Topic: The Nintendo Switch Thread

Because Skype isn't connected to your console. Think about it for a few seconds and you'll realise how different this will be to just using Skype. With Skype it doesn't know what games your friends are playing. It only connects you to your friends and doesn't connect you to people on your team. For some use cases? Yes, Skype will do the same job. But most of the time it won't.

It's a similar deal with the app vs having it built in. There are some advantages to having it as an app. For a start you can organise a match for later on using your phone even when your Switch is at home. During a game you can control your chat without having to go through a fiddly menu on your phone. Is some dude being a bit of a ****? A couple of taps to mute/report. Easy.

How about we wait and see how it works before we start judging it.

Do we know if the online perks like discounts and monthly VC games don't start until the paid online comes or if they are there from the start? The chart on their website makes it look like it's only once you start paying, but I don't know if it's ever directly stated one way or another.

Considering it only lets you talk to friends, yeah, it's exactly like Skype, whatsapp, whatever. No, they don't know what games you're playing but considering you're friends with the people anyway, there's no real advantage to it knowing that you guys are playing the same game.

@Xyphon22 I would think they would want people to get the full experience of online, if not right away than at some point before it becomes paid. It's good business sense to get people hooked on the full experience of the free trial; they get used to it, and it makes them more likely to just pay it later.

@Operative2-0
Admittedly, an app for online lobbies and chat isn't as ideal a solution as integrated into the system, but I do think it'll be far more seamless and easy than using existing apps. Without seeing who's online or playing their systems, it's hard to know who to invite. And with social media integrated (Twitter will probably be the go-to social app) you can easily send a tweet to your gaming friend followers saying hey, gonna play such and such, wanna join? I just made a fresh Twitter account for Switch online, and about a dozen people I'm in a 24hr LINE chat with (been talking to these people for... bout 3 years now).

I mean, system integration would be best, but it's kind of neat I think. I'm not entirely opposed to the idea of using a Twitter-tied Nintendo app to manage things. Certainly would be easier than trying to use normal apps

And you're basing this assumption on.....

https://www.nintendolife.com/news/2017/02/nintendo_details_how...

Perhaps it's a bit too soon to assume every game will work like this, but lol. Let's be honest. That's the most likely scenario, like it or not.

@Operative2-0 Well with Wii U first party games, it was always friends only if any voice chat at all. This isn't anything new.

Now the big question is how 3rd parties will do things, I'd imagine if the phone app is the only way to chat especially if restricted to friends only you'll be seeing all the big multiplayer 3rd party games (e.g. CoD, Overwatch, Rocket League) skipping Switch completely.

@Grumblevolcano That is a legitimate fear to have. I really hope Nintendo says something soon to put these concerns to rest. No other company would happily wait so long to say such important things about their new console. Though no one else would have such a backwards system to begin with.

As it stands I do expect some kind of COD to be announced at E3 for the Switch from Activision, even if it's just a one off. But I don't expect Overwatch to ever come across no matter how much of the perfect platform it may seem to be. As for Rocket League, they're statement I think was more a test to see what reaction they would get before making the decision to port or not.

@FragRed
Yes, and I think this is where the hardware capability for voice chat comes in. If a third-party would put something like CoD or Overwatch on the Switch, I think Nintendo should leave it up to each developer how they want their voice chat to run.

Do they want to just route it through Nintendo's app (and the rules that go with it)? Sure, go ahead - here's everything you need.

Do they want to allow players to chat with anyone once they are in the game using the system itself? Your choice, and the hardware capability is there, but you gotta make that happen in the software/networking from your end.

I think that would be great. It would give developers the freedom to do what they want with their games while providing a hands-off, "easy" route to use Nintendo's app if their game isn't an intense multiplayer game or something.

So, if the reveal a couple of weeks ago has taught me anything, it's NOT to trust rumors.

Seriously, where's the rumored Xenoblade X or Bayonetta ports? The Smash Bros. port? The Mario & Rabbids RPG? The "Super Mario game is almost ready, don't be surprised if it's a launch game"? The "new Xenoblade is coming but won't come until 2018"? And of course, the one and only "$250 is the most likely price".

Perhaps some or all of these will be announced sometime later this year — I'll be shocked if Smash doesn't get to Switch by the end of this year — but it's still amazing that a lot of the rumored stuff never occurred, and a lot of stuff that wasn't rumored did occur (like 1,2 Switch, Arms, and the online subscription fee).

@smm1 Pretty sure Xenoblade 2 will get delayed. Also, Michael Ancel hinted at Mario & Rabbids game. Some rumours are true, some not. That's what always happens, they're rumours after all.

Didn't pay much attention to rumors and especially to leakers. Surprise element is so important in this kind of things...it's magical

The Arms producer talked more about the game, confirming that more characters and modes will be available in the final game, and it is possible to play with a single Joycon (though your options are more limited).

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1341258

Took 3 and a half quarters but Switch commercial just aired about 8:38 central time.

Late in the game for it but thankfully games been close enough to keep viewers watching in my non expert opinion. Also i think the post halftime commercials have been better then the first half.

How so? Example?

EDIT: nvm, I found it. Maybe not safe for this site.

@smm1
To be fair we did get a lot of rumours that were accurate. Of course some people were just making stuff up to get attention but most of their stuff was pretty spot on. In particular the leaks about hardware. The least accurate leaks have been about when games are going to come out. The one thing that even with all the information is kinda impossible to predict.

Anecdotal reactions to Switch Super Bowl commercial. The only person watching at our place that had any reaction to it whatsoever was my father, who just let out a disapproving "noise", for lack of a better description (the sound equivalent of rolling his eyes).

Brought it up on Facebook, but I've yet to check to see if anyone there has reacted to it yet.

Overall it was a pretty crappy year for commercials though. Admittedly my jaw dropped at the announcement of Stranger Things season 2 (Oh, and it's available to stream, RIGHT NOW!), but other than that, only the Switch ad & some movie trailers caught my attention (and only because I was already interested in them). Nothing else grabbed me, and the sentiment has been pretty common from what I've heard.

@RR529 The Mr. Clean ad was pretty hilarious, though.
But I agree, it was a lame year for SB commercials. At least that epic Patriots comeback was a highlight.

The T-Mobile ad that made fun of Verizon for going over data limits was good... if you're into that sort of thing.