Even former Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime was shocked by the considerably sparse launch lineup of the Nintendo Switch 2.
“I would not be fully sincere if [I didn’t say] from a enterprise perspective, after I first noticed that lineup, I scratched my head somewhat bit,” mentioned Fils-Aime–who served as Nintendo of America’s president and chief working officer from 2006 till he retired in 2019–during an interview with The Game Business. “However I feel actually what I underestimated was the improved efficiency, the improved Nintendo Switch 1 content material, I feel has been compelling. The stuff that you just get at no cost as a part of the Nintendo Switch On-line subscription, I feel that has helped drive a number of the momentum. After which actually Bananza was a key driver for them.”
When the unique Switch launched in 2017, it was accompanied by The Legend of Zelda: Breathe of the Wild and joined later within the 12 months by Tremendous Mario Odyssey. Switch 2’s huge launch title was Mario Kart World in June 2025, adopted by Donkey Kong Bananza a month later. However whereas many did not take into account these video games to be system sellers, they had been each hits with gamers and critics alike.
Fils-Aime attributed the success of the Switch 2 launch to Nintendo’s international crew and famous that “with the ability to efficiently launch a brand new system after you’ve got had historic success with the prior system is kind of a problem.” He pointed to a number of examples of that, together with Nintendo following the Wii with the much less profitable Wii U.
Earlier this 12 months, Fils-Aime appeared to disagree with Nintendo’s resolution to cost $10 for the Switch 2 Welcome Pack. As a distinction, he in contrast it to his resolution to launch Wii Sports activities as an included title for Wii consoles in North America. In 2022, Fils-Aime predicted that the big variety of studio acquisitions by Sony and Microsoft would result in senior designers breaking away and launching their very own progressive video games. There have been some high-profile administrators and designers that left bigger corporations, however Fils-Aime famous a scarcity of innovation throughout his new interview.
“I do hope that this trade does not stagnate,” mentioned Fils-Aime. “There are, at instances, indicators that the innovation is not there. The breakthrough new kind of content material appears to be somewhat bit additional and much between. That considerations me, and I hope that does not cease.”