When Nintendo confirmed that it'd be running lobbies and voice chat through a dedicated smartphone app there were plenty of critical remarks online. As a site we followed the line of a wait and see approach, but as crazy Hori workarounds and limited details emerged there was the whiff of a messy launch, and here it is.
The Nintendo Switch Online app is up and running and, to start with the positives, the undoubted high-point is the Splatoon 2 area - Splatnet 2 - which is actually rather neat. It rapidly updates with your in-game data and you can see fun details and even work towards rewards. This hub informs us of stage rotations and events, and has a handy item store where players can buy clothing and gear that'll then pop up in the game. It all works, and very much represents the best of how the Nintendo Account infrastructure is supposed to operate.
The voice chat solution also works, in that it connects instantly with your game and does allow for private lobbies and chat. Unlike Splatnet 2, however, the end result is not desirable. It's awkward, terribly barebones and unintuitive. In fact, to be blunt, I thinks it's rubbish, and that's not a term I use often when referencing a Nintendo product. Our man on YouTube - Alex - also feels largely the same way and goes into this in the video below.
Nintendo - and presumably DeNA - have launched a functional service, but we're seeing just why some scorned the idea in the first place, with further omissions muddying the water further. To start on the latter, it fails to do what's needed to help players find friends to play quickly and efficiently. Yes, you can view your system and social media friends, but it's hard to tell if they're online and actually playing the game - there's no 'status' to see in the app. You can send out a handful of requests as a test and nothing happens, because those that get notified aren't actually in a position to play. Oh, and they can't reply in the app to tell you that with a text message, so you just stare at an empty room. They'll have to reply through other means, ie non-Nintendo apps and social media.
None of this was with a headset in my case, either, just dabbling with the phone nearby while playing the game. Yet when you voice chat on another console or want to get a lobby going, you do it all on the system and there are profile indicators for whether your friends are online and in-the-game. With this Switch workaround you have the external device and can't tell who's playing and would potentially like to team up. You send out invites blind unless you HOME menu out of the lobby (on the Switch) and go into your user profile area. Do that, see if anyone's playing Splatoon 2 (heck, they could be settled in for a bit in the single player campaign), send an invite in the app and hope for the best. If they join you can have a chat and play a private match, if they don't then you just stare at your phone while feeling a bit lonely. It's no wonder that so many are just saying they'll keep using Discord / Skype / anything else to catch up with friends, as at least they have multiple messaging options (including text messages).
So Nintendo's solution is functional, just about, but unintuitive.
The irony is that, actually, Nintendo has supported really good voice chat in the past, but few remember. Because of the built-in mics on the 3DS and Wii U GamePad there were a few cases where chat was intuitive, sorted out in-game and needed no headset or accessories. It's long forgotten now but Heroes of Ruin had in-game voice chat on 3DS; the quality was average but it worked. On Wii U we had Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate as the gold standard, as you could use the GamePad to chat without a headset. A number of games also supported headsets that you'd plug into the controller, and I recall some sessions in the humorously buggy online co-op of Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell Blacklist where I would chat and laugh with a friend about the game kicking us out of a level after an hour of careful play.
The common theme with all those instances is that they were third-party games, but at least Nintendo provided the tools for the job, even if few went to the trouble. It was a very Nintendo solution too - integrate a mic and speakers into the hardware so that it's easy to use, no headset or accessories required unless you wanted to use them. It gave a nice level of accessibility to the feature in those few games that used it; the only downside was the lack of actual support and some uneven usage.
The Switch doesn't have a microphone, of course, which may have been a design choice or a simple logistical decision based on cost, space on the board and so on. In any case, right off the bat accessories are needed, though if voice chat was handled through the hardware it could be as simple as using a wired headset straight through the console's headphone jack or - more ideally - a wireless option.
As Alex says in the video, above, and a reason I wanted to 'wait and see' when the app was first announced, is that having an external voice and lobby service isn't necessarily an awful idea. It is divisive, though, so the fact that the initial 'lite' solution for Splatoon 2 is half-arsed is a PR own goal. Nintendo is reinforcing the stereotype that it doesn't know how to do online gaming, which isn't entirely fair but is trotted out a lot online. After all, across Wii U and now Switch we see Nintendo typically deliver excellent, smooth-running and reliable servers. On a decent connection online gameplay is often great with Nintendo games in recent years. Yet voice chat has been rarely used or absent and is used as a sticking point by critics of the company - this app simply gives them a shiny new bat with which to hammer Nintendo.
Strangely, it also seems a bit unnecessary. Splatoon 2 works fine across its various modes, even Salmon Run, with the in-game text communications. Yes, ideally I (like many others) would like a seamless in-game option to have a bit of voice chat in teams, but it's not a game-breaker. Yet instead of keeping it simple and holding back on a voice chat / lobby solution until it was actually ready to go, Nintendo clearly rushed the app out for the game. It's a bizarre piece of software, too, as it counteracts what Nintendo is typically all about. It's clunky, awkward and confusing to newcomers; this from a company that is masterful at producing hardware, games and gameplay that are accessible and enjoyable for all.
Some have said Nintendo wanted to keep voice chat off the hardware to keep it 'safe', but there are parental controls for that, and kids have smartphones and tablets anyway to access the app if they want; most know more about how to use them than their parents. Even if that 'safe' argument is true, it's been a mistake to launch an app that, in its core function of supporting lobbies and voice chat, is a bit embarrassing.
Nintendo will surely improve it in the coming weeks and months, and especially once the broader service becomes a paid option in 2018. Right now, though, it's simply set itself up for criticism, and saddled the brilliant Splatoon 2 with debates around the app.
