Will We See A Triple-A MMORPG Title On Switch?
Nintendo Switch Online is here, and most all of us have had at least SOME multiplayer fun since its launch. Switch Online has some great titles, and Nintendo has learned to embrace multiplayer to its maximum potential…almost. Sure, we here at SwitchRPG love to occasionally brawl online with Smash Bros. Ultimate, Dragonball FighterZ or Dragonball Xenoverse 2. We love to splat people all around the globe in Splatoon 2.
We are RPG lovers though, by golly, and we think the Switch could use a true MMORPG. Here are a few Triple-A MMORPG titles that we think could fill the void.
Final Fantasy XIV
Square Enix’s second online-only Final Fantasy title of the last 2 generations has been out a number of years now and has received multiple updates since its inception. About a year ago, rumors were hot about this title coming to the Switch in support of Nintendo Switch Online. Those rumors have cooled off though, with the confirmed remastered titles from the Final Fantasy series coming to the Switch, including the multiplayer adventure Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles.
From a hardware standpoint, there is little doubt that the Switch could support the massive title but there seems to be a question as to whether there are still enough gamers out there that would be willing to buy the game again, or buy it for the Switch if they didn’t with the last generation of consoles. Sadly, it seems the ship has sailed for FFXIV coming to the Switch. Probably a case of “too little, too late.”
– Probability: 10%
Dragon Quest X
Japan has already been enjoying a great MMORPG for the Switch in the form of Dragon Quest X. The game was originally developed for the Wii in 2012 and has since been ported to Wii U, 3DS, Switch and PC. Producer Yuu Miyake is on the record for being very proud of the stories within DQX and has expressed the desire to bring the game to the West even if it meant bringing it in an offline form.
Miyake has stated that there are key factors that have caused the game to not be localized thus far. The first is that the powers that be have been very discouraged at the sales numbers for DQ9 on handhelds in the West. The release of Dragon Quest XI and the excitement over the upcoming Switch version has tampered that concern a bit but the issue of the 5 year subscription plan still remains. Miyake’s opinion seems to be that the game can be localized and released if Square Enix can modify the 5 year subscription plan, and if anticipation for DQXI-S continues to grow. Seems to be some hope here, at least.
– Probability: 40%
Animal Crossing Online
Animal Crossing has already been confirmed for the Switch and we will likely see it this year. The life simulator / RPG is always a hit and adding some online components could be a home run. It’s very hard to envision the upcoming release without at least having some Nintendo Switch Online functionality. The only question is: how much? Will we have full blown online villages and help each other tend crops and build houses? I think we will. Will this be considered the MMORPG that hardcore fans crave? Probably not, but it’ll be a step in the right direction if the game sells well.
– Probability: 80%
Pokémon Online
Wouldn’t this be a Pokémon fans dream? Imagine a world as big as The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild with Pokémon roaming its lands, rivers, seas, and skies. Imagine getting alerts that a legendary Pokémon will be at a specific location in that world at a specific time. Imagine meeting a few fellow trainers there to take down the beast and have a chance to catch it Pokémon Go raid style. Excited yet? You should be.
The prospects of making this game would probably make the team at Game Freak a nervous wreck, but if they truly wanted to take over the world with Nintendo, they would make this happen. Pokémon Go has already laid the foundation and continues to be a top selling app. The Pokémon franchise hasn’t taken a bold risk in a very long time and going online seems to be the next logical risk and evolution of the series. The work that would go in to such an endeavor would be grueling, but if any team could get it done, it would be Nintendo and Game Freak. Come on, guys – no risk, no reward.
– Probability: 50%
What do you think? Do you think we will see a MMORPG within the lifecycle of the Switch? Do you think any of the games that I mentioned will ever see the light of day? Got another game in mind that would make for a more likely candidate? Let us know in the comments! Thanks for visiting SwitchRPG!
