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Ubisoft Exec on Nintendo Switch's Price, Launch Lineup
Two Nintendo Switch topics that have garnered some discussion include the hybrid console's price and launch lineup, with some saying the price is too high and the launch titles too few.
Now, Ubisoft executive Xavier Poix has weighed in on those topics and others. In an interview with GamesIndustry.biz, Poix first responded to the suggestion that the Switch, priced at $300, might not be appealing to anyone except core gamers.
"Today, people are spending €800 on the new iPhone," he said. "It shows that people are eager to spend more money than previously on very high end, interesting new things that they can carry with them."
Poix added: "I'm not saying it wouldn't be better at a cheaper price, but I think we can count on Nintendo making sure that the software that will be linked with Switch will be more and more interesting."
There are no bundled games with the Switch, in part because Nintendo wanted to keep the price down, Reggie Fils-Aime told GameSpot in an interview last week. The system comes with one pair of Joy-Con controllers, while extra sets can be purchased for $80.
On the subject of the Switch's launch lineup, which includes five games compared to 23 for the Wii U, Poix said, "With the Wii U, there were many titles at launch which lacked the quality to engage the player." For the Switch, Poix said he believes Nintendo has taken a smart approach in focusing on quality at launch and then releasing additional can't-miss games on a regular basis.
"Nintendo's strategy is to have a portfolio of strong games that will be released month after month, which I think is a good strategy," he said.
In a separate interview, Fils-Aime said the Switch's launch lineup is "not the be-all and the end-all."
Also in the GamesIndustry.biz interview, Poix talked about why Ubisoft is bringing Steep to the Switch and not some of its bigger-name open-world games like Watch Dogs 2 or The Division.
"Steep has the same philosophy of Switch already in its DNA," he said. "Steep is about the freedom of discovering the alps, it is about doing multi-sport, it is about both long gameplay sessions and short sessions ... Switch also brings the mobility aspect, and Steep is missing that. Imagine that you can keep having the Steep experience when you go to another room? For me, Steep was a no-brainer for Switch."
Ubisoft's Just Dance 2017 is one of the Switch's five launch titles. Steep is coming to the console later, while Rayman Legends is also in the works for the Switch.
The full GamesIndustry.biz interview touches on numerous other subjects and contains a lot of interesting insight. Go read it here.
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Now, Ubisoft executive Xavier Poix has weighed in on those topics and others. In an interview with GamesIndustry.biz, Poix first responded to the suggestion that the Switch, priced at $300, might not be appealing to anyone except core gamers."Today, people are spending €800 on the new iPhone," he said. "It shows that people are eager to spend more money than previously on very high end, interesting new things that they can carry with them."
Poix added: "I'm not saying it wouldn't be better at a cheaper price, but I think we can count on Nintendo making sure that the software that will be linked with Switch will be more and more interesting."
There are no bundled games with the Switch, in part because Nintendo wanted to keep the price down, Reggie Fils-Aime told GameSpot in an interview last week. The system comes with one pair of Joy-Con controllers, while extra sets can be purchased for $80.
On the subject of the Switch's launch lineup, which includes five games compared to 23 for the Wii U, Poix said, "With the Wii U, there were many titles at launch which lacked the quality to engage the player." For the Switch, Poix said he believes Nintendo has taken a smart approach in focusing on quality at launch and then releasing additional can't-miss games on a regular basis.
"Nintendo's strategy is to have a portfolio of strong games that will be released month after month, which I think is a good strategy," he said.
In a separate interview, Fils-Aime said the Switch's launch lineup is "not the be-all and the end-all."
Also in the GamesIndustry.biz interview, Poix talked about why Ubisoft is bringing Steep to the Switch and not some of its bigger-name open-world games like Watch Dogs 2 or The Division.
"Steep has the same philosophy of Switch already in its DNA," he said. "Steep is about the freedom of discovering the alps, it is about doing multi-sport, it is about both long gameplay sessions and short sessions ... Switch also brings the mobility aspect, and Steep is missing that. Imagine that you can keep having the Steep experience when you go to another room? For me, Steep was a no-brainer for Switch."
Ubisoft's Just Dance 2017 is one of the Switch's five launch titles. Steep is coming to the console later, while Rayman Legends is also in the works for the Switch.
The full GamesIndustry.biz interview touches on numerous other subjects and contains a lot of interesting insight. Go read it here.
More...