Module 09
Publishers and porting partners
You can publish Super Tank Battles yourself if Nintendo approves you. You can also bring in a company that already knows the process. That can save time, especially while Switch 2 access is closed, but it will cost money or a share of revenue.
Self-publishing is a real option
Nintendo’s public materials are written for developers who will sign a publishing agreement, set a price, and submit their own game. Individuals are allowed to register. There is no public rule that you must have a third-party publisher. If you want control, and you are prepared to learn the portal, self-publishing is the path this course is built around.
Sources: FAQ; The Process
When a partner is worth considering
A specialist can be useful if:
- your Switch access request is slow, or Switch 2 access remains closed, and a publisher or porter already has the relevant access and kits;
- you do not want to implement Nintendo-specific features, certification fixes, or store-page localisation yourself;
- you would rather pay a known fee, or share revenue, than spend months on platform work.
Godot’s public documentation notes that “this step is significantly easier if an established publisher is backing your game,” and that “Nintendo is generally known to be more accepting of smaller developers, but this is not guaranteed.” That is Godot’s characterisation, not a Nintendo promise.
Source: Console support in Godot
Two different kinds of help
- Middleware, so you still do the port. For Godot, W4 Games sells console export ports, including a public Switch 2 beta, at publicly listed annual prices (module 4). You still need Nintendo approval, a kit, and to do the game-side work.
- A porting house, or a publisher. A porting house takes the game (or works with you) and produces the console version. A publisher may also fund the port, handle the Nintendo relationship, the store page, release timing and promotion, in return for a commercial deal. Godot’s official list of some Switch porters and publisher-porters is: Lone Wolf Technology; Pineapple Works; RAWRLAB games; mazette! games; Olde Sküül; Tuanisapps; Seaven Studio; and Sickhead Games. Godot says the list is not necessarily exhaustive and is not a guarantee of quality. Compare current offers, reviews and contracts yourself.
Sources: Godot — Console Support; Console support in Godot; W4 Consoles
If you talk to a partner
- Ask who holds the Nintendo developer account, who owns the listing, and who receives payouts.
- Ask whether they already have Switch access, and what they can (and cannot) do about Switch 2 while Nintendo’s request window is closed.
- Do not send them, or anyone, NDA material once you have signed Nintendo’s NDA.
- Get fees, revenue share, milestone dates and termination terms in writing. This course will not invent a “standard” publisher split, because there isn’t an official public one.
- Keep the rights to your game and name if you can. Super Tank Battles is your title; a porting agreement should not quietly transfer the IP unless that is a deal you actually want.
Be wary of shortcuts
Nobody can legitimately skip Nintendo’s access process, sell you an unofficial SDK, or hand you an NSP without the official tools. If a “publisher” wants upfront fees and cannot show a track record of eShop releases, pause. Official starting points remain the Nintendo Developer Portal and, for Europe, agreements_publisher@nintendo.de.