Nintendo’s casting its lot with the indie crowd. In addition to hinting at more than fifty upcoming WiiU titles developed with the Unity Engine, David Baker of NOA’s Licensing department mentioned that the Big N is “looking at” bringing Unity support to the 3DS.
In a post-GDC interview with Siliconera, Baker said that Nintendo has 50 Unity games “waiting in the wings.” That’s not including the nine that Nintendo showcased at GDC and the 17 more they said would release through May. “So we’ve got a lot of Unity content on the way,” said Baker.
Alongside that statement, Baker noted the possibility of bringing Unity to Nintendo 3DS. “We’ve got a lot of developers that want to take advantage of it,” said Baker in a Siliconera interview. “So, we’re working towards that as well. But nothing to announce at this time.”
The wave of titles comes in the wake of the worldwide deal Nintendo struck with Unity before the release of the WiiU. That deal allows Nintendo to distribute Unity to its licensee developers–and they’re running away with the opportunity. Could indie support be the key to making Nintendo’s financial outlook a little less bleak? Time will tell, but at least the move opens more doors for indie developers.