Topic: The Nintendo Switch Thread

Online should bring instant messaging with any friends on your friend list via the Online app on your phone. And it should bring voice chat to EVERY. SINGLE. GAME that has Online. In fact it should just be a feature that can be used with any game rather than within specific games. But it's clear they're going with voicechat within specific games, which is fine, if that's the case they need to make sure every single game with online is in that phone app. It's ridiculous that I could voice chat in MH3U on the Wii U back in March of 2013, but can't in MHXX on Switch heading into 2018.

That and cloud saves, and we have a winner winner chicken dinner. But I already know that's not going to happen. We won't get messaging and we won't get voice chat for every game. We'll be lucky to even get cloud saves.

Cloud saves and a not completely stupid chat system. Make it a part of the console OS or don't bother.

And obviously paying for online means I expect more games to have online features. No more getting away with local only Mario co op platformers or Pikmin Co Op challenges. But that would go hand in hand with needing voice chat.

So Nintendo made good on its promise to increase stock for Nintendo Switch and SNES Classic Edition around Christmas in the U.S. (in Tennessee, at least). I went to a Wal-Mart today and saw FIVE of those SNES Classics behind a glass case, next to a bunch of Switches.

I have this really nagging feeling Nintendo are literally just going to go ahead with the paid subscription service and add nothing new like cloud saves or decent voice chat etc etc. It will be exactly what we have now with the random one or two NES/SNES games per month.

The really odd thing about the chat situation, Microsoft decided to follow Nintendo on the mobile app idea. Seriously, Microsoft have a Xbox Live Party Chat mobile app in beta currently on both iOS and Android which seems odd (why have a mobile app when you already have the option to use headsets with the console?).

@Grumblevolcano Because we all know what Nintendo does one day, regardless if people love it or hate it, Microsoft and Sony do the next.

@FragRed
lol yea I have that same feeling. They've been doing better in certain areas, but I still think it would be very "Nintendo" of them to just roll this thing out with really nothing other than a few classic games.

Put simply, I don't expect anything different with the voice chat. I don't expect them to do anything with that for a good while. Doesn't seem to be affecting them much the way it is, so yea, I don't see that changing.

MAYBE we see cloud saves. Maybe.

So like hypothetically, if the Switch did get chat on the console OS, what would the point of the app be? Splatoon 2 online Shop basically.

The only readon im happy the Switch itself doesnt handle voice chat is because of resources.

If the systems wifi chips had to stream not only the game but a voice stream as well, thats more load for the system. If you route it via a seperate device, thats one less strain for the Switch so it can send the game data.

Now the other benefit is actually RAM.

So we know that the Switch can seemingly only just record video by keeping a constant 30 second buffer in RAM at all times. Imagine loading in another part of the OS to do voice chat too on an OS Level.

Streaming the game, streaming voice via OS, keeping that video buffer at all times. And keeping the game running locally. Its a lot.

Heck its obvious some games wont get video recording because...well some of them cant free up the RAM to do it.

Plus, and lets be honest here, he uses the PS4 built in voice stuff? Anyone? 3DS? DS? Xbox One?

Who uses...I dunno. Skype. Discord. Anything else?

Because just as is the case with the Switch solution, thpse are better than the console options

@YummyHappyPills
I don't get your comment about "who uses the PS4 built in voice stuff? Anyone?"

uhm...

<raises hand>

My friends only use the Xbox Live chat when we play games together. It's super convenient. I only do Discord or Teamspeak if I'm playing WoW or HotS.

uhh...a great deal of people, I would wager.

Even I use it, and I'm one of those people that never use voice chat. You know how good it feels to play MH and chat with friends again? Haven't done that in 5 years...

I'm really happy I've never wanted to use voice chat, considering Nintendo's difficulties with it. Tried it once for a game and absolutely hated it.

Ya... I stay relatively (i.e. 99%) unscathed by Nintendo's inadequate online, thanks to the fact I almost never want or need to utilize such features.

But onerare occasion, that one game comes around where ya, I would want voice chat (MHXX). And direct messaging to friends... well... that's something I would use, even if sparingly. It would be great to send a message that says hey, wanna hop online and play Splatoon 2? Or just chat. Many of the friends in my list are online friends, meaning I really don't have a good way to communicate with them on a regular basis. Messaging would solve that.

I would also like a trophy system. I'm not really big into the whole achievement thing, but I do like them. I like that it records your progress forever, so to speak. It documents your adventures and, well... your achievements. If I play and beat Xenoblade 2, I have nothing to remember that by except my own memories. I like the idea of getting permanent accolades as you progress through a game that people can always look at and say ah! He got really far in that game or wow! He beat that super hard boss that nobody else could beat. I suppose taking screenshots somewhat serves the same purpose... but it's not the same.

@JaxonH I agree on trophy support. I don't go as crazy for them as some people do, but if I really love a game, I like to collect all of the trophies as a way of showing how much I enjoyed the game. Adding it to a score or counter on your account also gameifies it a bit, which can be fun.

100% agree with adding in trophy stuff. But for some reason a great many Nintendo fans see them as bad for some reason.

I am one hundred percent for Trophies... so long as you have the option to turn off the notifications. I have zero interest in them myself, so I'd just turn them off and go about my merry day. Oh, and an option on whether or not you wanted to share you trophy information, not for myself, but for the people who get insecure about that sort of stuff. I think if it had those two options, no one could complain.

@Operative2-0 Trophy culture can get a bit... off... at times. Like people refusing to play games without trophies, or people buying games only for trophies, or games selling based on the fact that they have easy trophy sets, etc.

But I don't think these issues are big enough to justify not having such a system in place.

@Ralizah Where in Tennessee are you? I have frequently seen the occasional Switch even months ago when they were rare, but now every store I go in has multiple ones. And yeah, I even saw one store (can't remember what it was) a couple days ago that had multiple SNES Classics. They have definitely upped the stock of everything.

@Xyphon22 Middle Tennessee. The Walmart I was visiting at the time was located in Lawrenceburg, I believe.