NBA Playgrounds on Switch has disappointed in one notable way, in that it's the only version of the game without online play or any updates so far. Developer Saber Interactive has taken some heat for this, and last week promised a huge announcement as a reward for Switch owners' patience to date.
Well the game update isn't ready, but the announcement is a big one. Those that have bought (or do still buy) NBA Playgrounds on Switch before its online update will get Shaq Fu: A Legend Reborn for free on Switch this Autumn / Fall. You may remember the quirky but successful crowdfunding for this game a while back, at which point it was planned for Wii U. It's taken a while to come together and has, unsurprisingly, made the switch to Nintendo's new hardware.
You can see some details from the press release below.
“We had every intention of launching online play for NBA Playgrounds on Nintendo Switch within days of release, but, despite our best efforts, it didn’t play out that way,” said Matthew Karch, CEO of Saber. “We sincerely apologize for the delay and want to let everyone know the fix will be coming very soon. But words are cheap, and games are not. So we’re giving everyone that bought NBA Playgrounds on Nintendo Switch before the online play patch hits a free copy of Shaq Fu: A Legend Reborn on Switch when it is available this fall to express our gratitude.”
Saber will have further details to reveal in the future about how eligible NBA Playgrounds owners on Nintendo Switch will receive their free copy of Shaq Fu: A Legend Reborn on the Switch when it releases.
Saber has been interacting closely with the NBA Playgrounds community to release title updates for all platforms that reflect player interests. The first update is now live for PC and PlayStation®4, and will be live for Xbox One and Switch within days. 15 new players have been added, including Isaiah Thomas and Dennis Rodman, and Shaq can now be played with the various teams from his career. Challenge Mode, which allows players to challenge each other to online matches, has been added to the PlayStation®4, Xbox One and PC versions, and will be added to the Nintendo Switch version once online play is live. Other additions include a new connection manager, which monitors the connection of players during ranked matches and penalizes disconnections from games that are made to avoid losing. Saber has also tweaked the entire shooting system, reworking the timing and adding a meter while clarifying the UI.
Saber’s focus going forward will be giving players new ways to compete with online tournament functionality, and dozens of new players will be released shortly.
Hopefully the update to NBA Playgrounds will be live 'within days', but that still gives Switch owners a chance to basically get two games for the price of one.
What do you think of this announcement; do you reckon that's good compensation for the wait for online play on Switch? Let us know in the comments.
Comments (87)
erm.... "thank you"? (deeply confused and conflicted)
Why are they punishing early adopters like this?
Something is better then nothing. I guess I can't complain as I most likely wasn't going to get it.
I also wonder what Shaq-Fu will be released without for the Switch.....
@Ras what if its good?
@Spoony_Tech it might be good ya know
Man sucks for ARMS and SF2:Final Challengers. This may be the best competitive fighting game in 2017.
Well this is a wonderful surprise! Props to Saber
@faint It might and I can find out for free. It looks good enough to give it a go that's for sure.
I'd been waiting for online before I buy, now I'm buying it asap.
That's great, it's really nice seeing a company take accountability. I was planning on picking this up anyways but this might expedite my decision haha
Lol I actually think that looks kinda fun. I was gonna buy NBA Playgrounds at a later date. Seeing this may just push me into buying sooner. Shaq Attack baby. 😝
I believe Nintendo Switch owners are being dangled a carrot (Shaq-Fu) while we will indefinitely wait for an unknown patch to add online play and fix other issues. What do you think? Will Nintendo users get an NBA Playgrounds patch with online play or a copy of Shaq-Fu first?
im confused have they just said they will give us a game for free ?
No update on the NBA playgrounds game though?
@Ras
after 90 minute battle get kids to bed that cheered me up.
@Mooj738 They stated the new patch will be live in "days".
hmmm i see
Eh, isn't this just insulting the buyers of this game even more?
@Ryu_Niiyama "Online will be available a couple days after for switch Owners"
Yeahhhhhh their words have zero credibility.
@faint Then tears of sorrow will become tears of joy. 😂 I don't think the new game looks bad, but the idea of giving someone Shaq Fu is just amusing, based on the reputation of the old game. "Sorry about Mighty No. 9. Here, have Cheetahmen 3."
@Anguspuss Glad to be of some help! 😁
I'm... morbidly curious... ._.'
