Speaking to IGN, Kojima said that the the concept of the Nintendo Switch - the ability to play a game on a TV and then take it outside as a handheld - was previously found in some games he helped develop for PlayStation consoles. As some may recall, some Kojima Productions titles that were available on both PS3 and PS Vita could utilize a feature called “transfarring,” which allowed players to easily transfer their game save from their console to their handheld for gaming on the go.
Kojima also compared Nintendo’s console/handheld hybrid system to the digital movement in film and television, where consumers can purchase a physical copy of a product and often receive a free code for the digital version. This allows people to start a movie on their couch, and then continue watching on a mobile device with the copy they downloaded to their phone or tablet.
While some may be weary about the Nintendo Switch, especially after the Wii U’s sales woes, Hideo Kojima seems to think that it is an important next step for the future of gaming. Kojima said that the Switch is the predecessor to a gaming future where everything is cloud-based, and players are able to “play everything, on every device, anywhere.”
It seems as though Hideo Kojima has high expectations for the Nintendo Switch, but he isn’t the only one that is expecting great things from the device. Some analysts are already predicting that it will perform far better than the Wii U did, with some estimates as high as 40 million units sold in just four years. If the Switch does reach 40 million units sold in four years, it would be selling about as well as its chief competition, the PS4 and Xbox One.
The Nintendo Switch could mean big things for the gaming industry if Nintendo is able to support it with a steady stream of games and if third-party developers like Hideo Kojima decide to invest in the device. If the Nintendo Switch catches on like many expect it to, it wouldn’t be out of the question to see a future title from the Metal Gear Solid and Death Stranding creator Hideo Kojima release for the system.
Nintendo Switch will be available on March 3rd.