Frankly, that's the bigger crime. Splatoon 2 deserved to fly on its own as a fantastic sequel, without being associated with a shoddy early access version of a smart device app.
Comments 173
We basically have no voice chat options with Nintendo. I'll still be using discord.
To mimick what was said here by Dang69, please give the app a 1 star rating. Just went to Google play and gave it a 1 star myself.
I love Nintendo and my Switch so much it hurts me to see them introduce this awful online system and get so many 3rd party games released after the competitors get their version. Also, GIVE ME SWITCH MADDEN!!!
But those are really my only gripes with 2017 Nintendo so it could be worse.
I'd rather just have it built into the system to be honest. Even Pokemon had built in voice chat.
Please Understand
once they fix it i could possibly see myself using this
This chat system stinks. Why Nintendo? Why?
Everyone please go on the IOS and Android app stores and give them 1 star ratings with critical feedback. Then maybe tweet at Nintendo. Hopefully if we all do this early they'll change it.
Of course they did. It's such a Nintendo thing to do. They couldn't make a fantastic system like the Switch without royally messing up in some way.
I was planning on using Skype or something anyway though, so it's not a big deal for me.
I want to have optimism that things will improve but they probably won't. It's sad really. The way the online side of things are handled on the Switch are exactly why I was cautious to jump in on the communal trash-talking of miiverse a few months back. You're happy with these "alternatives" that are actually superior on third party apps?
Horrible and a shame. There probably won't be any consequences for Nintendo's bottom line though, so get used to the idea of it continuing to be bad.
what a cluster muff... not buying into this app. will use other apps like LINE, Skype or Discord with my fwends, or just solo queue.
I've seen people on Nintendo Facebook groups who think you need a phone and the app just to even play Splatoon 2 online.
An own goal indeed.
@SanderEvers He isn't referring to Splatnet 2.
Would this be part of Mr Iwata's legacy and his 2 screen approach? No disrespect intended, it is an honest question. Edit to clarify: Is this a Mr Iwata mis-step, or is it an indication of Nintendo thinking after his passing?
@Yorumi To be fair, the voice chat is the only thing that's sub-par. The rest works fine, and hopefully the connection will be even more stable, which is all that matters in the end. It sucks that the voice chat is lackluster, but people can just use Skype or Discord or something.
The weird Voicechat implementation doesn't bother me too much. I rarely use it and if I actually want to talk to my friends while playing I would much rather continue using Skype. Quick and easy.
"Rubbish" and "pants;" truly rough language from the English writers on this site.
I am still convinced that there are 2 subscriptions. One for online and another for the phone app. 20 dollars a year is too good to be true.
I'd call this setup the "Here Is Your [f-bomb]ing Voice Chat" setup.
Nintendo doesn't realise players want their pro-1337 MLG voice chat, and likewise players don't realise that voice chat is not a priority for Nintendo.
At least, Nintendo should be aware of the situation by now.
Well I kinda expected Nintendo to massively screw something up, and they have with something that should have been part of the system.
I don't really know if Nintendo will make substantial changes. My gut says they won't. They'll add to It, perhaps creating more problems but I think this app may be too far into development to go changing it in any major way.
I really don't care about voice chat but I know many do. For them this convoluted, beta-like setup must be infuriating.
Halo 2 on the original XBOX, released in 2004!!!, had a better online network and a better voice chat option than Nintendo's brand new 2017 online voice chat/service option. People just need to be straight up with Nintendo...this option sucks. The Switch is awesome, the voice chat and probably their future online network...ugggg...what the heck, man? Seriously. Get it together Nintendo. You can do so much better. So much better.
no one use it. no one pay for online then maybee they will get finger out of their backsides & get something simple that works. What idiot thought this up & what idiots didnt turn around & call him a stupid idiot
@KirbyTheVampire
This would be "subpar" about 15 years ago...this option is horrible. Let's be real. Horrible. Hooking up your phone and these weird wires to get voice chat on a console in 2017 is just stupid. I love my Switch...I'm not going to even bother with Nintendo's online voice chat because it's so bad. I'll pay to play online, but they can keep their crap voice chat equipment and setup. Such a hassle and step backwards for consumers. Let's just face it.
Surely no one will use it given it's so bad. The fact you can't turn off the screen while speaking is very daft, given how bad iPhone batteries are.
But if no one uses it Nintendo will either rethink it or drop it entirely in future games.
I just wish it let you talk to strangers. Would be good to chat to the random people you get teamed up with online to work together better.
@Anguspuss
Roger that! I'm not spending a penny on their voice chat equipment...terrible. If I have to pay to play online...I'll do that. But I'm with you in that we should speak up and send Nintendo a message. Their online chat option is terrible. Terrible.
I think we are seeing DeNA at work here. The companies are polar opposites when it comes to quality, and I will never understand why Nintendo chose to partner with them. DeNA makes money, but because of a "throw everything at the wall and see what sticks" business model, and by unethical (imho) "gatcha" mobile games that are promptly shut down if the are not the profit machine that Puzzles and Dragons was, leaving customers with nothing for their money.
Nintendo has never been proficient on the networking side of things, and they needed to outsource it, but for the amount of time DeNA has had in getting things going, many other companies have built infrastructure and services that rival or surpass PSN and XBL in a much, much shorter period of time.
With the Switch network service now postponed until next year, you have to wonder what is taking so long for setting up a multiplayer/social/storefront service? Even if they had to port everything over to the new system, it shouldn't take this long. They started in March of 2015. It's been 2 1/2 years. Both PSN, XBL and even STEAM had shorter development times.
