Recently, Bethesda revealed that they would be releasing Nintendo Switch ports of Wolfenstein 2: The New Colossus and Doom, which seems to have had many people once again discussing the practicality of owning a Switch.
It cannot be denied that there were a lot of people who were extremely excited about the Nintendo Switch when it was first announced, but there were also a lot of people who felt very negatively about the console and felt that it wasn’t going to sell very well.
One of the major reasons for the negative feelings towards the Switch was that on release its hardware did not measure up to that of the base PS4 and XboxOne, whereas Sony and Microsoft were already planning more powerful versions of those two consoles.
Many gamers suggested that this factor alone had the potential to result in a situation where third-party developers and publishers (such as Bethesda) would choose not release their content on the Switch simply because it would mean more work to make ports compatible for limited reward – perhaps, even by watering down the title’s overall experience.
It has been suggested that one of the major reasons the Wii U failed was that it lacked third party support despite Nintendo having made a number of really good exclusives for the console. Many felt that good exclusives did not provide a good enough reason to invest in a new piece of hardware if it was the only content that was ever going to be available.
However, The Switch Isn’t The Wii U…
The Switch, unlike the Wii U, has had an extremely strong reception from the public since release, with over 4.7 million units being sold in its first six months of availability. At this time, some analysts are even predicting that the console may go on to become one of the highest selling consoles of all time.
Doom. (Credit: Bethesda)
Also, contrary to what was first predicted by some, the Switch does not really seem to be suffering from a lack of third party support that the Wii U suffered from throughout its lifespan, with many developers announcing Switch versions for their games for both new titles and remasters.
Currently, it seems that there will be a Switch version of LA: Noire, Doom, Wolfenstein: The New Colossus and FIFA 18, among others, to go along with the already strong set of upcoming and available exclusives.
This whole situation has raised a rather interesting question regarding the Switch. Is the supposed presence of proven third-party support for the Switch enough to make even more gamers ready to invest in one?
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. (Credit: Nintendo)
The short answer to this question is yes. There will definitely be people who choose to buy the Switch because some of their favourite games, like The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim or L.A. Noire, are now being made mobile, meaning that they can play them wherever they like, but the extent to which this will affect the opinion of the general public is something of great debate.
The real question here is actually:
How Much Do You Care About Mobile Gaming?
A few months ago, a piece by Forbes that suggested that the Nintendo Switch does not intend to compete with the PS4 or Xbox One, but rather with the #iPad (or any other tablet for that matter) and I believe this notion to be somewhat true.
As previously suggested, the Switch isn’t as powerful as the PS4 or Xbox One, so if you intend on playing a particular multi-platform title at home you probably won’t choose to play it on the Switch if you own multiple devices.
FIFA 18. (Credit: EA)
However, if you’re consistently on the move and want to play one of these multi-platform titles but aren’t at home enough to do so, the Switch might just actually come in handy due to the fact that it is very similar in nature to a tablet in that it is small, easy to pack and one can get into a game very quickly.
Regardless of what many would like to believe about either PC or console gaming, the most popular device used to play video games in this current day and age is that of a mobile phone or tablet and it seems that Nintendo is trying to cut away at this market with the Switch and its greater offerings.
Whereas tablets and mobile phones often only seem to offer games of a very similar nature or a scope below what is currently seen on consoles and PC at this point, the Switch offers gamers the possibility of playing such games anywhere they want to.
Clash of Clans. (Credit: Supercell)
Imagine instead of playing Clash of Clans while performing any activity that requires some degree of waiting that you had the opportunity to play something like L.A. Noire to pass the time. It’s difficult not to believe that some would find this option very appealing and that this very fact would boost sales.
Not Everybody Believes That All Games Are Meant To Go Mobile
There is an argument to be made in that many do believe that some titles aren’t really suited to situations in everyday life where people find themselves turning towards their mobile devices to play games in order to kill time.
Games such as Clash of Clans, Boom Beach and The Simpsons: Tapped Out are popular because they only require a few minutes of one’s time over long periods, making them ideal for a situation where you only have a minute or two before getting back to the activity at hand. This cannot really be said for all games available on PC or console.
The Simpsons: Tapped Out. (Credit: EA)
Perhaps the best way to describe this point is to suggest that I can imagine playing Wolfenstein on the Switch during a plane trip that may last one or more hours, but cannot imagine playing the game on a ten-minute train or bus trip in which one usually uses the time to empty their coffers in Clash of Clans before getting to the destination.
Then there is also the argument regarding whether people would be willing to buy a multiplatform game solely for mobile purposes. Would you want to buy a game like Wolfenstein for the Switch and skip out on the PC, PS4 or Xbox One version, or even buy the same game twice so you have both experiences?
The answer to this question will most likely not only vary from person to person, but from game to game as well.
Is The Nintendo Switch’s Portability Appealing To You?
Wolfenstein: The New Order. (Credit: Bethesda)
Personally, the idea of mobile gaming in the manner in which the Switch offers has always excited me, but I am quite sceptical of it due to the fact that when I do buy games for such a device, I usually do not end up playing them very long, even if I do have the time.
There was a time where I travelled often and I bought games such as Minecraft, Borderlands 2 and Injustice: Gods Among Us for my PS Vita, but never really found myself playing them at all other than the few odd hours after purchase.
I do own a Nintendo Switch, but I won’t say that the mobile factor played the biggest role in me purchasing the console, but rather exclusive content. (The role The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild played in my decision to buy the Switch when I did is actually bigger than I would like to admit.)
I, however, may be in the minority and most people may actually be keen on buying the Switch in order to play games like Skyrim on a plane; who knows?
What I do know is that I am happy that the Nintendo Switch is doing well and do hope that it will continue to do so in future.
Do you own a Switch? If so, did the console’s mobile capabilities have anything to do with your decision to buy the console? If not, does the notion of games such as those previously mentioned being available on the device make you more interested in perhaps purchasing it? Please share in the comments down below.
(Sources: The Verge; Forbes)
