Nintendo's output last year for the Switch was seriously impressive, with a top tier major exclusive planned for the platform every month (in some months, two!). I think it would not be an exaggeration to say that Nintendo's incredible showing of software for the Nintendo Switch was what caused its momentum to be sustained over the year.
But this year, so far, it kind of feels like they are in some kind of refractory, cooldown period- like they are on cruise control a bit, so to say. It kind of feels like they view last year as them buying the Switch enough momentum and cachet, and therefore time, for them to be readying their next volley of attacks.
Now, don't get me wrong- I am extremely excited for games like Dark Souls and The World Ends With You coming to the Switch (especially since I haven't ever played through either before, so they'd be brand new to me), and those games, as well as others like Kirby, Bayonetta, Yoshi, Ys, and so on, feel like Nintendo has taken the foot off the pedal for a bit.
My question is, am I the only one who feels this way? Do you think that this is something Nintendo can afford to do with the Switch? I'm a bit worried that for now, they are putting all their eggs in the Labo basket, and while Labo looks cool, it is new enough that it is not an assured bankable success (for now).
On the other hand, Sony followed a similar pattern with the PS4 as well, where, after giving the system serious momentum and sales in its first year, they kind of relented a bit in 2014, letting third parties and ports carry them with the odd mid tier exclusive, before beginning a new wave of software in 2015. Do you think the Switch has enough games coming from third parties that such a strategy would work for it too?
But this year, so far, it kind of feels like they are in some kind of refractory, cooldown period- like they are on cruise control a bit, so to say. It kind of feels like they view last year as them buying the Switch enough momentum and cachet, and therefore time, for them to be readying their next volley of attacks.
Now, don't get me wrong- I am extremely excited for games like Dark Souls and The World Ends With You coming to the Switch (especially since I haven't ever played through either before, so they'd be brand new to me), and those games, as well as others like Kirby, Bayonetta, Yoshi, Ys, and so on, feel like Nintendo has taken the foot off the pedal for a bit.
My question is, am I the only one who feels this way? Do you think that this is something Nintendo can afford to do with the Switch? I'm a bit worried that for now, they are putting all their eggs in the Labo basket, and while Labo looks cool, it is new enough that it is not an assured bankable success (for now).
On the other hand, Sony followed a similar pattern with the PS4 as well, where, after giving the system serious momentum and sales in its first year, they kind of relented a bit in 2014, letting third parties and ports carry them with the odd mid tier exclusive, before beginning a new wave of software in 2015. Do you think the Switch has enough games coming from third parties that such a strategy would work for it too?
