Should Nintendo be doing more to bring indie devs to the Switch?

With the release of the Nintendo Switch less than a month away, game developers and Nintendo enthusiasts alike are abuzz with questions about how the upcoming tablet-like console will support independent games.

USGamer recently spoke to a handful of indie developers who were either developing or interested in developing a game for the Switch to gather their feelings and experiences about Nintendo’s unique platform.

One developer interviewed, Robert Boyd, said his studio Zeboyd Games isn’t currently working with Nintendo but that he wondered if the company would reach outside of its usual pool to bring new developers and games to the platform.

Bill Stiernberg, also of Zeboyd Games, further commented that Nintendo has fallen behind the pack in terms of communication with the indie game development community. 

"I can think of a few people at Sony who reach out to indies and try to open a dialogue about bringing games to their system, and at least one at Microsoft," said Stiernberg.

"It's not hard to find someone and at least open a dialogue. Maybe other developers have found this very thing with Nintendo; but I can certainly say in our experience Sony has done a lot for indies that I don't really see with Nintendo yet-- but I'd still like to jump back on getting in touch for a Switch release.”

Stiernberg isn't alone in this sentiment; USGamer notes that all of the developers spoken to for the article agreed that Nintendo should be reaching out to independent developers directly.

For developers already working with Nintendo, the process of bringing a game to the Switch is apparently a simple one. Yacht Club Games, who is currently porting Shovel Knight: Treasure Trove to the Switch, explained that its experience has so far been positive. The developer noted that Nintendo has been responsive in conversations about the system and that porting the game to the Switch has ultimately been pleasant.

For more on the Switch's potential from these developers, and additional comments from Rime creator Tequila Works, head over to USGamer to read the story in its entirety.