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[Baemono]

From Famiboard, on a discussion on why there was no CoD Bo7 on Switch 2 at launch while Tony Hawk 3+4 launched on Switch 2

A team within a company -- like Activision -- having devkit access does not mean the entire company & every team had access to a devkit. THPS3+4 arriving on SW2 within the launch window doesn't mean the team porting COD or any other ABK game also had devkit access.

In the case of COD... it doesn't mean they got a devkit super late, either. Just late enough that they couldn't get the work done to launch the game sooner. The devkit delivery situation has largely been resolved.

https://famiboards.com/threads/jez-corden-cod-is-getting-a-late-s2-ports-nintendo-were-late-in-providing-devkits.16107/page-2#post-2116049

 

[Varteras]

So, just waiting on the tools.

 

[Fbh]

I still don't get what the strategy was behind not handing out more dev kits.

 

[Woopah]

I still don't get what the strategy was behind not handing out more dev kits.

Nintendo can sometimes be too secretive for their own good.

 

[Robb]

Having a "dev kit shortage" sounds so weird.. How does that even happen with a long-term, major hardware manufacturer?

 

[CuteFaceJay]

I still don't get what the strategy was behind not handing out more dev kits.

I think they prolly wanted 3rd party not come out the gate fucking swinging like with the OG. within the first 2 years of OG Switch we were seeing ports on games people jujst didn't expect and Nintendon't prolly didn't want that taking focus from their 1st party? Who knows!

 

[ReyBrujo]

I still don't get what the strategy was behind not handing out more dev kits.

There were pictures of the devkit some time ago, they don't look that much more complex to build than Switch consoles, however it could be that the first devkits were larger and they just wanted to minimize sending those original boxes and instead get a "final" devkit produced for everyone but the ones that could assure launch titles.

 

[phant0m]

I think they prolly wanted 3rd party not come out the gate fucking swinging like with the OG. within the first 2 years of OG Switch we were seeing ports on games people jujst didn't expect and Nintendon't prolly didn't want that taking focus from their 1st party? Who knows!

As I understand it they wanted NEW native NS2 games for the first year of the platform and not 900 PS4/PS5 ports (even then, a good portion of the launch lineup were ports - CP2077, SF6, Hogwarts, Bravely Default)

 

[keraj37]

 

[CuteFaceJay]

As I understand it they wanted NEW native NS2 games for the first year of the platform and not 900 PS4/PS5 ports (even then, a good portion of the launch lineup were ports - CP2077, SF6, Hogwarts, Bravely Default)

Sadly not a modern GTA, I'm having to settle for "GTA at home" Saint's Row the 3rd

 

[phant0m]

Sadly not a modern GTA, I'm having to settle for "GTA at home" Saint's Row the 3rd

Saints Row 3 is a better SP game than GTA V anyway

 

[HRK69]

Having a "dev kit shortage" sounds so weird.. How does that even happen with a long-term, major hardware manufacturer?

When a new platform launches (or gets announced) everyone wants in at once

Big studios
Mid-size teams
Indie developers
Ports from other platforms
Experimenters/porting teams

it's that dev kits are a niche, expensive, early stage product that gets outstripped by hype and demand every single generation. Once production scales and the initial frenzy dies down, availability usually normalizes

This has happened every gen in some sort of way. PS5 Pro kits went first to 1st-party devs (2023), leaving others waiting. Dev kits are always the bottleneck before scaling kicks in. The industry basically repeats this mini crisis every generation

 

[CentralScrutinizer]

This was obvious considering we've been flooded with announcements of new games and Switch 2 editions of Switch games. Anyone could've come to this conclusion.

 

[Panajev2001a]

When a new platform launches (or gets announced) everyone wants in at once

Big studios
Mid-size teams
Indie developers
Ports from other platforms
Experimenters/porting teams

it's that dev kits are a niche, expensive, early stage product that gets outstripped by hype and demand every single generation. Once production scales and the initial frenzy dies down, availability usually normalizes

This has happened every gen in some sort of way. PS5 Pro kits went first to 1st-party devs (2023), leaving others waiting. Dev kits are always the bottleneck before scaling kicks in. The industry basically repeats this mini crisis every generation

Problem is explaining how they prioritised them and why… you give the studio behind THPS HD devkits and not the teams making COD… I mean… come on . This draws some attention…

 

[nowhat]

So, just waiting on the tools.

I mean. Everything is an Xbox these days.

 

[Tobimacoss]

I mean. Everything is an Xbox these days.

Simba, everything the backlight touches....is an Xbox.

