Recently, people downloading the newly released Fortnite for the Nintendo Switch discovered that they couldn’t log into their account if they had previously logged in on a PS4. As I noted before, this is specifically a Sony problem and that the company is seriously out of touch if they feel that angering the vast majority of their customer-base isn’t a big deal. When Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime was asked about his thoughts regarding Sony’s business decision on the Fortnite account lock, he made it clear how different of a company Nintendo is in comparison.
“We embrace working with a developer and enabling them to bring their vision to life. And whether that’s Fortnite, whether that’s a number of the other games that have cross-platform play on our console, from a developer standpoint that’s what we want. And we work hard with them to bring that to life.”
He also added:
“What competitors do is their decision to make. We believe being both developer-forward and fan-forward is in the best interest of the game.”
I’d have to agree with Reggie that being “developer-forward” and “fan-forward” is for the best interest of the game, but also add that it’s in Nintendo’s best interest strategically. I believe being attentive to the response of the fans is becoming increasingly tied with how successful both games and companies are nowadays. With games specifically, given how the industry has shifted somewhat away from the traditional “play it as it is” kind of game, to more of a “game as a service” business model, molding the future of a game with respect to player feedback seems to me like a recipe for success. In my opinion, this is actually one of the key reasons behind Fortnite’s continued success – Epic Games actually listens to the community and fans appreciate this fact
Judging by the massive 2 million downloads that Fortnite for Switch has already received just days after its launch, I’d say it’s safe to assume that many Fortnite players appreciate the idea of being able to play the game on the go. It just seems like a no brainer that maybe those who play on a PS4 while at home might like the idea of being able to play that same account on the Switch when they’re on the move. I honestly don’t see any logical reason for the Sony account lock and I think this line of thought will only lead to Sony losing competitivity against Nintendo.
Featured Image Credits: Nintendo/Epic Games/Erik Kain
