The relationship between EA and fans of Nintendo's platforms has been pretty bumpy in recent times; on the one hand, Nintendo fans are being forever brushed aside when it comes to the likes of FIFA, but on the other, EA does seem committed to bringing plenty of games to Switch in due time.
In a new interview with GamesIndustry.biz, EA SVP Mike Blank has discussed the company's current stance on releasing its products on Switch. He refers to the fact that EA has already announced it will be bringing seven new games to Nintendo's console over the next year, and also notes that EA Play – a subscription service which grants subscribers access to its biggest releases – is also being considered for the platform.
"There are amazing games on that platform and we foresee bringing more games to the Switch over time, and I think if there are opportunities for us to bring our subscription there and bring an even larger portfolio to the Switch, we will do so.
We're always exploring this with our platform partners, whether that be Switch or Steam or Epic or Xbox or Sony. We want to be where the players are. So while I have nothing to announce here, I would anticipate that we'll continue to bring more games and more great experiences to Switch."
The suggestion here, then, is that EA seems open to releasing more games on Switch beyond the seven already announced for the next 12 months, and that the launch of next-gen systems won't cause EA to ignore the Switch entirely. If EA Play was to launch on Switch, and as long as the service was of similar quality to that offered on other platforms, it would certainly help Nintendo's machine to keep up with its shiny, more powerful industry counterparts.
Would you like to see EA Play on Switch? Would you subscribe to the service if you could play EA's biggest games on the go? Let us know in the comments below.
[source gamesindustry.biz]
Comments 98
EA titles continue to be pretty but hollow. Have a few on my PS4 and barely fire them up
I'm sure it'll be unprecedented...
No thanks EA can stick it
****! EA
They can keep their games
The only ‘EA great experience” I care about is “Shadows of the Damned” and its not gonna make the cut.
A “Strike collection” would be nice (desert/ Jungle/ Urban /Nuclear and Soviet) but that is even more improbable.
A service from the worst gaming company in the world? Think I'll pass.
Quote: "We want to be where the players are."
Fixed: "We want to funnel as much cash as we can"
The first Unravel would be nice, maybe the Sims 3 just for a laugh.
Anything else...nah. They don't even hide or care how terrible they are at this point.
They'd have to make some 'great experiences' before bringing then to Switch.
It's worth the money. Had it on my Xbox but cancelled as I just don't have to the time to play the amount of games on there, gamepass and my Switch games.
Those quotes are very much needed. EA never has great experiences.
Depends on the available library. What there currently is I either have lukewarm interest in or might as well just buy at once, full priced or eventually discounted. But the local sharp tongues can stick it themselves, Burnout alone has made me a good many positive memories this summer.
@patbacknitro18 congrats, you just deciphered the philosophy of every video game company in existence.
Oh nice - cant wait to spend £4 a month to access...fifa, Fe, Unravel 2 and Burnout Paradise. Thats only £1 each, what great value....
Seriously why??? xbox has 89 games available in EA play for (what will likely be) the same price, and now thats bundled in with gamepass
No thanks. The absence of EA is one of my favourite things about Nintendo consoles. Get kids addicted to gambling somewhere else.
An easier way to get an annual reskin of sports games? Sign me up!
Actually, don't, you're fine.
Burnout 3 or no dice
BATTLEFIELD
What would they actually put on EA play? 4 versions of the same FIFA game
I'm a little confused about EA play subscription. Would you be paying through the eshop so Nintendo get a cut (including microtransactions), or would it be a free download so you could access their service and pay for it there? Like Fortnite wants on Apple. Because this doesn't seem that beneficial to Ninty.
Either way have no interest in EA whatever the fact.
SKATE 4 is the only EA game I'd like to see on Switch.
Just port the Sims, that's all i'm asking.
I'm just wondering if bringing EA Play to the Switch implies that they'll immensely increase the number of games on Switch. I mean, they would still have to be ported. EA Play with the little amount of games we got and are getting isn't that big of a deal.
@MrGawain I assume the platform holders get a cut, otherwise I don't see why any of them have allowed it
EA Play? No thanks.
@carlos82
Odd.
Why?
I’d love more games on the Switch. EA make some pretty decent games as well. Imagine the original Mass Effect trilogy on Switch! Or even the original Dragon Age games (or even Inquisition - I reckon Switch could run that).
"Would you like to see EA Play on Switch? "
THE SIMS 4 !!!
MY SIMS !!!
I mean, unless it is via streaming, they plan on porting a lot of games to Switch or they do a massive price cut, I don't see EA Play being worth it on the Switch.
Hmm. I think this adds more fuel to the Switch4k rumour rather than current hardware. They always seem to get a bit press happy when a new console is coming.
If EA Play only allows access to games on that system then it'll be pointless since it's just reskins of FIFA and a few other titles. This is totally an EA thing to do, so perhaps I'm jumping to conclusions.
But if they're looking a full service that would mean pushing either streaming, which hasn't been tested outside of Japan, or they'd need more powerful hardware to run games like Battlefront and Battlefield.
