Mark my words. We will get a Fallout game on the Nintendo Switch.
CONFUSION
On October 20th, 2016, Nintendo revealed the Switch to the world with a classy trailer that included, among other games, The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. Yet on that same day, Todd Howard, director and executive producer at Bethesda Game Studios, had this to say:
“We’re happy to have had the opportunity to collaborate with Nintendo on the video”. He essentially said that despite Skyrim being in the reveal, it is not confirmed to be coming to Switch.
A Bethesda spokesperson added:
“While we are not confirming any specific titles at this time, we are pleased to announce our partnership with Nintendo and support of the Switch“.
CONFIRMATION
Of course we all know what happened later. Skyrim came out on Switch ported by Iron Galaxy Studios. It ran really well and was the full Skyrim remastered experience on Nintendo’s machine. Now that we’re further into the Switch’s life cycle, Nintendo seems to have an increasingly positive relationship with Bethesda Game Studios. But enough talk. The reason I think Fallout is coming to Switch is because we have already gotten all the telltale signs. Allow me to explain.
DRAWING A PARALLEL
Bethesda released Fallout Shelter around E3 2018 for the Switch, a free-to-play shelter building title that originated on mobile devices and ported to all home consoles since. I really do not think they would release what is essentially a free entry-level game offering a taste of the ‘Fallout’ world on a system which they have no future prospects on. The release of Fallout Shelter is basically Skyrim being shown in the trailer for the Switch. It’s something to gauge and gain the interest of Nintendo fans who might not have had previous experience with the series.
THE MEAT OF THE THEORY
What further cements this theory of mine is the fact that Todd Howard’s comments have been purposefully vague, just like they were for Skyrim on Switch.
He recently commented on the possibility of a Fallout on Switch:
“Well, there’s definitely interest, [but] not something that we are exploring right now. We think that the Switch is a great platform. It was the first time we really worked closely with Nintendo on Skyrim – really, really great experience and we’ll certainly be doing things with the platform in the future, but right now it’s not a mainline Fallout 4.”
Not a mainline Fallout 4. It could just be the E3 tiredness (as you can see in the video in the reference). But if we take what he said as is, there is a Fallout coming to Switch, it’s just not Fallout 4. Or maybe it is. After all, Skyrim wasn’t coming to the Switch officially even after it was shown in the trailer. It was only confirmed at a later date. Oh and let’s not forget that Iron Galaxy Studios already has experience working with Bethesda’s Creation engine used in Skyrim, the newer iteration of which is used in Fallout 4.
CONCLUSION
Whatever the case, the formula is the same. Hint, denial and in the end, confirmation. They hinted at Skyrim on Switch, labelled it unconfirmed and then fully announced it. I believe we are witnessing a similar sequence of events for Fallout on Switch. Now all that’s left is for them to announce it.
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