown physical media, and would never pay the forced "cartridge tax" tacked onto cross-media eShop games, so I'm in the awkward situation of wanting a Switch but having no intention of buying any games for it. Ive felt that way about old consoles before, but never a brand new one. But to me, the only Switch game released or announced so far that is worth $60 is BOTW, the only unannounced game I can imagine paying that much for is Animal Crossing. I have a self-imposed rule that if I don't get at least an hour of playtime per dollar spent on a game, I made a stupid purchase.

@MegaVel91

At the end of the day I come here to read the articles, first and foremost. Usually there and hundreds of comments and I just don't have time to read them all, besides they aren't all going to be full of knowledge and insight as I'm sure you know yourself, there is quite a few nonsensical posts out there

http://reg.techweb.com/GDCSF17-StateOfGame?kcode=gamabl0112

Significant trends revealed by the survey results include:

Optimism for the Nintendo Switch
Uncertainty about console updates like PlayStation 4 Pro and Xbox's "Project Scorpio"
HTC Vive's ascendancy to become the most popular VR/AR platform for devs

This "survey" was done back in November/December, which I believe was before we knew what the Switch's launch day was. Now take into account NDAs for the Switch at that time, and how most devs in this aren't exactly the major console devs. I would think the amount developing for PC/phones would make that clear.

I'm really starting to hate this sensationalist form of reporting.

@MegaVel91 why are you being such a mean person? All @Gunnerholic was doing was commenting on the article and you shot them down for not knowing what you'd learned from reading the comments......Not cool!!
This is a friendly community that supports commenters of all opinions but we don't need bullies, Please show more respect to others 😁

This isn't doom and gloom. I may have read the article wrong but it was saying what were you producing titles for. A lot of third party content is released as multiplatform - so PC/XB/PS. You would expect that developers will have to develop a seperate Switch version for their games at the moment. Plus, new system, limited dev kits etc.

Developers will go where the money is - so if sales are strong and owners gobble up software, this will change.

@Joeynator3000 yes but it is a bit sad...

@sillygostly "quality not quantity"....

Yeah right, that's tipically used by people who are unequipped or are not able to give enough...

Almost as though Nintendo haven't learned anything.

@Franklin
Sorry. I don't think so.

@PlywoodStick You're right, it's easy to think of the Big N as an underdog today, but the numbers for both hardware and software are, indeed, respectable. Thing is the Wii U made their "market share" shrink so much (in the home console market, that is), it gives us the impression that Nintendo shrunk as a whole, although it's definitely not the case...

didn't know games for linux was a thing!!!

Its very safe to say, if your a gamer & not a casual that'll play something like Skyrim on the go. Then your going to need another console.

In other news:

Water is wet, Wii U Gamepad was a terrible controller.

This was done in 2016, at the time there was a lot people didn't knew about the Switch.

The info got out in early January of 2017, the percentages are the same so it's probably from the 2016 survey.

The fact that the Switch is below the Apple TV makes me skeptical about how much this survey really matters.

@Dizzard Good points, with the strongest being lack of dev kits and this pole being of "currently being developed for consoles", as well as the six month no direct ports rule. By all accounts the Switch is easy to develop for and so ports or new Switch projects were likely not being reported here as these plans had been temporarily been put on the backburner.

@DBPirate Ha lol, good point.

@3MonthBeef I think it's a little more basic than that, even. Dare I say a little more corporate.

There was never a need to be in "survival" mode. The WiiU was a lead balloon, sure, but that ignores the very successful 3DS is also under the umbrella of "Nintendo Life". By sales, the 3DS remains the #1 platform of the 8th generation. If Push Square and Pure Xbox can find content, surely NintendoLife can. Ahh, but that's right, Pure Xbox couldn't and went down. Push Square floats along on it's endless PC-minded "G@m3rz, lol" ranting mentality. But how can a site dedicated to the brand that has the #1 platform need to go into survival mode because the company's OTHER console is doing poorly with little news?

Yet NL covered 3DS fairly sparsely, and focused most of it's attention of the last year or two on the woes of the WiiU. That's not survival mode, that's knowing what gets the ad numbers cranking.