That's our Nintendo!
I don't know why some people are surprised it sucks. Many, many people called this out for useless the second Nintendo announced it, but they got called heretics and haters.
This has always been an awful idea. And now it is an awful service.
I don‘t really care about voice chat, but for those who do, I hope you give some feedback in the app itself and don‘t just complai on the interweb! 👍
The Switch voice chat is basically a car with square wheels.
It really is a total disaster.
Can you imagine FIFA or COD players using the Nintendo Online app to chat? Or anyone for that matter?
I know it's been said a million times (and for good reason), but these features need to be on the console itself.
It beggars belief, honestly. My mind is blown at how rediculous this whole situation is. When Nintendo announced a paid service I stupidly thought to myself ''wow, maybe they're actually doing it right this time? Maybe they've got their act together!'' lol, silly me.
Reggie on using an app for voice chat:
"So we think we’ve got an elegant solution"
Yes lets give the app a 1 star.
Which includes Splatnet. So theyll change that too. Good thinking guys. Hope they fix they bad and dont butcher the great with that strategy.
The app has a feedback form use that and highlight your issues.
people are making way to big of a deal out of this. the only terrible thing is that you can't turn off the screen which i'm sure they'll fix.
It's laughably bad.
Nintendo had to Nintendo some part of the Switch. It was all going too well.
The good news is there are better options, and you really don't need voice chat for a game like splatoon unless you're try-harding ranked play. The bad news is, this is probably Nintendo's best effort, and that is very, very sad.
the only logical explanation is that nintendo really just wants everybody to play together in the same room.
"After all that, we still give it a 10/10"
-Nintendo Life
@SharkAttackU
You must confuse this with the Splatoon 2 review! 🤔
Is it obscure that the original Xbox and Dreamcast have better online than Nintendo Switch?
Who thought this was a good idea? Also, who the heck approved this nonsense? My cousin had better voice chat in the firdt Halo game in the early 2000's from what I remember. I see no excuse.
Did 3DS even have voice chat?
....oh yeah heroes of ruin(super disappointing. Like no content...) had it.
@Yorumi I really don't know what they were thinking with the voice chat. It's an absolutely atrocious effort on their part.
I'm not going to judge the rest of the online service yet, but I hope it turns out to be a lot better than the app.
How hard is it for them to just put voice chat in a game... not that hard. Call of Duty of Wii U had it,I mean give me a break...
The only good thing about the new Switch Online app is Splatnet2, everyone else has basically already said what is needed but Nintendo does need to look into better voicechat options than what they have given us
@Yorumi Hold on a sec, so it's all p2p? That's crazy, I heard that's usually unstable but splatoon 2 never once lagged for me during the test fire.
Splatoon2 really does not need to able to chat to be good.
But gee, if nintendo want the hardcore gamers to by a switch..then they need to do better then this.
Hope its just a crappy stop gap solution. An they do a proper job in 3-4 months time.
@Malcrash I know, isn't that mental to think about. Nintendo should have asked Sega how to create an actual working online infrastructure. We could have had, "Nintendo Visions". 😃
You can go even further back than just the 3DS too look at Nintendo games with more logical voice-rendering capable hardware. Wii and GCN had fully logical add-ons that worked fine when plugged in, and since the former one was capable of that through USB ports it makes no sense the Switch isn't when docked. The NDS had a fully functional built-in microphone, as did the Famicom for the flying spaghetti monster's sake!
I'm late. Better make a joke.
Get your splatoon 2 wall paper from mynintendo for only 50 platinum points. Bargain
It's awkward, terribly barebones and unintuitive. In fact, to be blunt, I thinks it's rubbish, and that's not a term I use often when referencing a Nintendo product.
And this sums it all up. I can use a blu tooth headset easily on my phone easily and more conveniently. Why the hell was this allowed out of the ideas room alive?
Oh and don't forget that Nintendo will ask us to pay for this mess next year. Pay for this BS. Pay for it!
@KirbyTheVampire It really is surprising that something this bad could make it all the way through the development life cycle to full release. Even before many details were released, most people could tell that this solution was going to be terrible. Unfortunately, it turned out to be even worse. Luckily (I suppose) I do most of my online multiplayer gaming on PC, and my Nintendo consoles are primarily for local multiplayer, but still... this is atrocious.
I knew it. I knew it. I knew it. Sigh... Nintendo, from a long time gamer since '85 to now... get with the times. PLEASE! Everyone involved with making a console has evolved with the times... except YEW😡 Upgrade the hardware through firmware or SOMETHING! I was willing to give it a try but bump that! My fellow gamer have spoken. There's nothing redeemable about your online ventures.
@Yorumi Something I was worried about when I heard it was only $20 a year. It's a good way to avoid implementing good online. By which I mean, by purposely under charging so there's an unspoken excuse for why the service sucks. Why would they want the service to suck in the first place? They plain don't want us playing online THAT much, just a little, JUST enough for additional longevity of a title. Maybe Japan of Amercia is terrified of the day, someone ends up on "How to Catch a Predator" and has met and lured a kid in, and some Nintendo Online thang is mentioned, lol.
@Mando44646 AMEN!
@Kalmaro I downloaded it solely so I could give it the one-star rating it deserves. I don't even plan on using it anytime soon.
It's been fun to see the app's average rating drop over the last couple days. It was 3.7 out of 5 when I first saw it. It's at 3.1 now.
