Sold Out CEO says there are opportunities for physical releases on Nintendo platforms, believes in Switch
Team17 announced a new partnership with Sold Out last week. The two sides are working together to bring Overcooked, Worms W.M.D., and Yoku’s Island Express to retail on Switch.
GaamesIndustry spoke with Sold Out CEO Garry Williams following the news. In his view, the notion that third-party games struggle to sell on Nintendo platforms is a bit of an exaggeration.
Williams told GamesIndustry:
“There are many companies who have managed to earn really good revenues through Nintendo hardware sales to consumers. When I worked for Imagineer in Japan we made some very welcome revenues making Sim City SNES, many of us also did well on GameCube, Wii and DS. The opportunities are there. Nintendo does not exclude you, it just asks you to ‘up your game’. If it were easy, everyone would be doing it.”
Williams did admit that selling retail games on Switch can be “tough”, but he has faith that Team17’s games will sell, and believes Sold Out will be able to generate revenue.
Williams said:
“The boxed retail model is a tough model on Switch so you need to feel pretty certain your title works before entering the market. Luckily for us, the Team17 Switch releases are tried, tested and proven on the Nintendo decks. Overcooked, for example, is a double BAFTA-winning title and already successful on the Nintendo format.”
“Sold Out is not in the business of ‘vanity publishing’. If we were not certain we could generate profits, we would not enter the Switch boxed retail market. Nintendo simply delivers the platform for success and it is up to third-party publishers to decide how best to either get on board or to watch the sales juggernaut leave the depot.”