@Nintendoforlife hahahaha, touche. I'm can only go off of what they say. No crystal ball here, otherwise I would have won the powerball last night.
A few days after launch has exceeded weeks. What is the translation for "within days"?
@Ryu_Niiyama We're in the same boat haha.
PS. Hopefully you're feeling back to normal after that illness you mentioned a couple weeks ago.
YES, FREE GAME FOR ME!
...and what do early buyers of Shaq Fu get?...
...maybe a free music CD of Stand and Deliver again (remixed)?... lol..
This is very good business on the part of whoever publishes these games. I didn't get Playgrounds yet, but I gotta applaud them.
Shaq Fu coming soon, just like they said online was. I'll believe it when I see it!
They're still not getting a penny from me until the game is up to standard, this remake looks as bad as the original.
I'm sure I'm not the first to say, but, PASS
I'm actually happy with playgrounds and getting a free game for waiting heck I can't complain as I have other games to focus on and coming soon hopefully VC.
I thought this game was just a rumor, never really expect it to be real now. Still I had the original game on my Sega Genesis so maybe I'll try it out if it ever reach the bargain bin.
This is great; I want it.
@SLIGEACH_EIRE How on earth a free game is insulting for the buyers of this game even more? What kind of logic is this??!!
Funny how I wasn't interested in NBA Playground, but now they put Shaq-Fu up on the table and I'm studying the shop page to buy it.
Weird how a free game can change a person view, even if it's an "I owe you" on a game in development.
@Cosats He's either suggesting Shaq Fu is crap, so giving people waiting crap is an insult. Similar to someone saying sorry your food is taking so long, here have the worst selling dessert we sell for free.
Or.........
He's just joking around with the less than quality nature of Shaq Fu games.
Some of the comments are stunning. A developer owns up to a delay and offers people who bought it a free game as a way of making amends. Granted the game offered may not be everyone's cup of tea, but it is far better than lots of other companies do when they don't deliver on promises for whatever reason. While the promised online will be welcome, I think this is a nice gesture on their part.
Genuinely stoked. This game's going to be fun with friends and a great coupling to NBA Jam. Now I want an NFL Blitz follow-up on the Switch.
@JTMnM Aww I almost forgot about Blitz. American football is a total snoozefest for me (despite my parents' attempts to get me to like the sport growing up) but Blitz was sooo much fun. Perhaps saber might tackle that next?
@Nintendoforlife I'm good to go, thanks for asking.
How about a refund of $5 or something. Or mayb I'll be able to sell a download code for crapfu when I get it.
ahahhahahahahahahahaha
Hey, cool bonus. Good for them. — comments here? smh. What on earth, folks? "Sorry, here's a free new game" reply: "insulting... " I'm laughing here.
Good enough for me.
If it were me, I would prefer a 25% refund for not providing what was promised... then, when online is available, the patch should be available for purchase at the amount that was refunded.
Wasn't interested in NBA Playgrounds before but Shaq Fu is somehow tempting.
Thanks, but no thanks.
@Cosats
"How on earth a free game is insulting for the buyers of this game even more? What kind of logic is this??!!
I can answer that for you.
The same kind of logic that claims Mario Kart 8 Deluxe is a "lazy port" despite not only running in perfect 1080p 60fps , but also adding in 50% more game via all season pass content, adding a brand spanking new battle mode with 5 different modes, 8 new arenas, 5 new characters, new items, new carts, new gameplay mechanics...
Oh I'm sorry, I meant, and I quote, "superficial cosmetics and a fix for battle mode". Yep. A "fix". That's all it was. It was just a "fix"
I wonder how much Shaq Fu will be by itself.
I thought Shaq Fu was a dlc character for NBA Playgrounds for a minute there. Needless to say that I don't think this is for me.
Was waiting on Playground but maybe I'll snag it when I get home since I've been intending to pick up Shaq Fu anyway.
it's free. i'll take it.
Insult to injury...
I would rather have had 3 gold packs than this...
@Cosats That's what gaming has become, spending more time complaining about games and the companies who make them rather than actually enjoying the games.
Does anyone really care about NBA Playgrounds? I'd rather wait for NBA 2K (and then probably buy it on Steam...).
