EA E3 Press Conference Leaves Out Nintendo Switch; Cause for Concern?

Game Rant

By Jasmine Henry

Published Jun 10, 2017

EA makes no mention of the Nintendo Switch during its E3 2017 press conference, but is it an accidental omission or a cause for concern about its support?

The EA E3 2017 press conference has ended and included plenty of game reveals and announcements, such as Star Wars Battlefront 2 multiplayer and co-op adventure A Way Out. But one noticeable omission from the presentation was the Nintendo Switch.

During its hour-long presser, EA made mentions of both the PlayStation 4 and the Xbox One, but the phrase "Nintendo Switch" didn't come up even once. The lack of a mention for the new Nintendo console was, many agreed on social media, incredibly odd given that EA is bringing at least one game to the console: FIFA 18.

EA did reveal some news about the Nintendo Switch version of the game, including FIFA 18's Joy-Con support. However, this did not come during the press conference and was instead revealed separately in a press release.

FIFA 18 Nintendo Switch missing features

It should be noted that there are FIFA 18 Nintendo Switch demo stations at the EA PLAY event in Los Angeles, California. It should also be pointed out that EA has a marketing deal with Sony for the game, one that expressly forbids the company from too heavily promoting it on other platforms as opposed to mentioning the PS4 at the end of trailers. But many are fearful of the ramifications this could have and it certainly casts a shadow of doubt over EA's plans for the Nintendo console.

If EA does not take the time to properly promote the Switch version of the game, then it just won't sell. Famously, EA pulled support from the Wii U due to the low revenue it made from the console. Sure, FIFA 18 on the Switch isn't expected to sell as well as the PC and console versions, but the publisher will need to do much more to ensure that soccer fans at least consider the excitement of playing the game on the go.

If the game doesn't sell well on the console then EA will be less inclined to release more of its games on the Switch, which would be a huge loss for both Nintendo and its players. Ubisoft has already stepped up to the plate with its third-party support, saying that it wants to be the leading publisher on the Switch. But the console cannot survive on the support of one company alone, even if the rumored Mario and Raving Rabbids RPG does sound like good fun. EA will have to show up too and if its press conference is anything to go by, then fans have reason to be wary.

The Nintendo Switch is available now.