Specifically look at the network they're hosted on. Their host contains some of the lowest brow sites in all of gamedom. Eurogamer, vg247, GI.biz. Might as well just merge with GameFaqs and IGN with that pool. I'm guessing advertiser/network demands are barking for better traffic numbers and offering "suggestions" on how to do so.

Couple that with the fact that NL isn't REALLY a news site, and very clearly doesn't spend much time gathering news, instead regurgitating news already circulating (hours or days prior) from the other more spammy Nintendo news sites, the "news" is little more than an afterthought. Which is acceptable, given their real time is spent focusing on feature articles. Where things go wrong is that the feature articles have more and more often been based on the fallout from the clickbait copycat late to the party news articles. 2 years ago, that was not the case.

@MegaVel91 yeah, hopefully. This all seems to similar to the Wii U. Just slightly better.

I remember that all to well, since I got mine at launch. For Switch I will wait at least a year. Unless Nintendo blows my mind at E3, which I sincerely doubt.

@NEStalgia

"Push Square floats along on it's endless PC-minded "G@m3rz, lol" ranting mentality."

I'm assuming you've never been to PushSquare or you haven't been to it for a long time. I understand that you're a fan of Nintendo and that's fine, but PushSquare doesn't really roll like that, well not that I have ever seen. I haven't seen the whole "endless PC-minded" articles, I just see news about what's new with Playstation, and I don't really see rants in comment section on PushSquare (If you want to see it for yourself then be my guest), but BOY do I see it here on NintendoLife that's for sure.

I'm not trying to be ostentatious or calling you out on anything, but I just felt that what you said was a bit erroneous to what actually goes on at that site.

@Al_Godoy I'm in the same boat dude, we'll see what e3 brings but i think I'll last until Xmas at least. Unless they announced pikmin 4! 😁

No surprise here!

@AlwaysGreener I should have been a little clearer, but I wasn't trying to single out Push Square exclusively, but using it as a concept representative for the broader Sony/Microsoft/PC gaming culture at large outside the Nintendo bubble, or, rather, what it's become since the 7th gen. Push Square is certainly a different culture from NL and the Nintendo circles in general, and is certainly more more...not sure...elitist? in nature, but no Push Square is one of the few Playstation/XBox related sites I'd actually visit (ever try the official Playstation Forums? It makes the worst of the worst here look good!)

That wasn't really the crux of my point, it was those OTHER related in-network sites that are among the lowest of the low on the internet.

@NEStalgia I see, well you're not wrong about those Playstation Forums, if ever you want to see delusional Sony fanboys then you'll find a treasure trove of them on that site. But what I like about PushSquare is that it shares the same anti-vulgarity policies as with NintnedoLife, making arguments on such sites a bit more clean and orderly, instead of the constant coarse language spewed between commenters. Something more sites should implement or enforce as bit more. I wouldn't say PushSquare is elitist since there are commenters like myself who also go on that site and come here to see what's new with Nintendo. Yes there are few on PushSquare who don't care for anything Nintendo, but that usually stays in PushSquare. If anything it's more of a preference then elitism, but I can understand that there might be some bad apples that might descend to that level, but that's rarely seen.

Thank you for replying to my comment to clear things up and I apologize if my comment came out as a little crass.

@AlwaysGreener This conversation is exactly why NL (and yes, PS) are a cut above at least in terms of the commentariat! You would not see this in some of those other communities. Moderation is definitely in short supply on a good many forums, and many of those who do moderate moderate the wrong things (double posts replying to different people instead of moderating abusive posts, etc.)

FWIW, though I don't participate in PS, I'm also a happy PlayStation fan as well, just...not a fan of most of it's community

So this confirms that the 3ds is officially dead since it's not even on the list at all. That's pretty heartbreaking. I'm glad I'm moving on to tablet games, I guess. Never wanted it to be that way since I've always been a dedicated Nintendo girl, but Nintendo shoved me away. That wasn't my choice. Oh well. Nintendo was nice in its day and obviously that day is over.

Every game developer, Grocery store owners want to take feedback through Surveys to overcome their mistakes. Likewise, Kroger taking the guest feedback survey with https://www.thekrogerfeedback.com/ and made 50 Kroger fuel points as the survey Prize.