Take-Two Interactive president reveals he's excited and optimistic for the Nintendo Switch, but that the publisher will determine support level based on console sales.

While many gamers took advantage of the impressive Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, other gamers are still saving their hard-earned cash for the Nintendo Switch. The new handheld-console hybrid device from Nintendo has a lot of attention, and at the moment, a lot of third party support from giants in the gaming industry.

Just today, Take-Two Interactive president Karl Slatoff shared his positive outlook on the Nintendo Switch during an investor meeting. While Slatoff didn’t get into too many details, he shared his optimism for the device, as well as his intention to develop titles for the console, as long as it sells well.

Like any business, Take-Two wants to get the most out of its investments. So in order to put resources and effort into developing content for the Nintendo Switch, there needs to be a healthy player base available to purchase those games. Slatoff said:

“With any new hardware, there is always an element of 'wait and see,' and the install base is going to drive a lot [of Take-Two's level of support]. We're very intrigued and excited about it. The Nintendo folks I think are making a great effort to reach out to third-party developers, which I think is fantastic.”

While that approach isn’t surprising, it also means gamers can’t get too excited for Take-Two’s big upcoming titles to land on the Nintendo Switch just yet. If the Nintendo console can perform to expectations, or even break through predicted sales numbers, then gamers can surely hope for Take-Two and other developers to push for its games on the console.

This, of course, sets up an interesting Catch-22 for both Nintendo and the developers looking to develop for the Switch. In order for developers to create games for Nintendo Switch, gamers need to buy the console. But for gamers to buy the console in large quantities, they need to be assured that there will be plenty of games from many developers to keep them busy. This is especially true as the Nintendo Switch, while unique, will still need to compete with the PS4 Pro and next year’s Project Scorpio.

The ‘wait and see’ mentality likely isn’t unique to Take-Two. There are dozens of third-party developers who’ve voiced their commitment to the Nintendo Switch, but who will undoubtedly take a page out of Take-Two’s book in this regard. Granted, EA has already announced a 'big' game coming to the Switch, and Ubisoft has something planned for the console as well, but if the console doesn't sell well, third-party titles may be few and far between after the console's initial launch.

Hopefully Nintendo’s event in January will boost the excitement for both gamers and developers, and may even reveal specific third-party titles planned for the console. If that’s the case, it could go a long way in setting up strong initial sales for the Nintendo Switch, and plenty of great games for the console’s future.

What do you think about Take-Two’s approach to the Nintendo Switch?

The Nintendo Switch is set to release March 2017.