Nintendo Switch Is A "Great Platform" For Ark, Dev Says

Could the hit dinosaur game Ark: Survival Evolved come to Nintendo Switch? It's possible but don't get your hopes up just yet, according to developer Studio Wildcard. Co-founder and co-creative director Jesse Rapczak told GI.biz that the hybrid console is a "great platform" for Ark but also acknowledged that it's a challenging one compared to the other systems that the game is available on.

"Switch is a little challenging because it is a totally different platform; so we're throwing some ideas around, just seeing if it makes sense right now," he said. "We don't have any concrete plans yet, but we're very close to Nintendo up here in Seattle and we all love the Switch for portability gaming and stuff like that. Ark is one of those games where if you want to do everything you can in the game, it's hard to pull away from it to go do real life. So I think Switch is a great platform for a game like Ark, because if the game is designed right, you can kind of pull out and do some stuff."

Rapczak said the mobility of the Switch--that is, how you can play it on the go--is one element that makes the console appealing for Ark specifically given the play patterns and player behaviour that Studio Wildcard has seen.

"It's kind of like some players play it almost like you might play a mobile game--you know, you might want to go do something in the game for a few minutes, like tend to your dinos or your crops or something if you play Ark that way," he explained. "The mobility of the Switch platform might be appealing to those players, because they can just kinda carry it with them."

While Studio Wildcard is excited about the Switch as a platform, it's too soon to say if Ark will come to it.

"So we do have a lot of hurdles there, especially with memory. But I will say, for sure, we're not ignoring the Switch," Rapczak said. "I think it's definitely proven to be a platform that is a little bit better this time around for third-party developers. People are buying it. People are loving the games. I think it's just something that now is on our radar [so] let's take a look at it and let's see what we can do there."

Also in the interview, Rapczak confirmed that Ark has now sold 12 million copies across its digital and physical versions covering PC and console, making it a huge hit. You can read the full interview here.