The Nintendo showcase for E3 was a powerhouse presentation of what to expect from the Nintendo pipeline for Switch, but one thing that wasn’t really shown off is the amount of indie games that are also headed to the new console.
Now in a post-E3 interview with Waypoint, Reggie Fils-Aime has defending Nintendo’s decision not to focus on indies for such a big event by saying they get plenty of attention at other events like PAX East, PAX Prime, and GDC.
For the last three years, we’ve done major activity prior to PAX, showcasing indie content, big events. And so, we very much are, not just welcoming to the independent developer community, but we’ve made it a priority to showcase that content.
Reggie also went on to say that he feels like this issue is really a non-issue, because Nintendo has been supporting indie developers as much as possible with the new console. The case he gives is meeting with the team at Nicalis and how excited they are about their sell-through ratio on the Nintendo Switch.
And I’ll give you a very specific example, I met with the team from Nicalis, outside these doors, and they were talking about how excited they are about the sell-through that they’re having on our platform, and how excited they are on the content that’s coming on Nintendo Switch. And so, from our perspective, if the issue or the concern is “Boy, why weren’t we part of the Spotlight?” OK, I hear the point. But, boy, please don’t generalize that we’re not supporting the independent developer and the Nindie developer, because we’re supporting them at a very strong level.
On some level, I get where he’s coming from. The last years of the Wii U were full of nothing but indie titles and the occasional big release from Nintendo, so it’s understandable why they’re keen on showcasing new content coming directly from Nintendo. It’s no secret that Nintendo wants to avoid their Wii U mistakes and so distancing themselves from showcasing indie games at a big event like E3 makes sense.
What do you think? Do you agree with this sentiment, or do you think Nintendo should have dedicated more time to showcasing all games that are coming instead of just focusing on big AAA releases? Let us know in the comments.
Nintendo eShop Card – $20
