Interview: Loveshack on bringing Framed Collection to the Switch

The award-winning and locally produced Framed Collection hits the Nintendo eShop next week. We got to have a quick chat with Joshua Boggs from Loveshack, the Melbourne based team behind the game and ask all about the upcoming Switch version, how it plays on it compared to mobile and more.

What made you decide to bring FRAMED over to the Nintendo Switch?

Josh: Well obviously after Nintendo announced the Switch we were all intrigued, but we decided to bring it to the platform after getting our hands on the console itself. It is a very versatile device that fits perfectly with our games style, mechanics, and overall theme. I mean, FRAMED is literally a game about switching panels around to change the outcome of a story – the Nintendo Switch was a perfect fit.

When did the Nintendo Switch version start? 

Production started at the end of last year, around August, porting the game to the platform itself wasn’t hard, but did present its challenges. Fortunately, Loveshack teamed up with Sam Izzo from Horse Drawn Games, who spent a lot of time polishing the Collection to make sure it transitioned perfectly to the Switch.

The game has previously been exclusive to iOS, how was it adapting it to a system that might not always be used with a touch screen?

It was not easy, both games have previously been very strongly married to the iOS touch screen as a part of their core gameplay. We spent a huge amount of time working on making the switching of controllers as seamless as possible. Players can change between the touch screen, the pro controller or the joy con and not lose any of FRAMED’s signature, satisfying, tactile feel.

Given the popularity of the FRAMED series, did you feel that you had to change any of the game’s content for the Switch version?

No, all of the games original content is present on the Switch version, most of the development was spent on making it feel good on the platform. The only big changes were around navigation and the UI to ensure that it felt polished and smooth on the Switch.

People might recall Hideo Kojima as being a big fan of the series, how does that sort of attention impact on you as developers?

It is very gratifying, but also gives us a lot to live up to. The games were always unique, genre-defining experiences, so we needed to make sure that we delivered on that high-quality experience players have come to expect. It is why we spent much of development focusing polish and approaching the Collection from a holistic view. We put a lot of love into making the Collection feel like the whole experience that is FRAMED.

There are a bunch of great Australian developed games on the Nintendo Switch. Do you think the console is a good opportunity for Aussie devs?

Very much so, Australia has a thriving indie game scene and the Nintendo Switch provides an excellent platform for this community to play with new interpretations of their games, expand upon existing mechanics and discover a new audience.

Framed Collection is out on the eShop next week, Thursday, May 17th. Thanks to Joshua for his time!