Stardock CEO:We Probably Won't Be Supporting Switch But It Doesn't Need 3rd Party Support To Succeed

The Nintendo Switch is an interesting device- it is primarily a handheld that also has video output, making it a console/handheld hybrid. And yet, it is priced and marketed as a console. Therefore, even though it actually has reasonably powerful capabilities, and extensive third party support in handheld terms, as a console, it comes up short on both of those fronts.

[Neonridr]

as a note he said we *probably* won't be supporting the Switch.

[freshslicepizza]

at least he's being honest.

[cleft5]

Honest and shortsighted. Also, I think people are confusing major western third party support with all third party support. The 3DS has a ton of third party support and most of it comes from Japanese and Indie developers. Apparently, Japanese and Indie developers have figured out the formula for being successful in the portable market.

Its sad, because western developers are going under one after another or being brought out by major publishers like EA all the time because they can't make enough money competing head to head with AAA games. Here comes this device that lets you make power games for it, for cheap and yet so many western developers still refuse to support it. Its like they think a game isn't good enough unless its on the PS4/PC/Xbox One. Its truly sad to see that sort of shortsighted thinking.

Meanwhile, Indie developers and Japanese developers are making incredible waves in the portable market.

[Testfire]

@ Cleft5, I'm not sure their games would be a good fit for the Switch anyway. They mainly make RTS games, which aren't that great for consoles, PC is where it's at for that genre.

[indyman7777]

Stardock? Who? Sounds like they are trying to get a deal. Why would he even make a statement like that to a news company.

[Neonridr]

yep, but the title of the article initially said "We Won't be supporting the Switch".. wanted to clear up the misleading information.

The title has been edited to reflect the correct information now.

[Nu]

3rd party would help Nintendo.
Nintendo on it's own could keep the system alive but it wouldn't sell so well.

[cleft5]

It's already selling well and it still has hype. Regardless of your opinion of the system it is successful and looks to continue that success.

[indyman7777]

Which is why Nintendo has doubled there first manufacture ring from 8 million to 16 million. (sarcasm)

[Sono421]

You claim to not be a part of the Nintendo defense force yet here you are.. what if he had said "We probably will be supporting the Switch" Would you be pointing out the probably than? Or rejoicing saying it's getting third party support?... I think we both know the answer.

[indyman7777]

You are part of the Nintendo hate force. Any article your here attacking Nintendo. Why? Because a PC ONLY GAME maker (which means they dont make Xbxox or PS4 games either) said they may not make SWITCH games. What hypocrisy They didn't try any DRM or always online, or you have to pay a fee to sale your own game. The hate is over the top.

[indyman7777]

If he is part of the Nintendo Defense force....Then you are part of the hate Nintendo for no reason devils. Why?

This company does not make games for PS4 or XBOX one either! Do I see you jumping up with your hate torch for that? NO!

They didn't try to take away your ownership of games like Microsoft did. They didn't try to force you online every 24 hours. They didn't try to limit how many times you could lend your games to someone. They didnt try to charge you AND the person buying your game a FEE each.

You hate them because they make a portable machine? You make up LIES about the most stable game I have ever played in my LIFE. You are talking about bug's and freezes on the most stable game since we have went 64 bit.

[DashMad]

Nah i don't worry about them, they never create a game for console anyway. all their game are PC exclusive.

[Protagonist]

As a note the article also said "it’s too weak".

[2pacalypsenow]

The Wii U did so well without 3rd party support

[CocoaBrother]

Given the portable nature of the Switch, it should find success in Japan and can even be successful in the states if Pokémon releases for it. 3DS did very well without third party support and I feel the Switch, even though Nintendo won't admit it, is the successor of both the Wii U and 3DS.

Nintendo needs to push this as a handheld and I think it'll succeed.

[2pacalypsenow]

Agree

[Nu]

I think Japan is really going to help Nintendo. Especially all those Rpgs

[EddieNX]

Agreed.

[Erik7357]

Or poor concept and exclusive support

But hey, lets pretend the terrible watch dogs, shitty new mafia 3, causaled down star wars battlefront, or worst mass effect armagideon would make people get a Switch. Destiny and No man sky, so much shitty development talent from third party these past years.

