"Rather, I think these indie games are what really invigorate Nintendo Switch overall.”
- Nintendo exec Shinya Takahashi explains the relationship between indies and Nintendo.
Nintendo says it is working to create an environment that makes it as easy as possible for indie developers to bring their games to the Nintendo Switch. Speaking during a recent investor Q&A, Nintendo president Tatsumi Kimishima, managing executive officer Shinya Takahashi, and senior executive officer Susumu Tanaka dove into why third-party indies have become such a focus for the company this time around.
In response to a question about how indie games fit into Nintendo’s business plan, the trio of Nintendo execs explains that the company sees indie games as something that benefits the platform as a whole, rather than games that compete with Nintendo's own titles for attention.
“Offering enjoyable first-party games throughout the world will continue to be one of our strengths, but increasing the number of people who make games to be played on Nintendo platforms is also very important for growing our business. That is why we are working to create an environment that makes development easier, and simplifying the process of publishing games on Nintendo Switch. This has resulted in a large number of people playing an array of indie games on Nintendo Switch. “
Including support for Unity is part of the way Nintendo believes it’s created this indie-friendly environment on the Switch, something that the company says has allowed nearly 1,500 Unity-powered games to hit the platform.
“Some of the indie games already released have gone on to become million sellers worldwide,” said Tanaka. “In the future, we are looking to release around 20 to 30 indie games on Nintendo Switch per week, and we definitely expect to see some great games among them.”