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Skyrim on the Switch

Posted: June 12th, 2017, 6:44 pm
by eneuman96
Many of you are probably aware that a Switch port of The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim was introduced at the same time the system itself was unveiled to the world, which is rather significant for not only being an extremely popular third-party game on a Nintendo system, but the first major collaboration between Bethesda and Nintendo (they've made a *few* games for Nintendo systems before, but none of them were anything earth-shattering).

Yesterday, it was announced that the Switch version of Skyrim will include all the DLC from the previous editions of the game, motion controls, and perhaps most surprisingly, exclusive Zelda-themed gear that can be unlocked via Amiibo.

I've never actually played Skyrim for a significant period of time, so I imagine I might as well cut my teeth on this version since it looks like Bethesda put genuine effort into making this a good port, not to mention it's portable. Honestly, I was afraid at first that they would just do a rush-job PS3/360 port like so many third-party developers did on the Wii U, but my fears seem to have been assuaged.

Is anyone else planning on getting this version?

Re: Skyrim on the Switch

Posted: June 12th, 2017, 10:55 pm
by Tron
No, but only because I've played it on both the 360 and PS4. Initially I was disappointed that there were so many annoying unkillable NPCs. I also disliked how the games missions were scripted to give the player the illusion of choice when in actuality the only choice you got was to do the mission one way or not. After I got over those quips I had a blast playing on the PS4. I even enjoyed some of the mods.

I'm very happy to see Nintendo fans getting a chance to play Skyrim. Maybe for many players, like yourself, it will be for the 1st time.

Re: Skyrim on the Switch

Posted: June 12th, 2017, 11:59 pm
by BanjoPickles
Eh.

I'm sorry, but this is another half-hearted safe release by a company that will give Nintendo yesterday's table scraps for the price of a full course meal.

What rubbed me the wrong way, and it is a depressing reminder of how Nintendo is seen by the third-party community, was how Skyrim was also shown for PSVR. Seeing the total lack of effort from these companies made me long for the days of the GameCube, which was the last time that third parties took genuine risks on the hardware (Resident Evil 4, Viewtiful Joe, Baten Katos, Rogue Squadron).

So far, we have received a crossover with the Rabbids (to be fair, this looks interesting), a multi platform release that is also being released on the original Wii (!!), a port of a six year old game with motion controls tacked on and some Nintendo fan service, a dumbed down version of Fifa, aaand----Nindies.

I'm really hoping that tomorrow's presentation is mind-blowing because the past few days have been a depressing reminder of how unimportant Nintendo has become to the industry at large.

Re: Skyrim on the Switch

Posted: June 14th, 2017, 9:00 pm
by Tron
Yeah! Yesterday's table scraps sucks! Publishers need to get some new games for the Switch. Bring on over a new Elder scrolls game or a new Fallout game and then we'll have an actual meal. The Switch needs meals! Four course meals mind you. Not yesterday's table scraps. Give them scraps to the iPhones.

Re: Skyrim on the Switch

Posted: June 15th, 2017, 5:18 pm
by BanjoPickles
Sarcasm noted.

I'm sorry if I was less than impressed with Nintendo's bare-bones presentation (and pretty much all of E3). I guess that it takes more than a "hey guys, Metroid Prime 4 IS being worked on" to get me excited. Return of Samus looked off, and I can't figure out why Nintendo decided not to work on the series themselves. All in all, it was what we've come to expect from a modern-day Nintendo presentation: plenty of lip service with precious little in the way of digging themselves out of the hole that they dug themselves into. Less and less third party reveals. Do you want to pay $60 for Skyrim? You go right ahead. Me? I'll pay $20 and get it on PS4, or $10 and get it on PS3. What I meant by "table scraps" was the fact that developers will take the real gambles on other consoles, crap out a port of an old game (Capcom? Bethesda?), charge next-to-full/full price, and then pull support when their half-arsed effort goes unnoticed. It's been the Nintendo trend for the past sixteen years, and it has only gotten worse!

Re: Skyrim on the Switch

Posted: June 16th, 2017, 6:15 am
by David
Yeah, this release is just not exciting. Don't get me wrong, if you've never played it before and this is your way in, that's cool, but it's a six year old game. You know what would've been exciting from Bethesda? If the new Wolfenstein or The Evil Within 2 was coming out this fall for the Switch. I don't know the technical ins and outs, but being that the Switch is somewhere around 20 to 30 percent as powerful as even the baseline Xbox One, it's maybe not possible to bring current games over in a way that's not too comprimised. And thus brings the same problem Nintendo has had with third parties since the Wii.

Their consoles aren't powerful enough and/or are unconventional that third parties can't simultaneously develop their big titles for Nintendo. And because other than the Wii, their hardware base is usually small enough and their audience is different than the Xbox/PS crowd that third parties don't believe their games would sell enough anyways.

Banjo - I agree with what you're saying but the same complaint has been levied against Nintendo for two decades now! Since Nintendo has been in the game business they've spent more time being ignored by third parties than had support. And with the Switch, third parties had no reason to develop for them until there was evidence that it wasn't going to fail spectacularly. The console has been out for three months. If it's going to get any support, those games are probably in their infancy right now, and won't be ready to show for at least a year.

