Furthermore, Ninty look like they have finally gotten with the times and are embracing the prosperous and valuable indie scene that has helped to keep Sony’s criminally underrated PS Vita handheld afloat. There have been over 60 indie titles announced for Switch, which is hopefully just the start of a renaissance of indie gaming on Nintendo platforms. If the Japanese company can commit to bringing interesting and unique indie experiences to the Switch, then that will surely help to plug the gaps between the big first-party releases and the console’s quieter moments within its release calendar. Basically, quality indie games can really help to give the system even more momentum going forward, which is a win for everyone.
Another bugbear that seems to have reared its ugly head is that the proprietary cartridges Nintendo have opted for are pricey. Tequila Works’ RIME is launching for £29.99 on PS4, Xbox One and PC, however, it’s priced at £39.99 on Nintendo’s hybrid console. Why is this happening? Well, we can only really speculate, though, it looks like the cost of the proprietary cartridges that Nintendo are using cost significantly more to manufacture and distribute than the Blu-ray format that are used on other platforms.
This has a knock-on effect for both the developer and the consumer, which results in higher costs for the former and a higher price for the latter — this needs to be nipped in the bud by Nintendo as fast as it can as this could have a hugely detrimental effect on third-party support going forward. The Big N may well need to subsidize physical mid-tier, indie games, or simply focus more on digital-only releases to help by-pass the extra cost incurred by their proprietary cartridge format. Either way, Ninty are in a tough spot and need to act promptly if they want third-party support to flourish on the Switch. It’s a problem that can be fixed, but they need to tackle it head-on and not let the issue escalate.
Ultimately, if Nintendo can create some exceptional experiences that leverage the console’s unique features, get some third party hardcore IPs on-board (Dark Souls anyone?), continue releasing top-notch indie titles and provide a steady flow of the Big N’s stellar, first party exclusives (*cough* Metroid), then I genuinely believe that the Switch has a long and prosperous road ahead of it. It’s a terrific idea with a few minor niggles that can easily be ironed out. In doing so, Ninty will really help maximize their console’s long-term success. Nintendo could genuinely be onto a winner with Switch, but they need to play their cards right for the console to truly shine.