Playtonic, the studio behind upcoming Banjo-Kazooie spiritual successor and Kickstarter darling Yooka-Laylee, is one of many indie developers in recent years to call a Nintendo system home. As it so happens, Nintendo has been actively courting indie devs in an effort to make its software offerings more robust and unique, resulting in a very sizable and healthy stable of titles across its Wii U and 3DS eShops. Put those two facts together, and it doesn’t seem beyond the realm of possibility that the two companies could potentially find a way to work together. This notion wasn’t lost on Nintendo of America VP of Sales Scott Moffitt.
Moffitt was recently asked about the potential of Nintendo working to help promote Playtonic’s Yooka-Laylee when the game is finally ready for release on Wii U, responding by saying that Nintendo has shown “a much more open stance to indie developers, so never say never.” Perhaps even more interesting was Moffitt’s statement that when it comes to these smaller studios, Nintendo in the past has “[promoted] them from time to time with developer support.” Nintendo lending a hand to add some polish to Yooka-Laylee? Wouldn’t that be nice! While neither of Moffitt’s comments are firm commitments (and the odds of Nintendo helping develop a multiplatform title are low), it’s a welcome sign that Nintendo is continuing to see the value of fostering and building relationships with burgeoning indie developers.
Would you like to see Nintendo get more hands on with the development and/or promotion of Yooka-Laylee? Let us know below!
Source: Nintendo Everything
Yes, would definitely like to see more support from Nintendo towards the indie developers, that is one thing they are doing right. Most of the good games are independent now anyway, Sony can have turds like the Call of Dookie series. Same thing with all these Assassin’s Creed games, and other franchises like that. They crank them out once or twice a year, yet those people out there that bash Nintendo say there are too many Mario games?? I smell hypocrisy.
They’re the guys that made what is in my opinion the greatest N64 3D platformer ever made, and another two that are right up at the top of the list. A bit collectathony, but still brilliant.
I get that Yooka-Laylee will be on every platform and that that categorically will not change, and that’s fine. But Nintendo should start throwing money at them for anything else they want to make.