Which Third Parties Are Crucial To Nintendo’s Switch Success At E3?
There’s no question that Nintendo is going to have a lot of good games at the Electronic [...]
There's no question that Nintendo is going to have a lot of good games at the Electronic Entertainment Expo this year, with Splatoon 2 and ARMS tournaments to delight the masses; a playable Super Mario Odyssey to give us an idea of what to expect for its release later this year; and surprise announcements, with new Super Smash Bros. and Metroid games on deck.
But one crucial lesson that the company learned with the Wii U is that it cannot rely on first-party strength alone. Yes, Nintendo's games are very good, but third-party support is crucial when it comes to the survival of a system. And it seems that a lot of good companies, indie and AAA, are on board with some sort of developments for Switch. Is it enough, though?
E3 will be the big telling factor, as Nintendo will need to work closely with some key third party developers in order to assure success for the Nintendo Switch. So which companies are the best ones suited for the job? We've got a few suggestions…
Ubisoft
First off, Ubisoft has been a supporter for the Switch since day one, with Just Dance 2017 keeping people grooving with their Joy-Cons. But, outside of that, support has been pretty light. We know that Rayman Legends and Steep are eventually coming to the system, and there's that Mario/Rabbids role-playing cross-over that's been suggested on more than one occasion.
But Ubisoft needs to do more, and Nintendo should step up to lend them a hand. Convince them to bring Assassin's Creed: Origins to the system, or, at the very least, a director's cut of last year's hit Watch Dogs 2. And, for that matter, announce that Beyond Good & Evil 2 partnership that's been hinted at. Ubisoft has already thrown its hat in the ring; now it just needs to get in there and put on a good show.
prevnextSquare Enix
We know that it's been years since Nintendo and Square Enix had their close friendship on the SNES, resulting in legendary games like Super Mario RPG, Chrono Trigger and Secret of Mana. But why can't it be that way again? Sure, third-party games like Final Fantasy XV and Kingdom Hearts III may never happen on the platform, but there is plenty else that the publisher can work on.
For instance, a U.S. localization of Secret of Mana Collection, which would serve as an awesome Switch exclusive. That port of Dragon Quest XI, to insist that, once and for all, it's Switch-bound. A better localization of the Dragon Quest Heroes games. All these should happen, just for the sake of showing how dedicated Square is to the system – and giving the Switch some much-needed strength in the role-playing market.
And by the way, we would totally buy that Secret of Mana collection. Day frickin' one.
prevnextCapcom
Capcom has already proven to be a worthwhile ally in Switch-land with its release of Ultra Street Fighter 2, but now the company really needs to throw its support behind the system with some key releases. Announce a surprise port of Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite for the system at E3, or, at the very least, a Marvel vs. Capcom collection with sweet online support for New Age of Heroes. More importantly, a localization announcement for Monster Hunter XX would be huge, if only because of the avid community behind that one. And, dare we dream, but how about some HD ports of classics like the Maximo collection and maybe even Okami? A Capcom fan can dream, can't they?
prevnextCapcom
Capcom has already proven to be a worthwhile ally in Switch-land with its release of Ultra Street Fighter 2, but now the company really needs to throw its support behind the system with some key releases. Announce a surprise port of Marvel vs. Capcom: Infinite for the system at E3, or, at the very least, a Marvel vs. Capcom collection with sweet online support for New Age of Heroes. More importantly, a localization announcement for Monster Hunter XX would be huge, if only because of the avid community behind that one. And, dare we dream, but how about some HD ports of classics like the Maximo collection and maybe even Okami? A Capcom fan can dream, can't they?
prevnextActivision
Activision has sort of been supporting the Nintendo Switch. We say sort of because, well, we did get Skylanders: Imaginators – and without the need for a portal. But we also didn't get Infinite Warfare, though some die-hard fans would say that's a saving grace. But now Nintendo really needs to convince that publisher how good its franchises would be for the platform. We've already been hearing whispers that Call of Duty: WWII is on the way to the system, and, although Destiny 2 isn't happening, there are plenty of other franchises that the company can consider, like Skylanders and even Crash Bandicoot. Activision has its foot in the door, but now it's time to swing it open, especially with Call of Duty.
prevnextActivision
Activision has sort of been supporting the Nintendo Switch. We say sort of because, well, we did get Skylanders: Imaginators – and without the need for a portal. But we also didn't get Infinite Warfare, though some die-hard fans would say that's a saving grace. But now Nintendo really needs to convince that publisher how good its franchises would be for the platform. We've already been hearing whispers that Call of Duty: WWII is on the way to the system, and, although Destiny 2 isn't happening, there are plenty of other franchises that the company can consider, like Skylanders and even Crash Bandicoot. Activision has its foot in the door, but now it's time to swing it open, especially with Call of Duty.
prevnextBethesda
Last but certainly not least, Bethesda is taking a slow but steady approach to the system, with Skyrim already on the way, and promising to be a big hit with fans. But why stop there? The company has a huge showcase coming up at Bethesdaland on the Sunday before the show, and that'd be the perfect place to announce a few more games for the Switch, like a definitive edition of Doom, a new Wolfenstein game, or, hey, why not a modified version of Fallout 4 with Fallout: Shelter built in for good measure? Perhaps Bethesda is just waiting to see how the bigger picture lines up, but bringing some of its classics to the platform certainly wouldn't hurt.
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