An interesting interview was recently held by IGN with a number of indie developers, in response to Nintendo’s announced plans to release 20-30 games on the Switch eShop every week.
As might be expected, some responses were more positive than others, though a concern across the board was oversaturation of the eShop in a rapid timeframe. The CEO of Image & Form mentioned that it might be healthy for Nintendo to look at other digital platforms that appear overcrowded, to learn from their management techniques and find ways to improve upon it as a point of reference.
He also mentioned that Nintendo might be bogged down right now:
“Nintendo has a habit of curating content, which typically means approvals and manual labour on their end. It may not only be too many titles for the eShop, it may also be too much work for Nintendo to realistically cope with.”
None of the indie developers indicated that they would consider leaving the platform anytime soon, which is good for players, but it’s also not always a bonus to have a crowded digital shop that leaves players confused and uncertain about their purchase selections.
Yacht Club Games specifically mentioned that they intend to continue with their support of the Nintendo eShop:
“We’ll keep making the best games we can, regardless if there is one game or a million games released a day. The Switch is an amazing gaming machine, and we will continue to support it with our best efforts.”
Time will tell whether this move is a good one on Nintendo’s part or a grave misstep. Fingers crossed for the former.