I'm just sick of complaining about the same thing when it's not going to change who they are. For me, I think Samus Returns looks really cool. I can't wait for Mario Odyssey, Splatoon 2 And Arms look interesting, and then Kirby and Yoshi look great for next year along with whatever else they have planned. I'm fine buying a Switch knowing that it won't be much more to me than a Nintendo games machine. I think it's more constructive to criticize things they can actually control, like where the hell is Virtual Console, or why their online service requires a stupid phone app.

Re: Skyrim on the Switch

Posted: June 16th, 2017, 6:59 am
by Rookie1
Bethesda has been milking this game far too long. I think their is a VR version of it for Ps4 coming out too. I got the deluxe edition with all the DLC for $7 during black friday for the ps3. Im all set with this game.

Re: Skyrim on the Switch

Posted: June 16th, 2017, 1:19 pm
by BanjoPickles
David wrote:Yeah, this release is just not exciting. Don't get me wrong, if you've never played it before and this is your way in, that's cool, but it's a six year old game. You know what would've been exciting from Bethesda? If the new Wolfenstein or The Evil Within 2 was coming out this fall for the Switch. I don't know the technical ins and outs, but being that the Switch is somewhere around 20 to 30 percent as powerful as even the baseline Xbox One, it's maybe not possible to bring current games over in a way that's not too comprimised. And thus brings the same problem Nintendo has had with third parties since the Wii.

Their consoles aren't powerful enough and/or are unconventional that third parties can't simultaneously develop their big titles for Nintendo. And because other than the Wii, their hardware base is usually small enough and their audience is different than the Xbox/PS crowd that third parties don't believe their games would sell enough anyways.

Banjo - I agree with what you're saying but the same complaint has been levied against Nintendo for two decades now! Since Nintendo has been in the game business they've spent more time being ignored by third parties than had support. And with the Switch, third parties had no reason to develop for them until there was evidence that it wasn't going to fail spectacularly. The console has been out for three months. If it's going to get any support, those games are probably in their infancy right now, and won't be ready to show for at least a year.

I'm just sick of complaining about the same thing when it's not going to change who they are. For me, I think Samus Returns looks really cool. I can't wait for Mario Odyssey, Splatoon 2 And Arms look interesting, and then Kirby and Yoshi look great for next year along with whatever else they have planned. I'm fine buying a Switch knowing that it won't be much more to me than a Nintendo games machine. I think it's more constructive to criticize things they can actually control, like where the hell is Virtual Console, or why their online service requires a stupid phone app.


Yes, and no. While the third-party community did start walking away, during the N64 era, it didn't really start getting miserable until last generation. Yes, the Gamecube received only a fraction of the support of the XBox/PS2, but it also had games like Resident Evil 4, Viewtiful Joe 1 and 2, Soul Caliber 2, Resident Evil remake and 0, Baten Katos, Tales of Symphonia, Eternal Darkness, Rogue Squadron/Leader, Skies of Arcadia, Ikaruga, Timesplitters 2, Phantasy Star Online, etc. The Wii, though vastly underpowered, by comparison, had games like Little King's Story, Klonoa, House of the Dead Overkill, Madworld, Boom Blox, A Boy and His Blob, Trauma Center/Team, Tatsunoko Vs. Capcom, No More Heroes 1 and 2, Zack and Wiki, etc.

I don't know if I agree with you that it's gone for good. Nintendo has maintained good third-party support for their handhelds, and I do believe that once sales of the Switch (hopefully) prove to be a long-term success, third parties will come around. No, their days of releasing the AAA franchises, alongside MS and PS, are over, but that doesn't mean that they can't create original titles, as they have on DS/3DS. What I don't want the Switch to be is a dumping ground for IOS ports.

Re: Skyrim on the Switch

Posted: June 16th, 2017, 5:33 pm
by David
That's a good point. The N64 had poor support but the Gamecube did have pretty good stuff. I think the best third party stuff on the Wii came out late 2007, and especially 2008/2009 after the Wii was established as a sales monster. I feel even the 3DS hasn't had the support that the DS had. Most of the best games there are either first party, or Japanese RPGs.

I think third party games will come eventually too, if the Switch keeps selling well. I don't think it's ever going to be a great situation though, barring a Wii-like performance from the Switch (unlikely). Ideally, Nintendo starts dropping 3DS support internally, focuses soley on Switch, and we get tons of great first party stuff, collaborations like Mario X Rabbids that looks really great, and games from Japan. Western support seems like a longshot.

Re: Skyrim on the Switch

Posted: June 18th, 2017, 10:49 am
by Tron
I didn't mean to come off as sarcastic. I actually agree with the sentiment. I just thought the term "table scraps" was hilarious so I got obnoxious with it.

Skyrim on the Switch would've been mildly more appreciated if the Xbox One and PS4 hadn't gotten remakes a couple months before. Fallout New Vegas Remake would've actually excited me as it hasn't been offered on other platforms. Still the Switch needs new games not on other platforms. Remakes won't keep this system alive.

Here's my spoiled inner child coming out, "I want a new Advance Wars dang it!"