So I can not say this works, but I am ok with what I am about to say...I can not get splatoon for a couple weeks since we going camping next 3 of 4 weeks. But when I get back, I will be trying my my Bluetooth ear piece, with my iphone, and tv speaks for game. I understand this works. Well, for a game like this or any other in the future...I am ok with this. i can still hear everything and still talk. My phone is probably going to be right there anyways. My PS4 I am in my own world with my headset and mic, works fine but I still need to pull it off to talk to people, then no sound.
Even if you just use ear buds there still cords.
Most games I end up muting everyone anyways since they just annoying kids mostly, and just talk to whoever I am actually playing with.
Could Nintendo done it better? Yes. But atleast we can voice chat. Can a PS4 play the same game at home and on the go? The amount of dust on my PS4 gives away the answer.
@NintenNinja16 Nintendo needs to take a page out of 'Bioshock infinite', open a tear in time, and show us what a world would look like with a Nintendo that on the kevel with Microsoft and Sony's best online efforts. Such a shame this is.
@Malcrash obscure... yet rubbish. Lame ... yet sad😈 Nintendo... yet Nintendo.
Gave the App 1 star as the voice and ability to communicate out weighs the current features. Unless I'm wrong, I didn't see a way to group with friends to play against strangers online in a public game. Private mode only is ridiculous.
I mean...I hate to be so blunt here, but leave it to Nintendo to botch something like this up. I've seen this kind of thing happen multiple times.
@Dr_Corndog Good! The lower the better. This app is just horrible for communication.
@Yorumi That would explain the mismatched experiences with online...
My guess is they will improve it and have it up to standard by the time they start charging for it. I would have thought that it was released early just so people have something to use for voice chat. If they don't improve it then that's stupidity on Nintendo's part.
@Donutman At least the PS4 - and the games on it - allow for queueing your whole team/ party for an online multiplayer match.
Get a friend, or two, or three (etc.), form a team, join matchmaking and wait for the game to do the rest.
In Splatoon if you want to play with a friend, or two, or three ... you better find at least four more friends or you'll get to enjoy the amazing fun that is an e.g. 2-on-1 with your best buds. Want to play a competitive match together? Well, good luck.
This whole voice chat thing is super annoying, but let's be frank, a week from now, no one is going to use that app for voice chat anymore, at best people are going to boot it up for SplatNet, and we'll all just pretend we all never wanted voice chat anyways, and we'll continue to use skype/discord/... etc. instead.
I think the lack of basic party/ team queueing, something about every game out there does, certainly the most popular ones like Overwatch (which is every bit as good as Splatoon btw) or Destiny, is much more of a mark against the game, than this messed up and useless voice chat implementation (again, it's terrible, but there are way worse things happening here).
Yes. This and the lack of a web browser are extremely aggravating.
I don't use voice chat, so no biggy for me, but the setup seems terrible.
@Kalmaro
Nintendo's view on this: "See! They don't like voice chat. Look at that rating. Pull the plug Reggie."
@Locke159 It's funny, because it's true
In my personal opinion, honestly, I'm already kind of unsure about the Switch, and hearing this news doesn't really help at all. I keep seeing many things that leave me feeling really reluctant about this thing. Granted, I don't have one yet, not for the fact that it's virtually nonexistent in most areas, but that's not really a factor for me. I've seen about three of them in my local Wal-Mart yesterday, and they've been here for the past few months. The game lineup is abysmal to me so far (and I'm not saying it has bad games, but rather games that don't appeal to me at all from a personal standpoint) and coupled with the negative things the Switch has going for it (the almost mandatory accessories being very expensive, the voice chat, a paid online service, no web Browser, no dual-TV play, no Miiverse.) My interest wavers for this thing constantly.
With all of that said, I certainly won't be bending over backwards trying to go out and get one. (However...I would be quite pleased if someone got me one as a gift. I'm not saying it's bad, but I'm not quite sure if it's worth it just yet.)
I wouldn't say it's unusable, but what we're really missing is some sort of a case for all the cables. Currently my headset is in the box. Not because it's unopened, but because I can't just leave a heap of cables around. How hard would it have been to give us a little squid shaped box for all the bits and pieces?
I think people are getting worked up way too much over this. They didn't even make that headset and they did mention it wouldn't be the only solution. I also recall them saying that the app and online service would be in a LIMITED form when it first launched with Splatoon 2. Also simply downloading the app just to give it a 1 star rating is about as effective as storming onto a trailers youtube page just to mash the dislike button. The app has a feedback button why don't people just use that instead rather than raging online about how much they think the app sucks. Also it helps to be civil when voicing your complaints.
The author of this article makes a good point that its not really fair to judge Nintendo's online services entirely on the quality of the voice chat. People go on about how essential it is for teamwork and communication but from my experience 90% of the time its mostly little more than a cesspit of insults, trolling, and negativity. Frankly a good majority of people who are serious about voice chat will likely use something like Discord or Skype.
Gee what a shocker!
lol the roller coaster that is Nintendo online...it really seemed like they were getting better at it, until this. One day, we can hope!!! At least the online is still fun. Voice chat is not a dealbreaker for me but...but....come on!
Would have been better if they just updated the switch console to have voice chat and have a smartphone app that would allow you to check your online stats
@BLP_Software I sincerely hope they aren't that stupid. Even if they're only slightly aware, they must know what the issues are. I mean, just Google them, plenty of people have complained about them. If their thinking is ''these guys really must hate the splat net feature, let's remove/change it'', then I don't know anymore.
@Pikachupwnage Yes it did, even the DS had voice chat.
