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Nintendo: Switch will give third-party developers everything they want that was missing from Wii U

Reggie Fils-Aime touted a large user base, flexible development environment, and ways to monetize content. 

David Craddock

January 19, 2017 2:07 PM

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Addressing the dearth of third-party support on the Wii U, Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime said the Switch will offer third-party publishers critical elements that its previous console lacked.

"What third parties want are a large, growing install base, a development environment that’s easy for them to work in, they want the ability to monetize their content—whether on the initial sale or downloadable content. That’s what they want. And we were not able to deliver that fully on the Wii U," Fils-Aime said in an interview with Projared (via VG247) following Nintendo's Switch event in New York last week.

Fils-Aime continued by acknowledging that many fans buy Nintendo hardware due to interest in the company's first-part software like The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. That truth should benefit third parties.

"With our launch, with our own first party games, we’ll sustain momentum and create that opportunity for third parties," Fils-Aime said.

Switch is the company's handheld-console hybrid, set to release on March 3 for $299.99. The launch lineup is rather thin at only five games, but Nintendo aims to build up the system's library quickly by releasing Zelda day and date with the system, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe the next month, and Super Mario Odyssey this fall, with a smattering of first- and third-party games like SnipperCuts and Skyrim: Special Edition published in between.

Dozens of third-party publishers have already signed on to develop software for Switch, including Electronic Arts.

David Craddock

Long Reads Editor

David L. Craddock writes fiction, nonfiction, and grocery lists. He is the author of the Stay Awhile and Listen series, and the Gairden Chronicles series of fantasy novels for young adults. Outside of writing, he enjoys playing Mario, Zelda, and Dark Souls games, and will be happy to discuss at length the myriad reasons why Dark Souls 2 is the best in the series. Follow him online at davidlcraddock.com and @davidlcraddock.