Nintendo and InkyPen partner to bring comics and graphic novels to the Switch

The Nintendo Switch is in hundreds of thousands of households, if not millions. It quickly became one of the best-selling consoles of all-time and still is near the top. Something we’ve yet to see much of on Switch is applications outside of games, but that’s about to change.

InkyPen Comics is a new company who’s about to launch one of the first applications on Switch, which will be subscription-based and bring comics to your gaming devices so you can enjoy them anywhere you go.

There are mixed feelings about the launch of InkyPen. Some praise it and think it’s awesome that you’ll be able to read comics on your Switch natively, and others think Nintendo needs to partner with and launch other applications first.

InkyPen is going to be exclusive to Nintendo Switch and launch in November for $7.99 per month. You’ll have access to over 10,000 comic books to match any style and taste.

https://twitter.com/InkyPenComics/status/1031813226227486720

You’ll be able to read comics on the Switch in handheld mode or TV mode, meaning it can be either a private or shared experience. This is great as comics can go from something you do personally to an experience shared with the entire family.

There will be material available from French BD, Manga, regular comics, or just about anything, so that way you can read whatever suits your fancy.

Many say that Nintendo should have partnered with someone like Netflix or YouTube as the first application available, but this gives people content to enjoy no matter where they are.

However, I think this is a great proof-of-concept for Nintendo. They might need application numbers that don’t relate to games in order to get bigger companies like Netflix or YouTube on board, and this is a great way to do it.

The Nintendo Switch already caters to gaming enthusiasts who have had a long-standing reputation with the company, and many of those players enjoy comic books and graphic novels, so this is an easy sell to them.

Ron Huggard, CEO of InkyPen said that they have no intention of selling comics individually, but prefer, rather, to bring an all-you-can-read model to the international community.

InkyPen launches in November 2018 in the USA, Canada, Europe, Mexico, Russia, Africa, and Australia. You’ll be able to download InkyPen through the Nintendo eShop, and you can browse the catalog and read immediately once you sign up.

You’ll have titles from publishers like IDW, Dynamite, Valiant, and more available to read from on InkyPen, giving you comics and graphic novels from some of the top companies to enjoy.

This seems like a great service for those who want to be able to read comics on the go or at home with their Nintendo Switch.

[9to5-press-release]

InkyPen started out as a conversation between Ronan Huggard, who has a background
in the TV Broadcast industry, and Peter Meldahl, the CEO of an indie game company,
both of whom share a passion for comics and believe that the industry needs a better
way of getting content into everyone’s hands.
The subscription-based service gives users access to the full catalogue, including
titles from famous publishers such as IDW, Dynamite, Valiant, les Humanoïdes
Associés and Andrews McMeel,for $7.99 USD a month. InkyPen is developed by a
team of comic book enthusiasts from Norway and Luxembourg with experience in the
gaming industry.
What makes InkyPen unique is that it is purely focused on an ‘all-you-can-read’
subscription service with international content.
“We have no intention of selling content piecemeal, there are
other places for that. We’re bringing an all-you-can-read
model to the international community.” – Ronan Huggard.
InkyPen has its roots in the indie games industry and was born out of a genuine frustration with the lack of such a service. Everyone at InkyPen
loves comics and wants to find the best way of getting what readers want into their hands.
“I could never afford to truly explore comics growing up, or even at university. Not because I didn’t have
enough money, but because they were just too expensive for a student to justify buying. InkyPen solves
this”, says Ronan Huggard, CEO of InkyPen.
‘We want to make comic books available for everyone, everywhere, forever’, says Peter Meldahl Co-founder and CTO of
InkyPen.
InkyPen is the first international non-game item launching on Nintendo eShop. Allowing people to entertain themselves in addition to playing
games and streaming video.

[/9to5-press-release]

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