Regginator gives his opinion on today’s industry
The former president of the American branch of Nintendo returned to this subject during a long interview with The Game Business, which essentially returned to the balance of power between the three manufacturers today. Reggie Fils-Aimé then said he was surprised to see Xbox dodging – for the moment – the Switch 2to the extent that it is popular. Although he knows that ports take time, he at least expected to see a few announcements along these lines:
“ I’m surprised that Xbox hasn’t fully exploited the Switch 2’s gaming potential yet. Some titles could easily be ported to Switch 2. And I’m surprised we haven’t seen more of them. I thought there would be a lot more, especially as the holiday season approaches. Throughout the fall, I expected announcements. And I’m surprised not to see any seen. »
The potential would be there for Fils-Aimé, who thinks that the Switch 2 is an ideal console for certain licenses, more than other Nintendo consoles in the past. If he admits that Nintendo will never be a direct competitor to PlayStationthe manufacturer can still accommodate large licenses like Assassin’s Creed Or Call of Dutywhich are usually more PlayStation/Xbox oriented:
“ Let’s be clear, Nintendo, in my opinion, will never position itself as a direct competitor to PlayStation. It’s not in his DNA. That’s not how he sees business opportunities. On the other hand, would it happily welcome some of the latest successful titles aimed at another audience, such as the latest Assassin’s Creed or Call of Duty, on its platform? Absolutely. […] Whether it’s Resident Evil or Assassin’s Creed, as long as these games run smoothly and look good on Switch 2, I’m confident there’s an audience out there ready to buy them. »
He continues by discussing the current climate between the three manufacturers, with a competition that has naturally faded over the years. Even more since Xbox’s latest decisions:
“ I think the days of direct competition are over. With the publishing part now at the heart of Xbox’s activities, the platform is, by definition, a major third-party publisher which also manufactures hardware. From this point of view, Xbox is no longer in direct competition with PlayStation. In reality, Sony’s support is essential for Microsoft to reach a wider audience. As I said previously, it would be in their best interest to find ways to make Xbox games, beyond Minecraft, available on the Nintendo platform. From this point of view, direct war is over. However, players have limited budgets. Every euro spent must be profitable; every minute spent playing must be profitable. There will therefore always be a war, perhaps underlying, but a real battle to capture the attention and occupy the minds of the players. »
And to win this new war, the industry will have to innovate. Subject that worries Reggie Fils-Aimé today, both in the new games that appear every day and in the next machines:
“ I really hope this industry doesn’t stagnate. There are sometimes signs that innovation is lacking. Innovative and revolutionary content seems to be becoming rarer. This worries me, and I hope that innovation continues. »
This is why he says he will keep an eye on Xbox in the future, to the extent that the manufacturer is making an unprecedented shift here in order to reach the widest possible audience. It still needs to release its games on Switch 2 as promised.