Be in the video game industry long enough and you’ll develop your own “persona” in terms of what people think when they look at you. For the company known as Nintendo, they’ve been known by many things. Including the true veteran of the industry, the innovator of my console and handheld generations, and more. But, they’re also known as the true “Family-Friendly” publisher in terms of their “focus” of video game franchise. Which most definitely translates to their new console, the Nintendo Switch.
However, the Switch does have a series of very mature games. And what’s more, many more M-Rated titles are coming to it, including several this year like Doom Eternal, Mortal Kombat 11, Bayonetta 3, and more. Many devs are noticing this shift, including one of the heads of 3D Realms, who said:
“It’s a very simple process working with Nintendo these days. Back in the day, you had to go through a process where they curate what type of games they want on the platform.”
What this shows is that Nintendo has grown to understand the industry and the gamers who are now looking for some more mature titles. Granted, not everyone will want them, but some will. And as the 3D Realms head noted, they’re still on the watch for games that go “too far”, it’s just that nowadays they have to go REALLY far…
“They still kind of do that [keeping games off the Switch], but the game has to be Adult-Only rating, which games rarely get… It has to be like straight-up nudity and violence in the same game to get that rating. I think those games they keep off the platform, otherwise, it’s pretty straightforward. We haven’t heard anything from Nintendo in terms of why they wouldn’t get it on [to the Nintendo Switch].”
This seems logical, and there really are only a few AO games out there, and so Nintendo won’t have to worry about it as much. And their Nintendo Switch will continue to get praised in the process.
