Indie developers - thoughts on porting or developing for Switch?

[fury]

I have a pretty good idea of some big name game developers' thoughts on Switch, but I'm wondering what are the indie developers thinking? I'm fixing to learn a big engine like Unreal to make my next game, and curious as to whether anyone else is thinking they should go for it (or if they actually have already). Are Nintendo's developer terms comparable with, say, the App Store? Can you say anything about the tools?

 

[pkcable]

@KermEd @SCrid2000 @egoant thoughts?

 

[SCrid2000]

@KermEd @SCrid2000 @egoant thoughts?

I haven't looked into development for the switch, but I would guess that they're pretty strictly curated.

 

[GlassHasMass]

I prefer to make pc games because there are more customers with personal computers than switches.

 

[GlassHasMass]

The only way I'd make a game for the switch is if it either

1. Required the unique hardware the switch provides

Or

2. I got sponsored by Nintendo to make a Switch exclusive

 

[fury]

Good point. A steam game or something like that has a potential customer base of over 100 million, iOS or Android game in the hundreds of millions. Not sure the Switch has reached 10 million yet. But I love the form factor; it combines the mobility that I love and guarantees having a controller there. It's probably what I play on the most, more than my computer, phone, or Xbox 360. I figure if the engine makes it possible to release on anything and everything, I midaswhale do it. Nintendo did tell me, though, that the Switch developer program is restricted to only game concepts that they've approved, at the moment, and I don't have mine formed well enough to get to that point.

 

[splatune]

There are some good indie games on Switch already that you have to compete with, but maybe that kind of helps too? But I'd be wary of people like me that are slightly wary of buying digital downloads only for Nintendo products because they've been so bad in the past about honoring digital downloads on new devices and such.

 

[fury]

There are some good indie games on Switch already that you have to compete with, but maybe that kind of helps too? But I'd be wary of people like me that are slightly wary of buying digital downloads only for Nintendo products because they've been so bad in the past about honoring digital downloads on new devices and such.

Do you mean moving purchases made on the Wii / Wii U over to the switch?

 

[splatune]

Do you mean moving purchases made on the Wii / Wii U over to the switch?

No, I was referring to when you lose or replace a device. I've had friends that have just basically lost all of their purchases because they were tied to a particular device and Nintendo may or may not play nice when trying to transfer to a new device.

 

[fury]

No, I was referring to when you lose or replace a device. I've had friends that have just basically lost all of their purchases because they were tied to a particular device and Nintendo may or may not play nice when trying to transfer to a new device.

?????? That's actually kinda horrifying

 

[splatune]

������ That's actually kinda horrifying

Yup

I _think_ maybe they do something now where they tie purchases to your account so they're a little better about it, but still... I'm a bit wary of buying digital games from them.

 

[GlassHasMass]

I recently had an idea for a switch game and wanted to hear what you guys had to think about it...

The game would be based on the television series "Avatar:the last airbender".

At the beginning you would select an element to bend and train with...only once you had beaten the game will you be able to play as the Avatar (the only person in the world that can bend ALL the elements)

The game play would be the equivalent of breath of the wild (open world with lots of side quests and you get to choose what you do)

You'd hold one joy con in each hand and then attack by doing the movements from the series (think the technology behind "Just Dance")

Want do you guys think?

Want do you like, dislike, any ideas on what should I add?

 

[splatune]

I recently had an idea for a switch game and wanted to hear what you guys had to think about it...

The game would be based on the television series "Avatar:the last airbender".

Make it about Korra instead and I'm on board

 

[xxchai]

No, I was referring to when you lose or replace a device. I've had friends that have just basically lost all of their purchases because they were tied to a particular device and Nintendo may or may not play nice when trying to transfer to a new device.

Yeah, due to this reason I avoid buying the bundles because I don't want a digital game.

 

[splatune]

Yeah, due to this reason I avoid buying the bundles because I don't want a digital game.

But that Splatoon 2 bundle tho, so pretty >___<

 

[Reed Parish]

But that Splatoon 2 bundle tho, so pretty >___<

View attachment 119107

I thought that bundles such as this one come with a physical game?

 

[splatune]

I thought that bundles such as this one come with a physical game?

Nah, Nintendo typically does them as a digital bundle. There's not really any reason to do a physical copy because they save so much on digital, and you don't really know what's up until you've already bought it. Notice the box art doesn't actually show the game case

 

[Reed Parish]

Nah, Nintendo typically does them as a digital bundle. There's not really any reason to do a physical copy because they save so much on digital, and you don't really know what's up until you've already bought it. Notice the box art doesn't actually show the game case

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_mfWrBj2v6M

This video shows a bundle with the physical copy

 

[splatune]

Oh wow, nice find! Did not expect that. I wonder how much it would cost to import that...