EA cautious over Nintendo Switch potential
Publisher says it is committed to bringing 'one or two' of its biggest IP to the platform
EA CFO Blake Jorgensen says he 'can't yet predict' if people will be interested in Switch alongside their regular portable device.
His statement came at the UBS Global Technology Conference, and reported by GameSpot. He says the firm is excited about the product and committed to bringing 'one or two' of its biggest games IP to the platform. Based on EA's history with Nintendo, these will likely be games from its sports catalogue.
"We're excited for Nintendo, it's an interesting device," Jorgensen stated. "But I can't yet predict how broad it's going to be, and if folk will be interested in a portable device alongside their regular portable device that they already have."
He continued: "In their announcement they announced that we'll be supporting with a game or two on that new platform. We haven't yet announced what game, but you should assume that it's one of our bigger games we've been involved with."
It is clearly positive for Nintendo that EA is showing support for its next machine after it abandoned publishing efforts on Wii U shortly after the machine launched. The company's Wii U line-up included ports of Need for Speed and Mass Effect 3.
Nintendo proudly boasted a strong Switch third-party line-up, with the likes of Activision, Capcom, Warner Bros, Sega, Take-Two, Codemasters, Konami, From Software, Square Enix, Ubisoft, Bethesda, Bandai Namco, Platinum, Level-5, GameTrust and Atlas already signed on to support the device.
If Nintendo hopes to maintain this level of third-party support, it will need a significantly stronger start for Switch than it achieved with its Wii U console. It's not clear what the launch line-up for Switch will be, with reports suggesting that the highly anticipated The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild will miss the console's release window. Other games shown during Nintendo's Switch reveal, although not confirmed titles, included Mario Kart, a new Mario platformer, Skyrim and Splatoon.
More details on the Switch launch is scheduled for January, with the machine due to launch in March.