Best Buy Canada recently did an interview with Andrew Scharf, a lead producer at Bethesda Game Studios . The two discussed The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim for Switch in great detail and, Scharf mentioned many things such as including the experience of bringing Skyrim to Switch and the challenges involved. He also revealed that Todd Howard brought the idea up to Nintendo for the Zelda crossover content.
You can read excerpts below
Paul Hunter: Skyrim coming to Nintendo Switch is obviously a huge moment in gaming, and especially for Nintendo fans. Who originally approached who about bringing this massive game world to Nintendo Switch?
Andrew Scharf: The team here at BGS has been excited about the Switch and Nintendo’s plans since we first saw the demo of the technology. That got us fired up about the possibilities, and as a broader company, we’re always looking to expand our games to new platforms and new audiences. It was just a no-brainer to join a great partner like Nintendo and bring the massive world of Skyrim, where you can go anywhere and do anything, to a platform that can also go anywhere.
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PH: While Skyrim has appeared on many different platforms over the years, this is the first time it’s come to a Nintendo system—meaning a potential whole new audience. How would you summarize what Skyrim (and perhaps The Elder Scrolls franchise) is for the uninitiated?
AS: The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim is the epic fantasy from Bethesda Game Studios and is the winner of more than 200 Game of the Year Awards. The legendary open-world adventure allows players to be anyone and do anything. Play any type of character you can imagine, and do whatever you want; the legendary freedom of choice, storytelling, and adventure of The Elder Scrolls is realized like never before.
The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim for the Nintendo Switch includes all-new gameplay features like motion controls for combat and lockpicking, outfits and gear from The Legend of Zelda, plus additional loot unlocked from compatible The Legend of Zelda amiibo. Take down enemies with the Master Sword, protect yourself with the Hylian Shield or look heroic in the Champion’s Tunic. Skyrim also includes all official add-ons – Dawnguard, Hearthfire, and Dragonborn.
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PH: The addition of items from The Legend of Zelda, like the Master Sword, Hylian Shield, and Champion’s Tunic is pretty exciting. How did this idea come about and are there any other items in-game that may surprise us?
AS: It was early on in the project, shortly after we started developing on the Switch hardware and Todd brought the idea up to Nintendo and the Legend of Zelda development team. They loved the idea and offered to work with us to make sure that our depiction of Link’s Champion’s Tunic, Hylian Shield, and of course the Master Sword held true to their design, while being usable weapons/armor in Skyrim.
PH: I know Skyrim on Switch is compatible with The Legend of Zelda series amiibo, and they have a daily random chance to unlock the Zelda gear. Are any other amiibo compatible with Skyrim, and if yes, what perks do they provide?
AS: Basically, once a day (every 24 hours in real time, not game time) you can use a Zelda amiibo to make a Zelda themed chest appear with a 20% chance to discover a Zelda themed item, or you can use any other type of amiibo to make a Skyrim themed chest appear with various types of loot.
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PH: From my brief hands-on time with Skyrim it felt responsive, looked phenomenal, and loaded fast. Was this a massive technical undertaking to achieve this level of polish?
AS: There are always basic challenges associated with moving a game to a new platform, like dealing with moving the engine over to a new computing architecture and working with a new graphics pipeline. We were fortunate to work with the talented team at Iron Galaxy Studios to get Skyrim on Switch and they made that process relatively seamless. The end result—as you said—is a great looking and performing version of Skyrim that goes anywhere.
Bethesda & Nintendo: the future
PH: The future looks extremely bright for Bethesda and Nintendo. We have Skyrim, DOOM, and Wolfenstein II all coming to Nintendo Switch. As we look towards the future, what would you like to tell Nintendo fans about this rapidly growing partnership with Nintendo?
AS: We’re really excited to be launching our games on Nintendo Switch, and Nintendo has been a fantastic partner for us. The fans of Nintendo’s hardware have been super supportive and excited for these games and we hope they enjoy exploring Skyrim, as well as blasting demons in DOOM and fighting Nazis in Wolfenstein II. We haven’t announced anything for Switch following Wolfenstein II in 2018, but if and when we do, we will let you know.
PH: Thanks a lot for your time, Andrew! Looking forward to playing Skyrim on Nintendo Switch.
This sounds like Bethesda is extremely satisfied with the Switch thus far. Hopefully this year will bring more great announcements.