On its own, it looks like EA trying to get money for not a lot of work but when it's combined with Nintendo's quietness on its pipeline & some big 3rd party games going dark (Hey Doom Eternal, Prince of Persia, the rumoured Tony Hawk port, Crash 4 etc), I think something big is coming soon.
EA pass what so we can play the 4 versions of the same ffffffffffffffff fifa game lol
@Frank-The-Tank
<tap-tap>
EA isn’t absent on Switch. They have quite a few games on Switch.
@Anti-Matter The Sims 4 is part of EA Play, so...
@IronMan30 Yeah let's hope this goes the same way as that did.
@Kimyonaakuma Burnout Paradise is pretty good, but then again Need for Speed Most Wanted U is a better game. Rumour has it Need for Speed Hot Pursuit is coming.
@Ajent I never got into Mass Effect and even this gen I think Fallen Order is the only EA game I bought. I've not been a fan of their output or monetisation of games for quite a while now
the only games i ever cared for from ea is dragon age and mass effect , so...
Haha, they'd need to use really large thumbnails for the games just to fill a single screen with the selection!
I hope they do bring EA Play so I can have access to FIFA 18,FIFA 19,FIFA 20 Legacy Edition, FIFA 21 Legacy Edition and if they're feeling generous, FIFA 22 Legacy Edition.
Was just checking the e-shop and Fifa 2018 and Fifa 2019 are listed but not available for actual purchase (not that I plan to buy either) why is this??
Is it down to licensing of the music tracks used within the menus etc...???
They have done enough for us with the FIFA legacy editions. Let them free to ruin other platforms.
@sanderev
I could die in happiness to see The Sims 4 on Switch despite i already have The Sims 4 PS4 version with Bundle edition in disc.
@Ajent relative absence
@Dazzle EA just needs to port their Frostbite engine to the Switch. But somehow they can't or they won't.
And people saying "this is for the Switch Pro", you're wrong. They still need to port Frostbite to the platform. Currently that's not possible.
I would love to play Mass Effect or Titanfall on-the-go! Or try some hockey portably if it were stable experiences.
You know you can actually play EA games without paying for micro transactions, right? Just don't play any of their ultimate team modes that benefit from those tactics and you got decent games. It would definitely bring a lot of new game styles and genres that the Switch hasn't and might not get.
I like a bit diversity. I am capable of having an open mind and jump from ACNH to PGA 2K21 to Streets of Rage 4 to the Outer World's and back to Diablo 3 in the same day.
What I dislike, the next person likes. To each their own. More power to them and honestly better for Switch if EA brought their service over. That could help bring proper versions of fifa over and other large franchises like Jedi Fallen Order. Not everyone enjoys the same tastes. EA is more than micro transactions and sports titles. Again, Mass Effect would be fantastic to play again.. or Alice Madness Returns, SSX and even Skate 3 in handheld.
All I want from EA is for them to give up the Star Wars licence. Bring back Factor 5
Sims 4 should be a no brainer given how Animal Crossing sold! There would be a crossover in the userbase for sure.
@carlos82 hardly deserves a “F*** EA” though. That just means you only bought one EA recently (indicating that you actually do support/like them?).
Just saying, more good games is good. EA make good games.
I believe that when they actually make an effort for once
@AlienigenX
Is there any way to play the strike games on a PC with an emulator?
@Ajent they deserve it for a lot of rubbish they've done over the years including their "unprecedented" support of Nintendo systems and no I don't like them
disgusted groans
Haha, their absense these past three years has been one of the greatest experiences they've ever provided me with!
@Frank-The-Tank
well... you know what they say about relativity !
Definitely a good thing, I mean surely they know they can't just put Fifa and Unraveled on there. Even if they just added Burnout, its a cheaper way to play Burnout.
Hopefully it means a portable version of Mirrors Edge.
@carlos82
But i like The Sims and My Sims games by EA.
Also lets not forget
<----------------- EA gave the world this guy
@Anti-Matter ok you can have the Sims
@Amrulez to me the best versions of those games are the ones on Megadrive, so any megadrive emulator will do the job. (I really don’t know whats going on on the emulation front these days, Back in the day I used Picodrive and it worked beautifully)
EA Play would be a nice enough addition, but as a Game Pass Ultimate subscriber I'd probably rarely use it on Switch. I'll be more inclined to check out the few EA games I have a vague interest in/actually wanted to play on Xbox but didn't for whatever reason. Unless they bring OG Plants vs. Zombies to Switch, in which case get the f**k out of my way.
Maybe it will be bundled with NS online, like it will with Gamepass. Probably not, but I can't see many people paying a monthly sub for such a meager output.
I had it for a few months on Xbox and then cancelled as I didn't get much value from it. It can only be worse on the Switch.
"More great experiences" like "Surprise Mechanics"?
