Games
Right now, games are the biggest concern for the Nintendo Switch. The fact that its offerings are paltry for the first few months isn’t much of a surprise. All new consoles have a slow first few months. The major issue is that it’s coming out in the middle of an already existing generation which means that the competition already has huge libraries. But one thing Nintendo has on its side is a library that includes some of the biggest (if not the biggest) franchises in history, and those will be the center of Nintendo’s push this year.
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild will be kicking things off at launch. The franchise is a serious system-seller, so it’s definitely going to help the console keep competitive. Later on in the year will bring the likes of Splatoon 2, Fire Emblem Warriors, and Super Mario Odyssey, all big names, and all with the potential to sell consoles. So you can expect some bundles, especially around the holiday season to contend with the impending launch of Microsoft’s Project Scorpio and the PS4.
The Switch isn’t Nintendo’s only concern, though. The 3DS can’t be forgotten, that would put the company in a bad place. For the past couple of years, it’s been the handheld side of things that have helped the company stay relevant in a sea of blockbuster releases. Sure, the Wii U had some great games, but they were few and far in between. 2016 proved just how important the 3DS was for Nintendo as titles with the likes of Fire Emblem and Pokemon.
There is going to be some issue here, thanks to the need to push the Switch into the mainstream. The Switch can be used as a handheld, it’s one of the console’s selling points, but how will Nintendo leverage that against its extensive library? We know that the 3DS is safe for now, but if put against a wall, Nintendo may dip into the 3DS offerings, further blurring the line between the two devices and possibly rendering one useless. Right now, many are wishing for a true Pokemon experience on the upcoming console, and that’s a big selling point for the 3DS. Moving it over to a device that can do a whole lot more would help sell the newer console but at a possible, and likely, detriment to the other side.
What is most likely is that Nintendo will cherry pick titles from the handheld side and bring them over with various upgrades, but not anything that will leave the 3DS at a disadvantage. This will definitely help the Switch fill in any holes in its schedule, but may raise questions concerning its home console status.
