The Sims 4 is doing well for itself as a PC, Xbox One, and PlayStation 4 title, but EA CEO Andrew Wilson says that there are a number of factors the company still has to consider before deciding to bring a game like The Sims 4 to the Nintendo Switch.
Wilson’s comments came as part of EA’s recent investor Q&A and, while he doesn’t dive into specifics on The Sims 4 decision, Wilson discusses EA’s thought process behind Switch ports, and why they don’t always make sense.
“Any time we’re evaluating platform conversations, we are really looking at a couple of things,” explains Wilson. “One, does the game really fit the profile of that platform in terms of the control or the community ecosystem? Two, do we think the community playing on that platform would appreciate the game to go there? Or would they prefer to play it somewhere else?”
He goes on to note that EA’s data suggests Switch owners tend to also own other leading platforms like the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, or a PC. Those multi-platform players, according to EA’s data, “very often choose” to play EA-owned games on systems other than the Switch, when they have the choice, “even though they have a Switch and they enjoy a lot of great content on the Switch.”
So while Wilson says that he wouldn’t necessarily rule out a Sims 4 launch on Switch, he notes that “there’s always an evaluation process that goes on a case-by-case basis,” and, as made evident by the results of its recent Sims 4 promotion, “we’re doing really, really well attracting Sims players” as is.