Much of the criticism from gamers during the Nintendo event was the lack of games launching alongside Nintendo Switch on March 3rd. After a leak by a Target employee that Nintendo Switch would have 15 launch titles, gamers were disappointed to learn there will only be five.
Nintendo of America boss Reggie Fils-Aime recently spoke to CNET, where he defended the company’s decision to start with the small launch game lineup, reminding gamers that there are many more titles planned for the year on the Nintendo Switch. While the game library for Nintendo Switch may start small, it will grow steadily through 2017, which Fils-Aime says will benefit the console. As Fils-Aime puts it, the launch line-up is not the “be-all and the end-all” for the new console.
Fils-Aime believes the current game release schedule for Nintendo Switch will compel gamers to purchase the console and continue to support Nintendo. Fils-Aime said:
On launch day, Nintendo Switch owners will be able to pick up The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, 1-2 Switch, Super Bomberman R, Skylanders Imaginators, and Just Dance 2017. Later in the month, gamers will see the release of Snipperclips, I Am Setsuna, Has-Been Heroes, and Fast RMX. Over the course of the year, gamers will also see Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, Splatoon 2, Arms, Super Mario Odyssey, Xenoblade Chronicles 2, Steep, and others.
There’s also the fact that Nintendo will give gamers access to older Nintendo titles through Virtual Console, though details about the service on Nintendo Switch are still sparse. Hopefully gamers will have access to Virtual Console soon after launch so the wait between game releases is more bearable.
It will be interesting to see if the current course helps Nintendo meet its goal of two million units sold in March, or if the lack of launch titles causes the gaming giant to miss its expectations.
What do you think about Fils-Aime’s comments on the lackluster launch game line-up for Nintendo Switch?
Nintendo Switch is set to release March 3, 2017.
