Former Nintendo President Reggie Fils-Aime Says Switch Was a "Make or Break Product" For the Company

It's almost hard to remember that Nintendo wasn't in such a good place only a few years ago. After the Switch became a resounding success since its release in 2017, Nintendo has been one of the most successful companies in the video game industry. If the Switch had turned out any differently, though, it might have been a very different time for those over at Nintendo.

In a new conversation with the New York Gaming Awards, Reggie Fils-Aime, the former President at Nintendo of America, said that the Switch was one of his proudest achievements over the course of his time with the publishers. "I think what Nintendo did with the Switch, after the poor performance of Wii U, I think to me and what I was part of, that's my lasting memory," Fils-Aime said.

The beloved former President went on to talk about the dismal response to the Wii U, the console before the Switch, and how it was one of the worst-performing devices in Nintendo history. Fils-Aime specifically described it as a console that "underperformed pretty radically at the marketplace." As such, that made the ensuing release of the Switch that much more important.

Fils-Aime went as far as to say that the release and need for success with the Nintendo Switch was something that the whole company potentially hinged upon. "And when your only business is video games that next had to be successful and the Switch continues to be a dynamic platform - selling exceptionally well," Fils-Aime said. "Along with so many of the other things I was part of, but the Switch really was a make or break product for the company and luckily it was a hit."

It's not much of a shock to hear Fils-Aime talk about how important the Switch was for Nintendo, but it does serve as a great reminder of how quickly things turned around for the console manufacturer. It would have been interesting to see what the world-renowned video game publisher would have done had the Switch not sold as well as it did, but that's a reality that we'll never have to see play out.

So how do you feel about the Nintendo Switch nearly four years after release? Is it a console that you play often? Let me know your own thoughts either down in the comments section or on Twitter at @MooreMan12.

[H/T Nintendo Life]