Yardbarker
x
Two months in and Nintendo's Switch dominates 2017 video game market
Drew Angerer/Getty Images

Two months in and Nintendo's Switch dominates 2017 video game market

In Yardbarker's review of the Nintendo Switch back when it launch, I told you, dear readers, that it was the "best way to play games that don't exist yet." Now that some more major games have dropped, let's check in and see how Nintendo's little mobile-console-that-could is doi-


Oh. Well, that's just one article. Okay calm down for just a seco-


Yes, folks. With the exception of that SoulCycle article that somehow made its way into the mix, the Nintendo Switch has been absolutely dominating not just video games news websites, but the markets as well – even despite the fact that two months after launch, it's pretty much still sold out everywhere. Everyone wants one. It's the fastest-selling system in Nintendo history – Wii and Nintendo DS included. People are refreshing Amazon pages because whenever the Switch is back in stock, it sells out before Amazon can even send the in-stock alert email.

It's gone even further than that. Take the in-development "Project Rap Rabbit" as a case study. The game, like so many others in today's development atmosphere, has launched a crowd-funding campaign to defray the costs of development. When the campaign launched, one of the stretch goals included porting the game to the Nintendo Switch if the project raised a staggering $4.95 million. It took them only two days for fan response to cause the developers to change their plans. Overwhelmingly, backers of the project wanted "Project Rap Rabbit" on the Nintendo Switch, enough that the game-makers reconfigured their entire budget to allow for a Switch port if the campaign raised a slightly more reasonable $1.5 million.

This isn't the only example. The massive success of the Nintendo Switch is forcing game companies to make it a priority – there are even rumors that the next 'Call of Duty' game will be launched on the Switch, which would be the first appearance of a 'Call of Duty' game on a Nintendo console since 2013's "Call of Duty: Ghosts."

And that's even before you take into account the console's success on a much more basic level. Two months on, I'm even more confident saying that the Nintendo Switch is the best video game console that has ever existed. Critics (myself included) were skeptical about the viability of launching "Mario Kart 8 Deluxe" on the console, since it was essentially a beefed-up port of a years-old game. We were all wrong. "Mario Kart 8 Deluxe" quickly became the fastest-selling Mario Kart game in the history of the franchise. And sure, that's at least partly because the game itself is as great as it was back on the Wii U, but the real value-add here is being able to have that kind of racing experience in your backpack whenever you want it. Gamers are paying for that ability.

What does this mean for the future of the system, and what does it mean for you guys who are reading this wondering when we'll loop it back to sports games? Well, it's actually pretty simple. If the system does well, people will make games for it. That concept doesn't change across genres. Nintendo brought in EA and 2K Games to bring "FIFA 18" and "NBA 2K18" to the console to kick things off, so they're in on the ground floor. But as the system gets even more ubiquitous (it's still selling out everywhere) companies that focus on sports games will be missing out on sales if they don't prioritize the system. "Madden 18 will appear on the Nintendo Switch" isn't necessarily as hot of a take as it might have been just two short months ago.

The really scary part is that this is just the beginning. There isn't a Mario game for the console yet, and many other first-party games have yet to launch. E3 is right around the corner, and you can bet that Nintendo will be announcing new plans to get the Switch into more homes at their events there. The Switch still doesn't have any apps for Netflix, Youtube, or even internet browsing. It feels as if the console isn't even close to reaching its full potential yet. If it's doing this well with both developers and gamers right now, it's pretty safe to say the road ahead is bright which complicates things for Microsoft and Sony, especially if, as seems likely, major Xbox and Playstation system-selling sports franchises like Madden, FIFA, and the NBA 2K games find a permanent home on the Switch. The only hard part for gamers like us is getting our hands on one.

More must-reads:

Customize Your Newsletter

+

Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.