INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Image copyrightNintendoImage caption
Fortnite is being released as a free download from the Nintendo eShop
Nintendo has announced that Fortnite is being released for its Switch console to coincide with the opening of the E3 video games show in
Los Angeles.However, the release is limited to the title's last-gamer-standing Battle Royale mode and will not include the original Save The
World co-op content.Nintendo also revealed Super Smash Bros Ultimate will include every character to have appeared in prior versions.It
described it as the "biggest crossover in gaming history".Media captionWATCH: Chris Foxx battle-tests Super Smash Bros Ultimate at E3That
means the fighting game will include the Japanese firm's own characters - Mario, Zelda and the Splatoon Inklings - as well as those from
third-party developers, such as Final Fantasy's Cloud, Metal Gear Solid's Snake and Sonic The Hedgehog.Nintendo acknowledged that its
decision to include so many fighters from the past meant that there was a limited number of new challenges
But it added that Ridley - a dragon-like villain from the Metroid franchise - would be included for the first time.The title is expected be
one of the biggest releases yet for the 15-month-old games machine, and Nintendo spent the bulk of its video presentation describing the
Image copyrightNintendoImage caption
Splatoon's Inklings are among the characters to choose from in the latest Super
Smash Bros game
The multiplayer battle game - which lets up to eight players compete at once - is due to go on sale on 7
December.Nintendo announced in April that it had sold 17.7 million units of the Switch to date, and forecast it would sell a further 20
million over the following year.That would represent a much better result than that managed by its predecessor, the Wii U.Many analysts
believe that a lack of compelling content in the Wii U's second year of release contributed to its underperformance.The launch of a Switch
edition of Fortnite - which is already a huge hit on other platforms - should help avoid a repeat of that problem.Switch owners will be able
to compete against those already playing Fortnite on Xbox One, PC, Mac and mobile devices, but not against PlayStation 4 gamers because of
restrictions imposed by Sony.Image copyrightNintendoImage caption
The Switch allows Fortnite to be played on its own
screen or on bigger TVs
"It was widely rumoured that Epic Games' Fortnite was making its way to the Switch, but an
earlier-than-expected release gives Nintendo a better chance of maintaining momentum through the summer months," commented Piers
Harding-Rolls, head of games research at the IHS Markit consultancy."In the past, Nintendo has often failed to maintain support from
third-party publishers due to its content dominance on its own platforms
The early success of the Switch has altered that dynamic, with many publishers keen to support the platform."But aside from Fortnite, there
were no major third-party surprises, which is perhaps a little disappointing, although also a reflection of the seasonality of Nintendo's
business, with lots of releases coming towards the end of the year."Image copyrightNintendoImage caption
Super Mario
Party allows two Switch consoles to be arranged in different ways to enable characters to move between screens
Other Switch
games put in the spotlight during the Nintendo Direct presentation included:Daemon X Machina - a third-party "mech" flying-robots battle
game from the Japanese developer Marvelous Entertainment, which is set to go in sale in 2019the two Pokemon Let's Go releases announced last
month - however the firm did not reveal any details of the "core" title previously promised for next yearSuper Mario Party - a mini-game
collection that allows players to place two Switch consoles side-by-side to let characters shoot at each other and move between devices
It is set to become available on 5 OctoberFire Emblem: Three Houses - a top-down tactical war game set in a fantasy world, which is due to
launch in Spring 2019AnalysisImage copyrightNintendoImage caption
Most of Super Smash Bros Ultimate's characters will be
locked at the start
By Chris Foxx reporting from E3There were no huge surprises in Nintendo's presentation - the company had
already announced most of the games it showed off before E3.When Nintendo released its Switch console in 2017, it hit the ground running and
brought many of its biggest properties to the console within months.The release of Super Smash Bros Ultimate in December will fill one of
the most notable first-party gaps in its line-up - and the inclusion of every hero that has ever appeared in the game will delight Nintendo
fansNintendo called it the biggest gaming crossover in history - demonstrating its determination to throw everything it has at its
comeback.And the appearance of the multiplayer smash hit Fortnite on the Switch - as a free download - shows that third-party developers are
willing to jump on board too.Follow the TheIndianSubcontinent team at E3 via Twitter plus read and watch all our coverage from the event at
TheIndianSubcontinent.co.uk/e3
