Switch Programming Glitch Is Forgetting Your Game Playtimes

I think a lot of people find joy in the statistics, including me, so I hope they fix this and restore the lost data.

Ten days from now won’t the problem go away? Like won’t it go back to saying how many hours have been logged once the initial ten day “new” period is over?

Well this is a bummer... So this means Nintendo is doomed right?

I would have been with all you day 1'ers but Nintendo replaced my Switch without moving the data over a few months back so I guess it won't be affecting me

I wish they would implement a better activity log like the Wii, Wii U and 3DS all had..

Year one was so amazing...
...'Let's go round again! Maybe we'll turn back the hands of tiiiiiime.'

@thesilverbrick Everyone is betting on this outcome, but lets hope Nintendo patches things up first.

I started out on March the 21st or so. I don't have much longer to survive at this rate...

I agree with @dings.

But for me, it’s no big deal because I’ve only put 15 hours into BotW 🤭😥

WHAT?! This is a classic rookie mistake, did they seriously let some programming beginners code that? Should be easy to fix though.

That said, I don't have that bug, maybe because I got my Switch in June...

I heard that if you use Magnesis on the truck near the Lurelin Village, you can find a new boss called Missingdorf hidden underneath.

I look forward to a fix.

Well, I got my Switch on launch day and I can confirm it deleted my playtime. Super annoyed, can`t they get OS or online infrastructure right at least once?

Well, guess I will be playing BotW once again. Really hope they patch this up...

Also hoping for a real activity log with the next os update, the 3DS type one...

Fortnite didn’t track wins last week, I won 10 games. This is a drop in the ocean to my disappointment, lol.

No such problems on Wii U.

I'd imagine some people would rather not know exactly how many hours they've put in to Breath of the Wild... 😂

It’s just the time in the playlog, right? It’s not actually deleting save data, surely?

Wish it had a proper activity log like the 3DS and Wii U instead anyway. Seems like a step backwards to go to this increasingly vague system.

Its annoying. But not a big deal. If we were talking about save data being messed with, then we have an issue.

Totally agree with all those that suggest the 3DS Game Play Activity Log is far , far superior. Alongside being able to save your game save data to 'NintenSpace' or SD card an overhaul of the Switch Activity Profile is top of my wishlist for this system. Baffling why Nintendo don't seem to be making things such as this - which improve the user experience - a priority.

Got my switch at launch. I just checked, only botw seems to have been affected by this problem.
I agree, hope we get the equivalent of the 3ds activity log on switch as a repair. That was way better than this.

I didn't start BOTW until the second day, hopefully this gets fixed soon.

Please don’t lose my 400 hours of Splatoon 2...

High five for the LotR reference in the article. Nice work @Shiryu.

You could say its not stable enough

@Shiryu There's a glitch in this article as well.

"It will be, however, a bit embarrassing if you were planing to show off today how many hours you have put into 'the Wild'..."

I'm surprised nobody has noticed.

Mine never counted them correctly anyway with BOTW sat at the same figure no matter how much I played and if I'm honest I couldn't care less if it tells me how long I've played.

@Maxz isn’t that Ganondew? I think Missingdorf had something to do with Eventide Island...

I think when the "played for the first time 1 day ago" thing will be gone, the system will start showing the total amount of play time again. Still a rookie mistake. Oh Nintendo you just can't do things right OS wise

The Berry Glitch has returned!

@SLIGEACH_EIRE Nice catch. Caught me off daydreaming of a new Pilotwings again...

this would be a great time for Nintendo to have the Switch tell us accurate game play times like on the WiiU or 3DS, not this vague "somewhere in the park of 30 and 35 hrs"

@shani All I could think of while reading the article was the Y2K bug, which was only covered everywhere all over the world for about 2-3 years.

