FromSoftware‘s Hidetaka Miyazaki has explained why The Duskbloods is a Nintendo Switch 2 exclusive.
Speaking to IGN, Miyazaki explains, “In terms of the reason that we initially decided to go with Nintendo, we had had an opportunity to discuss the idea for the game with them and I think they seemed very excited and very receptive to the idea, they seemed very forward thinking in terms of how to do it.” He adds that this had an impact on his decision before he even thought about the business side of things, saying “that alone was something that I found very appealing and gave me a lot more reassurance for moving forward with this.”
Miyazaki adds, “Of course the game isn’t out yet so there are more things to consider, but in terms of the relationship currently and how we think it’s going,” Miyazaki notes that the games systems and rules set are “very unique” and adds, “I think having someone who can constantly give us feedback, support, additional ideas, and the balancing first of all because these features are quite complex and difficult – having this relationship is definitely key to that.”
He notes that “the complexity of the systems” was another major factor. “The onboarding tutorials and making sure players understand how the game works and how to succeed in the game is something we’ve historically not been super great at conveying instantly,” Miyazaki explains, adding, “We’ve definitely just dropped players in and hoped they would figure it out.” He notes, “Nintendo is definitely the right partner for better conveying that information in a way that is understandable to the player; it definitely suits their strengths.”
Of course, From Software is no stranger to exclusive titles, with two of its most beloved games of all time – Demon’s Souls and Bloodborne – being published by Sony and were worked on alongside the now-closed Japan Studio. However, this will be the first time in the post-Dark Souls era that the studio has released a game on a Nintendo console on day one, and not to mention the first Nintendo home console exclusive by the company since 2003’s Lost Kingdoms 2.