More third-party publishers 'aggressively' ramp up Nintendo Switch support
Square Enix and Ubisoft are the latest to pledge additional products
The rapid escalation of Nintendo Switch is winning over more third-party publishers and developers.
Although some publishers like EA remain cautious, and a number of companies are focusing on digital-only titles due to the high costs of Switch cartridges, the console's speed towards 10m units is seeing multiple major publishers look to support Nintendo's new device.
The latest company to pledge support is Square Enix. Technology reporter Takashi Mochizuki was reporting on Square's Q2 financials, and reported that Square is considering adjusting some PS4/Xbox One products for release on Switch, stating that it's 'not impossible' to get games to move across with some adjustement. It believes Switch is ideal for 'middle-range games', that no IP is off the table - new and existing - and that it will be 'aggressively making games for Switch'.
The current Switch line-up of titles from Square Enix includes Dragon Quest 11, Project Octopath Traveller and Fear Effect.
Meanwhile, Ubisoft confirms it is also continuing to develop new Switch projects following the recent success of Mario + Rabbids: Kingdom Battle. The publisher has released a number of titles for the device, including Rayman Legends, Monopoly and Just Dance 2018. It's currently still planning to release Steep and Starlink for the system.
The increase in third-party support follows Nintendo Switch's better-than-expect sales, with the machine reaching 7.63m units worldwide. Publishers have been understandably wary of Nintendo following the disappointment of Wii U, however, 10m unit sales is typically the sweet spot that gets the global games industry excited. Nintendo expects to have reached closer to 17m by the end of its financial year in March 2018, if it can deliver on a strong Christmas period.
"At present, software sales volumes at our software publishers have not reached the levels we saw for Wii," says Nintendo president Tatsumi Kimishima in its latest Q&A briefing.
"This is in part because the total cumulative sales volume for the Nintendo Switch hardware hasnʼt yet reached 10 million units, and in part because past Nintendo platform sales trends have led software publishers to be cautious at the start. That said, software publishers have taken the Nintendo Switch ideas and concepts to heart. Consumersʼ support over the past several months has been increasing as the momentum for Nintendo Switch sales continues to grow. More and more developers are telling us that they want to produce software for Nintendo Switch now. More than 300 software publishers including indie developers are now developing game titles.
"Nintendo is very much looking forward to a wide variety of titles from software publishers moving forward."