It took them a year to make the Switch OS, but they made 1 of the biggest rookie mistakes, and most covered rookie mistakes in every medium everywhere - using only month and day for time measurement but not the year - and they only figured it out AFTER it happened. Seriously, firing offense from where I'm sitting when it's 2018 and you still haven't figured out how to solve the Y2K bug, which this problem clearly is.

http://www.wnd.com/1999/10/376/

#WiiUIsBetter

Plays Wii, GameCube, N64, SNES, NES, DS, and GBA games.

Wii U: Yes
Switch: No

Can browse the Internet, access YouTube and Netflix.

Wii U: Yes
Switch: No

Can control your television.

Wii U: Yes
Switch: No

Has a system soundtrack.

Wii U: Yes
Switch: No

Super Smash Bros.

Wii U: Yes
Switch: No

-

Wii U: 5
Switch: 0

I didn't buy the Switch day 1, so I'm not impacted.

But if Nintendo doesn't fix this issue within the next month, then I guess I won't be able to brag about how much time I've put into Zelda BOTW.

@jimi get behind the team thennnnn god I can't stand plastic armchair fans who are negative after one loss.

@10-zx Wii U doesn't play Gamecube games. . but you're correct on everything else. thumbs up

Mine is Okay.
No Glitch at all.
Even my Top playing time is still Portal Knights for more than 85 hours.

@Winklebottom

It does if you use homebrew. Runs them natively. With a Pro Controller. And HDMI. And a monumentally improved processor.

I adore this console.

thumbs up? How about clicks heart?

500+ hours for me with 3 playthroughs, one on normal, one on master, and one for speed runs (which I’m horrible at, lol).

Noticed this yesterday while waiting for a game to update, good thing I don't put much stock in it

When I heard about this happening I took a screenshot of how many hours I had done just to be on the safe side. My Switch didn't arrive on day one as it should have but 4 days later so I might be safe but will leep an eye on it just in case.

Has a U in its name
Wii U: Yes
Switch: No

Was released in 2012
Wii U: Yes
Switch: No

Accepts game media which can be used as frisbees
Wii U: Yes
Switch: No

Can call it Steve if you want to
Wii U: Yes
Switch: Yes, but why would you want to that's stupid

Wii U: 4
Switch: 0.5

Eh, not that big of a deal for me. Certainly doesn't warrant a "Switch sux, Wii U is better" list out of the blue.

@10-zx Nintendont is awesome. so i can't disagree with you on that for Wii U/Wii.

Late adopter, my play time is still there.

Well this might look like a very permanent glitch, where the statistics might not be recoverable anymore., when it's been overwritten.
One more reason how behind the times Nintendo is, with not offering cloud saves, like Sony's PS4 is doing for years. /sigh

I see a lot of you guys would love activity log, I think it would sit pretty nicely between that news and eshop icons.

Just in case i just take a screenshot of all my play time so if the glitch hits my switch I'm saved. I recommend everyone to do the same at least until Nintendo fix this.

ive check mine and everything is fine maybe it only effecting a small minority switch owners not all.

@Pichuka97 Not for 9 months or so if the problem isn't fixed.

@Anti-Matter When did you buy Portal Knights? The bug only affects games you first played a year ago. If you first played it last 1 June, then next 1 June it will reset.

@Camilla See above!

@rjejr Well but that was 1999, we've been living without the Y2K bug for 18 years now.

While they are at it, they should make it so the counter is actually accurate like the Wii U and 3DS's play logs...
SKYRIM: "Played this one time for a certain amount of time."
Thanks, Switch. Lol

Its articles like this when I wish a killer app or something significant is revealed. Clearly, some are so bored with not much to discuss, making a mountain out of molehill about this

Darn! I just finished another play through, and I kept forgetting to check my playtime. I Estimate at least 500 hours

@HalBailman
I bought Portal Knights Digital download version on 24 December 2017, Physical on 25 February 2018.
I bought Nintendo Switch on 24 December 2017.