So I gave it a try recently, played Splatoon while my phone was laying on the table in front of me. Voice-chatted, they could hear me, I could hear them, so I don‘t really know, what the problem is?? Only downside for me is the fact, that the screen must be on the whole time, but that is not something a future update can‘t implement!
@Kalmaro One star and constructive criticism in both app store/Google play and in the actual apps comment section.
@zionich Good work. They need to see what we think about this.
I couldn't so much as PRETEND to care about voice chat if I tried, so I can't support or relate to most of the discussed issues in good faith even though the arguments and experience pool combine to form some objective-seeming points. But certain reports, like losing the connection when the phone screen turns off, sound baffling from any perspective. Granted, patches are even more abundant on mobile platforms than on consoles nowadays, sometimes fixing one thing at a time every few days. Hold on to your Google Plays. XD
I don't think it is worse than not existing.
The voice chat is mostly worse than Wii U. Ya, we can now voice chat in Splatoon and even have team chat segregated, but, it's a hassle and only one game. I can't chat in Monster Hunter XX when it releases August 25, yet I could on Wii U back in 2013.
The one thing the app offers is segategated team chat, which is legit, unfortunately it's not worth it having to use an app that cuts off and keeps the screen lit and doesn't work with any other games. Discord it is then.
They just don't get online. How hard is it to put the stupid app on the console itself. Good grief...
Thank goodness I don't really care for chat in games, and aside from 2 or 3 instances in the past 5 years, haven't used it at all. Thank goodness they bungled something I care little for, and can work around with Discord if need be. Better this than region lock or hardware tied accounts or a slow OS. Still... Switch is such an awesome console in pretty much every other aspect, with one of the most incredible game lineups I've seen. Why couldn't they have nailed this like everything else?
Oh well. I gave them a nice long rant in the app feedback section. Told em I'm using Discord and that's that. I'll play MHXX while it's free and unless they fix it, have no intention of subbing to online (in truth, I'm still subbing- I need my online for MH and Splatoon all gen, but they don't need to know that)
The voice chat part of the app is stupid. If you want to communicate through your phone while playing make a conference call or video chat. The people on the other end will be notified and you can easily see if they are available. Beyond that, it is ok for the splatoon stuff. I own all 3 major consoles, I play online mostly on my Xbox 1, I play the PS4 when new exclusives come out for it single player, and I play my Switch mostly in person with other people. When I do play it online it is normally against random people and I'm that sad about the lack of voice chat with random people.
@Snaplocket Cool beans, but does that also mean they don't care about being unable to queue with ones' friends .. b/c that was what I was talking about =(
The Switch Online voice chat makes Wii Speak look like the starship enterprise.. Nintendo.. you suck. No way is anyone gonna pay you to use that poopy app.
@XYBUTTONS Well as long as you are going to pay they are probably fine with that.
None of my friends care about Nintendo, so this doesn't bother me in the slightest, but it is pretty pathetic to not have voice chat on the actual console. I'm not missing anything, but I do find it bad Nintendo keeps having problems handling online play/functionalities, since they should easily be able to hire some people with a lot of experience in this department to guide them (but I guess they're not willing to listen).
I truly love Nintendo, but they can do such stupid things, like their stock problems keep blowing my mind as well (Gamecube adapter, amiibo's, amiibo cards, NES mini, Switch, etc.)
All the well deserved complaints aside, has it occurred to noone that Nintendo knows quite well is rubbish, and that's why they delayed it as a revenue stream for a quarter or more of a year?
Nintendo can simplified this by listing the user's phone numbers so they can use their mobile phone to call each other.
@feelinsupersonic That would be great if everyone didn't have to own their own their own Switch and game just to play Splatoon 2 together.
I have downloaded the App. I open it. Click on the Slatoon 2 icon and all it does is open an advertisement screen titled Squidkid Central. Splatnet 2. Where I'm told about the features.
Nothing about my gameplay and nothing to explain why I'm not seeing my gameplay stats etc.
I got my pre order Splatoon 2 early yesterday in the post.
Just jumping on here cause it's the newest article. SNES Classic preorders are up on Walmart in North America. Go! Go! Go!
having an external voice and lobby service isn't necessarily an awful idea.
It's not, it's awful because you can only do it externally. It would be great if you could use both your Switch by itself and also use your PC and smartphone to manage your friends and lobbies.
Some have said Nintendo wanted to keep voice chat off the hardware to keep it 'safe', but there are parental controls for that, and kids have smartphones and tablets anyway to access the app if they want; most know more about how to use them than their parents. Even if that 'safe' argument is true, it's been a mistake to launch an app that, in its core function of supporting lobbies and voice chat, is a bit embarrassing.
This is why it's extra frustrating. Nintendo has the most robust and heavily advertised parental control features of any major console but they still fear to death that allowing open, convenient voice chat would hurt their "child safe" reputation, so much so they'd rather make voice chat so convoluted and inconvenient that almost nobody will use it anyway.
though if voice chat was handled through the hardware it could be as simple as using a wired headset straight through the console's headphone jack
This is the reason why people think the convoluted and inconvenient 3 way with a smartphone for voice chat is an intentional attempt to discourage its use. The Switch has an audio/mic jack built into it, but it can't handle voice chat on its own just because Nintendo doesn't want it to. All it would take to fix this silly situation is software, software Nintendo won't release.
If Nintendo wants to fix this situation, the earlier they do it, the better, because then newer games won't have to release update patches or add to development mid way just to get their voice chat to work with the new, ideally convenient, voice chat system that replaces this terrible one. The longer they wait, the larger the chance is that many games will get stuck using this 3 way with a smartphone for voice chat and never update their game even if Nintendo eventually releases a better solution (the better solution being the Switch doing voice chat by itself).
