Is Nintendo Making a Mistake by Releasing Fire Emblem Warriors on Switch and 3DS?

[A Link In Time]

One of the surprise announcements of the FE Nintendo Direct was that Fire Emblem Warriors would come to the 3DS in addition to the Switch. We can probably expect similar performance to Hyrule Warriors Legends for the 3DS version.

I think it's great that Nintendo is still supporting the 3DS this year with FE Warriors and Echoes: Shadows of Valentia, but this may hurt the Switch in that people have less of a reason to upgrade. With Breath of the Wild also available on Wii U, that's two less big name first party Switch exclusives. That only leaves Super Mario Odyssey, Xenoblade Chronicles 2, and Splatoon 2 as the major exclusives we know about for this year, which doesn't seem like much. The Switch has also been marketed as a hybrid system, so it's strange to take attention away from it and onto the older 3DS hardware.

What do you think? Does the good of still supporting the 3DS, a system with a large and reliable install base, outweigh the potential repeat of the Wii U situation where Nintendo tried to support two platforms and ended up leaving one in the dust?

 

[Ventus]

We've no idea. KT are the ones doing itn and its a way to treat n3DS owners, but we dunno if SwitchxNew is a mistakr yet.

 

[Spirit]

I know people who would buy a Switch for anything FE, putting Warriors on 3ds isnt unexpected, the install base is huge, it'll sell.

It might hurt the Switch a bit but Nintendo will make money regardless, clearly they dont think of FE Warriors as a system seller so i see the reasoning of putting it out on both systems

 

[the8thark]

Will features be left out of the Switch version to make both verions the same?
(Think no Ice Climbers in SSB4 because 3DS and you'll understand what I mean)

Will the 3DS version have more features?
(Think how Hyrule Warriors Legends had more features than the WiiU version).

I think Nintendo can't let the 3DS die. Nintendo should just let the 3DS die and move to the Switch.

 

[Zachie]

It's important to note here that it isn't going to be a 3DS title, it's going to be a NEW 3DS title. This means it can probably be ported a lot easier. It'll also remove the stuffy performance that you see from the original 3DS a la Hyrule Warriors Legends.

 

[Bowsette Plus-Ultra]

Will features be left out of the Switch version to make both verions the same?
(Think no Ice Climbers in SSB4 because 3DS and you'll understand what I mean)

Will the 3DS version have more features?
(Think how Hyrule Warriors Legends had more features than the WiiU version).

I think Nintendo can't let the 3DS die. Nintendo should just let the 3DS die and move to the Switch.

That might not be a wise decision yet. The 3DS is Nintendo's bestselling product and only current system with a plethora of quality titles. It would be like Sony dropping the PlayStation 3 immediately after the release of its successor--which they didn't.

 

[the8thark]

That might not be a wise decision yet. The 3DS is Nintendo's bestselling product and only current system with a plethora of quality titles. It would be like Sony dropping the PlayStation 3 immediately after the release of its successor--which they didn't.

The 3DS already has a new FE game announced. So it's not being dropped. I just hate games for both systems that are not optimised for either and are just a weak compromise.

 

[Dio]

Nintendo should be phasing out the 3DS so yes it is a stupid move and if they continue this way we could end up with another Wii U situation.

If/when the most popular edition of the game ends up being the 3DS version I expect Nintendo would/will re-evaluate their strategy.

 

[Zachie]

Why should they be phasing out the 3DS?

The Switch is, and will continue to be, defined as a home console. While the 3DS is a handheld.

They're two different things & serve two different purposes. They can live together. Plus, Nintendo has stated that they will be living together.

 

[Dio]

They should be phasing out the 3DS because switch is a Hybrid which should be taking and converting all 10 Wii U owners and all the millions 3DS owners. It should also try to help focus the minds of the undecided mainstream gamers away from Xbox or PS and instead at enjoying the worse looking and performing 3rd party games by also allowing them to play Zelda and Mario.

If 3DS is getting games that are also switch games there is no reason for millions to get the switch just as there was no reason for them to get a Wii U.

 

[Zachie]

They should be phasing out the 3DS because switch is a Hybrid which should be taking and converting all 10 Wii U owners and all the millions 3DS owners. It should also try to help focus the minds of the undecided mainstream gamers away from Xbox or PS and instead at enjoying the worse looking and performing 3rd party games by also allowing them to play Zelda and Mario.

If 3DS is getting games that are also switch games there is no reason for millions to get the switch just as there was no reason for them to get a Wii U.

In all of their PR & advertisements, Nintendo have been advertising the Switch as a home console. It was never made to replace the 3DS & it's not even a fair comparison since it only has one screen.

 

[the8thark]

In all of their PR & advertisements, Nintendo have been advertising the Switch as a home console. It was never made to replace the 3DS & it's not even a fair comparison since it only has one screen.

Just like the DS was never made to replace the GBA?

Also the 3DS has it's own new FE game. Nintendo should but out of FE-W (on the 3DS) and let the Switch have it exclusive.

 

[Azure Sage]

Just like the DS was never made to replace the GBA?

A handheld replacing a handheld is not unusual. There's no reason to phase out the 3DS because it's far more easier for it to be portable. The Switch is too big to fit in pockets and we don't even know if it has a sleep mode or not. It won't be easy to bring it everywhere or stop and start playing at a moment's notice with the Switch. That's one of the biggest appeals of the 3DS on top of its incredible library. Phasing out the 3DS is ****ing stupid.

Anyway, no, it's not a mistake. People who can't afford the Switch can play it on 3DS and people who bought a Switch for BotW or something have another quality game on it. The concerns that the versions will be vastly different is minimal at most. Unlike with HW and HWL which released incredibly far apart, there's not much worry that these versions will be much different feature wise.

 

[the8thark]

Unlike with HW and HWL which released incredibly far apart, there's not much worry that these versions will be much different feature wise.

THis is what worries me the most. Any good ideas for the Switch version will be scrapped because they can't be made work on the 3DS. I want the Switch version to have features the Switch can make good use of. Not just only features that both consoles can use. I don't want the Switch's game features dumbed down to only things that the 3DS can also do.

 

[Dio]

In all of their PR & advertisements, Nintendo have been advertising the Switch as a home console. It was never made to replace the 3DS & it's not even a fair comparison since it only has one screen.

Wii U had two screens (the TV and the Gamepad) so does a downgrade in screen number mean that a console can't replace another console? No it doesn't.

The Switch is a powerful handheld but a weak home console. If Nintendo isn't trying to replace the 3DS with it then the company has an extra chromosome. The Wii U sold so poorly that simply replacing that alone and taking its buyer base would be a bad business move and create yet another flop.

I've already named the markets they need to target. It is up to them now.