Nintendo is seeking new partners to create games based on its popular franchises ahead of the release of Switch 2

GamesIndustry.biz reports that Nintendo is seeking new partners interested in developing games based on the company's key franchises. These partners could range from small independent groups to major corporations. According to the publication, negotiations are currently underway with at least three studios.

The Japanese publisher frequently collaborates with external partners to create games for its platforms, involving entities such as Bandai Namco, Grezzo, Koei Tecmo, Team Ninja, PlatinumGames, MercurySteam, and WayForward. In these joint projects, Nintendo's Japanese producers actively participate in development, overseeing the entire process.

Nintendo is also open to the idea of fully licensing its brands to external developers. In such instances, these external companies create games without direct creative influence from Nintendo, independently publishing and promoting the games. A prime example of this collaboration is with Ubisoft — games like Mario + Rabbids Kingdom Battle and Mario + Rabbids Sparks of Hope were entirely developed by Western studios and are not considered Nintendo games. Nevertheless, Nintendo obtained exclusive games utilizing its characters.

It's important to note that Nintendo isn't ready to grant such rights to every potential partner — they seek interested collaborators with high professionalism and compelling ideas.

Amidst longer production schedules for new releases and the necessity for expanding development teams, the presence of external partners willing to take on game creation or serve as outsourcing entities becomes critically important.