@Crono1973 You are probably right. Odds are Nintendo is not going to change their path with their online plans. Nintendo dropping the ball on this also affects third party developers who create software that heavily relies on voice communication as part of the gameplay experience. Nintendo's interface makes for an inferior experience when compared to Sony or Microsoft. What a dumb way to shoot yourself and others in the foot. I don't know how Nintendo creates so much magic with one hand and mayhem with the other. Just stupid.
Nintendo really needs to get with the program as far as online is concerned. I personally have never used voice chat and likely never will, but for the people that want to use it, it can make or break the Switch.
Hopefully Nintendo listens to the feedback on the App Store.
If Nintendo is going to make the voice chat so convoluted, it would have been better if they did not create it at all. K.I.S.S. principal.
Nothing in the Switch's hardware prevents plugging an analog headset into the Switch headphone javk, at least for off-screen or portable use. A simple update is all that is needed to unlock this feature. I read the leaked developer docks and the microphone capability is built right into the TRRS jack.
The app could have simply been an option for people who would rather leave the system in the dock.
so, discord? got it!
I know many players may do the whole ‘it’s 2017 and they still can’t do blah blah blah’ but a lack of voice chat is what made the original Splatoon so refreshing because it was very playable without it.
I don't use voice chat. But it's a shame to see a friend - that I love as dearly as Nintendo - embarrassing itself in public.
@RadioHedgeFund No. Every game can be played without voice chat. The "I don't care, therefore it doesn't matter" mentality needs to go. They're offering a sub-par voice chat experience, that's what this is about. It's objectively worse than their previous consoles. It's a Nintendo thing, one step forward, two steps back.
Nintendo needs to realize that simple features are sometimes
better. Regular vc would been good. But no they have to do the crazy way. Hopefully they churn this out but I'm not getting my hopes up.
This is just another indication of why the Switch wasn't really ready for launch. This is the type of thing that could have been built into the controller instead of an IR sensor that will never be used.
One thing I want to know is how this is meant to work with the console docked, there is no way a cable is going to be running along the floor to the console and plugged into my phone.
Before they dare to charge people for this it needs to at least have party chat (not just in game) and work when the app isn't physically displayed on the phone (you know just how every other app of this type does), it's embarrassing how far Nintendo seem to be behind others in what have been basic functions for about a decade
Thanks but no thanks, it won't get a star from me, very backwards indeed
I still want to know the benefits of this approach. Surely Nintendo had some reason other than sheer stupidity.
In game chat with randoms has long been totally toxic, a barrage of foul mouth sexist and raciest commentary. But I have many ps4 friends who I only meat with online. My oldest son just started playing Overwatch with his cousins who live 300 miles away and in a few weeks they each know the others school friends and have meet ups planned when they next visit. There are many good sides to group chat online. My son played Splatoon for 2 hours yesterday and than asked to put Overwatch back on. He loved the game but missed his friends. It is unlikely he will go back and play more Splatoon. Nintendo is losing tomorrows customers. This may not hurt the bottom line today but the adults of the future will not be Nintendo buyers.
Well I for one cannot wait to buy the $50 Triforce replacement wire.
@Aozz101x
Discord, all the way. I got turned onto it by a group of users at gametz.com. We wanted to play Mario Kart 8 Deluxe together, it was decided to use Discord and it worked out quite well for us. The nice thing was that some people used their smart phones, while others used their computers. I was able to hook up the headset that I've used for my PS3 to my computer.
voice chat? lol
@BarFooToo
Yeah and what parent would let their little kid play with the switch anyway without apprehension? You cant throw it against the wall and knock it around like I did with my NES as a kid.
Also, what sites do you go to where you meat with people?
My positive look at it is: At least the lack of a microphone on the Switch does mean no more blowing/yelling into the mic atrocities, so, you know, every cloud...
@Paddle1 Even the bloody Famicom had a microphone!
@SanderEvers Tip: Read the actual article above to find out what's wrong with the voice chat app.
Also, it forces you to keep the screen on and you can't use any other apps or exit out while using it. There's two more problems for you.
Just use Skype or something.
Lol.
Time to use Discord again.
I'm beginning to wonder whether the reason for an external app is the external app itself - it's a way to get Nintendo onto your smartphone, it creates a mobile presence for Nintendo. That's a big part of their strategy, isn't it?
Splatnet is okay in terms of features, but voice chat does need a fix. It's pretty much useless if the app exits for any notification from another app on a phone and when the screen dims. Shoddy and a waste of time.
@Snaplocket What has that to do with group/ party matchmaking? Other than nothing at all?
They had to mess up something regarding the switch somehow. It may as well be the online. It's pretty clear Nintendo hates the very concept of online.
Why. Why why why. Why anyone though it is good idea to use another device for voice? I want that person fired!
I don't care for voicechat, I do use Discord (oh people who still use Skype - get rid of that horrible thing and move over to Discord!) but making something like this is really, really stupid.
Really stupid.
@WebHead
Seems to be so. They failed to see it's significance coming and have been behind ever since
http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/news050704iwatacomments
terribly obtuse app which is so awkward to use I just give up and ignored it completely.
It would have been nice to have voice chat built into multiplayer online version of each game. But for me, besides hearing your friends, There are a lot of people that you probably do not want to hear while playing a game, you know the ones I'm talking about
Why not simply have a Voice Chat application that you can download on the Switch, that runs in the background?