Switch has been out for four years, and EA's still 'considering' pushing more of their games instead of doing it. Not that I mind a company like them actively ignoring a potential market, but the abject terror devs hav of really investing in a successful Nintendo console is aggravating. At least port stylized games like Plants vs Zombies or the first Unravel to Switch, those would resonate with the fans, and the former would have some mainstream appeal.
Dante’s Inferno is another good EA game that would never see a re-release.
EA really bit themselves on this one. Considering the Switch has sold over 60 million units and EA has released maybe 6 games on the platform... They really missed a chance to make a tidy profit on this one. And I doubt many Switch owners will be buying an EA subscription plan for Switch to just access those 6 games.
FIFA 21 Deluxe Platinum Champions Edition with new accidentally thrown collage made by the intern who wasn't in the game.
They can EA off
Probably because they know that a better more powerful Switch is coming and now they want to be a part of it.
Bad as EA is, at least they're still better than Activision, with the lone exception of Crash/Spyro.
And EA Play features mostly older games, and they're now bundling it free with Game Pass, so there's another revenue stream for them on Switch!
For the love of god just give me NHL! I dont care about the price. There are not hockey games on either PC or Switch. Zero competition. Just port it.
If I recall, they would add the non current sports games. I'd rather not play Madden 19 or 20, or even NBA Live 19 or 20. The same goes for the hockey games too. I doubt they'd put the Star Wars games on the Switch. Star Wars Battlefront 2 was 100 some GBs. Unravel is fine. Need for Speed hasn't been good since the PS3.
@patbacknitro18 I never understand why this is bad. Of course they want money, it’s a company and they need to stay in business and pay everyone that works there. Gaming is entertainment, not charity. They are charging the same price as any other company for their games, too! It’s not like they are charging $125 while everyone else does $60.
@Big_Fudge Who is that guy?
@sleepinglion Fallen Order was pretty amazing, but it won't come to the Switch lol.
EA is a perfect example of what happens to a great company with a lot of success that moves strictly corporate people into positions of financial influence. Activision was a great company and we did a lot of work with them but as the years passed they changed as well. Sierra was great until they sold it off and then it was destroyed. Its what happens.
Well if it connects to Game Pass...
@Zidentia I think you're the first person around that actually remembers Sierra. That was a loooong time ago!
EA and Acitivision used to put out tons of great games. At one time the typical gamer's library was dominated by them. Success is always rewarded by Wall St. controlling the company and using it as a "financial vehicle" rather than letting it be a company.
@Jokerwolf I picked it up a while back and got distracted by other things, so I'll be sure to try it again
Just quit talking, EA...
@sleepinglion I feel you, happens to me all the time when certain games come out. I wish I had time to play my backlog.
Don’t bother, EA.
You’re not welcome here EA.
Just give us Mass Effect Trilogy on Switch EA, that's all I want from you.
Ok, my wishlist of every topic about probably EA games in actual Nintendo console:
>Classics Need For Speed (90's)
>Sim City
>My Sims / The Sims
>Burnout
But, oh well, yes, obviously it is EA, I expect nothing...
I would actually buy Star Wars Squadrons on Switch over PS4 if they announced it in the Partner Showcase tomorrow. That or Stars Wars Battlefront would be shocking!
No need to consider it EA..... not interested
I"m not interested nor do I trust these dudes.
EA Sports: It's in the game! See the real thing here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQw4w9WgXcQ
Ahhh the subscription service, anything to squeeze extra cash out of their fans. Dreadful company
If it means that I will finally have NHL on Switch on the go, then Yes please
@OorWullie : I'm salivating with anticipation!
I’m calling it: We’re getting Anthem: Potato Edition.
Madden and NHL please! Oh, and Need for Speed too!
Um.. great! Actually those are the finest words EA ever said about Switch yet.
However, are they still talking about the current-gen Switch consoles? If that's so, then don't expect much, just a little announcement like Mass Effect Trilogy and so on. But I bet they were more interested in something Nintendo has yet to announce... otherwise, those are just dubious promises.
Correct me if I'm wrong but as far as I know, EA Play is a subscription service, not a streaming service.
Its cost is pretty low on other platforms where there are plenty of EA games available.
But... I mean... what would they sell subscriptions for on the Switch?
They have, like, half a dozen games here (most of which are the same FIFAs)..
I've heard that GamePass will soon include EA Play, too, on Xbox.
I wish they'd bring GP to the Switch!
Then we'd have all current generation games (minus PS4 exclusives).
Guys EA is ba dbit they've made some great games. Apex Legends, Titanfall 2, Jedi Fallen Order, Star Wars Battlefront 2, Battlefield 1, Battlefield 4, BF3, etc. There pretty bad but yall acting like children now. 😑😑👶🏿
I am a Star Wars fan so take the good with the bad, give me EA so I can have more Star Wars.....
They killed SIMCITY and then closed down MAXIS.
I will never buy another new EA game.
What’s a great EA experience? Losing money?
Only EA games I really want to play are respawn games like Titanfall 2 and hopefully an eventual Titanfall 3
i just want sims on switch =(
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