The long-awaited sequel to Rockstar Games'
Red Dead Redemption was finally launched for the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One on the 26th of October. Upon
Red Dead Redemption 2's release, the game was met with nothing but praise from critics and players alike; even getting nominated for Game of the Year, losing out to Santa Monica's
God of War.
With all the success that Rockstar Games has had with their
Red Dead Redemption series, one could wonder why is it that the game didn't come out for the Nintendo Switch. Which is a fair question given that Rockstar Games did port
L.A. Noire to the Switch last year.
In a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Nintendo of America Chief Operating Officer Reggie Fils-Aimé revealed that he would love to see
Red Dead Redemption 2 running on the Nintendo Switch, but he does understand the reason why it isn't; and the reason isn't because it is a fairly demanding game from a technical stand-point, but it has more to do with timing.
"
Absolutely. We’d love for it to be there. But again — and this is where there needs to be an understanding of just the development process — Red Dead has been in development for years, time that predated any communication of Nintendo Switch", replied Fils-Aimé when asked if the company is interested in having games like
Red Dead Redemption 2 on the Nintendo Switch.
"
So, from the developer’s mentality, they need to move forward and finish the game they’ve been working on and then be in a position to look at other opportunities. Any game from a key third-party that’s coming out now, typically that development started well before any conversations about Nintendo Switch. What happens moving forward? We’ll see. But that’s how you wind up with a situation with Red Dead not being available on our platform".
While Fils-Aimé does udnerstand that Rockstar Games'
Red Dead Redemption 2 not being on the Nintendo Switch is likely due to timing—mainly because the game was in development before the Nintendo Switch was even revealed—it is nice to see that the company, as a whole, are willing to get as many games from third party developers as possible.