Topic: Kimishima: Online Service Cost 2000 To 3000 Yen Annually

[Shaymin]

...now how much would you pay?

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/news/44067/kimishima-online-service-cost-2000-to-3000-yen-annually

The Nikkei newspaper appears to have nailed down a price range for the Switch's online service.

Nintendo President Tatsumi Kimishima was asked about the online service cost in an interview with Nikkei, and he confirmed the annual cost would be between 2000 and 3000 yen (roughly US$18 - $27).

1) Just in: Nintendo president Kimishima tells the Nikkei Switch's online service will be priced at 2-3,000 yen ($17.50 - $26.50) *YEARLY*.

— Dr. Serkan Toto (@serkantoto) February 1, 2017

The online service is so far confirmed to include online multiplayer and one "classic game" (NES or Super Nintendo) rental per month, with the SNES games adding online play. More details are expected before the service launches this fall. Comparable services for the Xbox One and PlayStation systems, including 4-6 free games per month to keep for the life of the subscription, are US$60 a year.

[fred13]

$20 is the max I'd pay.
I don't play games online very often so it's hard for me to justify paying for a subscription to be able to play online.
Plus, they also said on Splatoon 2 there's voice chat, but you can only chat with your "Friends" I'm sorry , but I don't have enough friends that play Nintendo games consistantly to make that work at all and if I did, I'd just open a google hangouts with them and chat that way since we're going to have to use our phones anyway.

[NWR_insanolord]

I can live with $20.

[Khushrenada]

I can live with $20.

$20.00?!?!




But seriously, I think this is sort of confirmation of a theory I had in my head after we began discussing Nintendo charging for online last month. I was disappointed that Nintendo wasn't pursuing the free online strategy they had kept with for 10 years now since I thought it would make a great selling point. But I think it's clear that the online infrastructure they've got is starting to suck into their profits with maintenance. Consider Miiverse and all the pictures and images posted on that which just keeps growing. Then you've got administrators who constantly have to be checking over all the posts created to keep it all family friendly and they need to be paid. It got me thinking that perhaps the charge for online would be low to basically cover the maintenance costs and make a little bit of profit. I think this price range seems to be inline with that thought.

[NWR_insanolord]

Except they got rid of Miiverse.

[Khushrenada]

Yeah probably because of ballooning costs and the need to keep policing the users and the content they post.

[Luigi Dude]

I think a bigger reason for getting rid of Miiverse is because it was basically an echo chamber for the hardcore Nintendo fans that the rest of the world wasn't seeing.  I imagine they want people using other forms of social media with the Switch now so that many non-Nintendo fans can see what they're Nintendo friends are talking about and be more likely to create more word of mouth outside of the Nintendo faithful.

[Evan_B]

Oh, I just posted about this in our other thread. Sorry.

I can live with $20 considering I don't pay for any other subscription services.

[Mop it up]

It's less than I thought, but I'd still prefer a free option with less features.

Miiverse being (essentially) contained within the system is what I liked about it. I won't use one tied to social media, so I'll miss Miiverse.

[nickmitch]

Yeah, $20 is good.

I don't get why Nintendo couldn't keep Miiverse and include other social media integration.  Miiverse is a cool, fun Nintendo space.  I don't really post there, but I like to look at communities from time to time.  Though, to be honest, most of what I see are things that trickle their way into Twitter anyway.

[Fatty The Hutt]

So roughly $3/month cdn. Might be OK. Have to see what they offer.

[Kairon]

This is pricing for Japan. We'll have to see where it falls in other regions because I think the $20 figure is a little on the optimistic side. I say that $30-40 USD is still in play at this point.

[Fatty The Hutt]

This is pricing for Japan. We'll have to see where it falls in other regions because I think the $20 figure is a little on the optimistic side. I say that $30-40 USD is still in play at this point.

Really, though? Is Kimishima so clueless that he is unaware Nintendo watchers all around the world will be quoting him on his pricing estimate? I guess if they come out with a clarification in a day we will know for sure, but the Switch conference was done live for the globe, so I'm thinkin' he knows what effect his pronouncements will have.

[Khushrenada]

This is pricing for Japan. We'll have to see where it falls in other regions because I think the $20 figure is a little on the optimistic side. I say that $30-40 USD is still in play at this point.

Really, though? Is Kimishima so clueless that he is unaware Nintendo watchers all around the world will be quoting him on his pricing estimate? I guess if they come out with a clarification in a day we will know for sure, but the Switch conference was done live for the globe, so I'm thinkin' he knows what effect his pronouncements will have.

Yeah, considering the Switch Reveal was done globally and so much Nintendo news from Japan gets posted throughout all regions after it is released, I have to think that Kimishima is aware that other regions will be aware of his comments and comparing pricing and offerings.

[Evan_B]

I will accept 30 dollars, but only if it stops people from arguing about overseas inflation.

[Caterkiller]

Good! That's pretty reasonable to me. Well just so long as everything works with some modern sensibilities I will bite.


Voice chat in Splatoon only with friends is just fine by me. Most of my friends who I play with online are you guys anyway so it's not like I have to worry about keeping up with real life people. I'm a 30 year old dad now, aint no body got time for real life! And my friends I do play with online never talk anyway. I'm looking at you Mopitup!


I'm sure Call of Duty will let you chat with anyone and everyone but I've learned to cut that horse ship off immediately. I remember being so excited to finally use voice chat with the Wii U and Black Ops 2. That first week was great! People were nice and just shooting the breeze and by week 2 it was just disgusting. I get called n***** and f** enough in Smash bros through text, I certainly don't want to hear it out loud.


Is there any online community with open voice chat that people actually look forward to or is everything just some type of party chat with only friends? I figure its just kids and the socially inept who enjoy all that verbal chaos.

[Order.RSS]

Considering I, Evan_B, subscribe to many online services already, I cannot at all live with 20$ on a yearly basis!

[Soren]

With the little that we know, I can't see myself paying more than $25 for Nintendo online.

[pokepal148]

It's going to cost $100 a year for online. What a rip off.

[Evan_B]

Considering I, Evan_B, subscribe to many online services already, I cannot at all live with 20$ on a yearly basis!

Ay, shut up. No one cares.

[ShyGuy]

$20 a year isn't bad. The only upside to a paid online service is if companies like EA and Activision are willing to give full online support because they are getting a cut of the money.

[Lemonade]

Im glad it wont be as expensive as Xbox Live Gold. Im wondering what it will be here in Australia. Im hoping for $30, but Im expecting $40.

[Enner]

This is better. I mean, the online service is still bad at the moment due to the lack of detailed information, but it's nice to hear that it might not be the full PS+ and XBL Gold price of US$60.

[M.K.Ultra]

Much less than I was expecting. $20 a year is less than $2 a month.

[GK]

Not too bad a year... As long as I play something at least once a month I'm getting some value out of paying for it.