 

[rkofan87]

I think they prolly wanted 3rd party not come out the gate fucking swinging like with the OG. within the first 2 years of OG Switch we were seeing ports on games people jujst didn't expect and Nintendon't prolly didn't want that taking focus from their 1st party? Who knows!

will considering the only good thing first party to come out this year was Donkey Kong Bananza that makes sense

 

[Tobimacoss]

will considering the only good thing first party to come out this year was Donkey Kong Bonanza that makes sense

Bananza, like with Banana

Banana + Bonanza = Bananza

 

[rkofan87]

Bananza, like with Banana

Banana + Bonanza = Bananza

fixed

 

[justiceiro]

I call bullshit on this devkit discourse. Switch 2 launched with like 20 ports, all of smaller games that clearly were just trying out the console audience, triple of what switch or Wii u received. And considering how there were not even review units, and the entire conundrum of the game key cards, they were right of waiting. They didn't port their biggest game not because of lack of devkits, but lack of trust in Nintendo not fucking up for third parties as usual.

 

[nikos]

Figured this was the case as Switch 2 Edition updates seem to be rolling out more frequently.

Wonder if Nintendo held back to boost sales of their first party games, not that they really would need to.

 

[Salmorejo]

I still don't get what the strategy was behind not handing out more dev kits.

The fewer dev kits, the less shovelware.

 

[FoxMcChief]

More third party games will be rolling out in 2026. Not that the Switch 2 is suffering from third party support.

 

[Ar¢tos]

Having a "dev kit shortage" sounds so weird.. How does that even happen with a long-term, major hardware manufacturer?

Switch 2 devkits are made with a rare metal found only in meteorites, unlike other consoles where devkits are as similar as possible to the retail units, but with more ram/ports.

 

[nnytk]

Xenoblade X Switch 2 patch any day now :'-)

 

[Panajev2001a]

The fewer dev kits, the less shovelware.

Explain the allocation going to small indies and not the teams making Call of Duty and other major AAA franchises then…

 

[Robb]

Switch 2 devkits are made with a rare metal found only in meteorites, unlike other consoles where devkits are as similar as possible to the retail units, but with more ram/ports.

 

[Jaybe]

Activision are likely lower in priority since Xbox is still a hardware competitor and not helped by themselves by launching a handheld this year.

The sooner they exit hardware, the better for them as a third party publisher.

If I remember right, PlayStation delayed giving Xbox studios PS5 development kits too for the likes of Minecraft etc

Phil Spencer: Minecraft Doesn't Have PS5 Version Because Sony Didn't Send Mojang PS5 Dev Kits

Microsoft Gaming CEO Phil Spencer while being cross-examined by the FTC counsel during the FTC vs Microsoft hearing [...]

www.vgchartz.com

"Sony was reluctant to send us development kits for the PlayStation 5 at the same time they were sending them to other developers, which put us at a disadvantage relative to other developers," said Spencer. "I think Sony could have sent the development kits to Microsoft just as easy as they sent them to any other publisher."

 

[Drell]

Switch 2 devkits are made with a rare metal found only in meteorites, unlike other consoles where devkits are as similar as possible to the retail units, but with more ram/ports.

It's called Nintendium

 

[Skeptical]

I call bullshit on this devkit discourse. Switch 2 launched with like 20 ports, all of smaller games that clearly were just trying out the console audience, triple of what switch or Wii u received. And considering how there were not even review units, and the entire conundrum of the game key cards, they were right of waiting. They didn't port their biggest game not because of lack of devkits, but lack of trust in Nintendo not fucking up for third parties as usual.

Wait a second, so Switch 2 got triple the number of games as Switch and WiiU and therefore that proves developers were deliberately holding back? How does that work? And as for not porting their biggest games, let's see:

Bandai-Namco: Announced their biggest game pre-launch (Elden Ring)
Square Enix: Announced their biggest game pre-launch, releasing <8 months after console release (FF7 Remake)
Capcom: Third biggest franchise at launch (Street Fighter), Second biggest franchise announced day and date release for new title shortly after Switch 2 release (Resident Evil), Biggest franchise not announced but data mining suggests its in the works (Monster Hunter)
Konami: OK, this one's true
Koei-Tecmo: Possibly true depending on your point of view. Their biggest franchise was announced pre-launch and released within the launch window, but their biggest franchise is a Nintendo franchise (Hyrule Warriors). That said, Dynasty Warriors was also announced and is launching in January.
Sega-Atlus: Day 1 ports of games from Sega's two biggest franchises (Sonic and Yakuza). Admittedly true from the Atlus side.

And from the West:
Ubisoft: Announced a game they thought would be their biggest game pre launch and released within launch window (Star Wars Outlaws), also released their biggest franchise shortly afterwards (Assassin's Creed Shadows)
Warner Bros: Port of their biggest game at launch (Hogwarts)
CD Projekt: Port of their biggest game at launch (Cyberpunk)
EA: Technically speaking, announced their biggest games (Madden and Fifa). But yeah, nothing besides that
Take Two: Also announced biggest game (NBA). Technically also Civilization and Borderlands, even if the latter ended up being premature)
Epic: Upgrade to their biggest game at launch (Fortnite)

In other words, Konami and Microsoft/Bethesda/Activision are the odd ones out. So "lack of trust" does not seem to apply at all. It really does seem like Nintendo denied MS access to dev kits instead.