@Takerkaneanite6 I hope they implement that idea , running in the background
@Sakura your on to something there ,
It's so bad... So I invited some friends by facebook from within the app so they would get the notification. 5 of us joined but the sixth person replied by facebook and that notification shut down the whole chat and disconnected everyone! Not even going to give this another try it truly is pants.
...also to some other comments, I - soon the be middle aged woman - use so horrible language while playing intense games that no one would want to hear that
Just the latest reason why Nintendo is bringing up the rear in this industry. With them, it's always one step forward two steps back.
Gamexplain reported about Nintendo Switch Online a while back saying that data miners had discovered a version of it built in to the Switch itself. The Switch also has a TRRS mic/headphone input/ouput. I wonder if they'll just make it available for use in the background on the Switch and fix this nonsense once and for all. Pshhhh....nah lol.
Hey Nintendo, take a lesson from Microsoft and Sony!
@BinaryFragger
If the Nintendo fan boys would quit defending Nintendo they might hear their fan base a little bit louder! Things might actually get fixed and turned around. Hey Nintendo, your voice chat stinks. That's coming from a fan who owned the original NES in 1986. Can you hear us now?
I think the app is a great way forward for Nintendo I don't use chat.chat is full off trolls
@NEStalgia
The average lifespan of a Nintendo Consol is about five years. By the time they get their online service up and running, 20% of the Switch lifespan will be over! Lol.
@SLIGEACH_EIRE
That's not my Nintendo. My Nintendo plays with power! Well, at least it used to. 🙁 Now we play alone in the dark with no one to talk to. 😔
"You send out invites blind unless you HOME menu out of the lobby (on the Switch) and go into your user profile area. Do that, see if anyone's playing Splatoon 2"
@ThomasBW84: And what's worse: whenever you do that, you get a 'communication error' in Splatoon 2. Unless you go back into the game really quickly, hitting HOME to see who's playing what is apparently something Nintendo doesn't want us to do.
Personally, I can do without the VC feature of the app anyway, because as you rightfully mentioned, 'Splatoon 2 works fine [...] with the in-game text communications'. And if I should want to use VC someday, there's still Discord...
That said, the Splatnet 2 part of the app is really great! Wish they just released a standalone Splatnet 2 app.
BTW @AlexOlney: You can always access the shop directly by clicking the button in the top right corner (see here), you don't need to scroll down for that.
From the review notes, if they could only have an easy way to reply, or send a subset of premade messages (Yes / No / Busy / Stop Messaging Me), then I think this app would be a lot more useful. Could always be patched in though.
Being able to push a request to the smart phone is a good idea I think, but without the ability to reply it loses a lot of point. Could still work out well with Streamers or popular Twitter people, as then you'd just want to let the people know and first come first serve, otherwise, not as easy/useful
Haven't tried chat yet, but the non-chat features are cool, it'll take some time to get used to navigating through it, but I really like that I am able to see the last 50 battle results (sometimes I miss it in-game bc they pass by so fast), who I played with, etc.
I note that there's a Favorite marker on some weapons (and maybe the other Gear)? This seems to be more like 'most frequent/recently used', perhaps? It'd be awesome if we could mark these ourselves, since there's a sorting option with it (assuming this feature doesn't exist already)
So it sounds like NL would give this app a 9/10
It's actually funny how bad this is.
@Bengals76 at least that means its 20% free
If Nintendolife says it stinks... Then it's gonna be seriously bad!
@Snaplocket I'm sorry, but I'm confused, how is texting or calling gonna help with matchmaking? Oo
@Bengals76
I dunno, bafflingly stupid decisions are pretty much their stock in trade. Cartridges in the N64, no DVDs in the Gamecube, not being able to see the GBA screen (then the revision that fixed this not having a headphone jack), region-locking the 3DS, the Wii U, no headphone jack in the Switch Pro Controller etc.etc.
@Wolfgabe
Pretty much what I was going to say. Not only is this NOT an indicator of what the online is going to be like, it's also completely unnecessary, it opens up a pandoras box. Online will become nothing more than a cesspool of insults and racism, which Nintendo would then have to monitor in order to keep the game family-friendly, which is a key element to Splatoon. I've NEVER understood why people would want this when Discord and Skype are a thing. Do you really want to hear a 10 year old call someone "a ****ing ****** squid *****" and such? I don't. If I did, I could go on a Call of Duty game and hear that, minus squid. Also, female gamers especially appreciate it because there's less abuse. Nothing is more cringe than what happens when a female voice is heard among a male dominated group of teenagers. (Again, Call of Duty).
The people clamoring for this got what they deserved. Enjoy!
EDIT: Just to clarify, I'm not defending Nintendo for releasing this steaming pile. It's definitely garbage, but what did you expect?
The second I first heard it announced I knew it would be crap. And it is.
@Snaplocket I'm can't speak to all Nintendo games, but how can the matchmaking for a group/ party be fine ... if there isn't really any?
How is that hard to understand? Let's say I want to play Overwatch: I get the folks from my friendlist, I want to play with, in a party, and I queue said party up in the game. Most of the time we'll have a full set of 6 with even two more waiting in the PSN party chat to fill in any slots that'll open up as the evening goes, and as such we are matched up with the 6 other players to battle.
If our party happens to be incomplete, because like for example it's running really late, the matchmaking system makes our team whole again, so we'll end up playing a 6 vs 6 again. It doesn't matter if we go down to 6, 5, 4, 3 or 2 players, we'll always end up in a 6 vs 6, and we'll always be on the same site (unless someone quits, disconnects or anything like that obviously).