One good one is Star Citizen but thats not even coming out on consoles and just PC! LOL

I think the Switch would be the best console to get. Because you can just build a pc for the price of a ps4 and get a better experience with the third party content and way more indie games.

Oh and the rare good ones like from Bethesda and Rockstar or Blizzard.

Do you see something there? 2 out of 3 of those big names I mentioned are PC focused developers

Uncharted 4, Persona 5, Horizon zero dawn. Thats 3 games out of its entire life cycle that I find as a system seller..just 3....

I think in the first year of the Switch there are 3 already at least that I know will be amazing?

Zelda, mario kart, and mario odyssey. Three games rated in the ranks of Uncharted quality all in one year.

I seriously can't think of a time when third party games were shitter tbh

[CocoaBrother]

Ever live throughout the 80s and early 90s? A lot of third party games were atrocious and you didn't have reviews telling you to avoid them; you had to take the leap of faith.
Dick Tracy, ET, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, McDonald's games, Home Improvement, or literally any game by LJN. Those were truly awful third party games

[2pacalypsenow]

When you have over 1000 games, there are bound to be some bad ones, and I know tons of people who have enjoyed Destiny, Mafia 3 and Mass Effect.

Add to those 3 games

Ico
BloodBorne
MLB the Show
Yakuza 0
Journey
Flower
God of War III Remastered
Gravity Rush Remastered
Quantic Dream Collection
The Last of Us Remastered
Uncharted: The Nathan Drake Collection

All Great games/series

Or do you not consider ports if they are not on a Nintendo Console?

[MeteorPanda]

I think you're no longer a gamer and are in denial over that fact lol. Go back to work scrub

[yomfweeee]

You listed Destiny and Battlefront as your points? 2 of the biggest selling franchises that have had continued success for like 2 years? Good one.

Casualed? Who do you think buy most systems? Casuals.

[cleft5]

Shhh, the truth is going to hurt some folks way too much to hear. People need Nintendo to continue believing Nintendo is inferior. Nevermind that the 3DS is a huge success and the WiiU had some of the best games ever made. You can't be dropping them truth bombs like that.

[Protagonist]

@Erik7357

So Star Wars Battlefront is made for the casuals... Ok I guess most games that wants to succeed got elements of casual gameplay. But let us be honest here, because every single game that comes from Nintendo is First and Foremost made for casuals.

[SoulMikeY]

2pacalypse, your list is EXCLUSIVES... proving his point. And some of them suck ass...

So really, third party games that are actually worth it are like Dark Souls (which will probably be ported), witcher 3, etc. <-- this is the list you were supposed to respond with...

[Erik7357]

There good but imo and professional gamers who reviews games, Nintendo's are better and higher rated.

I think the onyl games that blew me away were uncharted 4, last of us I played already but I did like it more than Uncharted which is pretty hard, and I think god of war 4 will be amazing.

But thats not a lot compared to games that are gonna be 90+ on metacritic for the Switch .

Like yea Yakuzo 0 is good and all but you know and I know thats not like god of war 4, zelda, uncharted , pokemon level etc.

That's what im talking about and Nintendo has more of those 10/10 system seller games on their system and reviews show that

[2pacalypsenow]

No Way is Zelda BOTW a better game than The last of Us, and it got a 97 compared to a 95. You know Nintendo Games get rated differently. Look at the Uncharted collection with an 86 Overall, now take all 3 uncharted games and combine their review scores which equal 92, yet the collection gets a 86? Even when the games themselves were improved for the ps4?

Now take Mario Kart they add some maps and features and it goes from an 88 to a 94? Pretty sure any other game made by EA or Activision doing the same would not get the same treatment, hell Call of duty 4 was originally a 92 and the remastered got an 83 and they added weapons,skins and improved the graphics lol

[Erik7357]

Well yes way as in its in the same ranks as last of us and many other games from Nintendo. THey have more 90+ metacritic games than sony has

[2pacalypsenow]

Comparing Both Nintendo and Sony with the Home Consoles from 1995

PlayStation has 43 games only on PlayStation with a 90+ Meta and Nintendo has 37, from those Sony has 24 different IP's and Nintendo 14.

