Nintendo Reveals New Games to Build on Switch's Strength

Nintendo Reveals New Games to Build on Switch's Strength
Nintendo Switch

Nintendo announced a slate of new titles for its new hybrid console Switch, moving to capitalize on early excitement for its newest video-game system, according to Bloomberg.

A Pokemon role-playing game for the Switch is in development, Nintendo said in a webcast at the start of E3 in Los Angeles. The company and Ubisoft will introduce a new Super Mario game only for Switch on Aug. 29. Other titles include Switch versions of popular games such Metroid 4 and Rocket League. Many of the new products will be multiplayer. “This changes the game,“ Reggie Fils-Aime, president of Nintendo of North America, said in a video at the start of the presentation. “Travel the world, play anywhere with anyone.“

Nintendo, a pioneer in the video-game industry, had struggled in recent years as new devices disappointed and demand shifted toward edgier, shooter games that didn’t fit the company’s family friendly image. A turnaround began after the Pokemon Go mobile game created a global sensation last year and the company released its latest device, the Switch, in March.

The Switch’s unique design, which unifies home and mobile gaming, has made it an early hit with gamers, becoming Nintendo’s fastest-selling console in North America. The positive reaction since the machine’s debut on March 3 has sent Nintendo shares up more than 40 percent, climbing to the highest level since January 2009. Nintendo expects to sell 12.74 million Switch units by March, almost the same amount its predecessor, the Wii U, has sold during its lifetime.

Achieving the sales targets will depend on the quality of titles Nintendo releases through the rest of the year and during its first holiday season. Those will include the new Mario Odyssey game, which will be released on Oct. 27. Dates for the new Pokemon and Metroid games weren’t given, indicating a schedule for 2018 or later. Nintendo’s deep roster of games on display was in contrast to last year, when its E3 lineup was dominated by just one title: Zelda.