Bethesda Happy With Switch Sales, Will Release More Games 'If The Switch Will Support It'

The Nintendo Switch is proving to be a system popular with third parties. One third party supporter of the Switch is Bethesda, whose games The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim and DOOM are proving to be hits for Nintendo's latest console. At the PAX East event, Gamereactor caught up with Bethesda's Pete Hines, discussing the success of the Switch and Bethesda's future on it.

Pete Hines: "A game like Doom or Skyrim or Wolf II that there is an audience for those games on those consoles. We’ve seen that so far. Nintendo’s been really pleased obviously, and we didn’t have a crystal ball to know, ‘Oh this will definitely their best-selling thing’, but we saw it early, we felt like there was something we could support and our games would resonate, and they have, and obviously Nintendo’s crushing it with their hardware sales which is great."

Pete Hines: "Now in the case of Switch, okay we’ve gotta do a little work to make sure it runs right and gives the right thing. We don’t want to cut out half of the story or make sacrifices that change the game, but if a device will support what we’re doing, we’ll absolutely put it out because we want as many people as possible to play these great games that our developers make."

In another interview at PAX East, this time with DualShockers, Hines discussed the topic of Switch versions of games releasing at the same time as the other consoles.

Pete Hines: In the case of Wolfenstein II, we needed the extra time and there was no way we were going to hold the other platforms to wait for Switch. From my perspective, any time we can bring it out on the Switch at the exact same time as the other platforms for new releases, I don’t know why we wouldn’t.”

Based on the interviews, it sounds like Nintendo fans might have more to look forward to from Bethesda. Later this year, a Switch port of Wolfenstein II: The New Colossus will be released. Meanwhile, the Switch ports of DOOM and Skyrim were made available last year, making those games playable on the go. Nintendo's previous home console, the Wii U, lacked third party support. So to see major games like these on the Switch is a great thing for players.

The relationship between Nintendo and Bethesda is one that is productive for both parties, and of course the players. Bethesda can reach a whole new audience with the Switch. Skyrim is one of the most popular games of this era. It appearing on the Switch gives Nintendo players a chance to experience it for the first time, and of course builds more awareness for Bethesda's products. Meanwhile, Nintendo benefits from having a AAA third party game on its console. Bethesda did not support the Wii U, which contributed to the demise of that console. With the Switch, Nintendo gained Bethesda's support, as well as other third parties.'

The Switch ports of Bethesda's games appear to have made the transition well. Though DOOM's for Switch Metacritic score is the lowest (aside from the VR version), a 79 is still solid. Meanwhile, Skyrim for Switch has settled at an 84, also the lowest (aside from the VR version and Special Edition), but still good. It remains to be seen if Bethesda will port anymore of its games to Nintendo's console after Wolfenstein II. Perhaps we will get an Evil Within bundle at some point. Fans would surely welcome a port of Fallout 4.