Today was the day we’ve all been waiting for. Nintendo hosted a new Nintendo Direct and it was packed with new information and new reveals. It’s clear that the Nintendo Switch is here to stay as the system is on fire and it seems like it will dominate 2019 and early 2020 thanks to its stellar line-up.
Power of exclusive games
During a Nintendo Direct, it’s pretty clear that a lot of attention will go to Nintendo’s own franchises and to be honest, the amount of Nintendo games releasing in the coming months is unbelievable. Nintendo will launch The Legend of Zelda: Link’s Awakening, Luigi’s Mansion 3, Pokémon Sword/Shield in the coming months, proving they want to dominate the rest of 2019 and take home the Holiday Season crown. As if this wasn’t enough already, the company also demonstrated what 2020 will hold for them, with games as Animal Crossing, Xenoblade Chronicles: Definitive Edition, and Tokyo Mirage Sessions #FE as new 2020 exclusives, Nintendo wants to secure their momentum in a big way.
But, the fun doesn’t stop there. During the Nintendo Direct presentation, Nintendo also revealed a couple of exclusive games where Little Town Hero, Game Freak’s newest RPG is perhaps the most important one to remember. It’s clear that exclusivity is a big part of the Nintendo Switch’s strategy and I’m guessing we haven’t seen the end of this just yet. Judging on the crazy amount of first-party exclusives we’ll receive in 2019, it’s pretty clear that Nintendo will continue on this path. The quality of their exclusives is of crucial importance and when you’re able to make a game like Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Games look promising, you know Nintendo isn’t messing around.
They finally won over the third parties
But, as proven in the past, Nintendo can’t only trust in their own games, in order to sell the big numbers, they need the support of the third-party publishers. During the Nintendo Direct presentation, it’s clear that they finally won over the masses. I won’t go on and write down the list of announcements, you can find that in the summary article, but since this is an opinion piece, it’s worth pointing out the importance of certain titles.
With games like The Witcher 3, Overwatch, Divinity: Original Sin 2, Vampyr, and Assassin’s Creed, the Nintendo Switch is transforming itself into a platform where there’s a game for everybody. Gamers often complain that Nintendo consoles don’t offer the same mature/violent games like PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, often labeling Nintendo’s console too kiddy for serious games. With announcements like these, however, Nintendo proved those gamers wrong. By adding these strong third-party franchises to their platform, Nintendo is certainly changing the image of the Nintendo Switch. This isn’t a console to play some kiddy games, no this is a console that has it all, and to make it even better, it’s the only console where you can carry your favorite games around everywhere you go. It’s still a bit strange to see this massive support of third parties but it’s one of the best things that could happen for the system.
Conclusion:
After a stellar Nintendo Direct presentation, we can only conclude that Nintendo will end this year with a bang. Combining the impressive first-party line-up with some impressive third-party surprises adds up to an incredible list of games, all releasing this year. To ensure the fun won’t stop there, Nintendo also showcased some upcoming games for 2020 too, demonstrating they aren’t planning on losing the momentum anytime soon. Based on what we’ve seen from this new Nintendo Direct, the Nintendo Switch has something to offer for every type of gamer and that’s just beautiful, we can’t wait to see what the future will hold in stores for the hybrid console. As for now, it’s safe to say that the system is on top of its game.
