The Nintendo Switch has proven to be a massive hit with audiences. Since the console’s debut just over three years ago, players have flocked to the system. As a result, a number of third-party publishers have thrown their support behind Nintendo, but one of the biggest hold-outs has been Electronic Arts. While the company has released some games on the handheld hybrid, support from EA has been fairly minimal. As of this writing, the publisher only has one confirmed game for the platform: Burnout Paradise Remastered. However, during the company’s financial sales briefing, EA revealed that they will bring multiple games to Switch later this year.
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It will be interesting to see what EA decides to bring to the platform. EA has previously released entries in the FIFA franchise on Switch, but new iterations in the Madden and NHL franchises have been conspicuously absent. The Switch hardware is underpowered compared to the PlayStation and Xbox platforms, so this could be one reason why EA has been slow to offer stronger support.
Despite the success of the NES and SNES, Nintendo platforms struggled with third-party support for nearly 20 years. While PlayStation and Xbox received plenty of support from publishers like EA, Nintendo fans were often kept waiting for inferior ports that came long after the original titles released on other platforms. These ports often sold poorly as a result, and third-party publishers would use those failures as an excuse to withhold future support. The Switch’s portability, however, has given players an incentive to double-dip on games they might have already owned, or give them reason to wait for ports, so that they can play those games on the go. It certainly doesn’t hurt when games like The Witcher III: Wild Hunt have even allowed players to cross-save between the PC platform and Switch. Suddenly, ports don’t seem as bad!
Time will tell just how dedicated EA is to supporting Switch. The two companies have never seemed to have the closest relationship, so Switch owners might not want to get their hopes up. However, the success of the platform just might convince EA that the system is worth their efforts. It’s unclear when fans can expect to know more, but the EA Play Live event in June could shine some light on what Nintendo fans can expect.
What EA games would you like to see on Switch? Do you think the publisher will start giving Nintendo more support? Let us know in the comments or share your thoughts directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp to talk all things gaming!