IMHO I think the issue was blown out of proportion. Yes, it took them about a month. But sh*t happens and I commend them for trying to get it out as soon as possible with a free game to boot. I'm constantly following the community since Jam was one of the most fun games I played in my life. And the team interacts w/ the community constantly. The heat wasn't really that hot TBH. There was also an awesome AMA over at reddit with a former developer that worked on the early stages of the game. If you want to get some insights on the game and a bit of history of Saber then I highly recommend it.
@Ras Do you even Switch bro? More like Shaq F U.
Yay?
Thanks and congratulations Mr. Karch. Also, Very funny ad, for old players.
@SLIGEACH_EIRE ? How buy the game before update u get a free game lol don't understand your pointless comment at all lo
@flapjackashley2 : well said!
As much as I want the online play, I'm glad I've been able to acquire players and power them up, and learn the game, first.
And I'm stoked about a free Shaq Fu 2
I was hoping it was a free game now... So, now it is double the wait.
@SLIGEACH_EIRE yup
i mean, can't beat $Free.99....wish this was a 1v1 fighter, though...like, truly a revamped version of the crappy original (altho, I think I DID enjoy that game as a 10yo lol).
I was going to buy this soon anyways. The free game as compensation made me buy it earlier than expected so that's a nice bonus (I was literally planning on buying it this weekend or next anyways with or without the update/a sale).
Props to them for acknowledging their goof up.
Well I've been enjoying NBA Playgrounds already so the tweaks and a new game later this year sound awesome. Sucks that us Switch owners are sort of at the tail end of everything here but hey... at least we haven't been forgotten.
Wow that's actually pretty awesome.
@JaxonH Yeah, I'm totally loving MK8 Deluxe, too! It's hard to call it "just a port" when there's so much content, and I don't own a WiiU so this is all new stuff to me!
Also ever since I've put certain people on my ignore list, Nintendolife has become such a wonderful, pleasant place again!
@Noonch Not yet. I'm back in time with my retro consoles. I'mma get one eventually.
Enjoy more garbage guys!
As long as we get the update within days as the article says "The first update is now live for PC and PlayStation®4, and will be live for Xbox One and Switch within days." I am fine with it.
Plus the remake looks pretty good. I thought it would just be a direct port of the old one.
I am more excited about the shooting system update. That is awesome. If it's good I'll re buy it on xbone to play with my friends there. It's fun on switch and PS4 but a little inconsistent.
cool but this game has no replay value until online comes out.... also, does that mean we're not given a new release date? they pretty much excused themselves indefinitely until the update comes out. im disappointed and shaq fu doesnt completely remove that; tho its a start. how about some legendary packs since i have to play 20 games against the computer just to get a regular pack
Earlier I was upset with this announcement. Mainly because I thought the HUGE announcement was going to be that online play and the other issues would be addressed soon. I didn't expect that the announcement would be a whole other direction. Now I'm kind of excited because honestly I can wait longer for the patch update and now I don't have to purchase Shaq-Fu which I want. I enjoy what the game currently offers, but once I get through everything online is a must.
I love to see a developer say sorry for being not able to fulfil what they promised. Soo much an example for many other devs...
I am completely okay with this! Still enjoy the game, though it could use a bit more of that NBA JAM Glam~
@shani they're different types of game though, I've no interest in playing a basketball sim, but I love NBA Jam style games.
It's like comparing Burnout to Assetto Corsa.
Well just bought it,a free game is a free game.
@landlord14 this online and other issues still might be address soon, they didn't say anything to suggest it wasn't.
This was an apology for last month not necessarily next month
@AcridSkull I totally get that. Back on the SNES I loved playing NBA Jam and I wasn't that good at NBA Live (unless I turned fouls off ).
But NBA Playgrounds isn't the same, at least judging from the videos I've seen. I think it's trying too hard to be NBA Jam, it's just a bit too much.
If you compare this video of NBA JAM with NBA Playgrounds, NBA Jam almost looks like a sim. NBA Playgrounds is just too much arcade in my opinion.
Meanwhile, a few years ago I occasionally played NBA 2k with/against my friends in local multiplayer and while I'm not as good at it as I'd like, it's still a lot of fun because of all the realism. It really feels like watching an NBA game.
I'd probably buy a new NBA Jam as well, but not NBA Playgrounds.
Can we also get an explanation on why the game is completely terrible?
But what about people who already purchased both?
well I'm not complaining
That Shaq Rap has me sold.
Looks better than Suck FU.
Great News! NBA 2K18 comes out in September and should have online play.
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