Nintendo Warned Ubisoft Not to Release Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope on Switch
Despite strong critical praise, Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope proved to be a sales disappointment for Ubisoft, and the future of the series is looking pretty bleak. In a new interview with GamesIndustry.biz, Ubisoft CEO Yves Guillemot discussed the game's struggles, revealing his belief that it should not have been released on Nintendo Switch. Instead, Guillemot argues that it should have been held until the next Nintendo console. In fact, Guillemot states that Nintendo advised the company to do just that, given the longevity that Mario games tend to enjoy on Switch.
"We had already released a Mario Rabbids game [on Switch], so by doing another we had two similar experiences on one machine. On Nintendo, games like this never die," Guillemot told GamesIndustry.biz. "There are 25 Mario games on Switch. Nintendo [has advised] that it's better to do one iteration on each machine. We were a bit too early, we should have waited for [the next console]."
As Guillemot notes, Nintendo has been careful in the Switch era not to release Mario games that compete with one another. While fans have been begging to see a new numbered Mario Kart game on Switch, Nintendo has instead continued to support Mario Kart 8 Deluxe with new content. Similarly, the console has only had one Mario Golf, one Mario Tennis, and one Mario Strikers. That strategy has clearly worked for Nintendo, as Mario Kart 8 Deluxe continues to sell ridiculously well for the company, even after more than six years on the market.
Hopefully these comments from Guillemot mean that the Mario + Rabbids series still has some hope of returning in the future. The Ubisoft CEO clearly doesn't believe that the game's quality had anything to do with its struggles, so it's possible the company might make another game on the Switch's successor. At this time, it's unclear when that console might release, but hopefully Ubisoft will give the series another chance when it does!
Do you think Ubisoft should have waited to make Mario + Rabbits Sparks of Hope? Do you think the game would have been more successful on a new Nintendo console? Let us know in the comments or share your thoughts directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp to talk all things gaming!