[wonderfulmonkeyman]

Wii U had more issues holding it back than just that, many of which the Switch doesn't suffer from.
A low-selling launch and bad advertisement are two road bumps the Switch has steered clear of, for example.

[TheUndertaker85]

Except the Switch now is selling less than the Wii U in the same period of time. By almost a million units.

Couple that with a weak launch with limited content, missing features "coming later", and once again the weakest hardware. Not to mention an identity crisis in the form of is it a console or handheld to which Nintendo isn't even clear.

The Switch has every issue the Wii U did.

[wonderfulmonkeyman]

@undertaker
It's not selling less because of lack of demand, though; it's because of lack of stock, so your attempt at downplaying its sales pace means precisely nada.
And yet it's still the second best selling system Nintendo has ever had, production is being forcefully ramped up, and indies are flocking to it and praising it as THE place to go to for ease of development, all of that distinctly unlike the Wii U.
And it does not have an identity crisis; it's a home console that can become a handheld.
AKA, a hybrid.
A person claiming there's confusion there, when it's been so clear in ads right from the start, and much more clearly communicated than the Wii U which was mistaken as a Wii peripheral, has gotta be either ignorant of the facts, or someone petty who is looking for reasons to put down the system.

It is NOT the Wii U all over again.
Nice try, though.

[TheUndertaker85]

Heard that one before too.
https://www.giantbomb.com/w...

http://www.ign.com/boards/t...

Stock shortage is also horseshit due to it supposedly being sold out even before launch. However we know this is due to Nintendo cutting orders. Then it's odd Nintendo apparently doesn't know how to forecast, even talking about a shortage before launch.
https://www.vg247.com/2017/...

https://www.reddit.com/r/Ni...

Here is one outlining shortages of Nintendo products.
http://www.theverge.com/cir...

Here is a story from a Nintendo representative claiming it's a handheld, not a console.
https://www.theguardian.com...

One of the official Switch webpages says otherwise stating it's a console you can "use in handheld mode".

Further Wii U was discontinued while the 3DS is still on the market. They killed one of their own products shortly before the Switch launch even. It was their console.

The Nintendo Switch is also a product that can't really be price dropped without Nintendo taking loses.
http://www.nintendolife.com...

I'm very open to the facts and not just one sided ones. Sorry.

2.1 million units.
Fastest selling Nintendo product
"Sold out"

The bullshit you spit out to defend Nintendo constantly is amusing. Please consider all pieces of evidence in the future, not just Pro-Nintendo news that has very little merit.

[pietro1212]

As much as I like the Wii U it didn't do that well (pretty much the main reason Nintendo released a second console this gen). Nintendo only does so well with their first/ second party titles.

[cleft5]

The WiiU never had the hype or support that the Switch has right now. Also, it does have 3rd party support, just not a lot of western 3rd party support. It was clear from the first conference Nintendo held that they are banking on Japanese 3rd party support and Indie support. Which they have, games are announced to come out in the short term. Games are released right now.

The problem with the WiiU was that Nintendo tried to get major western 3rd party support (looking at you EA with your unprecedented partnership). They didn't make that mistake a second time around and it looks to be paying off.

[quent]

No it did so well because of excellent marketing and a cost effective tablet gamepad

[C_Ali88]

But it is better than TLOU both subjectively and objectively. I'm sorry to tell you. I enjoyed Zelda more and the review scores reflect that.

No matter how you think the reviews are skewed it is a FACT that TLOU is a lower scoring game.

[indyman7777]

This is a divide and conquer issue. Divide PS4 users from SWITCH users. Microsoft and their fan boys are tired of hears PS4 and SWITCH for me. So they use top games like Horizon vs ZELDA...or The last of Us vs SWITCH don't be part of it.

[About30Ninjas]

The Wii u did well? What are you smoking crack, the last time I checked the Wii U is Nintendo biggest failure since the virtual boy

[FallenAngel1984]

Pretty sure the console needs third party support

[Activemessiah]

They dont buy 3rd party games.... whats the point...

[wonderfulmonkeyman]

Speak for yourself.
Just because they didn't mindlessly fork over cash for bad Call of Duty ports on Wii U doesn't mean there aren't some third party games they want to buy.

