This week, Microsoft’s Dad Brad Smith announced a ten-year deal between Microsoft and Nintendo. The intention is to bring Xbox games to Nintendo’s software, the implication being the porting of games like Call of Duty to platforms like the Switch (and the rumored Switch 2).
This is a pretty big announcement, and one that many have been waiting for! Lots of people can only afford one console, and/or only really want one console, and Nintendo consoles have always been more accessible to the general public. They market their products as family products, after all, to be used by multiple people within a unit. So, partnerships like these make a lot of sense, as they help expand the usage one can get out of a single console. (Streaming companies, take note.)
And sure, I can understand if people are upset that this isn’t a “two-way” deal, and that Nintendo products aren’t being ported to Microsoft software. But first of all, Nintendo’s never made a habit of doing that, so this is as good of a first step as we’re probably going to get. And second of all, to be completely honest, I’m just stoked that this means we might get the Fable series on Switch.
Yeah, what she said. FABLE ON SWITCH!!!
I grew up in a PlayStation family, so a lot of Xbox exclusives were lost to me. However, I made an exception for Fable: a whimsical, highly ridiculous, antics-ridden fantasy RPG series that operated on a cockamamie karma system and intensely British humor. When I’d have working PCs, I’d play the shit out of Fable 1 and 3, which varied wildly in quality yet were still incredibly entertaining. In the former, it was incredibly easy to immerse yourself in the world at large and become the comical anti-hero of your dreams. And in the latter, you could be a pretty princess who shoots magic out of flintlock pistols and could grow 2 feet just by being nice to people. As a 5’1″ gremlin whose growth was stunted due to a sports accident, my GOD, the ego-tripping I felt while playing this game.
In particular, I’m excited about the possibility of Fable 2 finally being ported to a console other than the Xbox. Many consider this to be the best entry in the series, but alas, I’ve never touched it, as I have maintained an Xbox-less existence throughout my entire life. Of course, this also leaves room for a Switch port of the new Fable title, which we should hopefully be hearing more news about soon:
Now, I’m not just getting excited because I like the series. I’m also excited because this series is a natural fit for the Switch. Graphically, it relies on the sort of soft lighting and texturing that the Switch really capitalizes on quite well. And tonally, it’s a very light and comfortable game to play, and I could very easily imagine a cozy night in, lying on the couch, playing Fable with a good bottle of Guinness. Yes, there are “mature” themes in the series (such as being able to have sex and spread STDs), but The Witcher has already been there and done that, and that game’s been on the Switch for a while.
So hey Brad, thanks for the great update, can you bring us back to Albion pretty please? I need to relive my Height Magic Princess era again.
(Featured Image: Microsoft)
