While we know that Capcom is one of Nintendo's partners in development for the Nintendo Switch, we don't know what that entails quite yet. After watching videos of Skyrim (which still isn't confirmed) and NBA 2K playing during the reveal trailer, many (including myself) naturally assumed that the Switch was ready to take on major 3rd Party for Nintendo. We might want to slow down on that hype train just a tad.
In Capcom's latest earnings Q&A, the company took a couple of questions concerning Switch, and their answers, while mostly your standard PR jargon, do provide a teensy bit of insight into the company's thinking. Here's the first Question and Answer:
Q. What is Capcom’s stance with regards to developing for the Nintendo Switch?A. It is excellent to have the market invigorated with new hardware launches. As a software publisher, we endeavor to develop games that offer enjoyment best suited to each piece of hardware’s features and target users. Following first party, in order to introduce our own content we are currently moving forward with internal planning and analysis as a partner company.
Q. Is it possible to develop multiplatform titles on the Nintendo Switch?A. We are currently carrying out research with regards to multiplatform implementation of software for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One on to the Nintendo Switch and thus are unable to comment at this moment. However, we do feel that there are differences in the desired direction and the play-style of the Nintendo Switch and those of the PlayStation 4 or Xbox One. At Capcom, we determine which platform to release a title for after considering the features of both our software and the hardware in question, believing we must bring the enjoyment of our games to their maximum potential.
Capcom doesn't actually know what it can do with the Nintendo Switch quite yet, regarding multiplatform development. The part about "direction and the play-style" ties into the "hardware’s features and target users" in terms of the fact that the Switch is still very much its own thing. Could the company be concerned that a game like Resident Evil 7 might not be a fit for the experience that the Switch offers? Nintendo has a strong recent history of providing "alternative experiences" of major franchises (including Resident Evil) to fit their more casual player-oriented platforms.
There's nothing here that says one way or the other. But before we get excited about all of the different partners that Nintendo has accrued for the Switch, it might be wise to consider the fact that some of these companies have signed on to create games that are exclusive and/or unique to the Switch rather than a version of a major third party game.