[DashMad]

Not from Stardock you won't find their games on PS4 and XBO anyway, they don't create game for console all their game are exclusively on PC.

[TheUndertaker85]

They are not.
https://www.touchtapplay.co...

Which is why Stardock not creating content for Switch is in another ballpark compared to consoles.

[sloth3395]

what games do they make because I don't know

[Nivekki]

Pc games.

[indyman7777]

mostly RTS PC games.

[Lon3wolf]

I didn't think Stardock did many/any console games anyway.

[JayPi3]

I think what people seem to be missing is that fact that Stardock has only made games for PC, so regardless of Switch, PS4, or Xbox One they probably wouldn't support consoles in general.

[TheUndertaker85]

What people seem to be missing is Stardock has a mobile division.
https://www.touchtapplay.co...

They actually partner more than creating and publishing their own content.

[conanlifts]

What console games do they make anyway? Do they not predominantly make pc games?

[irishyort]

@ Stardock... what have you guys made and does the Switch even care.... NO... no it doesn't !
Now if you name was Activision, Bethesda, Konami, Gearbox... blah blah blah, I would be concerned. But Stardock... hahahahaha

[Protagonist]

Then explain why Nintendo fanboys argues, it is such a great deal all those UNKNOWN indie developers are making games for the switch.

Yeah why should switch care... smh.

[Prince_TFK]

I never see any sony fanboy cares about whether or not stardock develop games for the ps4. But now those same fanboys suddenly care if the switch got it or not?

[C_Ali88]

Because they are already on the console or are planning to be, Would you be concerned with a game NEVER coming to your system of choice and for that matter any home or portable console?

NO, these guys make PC games and are irrelevant. Only fanboys would make an argument about third party support with a dev that doesn't make games for consoles....LOL ridiculous.

[Redlife2g]

If the switch doesn't get 3rd party support this system will end up just like the Wii u.

[XiNatsuDragnel]

God tier console

[CrimsonWing69]

Um it absolutely does need third party support to succeed. What a straight *etarded thing to say.

[spartan112g]

Crowd: "The Switch needs third party support!"
Nintendo: "Look at all of these Indie and Japanese devs supporting it."
Crowd: "Those don't count!!"

[Prince_TFK]

Replace crowd with "sony fanboys" and i think that would be the perfect way to describe it here.

[feraldrgn]

Why is it Sony fanboys?
Would it not just be fanboys?

[Pookandpie]

Stardock doesn't do console games very often, if at all, anyway, so this is hardly news lol

[TheColbertinator]

Stardock makes PC games so I'm not sure why they were asked about the Switch.

[Einhander1971]

That's the industry for you tech spec mad unfortunately

[3-4-5]

* To be fair...his company makes PC games....and x4 ones at that...which have their own niche market.

Gal Civ 3 would be awesome on Switch though.

[Segata]

It has Japanese and indie support and like any Nintendo handheld should do well enough on that. I didn't even know Stardock did games,thought they did crappy skins for windows.

[About30Ninjas]

Dear Nintendo if you want better 3rd party support stop putting out underpowered consoles, we could a have games like overwatch and borderlands 3 don't get me wrong I like the switch but Nintendo need to get with times and put graphics first

[FinalomegaS]

really guys?I am seeing this as an excuse to complain about 3rd party software..from a company that makes Jack-Shit?

List of Stardock Game Titles Game Title
Ashes of the Singularity: Escalation
Galactic Civilizations III
Sins of a Solar Empire: Rebellion
Offworld Trading Company
Sorcerer King: Rivals
The Political Machine 2016
Star Control: Origins
Sorcerer King
Ashes of the Singularity
The Corporate Machine
Dead Man's Draw
Demigod
Elemental: War of Magic
Fallen Enchantress
Fallen Enchantress: Legendary Heroes
Galactic Civilizations I
Galactic Civilizations II
The Political Machine
The Political Machine 2008
The Political Machine 2012
Sins of a Solar Empire: Trinity
Lightweight Ninja
Elves

never heard of any of these games...

i think i won't lose any sleep over them not making any switch games...