I got my switch in July and started playing Zelda in August. Will it say zero hours for me too? I’m too lazy to check. I ate a lot and I refuse to move. I hope it doesn’t delete saved game data. I’m going to nap now.

@dings The only good one is 3DS's Activity Log, the Wii U's is too basic and clunky and the Wii Message Board doesn't even track your total playtime. The Nintendo Channel did but it's been shut down.

I love the Activity Log, too bad each successor is worse.

@shani "we've been living without the Y2K bug for 18 years now."

Maybe Nintneod decided to bring it back in lieu of VC?

Lose track of time and start all over again from zero! It's not a bug, it's a feature!!

BOTW reset for me. The only other game I had around launch was Shovel Knight but that won't reset for another week or two.

Could we just have another Activity Log like 3DS's? I liked seeing my most played in a top 10 and beyond list.

@KryptoKrunch

Wii U is objectively the better console as of March 4, 2018. It simply offers more per buck.

Besides, Switch has commandeered quite a few Wii U games, and many have been ported to 3DS. The thing is almost like a breeding ground for classics. Yes, the ports are because of low sales but that's besides the point. They wouldn't have ported them in the first place if they weren't flippin' fanominal titles to begin with.

@rjejr We haven't been without VC for a year! Only a day!

Amazing how slow news breaks on this site. This was reported on Friday!

Eh, I thought the Switch didn't record the amount of hours you played at all!

Nintendo on their Japanese site has cofirmed that the Playtime glitch will be fixed with a future update and that the data hasn't been lost.

Google translate:

Question: [Switch] Looking at "play record", it is displayed as if you played a few days ago though it is software that has been running for more than 1 year since playing started.

Answer: As for the phenomenon in which "My Play History" is not displayed correctly on my page, we plan to fix it in the future main body update.
Please wait for delivery of main body update data.

(*) It is a problem on the display of My page, and it is not abnormality of play record or saved data, so do not worry.

https://support.nintendo.co.jp/app/answers/detail/a_id/35151

@Lord We do the best we can with the best staff we have. In case you have not noticed we were rather busy preparing for you guys the Switch first anniversary special features, aye?

@rjejr

Well, nostalgia is all the rage now.

@rjejr

That would be so Nintendo! ^^

@jimi ah sorry I thought this was a football forum the way you were comparing things

Welp, lost my 275 hours. Good thing Nintendo is going to fix this.

I really wish the Switch had an activity log like the 3ds. One of many things I dislike about the Switch. I know everyone likes to throw something at me for saying so but I feel the Switch is so cheap on so many levels compared to the 3ds. I feel like it's a step backwards.

@Tyranexx Oh no. This is Termina all over again.

@Anti-Matter Presuming you first played it on 24 December and Nintendo don't fix the problem, then come next 24 December, kaboom!

I hope Nintendo fixes this sooner, rather than later. I have never understood using play times to "show off" - I just like knowing how much I have played my games. I am still bummed the Switch lacks a proper activity log like the 3DS has.

Also I like to see my friends' play times, I treat it as a recommendation from my friends for games I may not have played yet. "Oh, my friend put 80 hours into that game! It must be pretty fun." - kind of thing.

An annoyance but one I have little worry fir after being “desensitised” to it through two events:

1) Played through Bravely Default on my 3DS and 3DS XL so play time is spread between the 2; although the game file remembers.

2) Played so much Ace Combat 5 I reset the timer when it went past 99:99.

i wish it could just stop counting for me.

@Shiryu yes I've seen those, still waiting for the 'it's been a year and the switch still has the worse online system ever. No voice chat, or party matchmaking, no monster hunter, no Nintendo rewards. An appauling playtime tracker, No Netflix. No VC......what an awful 1st year article!

@Lord It is for people like you I try to improve everyday.

@gaga64 . No, just playtime, thankfully lol

am I missing something? how old is this article? no date? oh maybe that disappeared too! I guess N isn't the only one with this glitch.