When Advance Wars 1 + 2: Re-Boot Camp was postponed earlier this year to meet current events in Ukraine, there is an interesting perspective has made the rounds. It means a longer-than-usual gap between Nintendo’s retail titles and we’ll have to wait – gasp – in a few weeks to play Kirby and the Forgotten Land. Likewise with the delay of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild 2 to ‘Spring 2023’; as it stands, we will only yes a new Pokémon generations to enjoy this holiday season. Good God, tough times, though of course Nintendo will have a Direct or two coming in that will likely fill even more voids. We were disappointed to see Zelda pushed back to next year, but there’s no shortage of other Switch games to grab our faltering thumbs.
We’re in the unique position of Nintendo releasing a retail game – usually a big one – every month of the year. Of course not all of us buy or even want All of these titles, but it’s worth noting that the Switch has a consistent lineup of high-profile games throughout the year. It’s been like that for most of its life, though we’ve had a few quieter moments during peak lockdowns and disruptions due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Naturally, this doesn’t even take into account the big third-party games and the steady stream of hot Indie/eShop titles.
Nintendo, it must be said, has always equipped for this. Until 2017, the company’s core business model was to support two major pieces of hardware at the same time – a dedicated home console and a more successful (conventional) handheld. However, in a generation of underperformance, this has become an issue – Nintendo has struggled with this in the 3DS and Wii U eras where, in essence, they had to put the console in the background. platform to focus on saving mobile devices. Those difficulties, and the financial challenges it presents, will be among the many factors driving the company’s adoption of the Switch’s hybrid approach.
The unification of its divisions and development team has begun since 2013, and Nintendo also has many reliable partners and a small number of acquired studios to call on. In the next few months Next Level Game will bring us Mario Strikers: Battle Leaguewhile MonolithSoft has Xenoblade Chronicles 3 not far behind. Oh, and long-term partner Koei Tecmo is providing Fire Emblem Warriors: Three Hopes, too. There will also be many notable appearances throughout the Fall and Winter.
Games like these, all titles and exclusive IPs, help keep the Switch healthy despite all the arguments about its aging tech. People say it’s past its peak in sales, but it’s obvious – it’s over 5 years old! However, as a fun fact, the Switch is expected to sell more hardware units this year than the PlayStation 5; chip shortages are a major factor, but keep in mind that the Switch is now in its sixth year as a 2015 tablet that serves as a console. As always, Nintendo’s hardware is more than the sum of its parts.
As Nintendo fans, we usually go through the list of the year and sweat a little if there’s an empty month… but elsewhere in the gaming hardware market, the picture is a little different.
Still, it’s interesting that as Nintendo fans, we often go through the year’s list and sweat a bit if there’s an empty month, or wonder what an out-of-date game is like? Bayonetta 3 will fill in October for example. Elsewhere in the gaming hardware market, however, the picture is a bit different. PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X | S is having relatively quiet years and with some low months to come. On the PS5 (and PS4), it’s a smaller issue – the company has had a number of cross-generational titles arrive in time since the new system launched. Had Gran Turismo 7 and Forbidden Horizon in the West already this year, both the big games and God of War Ragnarok apparently still due in 2022. Sony can also point to third-party (usually timed) exclusives such as Ghostwire: Tokyo this year, though not all of the upcoming titles in that genre have the potential to hit the mainstream.
Meanwhile, at Xbox, Microsoft is struggling. Despite all the wealth of Windows and all the corporate acquisitions, there are now zero first-party exclusives confirmed for 2022 and haven’t had any exclusivity for the year so far. This was aggravated by Starfield and Redfall’s recent delay to next yearthe only Xbox Game Studios title to actually be pegged for 2022. As mentioned, the first half of this year had no first-party games making it to Xbox, and even last year there were crashes. Halo Infinite and Forza Horizon 5 to take the lead, but there is a noticeable gap in the schedule. It was after Series X | S launches without any new first-party games, unless you count the console port of Gears Tactics.
For a more direct comparison, let’s take a look at first-party games from each of the big three from last year.
First-party exclusive FY2021/22 (April 1, 2021 to March 31, 2022)
Note. This listing excludes Switch exclusives that Nintendo has published or distributed in certain regions (mainly outside of Japan), such as DC Super Hero Girls: Teen Power and Triangle Strategy. It also includes titles that already have a PC release, but only for a single console.
Microsoft is certainly lagging behind in first-party games, and it looks like a messy picture for Xbox over the next year or so. The industry is rife with rumors of major Xbox projects being rebooted, studios getting overhauled, and lots of games with no release windows at all. Without a doubt, Microsoft will bring anything else for 2022 in the big rollout next month, but in the end under a lot of pressure to do so. From an Xbox perspective, its prison break pass is the Game Pass, a low-cost subscription that keeps new (and some older) third-party gamers in every month and is a value proposition that most players have. look too good. skip.
Of course, we should recognize that the dynamics and business here are quite different. Sony and Microsoft are competing in the high end of the gaming market in terms of hardware, and one dilemma they face is the need for increasingly immersive gaming experiences. Famous projects now have huge development budgets, team sizes up to hundreds (or even Thousands) and sky-high expectations; Delays and over budgeting are almost the norm. Sony and Microsoft also get quite a few major third-party triple-A titles, so even without exclusivity there are usually big-name cross-platform titles for PlayStation and Xbox players to enjoy.
On the other hand, Nintendo is supporting weaker preset hardware and often misses out on most big-budget third-party games. The Switch isn’t all about 4K, raytracing, and top-notch graphics technology, and gamers/consumers of all levels understand that intuitively. It’s the less expensive option with games that often focus on color, creativity, and fun. While there are plenty of gamers who will decipher the technology, the reality is that most won’t – Nintendo’s identity since the DS/Wii days has been the experience of graphical power, originality through technical performances. skillful art. Nintendo games can still look good today, albeit at 1080p and without HDR. And of course, with the pretty hook that we can play on the go or at home on TV.
Nintendo’s history, the way it continues to grow its in-house development teams while fostering strong third-party partnerships, and the fact that it’s developing for a tablet-like device, gives it various advantages; The near-monthly rotation of first-party published games that millions of people want to play is just one of those advantages, while Sony and Microsoft grapple with projects and triple-A development budgets. . From lively JRPGs like Xenoblade Chronicles 3 to more fun and affordable family fare like Nintendo Switch SportsThere’s almost always something to look forward to in the near future on Switch.
How long this inherent advantage lasts will depend on the evolution of the industry and Nintendo’s hardware over the next five years. In the end, though, we wouldn’t bet on Nintendo continuing to build its own path while doing its best to maintain an incredibly steady stream of quality games that have worked well for everyone in the past. this console cycle.