If the matchmaking in Splatoon 2 allows for this (honestly most basic) kind of matchmaking involving parties/ groups, I have not yet found it. If I want to start a group, I have to start a private lobby - which as far as I can tell, means there will be no more matchmaking.
Again, IF I'm wrong, I'd love to know how it works.
I am using this service with Splatoon 2 now and have no issues with it whatsoever. It's actually a pretty neat little app that I will use regularly.
Meh don't bother me I hate talking online anyway ... Just play game, I don't know why people are like "omg no voice chat!?" Gould of been around in the good old game days
Can only chat if your playing friends vs friends and no friend vs the world
doesnt nintendo always go backwards?
its their common business practice with everything
@ThomasBW84 I totally agree and this is one reason why splatoon 2 should never have been given 10/10.
The fact you can't get a team of four players or friend together and voice chat to take down another online team is usless.
I want to chat with my friends but we don't want to fight each other to do so.
I thought it was a dumb idea to start with, but was reserving judgement until it came out hoping to be pleasantly surprised. Why does Nintendo constantly feel the need to over complicate relatively simple things?
So much for portable Splatoon.
Its like when Nintendo takes one step forward into something new, they take two steps back. This is getting ridiculous.
I wasn't ever going to use voice chat with my Switch anyway but I might have if they tried using a normal streamlined version. I have my PC, phone, and Discord if I want to talk and play with friends.
@feelinsupersonic I guess that does make sense, I'm not too disappointed since I hadn't added a single person on switch yet to my friends but I can see why others are a bit turned down.
@Bengals76 LOL!
@astonkiller not all chat, sir. I always heard bad things about chat but tried it first on Dead Island(PC). Quite fun. Then Dying Light(PC). Even more fun. Then Destiny(PS4). Hella fun. Never tried it on my 360 or One, weird as that may seem. Never once have I had or heard any racists comments. Bad jokes sometimes but none of the so called typical tripe most say is the reason they don't go online. Just sayin... Some chat is quite entertaining and fun🙂
@SanderEvers
Yes while that's true, but the app as a complete package is a 2.5 out of 5 at best.
And sadly the Nintendo thing to do in a situation like this... is to abandon any further Voice Chat development for this game. But probably make a better version for future games.
And here we go again Nintendo proving it just cannot do online features correctly. I tell ya it's going to be sick if this Ataribox has a similar Chipset or a stronger Chipset than the Switch which could be possible. Crazy times! As far as the online communications go just use Discord if Nintendo can't get it together.
@Nolan420 it has nothing to do with system resources.
Xbox 360 did voice chat and parties with 32mb RAM for their entire OS.
@Wolfgabe yep.
hmmm do I want to hear 8 year old kids screaming obscenities at each other? Nope!
I was disappointed to see that voice chat through this app is only an option for private matches. Still no way to play matchmaking with a friend or anything. Completely ludicrous.
How long before Reggie spits out the predictable "we hear you" line
My Vita can VC with any group of friends online on my ps4, without headset. Is the hypesmoke clearing up? After the WiiU, the Switch is nothing more of the same crap from Nintendo. Yes i bought a Switch and a WiiU, because i love a few good Nintendo games to play around with. But with every new console they come with so much crap that even Nintendo themselves don't know what they just released to the world. Every time there is something so badly designed that it fails by todays standards. I mean, the Switch battery is so bad, so lousy, how could Splatoon2 even be a portable multiplayer succes when there are no wallsockets, powerbanks or carchargers when on the go. When you play for 2 hrs you have to stop. A Usb connector only on the bottom of the screen?! Even the WiiU gamepad has a better designchoice. It is stupid. Then this online vc failure. Shows Nintendo thinks only kids under the age of 10 are playing their games while i think the installed base is much older. It is stupid and a disgrace. I felt screwed with my WiiU and i'm having some sort of the same experience with the Switch (you get used to it eventually). But more important; look at all this from a developpers point of view. 'Why in the world' is what i think. My 3ds is still one of my favorate handhelds and i see a future for the Switch where the handheld option is barely used. So i hope for a PlayStation TV solution for the Switch. Ditch the screen and a return to a simple console with a nice wireless controller. It is possible with the Switch. Day one purchase for me. If Nintendo wasn't creating a few good games every now and then......i'm a fan, of Nintendo games!
Yeah that looks like a mess. I always facetime my brother when playing online with him. Works fine for us.
on my phone the app basically takes control of whatever bluetooth speaker it can link to and then prevents me from receiving any phone calls even if the app isn't loaded up. absolute disaster.
I would have been suprised if the voice chat would have been gpod honestly. They should have just done voice chat like everybody else. I think this is one of those things that doesn't need to be Nintendo-fied.
If anyone is interested in playing Splatoon2 online, feel free to add me:
DeltaPeng
SW-7126-4512-7910
All skill levels welcome. Seems unlikely I'll get 8 players at a time, so the lower ranked or newer people can just have more people on the same team
@WebHead They messed up the Switch when they decided that they needed to replace the D-Pad with buttons so the Joycons could act like baby Wii Remotes. You guys knew they were going to screw up the online part before you bought a Switch.
Also, VC = Virtual Console. It's confusing to use it for Voice Chat. Maybe use VChat or maybe just type out the words.
Me and my mates are just going to open a PS4 party chat when it comes to playing Switch games online together it's less hassle than that rubbish app.
Everyone will pay for Voicechat as it will be tied to the Virtual console and were all suckers for Super Mario World.
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