After months of waiting, Nintendo finally gave us tons of details on their new console/tablet hybrid, the Nintendo Switch. We learned about the price, release date, hardware, and some of the games we can expect throughout 2017.
Something that has upset fans though is that the console appears to be somewhat weak compared to Xbox One and PS4. For example, Bethesda will be launching The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim this fall on the Switch but it will not be the "Special Edition" they released on PS4 and Xbox One last October. This has led many to believe that it will be the vanilla version launched in 2011 for Xbox 360 and PS3. While we have no confirmation on this (it could simply be that it doesn't have things like mod support), there is one game that is heavily rumored to be on par with their 360 and PS3 counterparts.
EA came on stage at the Nintendo presentation Thursday night to reveal one of their biggest franchises is coming to the Nintendo Switch, FIFA. The massively popular soccer game will come to the platform in the future (presumably in time for FIFA 18 this fall), but it may not be the "definitive" version.
Eurogamer's Tom Philips attended the Nintendo event and tweeted out that EA is "testing the Switch waters with FIFA" and then followed up by saying that the Switch version of the sports game will be "based off of the 360/PS3 versions that still get made."
Yep, EA is testing the Switch waters with FIFA. That's it for now.
— Tom Phillips (@tomphillipsEG) January 13, 2017
I've heard FIFA Switch is based off of the 360/PS3 versions which still get made.
— Tom Phillips (@tomphillipsEG) January 13, 2017
This means (if true) the Switch version will run on the IGNITE engine and not the Frostbite engine that is used in the Battlefield series, the last few FIFA games, and truthfully, most, but not all, EA games on Xbox One and PS4.
EA's Peter Moore fired back at Phillips by saying the Switch version will be "custom built for the Nintendo Switch". That doesn't outright deny the rumor that it is a lesser version, though. Several people replied to Moore noting the PlayStation Vita and Wii U ports of previous which were pretty watered down compared to their superior console versions
Let me help you here, @tomphillipsEG “…the FIFA experience CUSTOM BUILT for Nintendo Switch…” https://t.co/nilpnPbVoe https://t.co/76OlZo6k03
— Peter Moore (@petermooreEA) January 13, 2017
It could be EA doesn't want to invest all the money and resources of an up to date FIFA game on Nintendo Switch due to the fact the Wii U kind of bombed and they don't know if the audience is there to support them on Switch. While putting an outdated version certainly won't help them find an audience, it could save them money in the long run. It's also possible Switch just couldn't run a game of that power, but this is all speculation at the moment.
One other sports game confirmed for Nintendo Switch is NBA 2K18. Could it suffer the same fate as FIFA if the rumors end up true? We'll have to find out this fall when the sports games hit shelves.
Do you think it's ok to switch out better graphics and performance for a more portable experience of the game? Let us know in the comments below!
Nintendo Switch releases March 3rd, 2017.
