Topic: Nintendo Switch Online Details To Come In Early May

[Shaymin]

It won't be a very Direct unveiling.

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/news/47105/nintendo-switch-online-details-to-come-in-early-may

Details about the Nintendo Switch Online service will be hitting very soon.

As part of a shareholder presentation today to coincide with the release of their annual earnings, outgoing Nintendo president Tatsumi Kimishima reconfirmed that the service would have a September launch, and details would be made available in "early May".

The details will be given at least in the form of updates on the various Nintendo regional websites.

[MASB]

Hmm. Such a seemingly low-key info release. I hope it's not due to those details being mundane and mediocre.

[Enner]

I'm ready to be disappointed!


I hope the online service really will be something worth the US$20-30 they will be asking, but I just don't have a lot of faith in Nintendo delivering.

[Khushrenada]

Cue the theme to Jaws.

[Soren]

At least I won't have to wait long to see how bad it's going to be.

[Adrock]

This doesn’t inspire much confidence, but I want to be cautiously optimistic. $20 a year isn’t a difficult sell though at the very least (in addition to what’s already announced like the Classic Games Selection), I want cloud saves. Is that asking too much?

[lolmonade]

The $20 ask price is good in that it's not a hard pill to swallow if I decide a few months down the road there's enough online games to justify the cost, but bad in that it gives a clear understanding of what quality of online service to expect compared to Nintendo's competitors.

[Ian Sane]

My fear is that this is when the other shoe drops for the Switch and all the goodwill Nintendo built up gets flushed down the toilet by the usual Nintendo online dipshittery.  The Switch has been as a close to flawless as a videogame system can expect to be.  This is the big unknown, the part that if bungled could significantly alter the public's perception of it as a product.

It isn't hard to get this right - just do what everyone else has already done.  But Nintendo is very very bad at things that someone else has already done.  They can be brilliant when they're the ones trailblazing but they struggle with the conventional.

[Adrock]

This is the big unknown, the part that if bungled could significantly alter the public's perception of it as a product.

That’s a bit dramatic. Online doesn’t take away Switch’s main gimmick which often leaves people without an internet connection anyway. Nintendo has been bungling online for generations yet it still launched hardware that’s selling without a clear online strategy. As far as public perception, Switch as a whole will be fine even if Nintendo’s online plans end up as subpar as most are expecting. It is frustrating when Nintendo doesn’t take advantage of instances when it outplays the competition. Without a solid online strategy, Switch will still be great while leaving the feeling that it failed to reach its true potential.

[Soren]

I want cloud saves. Is that asking too much?

Putting the Switch's only way to backup save files behind a paywall is a monumentally scummy move.

[Adrock]

Sure, if that’s the only way. I expect regular PC backups in a future update. I just want cloud saves as well if Nintendo is going to start charging for online.

[Mop it up]

I'm expecting the actual service to be no better than the free one we've had for over a decade, but we'll see.

That said, I'm looking forward to the classic games with online added. I'm hoping Mario Bros. is one of them, that's a fun co-op game.

[ShyGuy]

It's early May in Australia. Where my info at Nintendo?

[broodwars]

Nintendo's waited too long to put up a paid online service that's mandatory on Switch. At this point, the most they can get away with (especially with the current Online offerings on Switch) is a PS3-era PS+ style service, where there are perks for signing up for an additional service but it isn't required for online play.

[Soren]

Nintendo's waited too long to put up a paid online service that's mandatory on Switch. At this point, the most they can get away with (especially with the current Online offerings on Switch) is a PS3-era PS+ style service, where there are perks for signing up for an additional service but it isn't required for online play.

Not only that, they pushed online gaming hard during the Switch's first 6 months in anticipation of the paid online hitting after that time. So now you basically asking people to pay for online Smash Bros.

Which...no thanks.