It's no secret that Nintendo's online gaming infrastructure has left many of its fans frustrated, with several of the Switch's features making playing with others more complicated than it needs to be. Well, one fan has stepped up to the plate to create an easier way to play with others online, and early signs suggest that it could be a raging success.
A few days ago, a Reddit user under the name of bezzaton shared a post detailing a new website that they had created. "I love Nintendo," they said, "but between Nintendo friend code IDs, many games not offering online multiplayer, and the online multiplayer that does exist often being difficult to find new players for, there's a real issue here that I believe could use some solving".
The solution comes in the form of Switcher.gg, a website which allows users to sign up to organise play with others. Once you've signed up, you can choose to find other players for local co-op sessions (within the distance you set) or find others for online multiplayer. It even matches you to other players based upon games that you both own and a variety of other specifications that you can set, essentially acting like a dating app - but for finding Super Smash Bros. Ultimate matches instead.
The site connects to Discord, so users can login via their Discord account and all activity is linked between both platforms, meaning that you can actually do your matchmaking through Discord, too. At the time of writing, the site is only a couple of hundred users away from hitting 40,000, with the community growing and growing by the hour.
Of course, whether or not Nintendo will take any issue with the site is yet to be seen, and it's worth pointing out - just to be extremely clear - that Switcher is not backed officially by Nintendo, and users will be connecting with random strangers online. If that's what you're hoping to find, though, to secure more matches in games that don't have a particularly large pool of players, this could be a good way to go.
Have you already heard about the site? Have you tried it out for yourself? Let us know about your experiences with it in the comments below.
[source switcher.gg]
Comments 43
So it's functional, it's helpful, it's free, and it has user support?
It's gonna get C&D'd to oblivion.
Looks nice. Nintendo could TRY and knock it down but I don't see on what grounds they'd do it.
How can Nintendo shut it? Aren't there a lot of sites that do the same on other platforms for trophy boosting etc?
I don't get why Nintendo would shut it down, but then again, we're talking about Nintendo here.
See this is fantastic and very helpful. Don’t understand why Nintendo doesn’t take steps to do this on their own. The only aspect of the Switch I can’t stand is their online infrastructure. Christ I can’t even send a message to my friends. I just cannot understand. Make parental controls secure by default so that I have to turn off security features they want in place for kids. Unfortunately a large part of the user base are not kids anymore. We want proper online communications at the very least.
And here we are, almost 2019 and the Switch without chat support.
This sounds great.
Are there any German Switch Users online?
Well to an extent they tried it with Miiverse. That was awesome but you all know how that turned-out
@insidePhil Nintendo of Europe is in Frankfurt, so yes ;-D
Please note if Nintendo based on Kyoto, Japanese district that still maintain their Traditional cultures.
Traditional yet also conventional and hardly to change drastically.
I wish it would let you specify which NES-NSO game in particular you want to play.
I totally like this idea, and I doubt Nintendo will have a problem with it since they support both Meetup for the Nintendo 3DS and Discord and a number of other platforms for Pokemon GO. But it also seems pretty unsafe and I don't think I'll be using it.
Just signed up, looks really cool
Wow local co op.
This like many other user created programs doesn't deserve to die
Nintendo used to run a service called 'Miiverse' which provided exactly this functionality and was very useful to find other players and get in touch with them...
Nintendo Fans.
@Anti-Matter what do you mean?
@KingdomHeartsFan I always hopes the online service would be a return to miiverse. Sadly i was mistaken.
Interesting, I made an account and put up a mix of games I own and games I'd be interested in trying out (in case someone else locally is interested in meeting up who has them). Like all online to real life ventures, safety first, want to make sure the other person is who they say they are prior. Thankfully with the Switch being portable, could go meet somewhere like a local fast food restaurant for it.
Just signed up. Hope this shows Nintendo we need this and they implement something. Anything for Christ’s sake.
This is when you put those $20 away, and just play online on another platform until Nintendo gets its act together.
I think it's a nice idea. A little unsafe, but what isn't in this life?...
Probably won't be using since i'm not even signed up to Nintendo Online. Maybe once they release the next Mario Kart game i'll be down for it (Ninti Online and the fan site).
Also, i think Nintendo got online wrong with the switch from the very beginning. No matter what they say to defend the chat app for smartphones instead of having it in the console, i still gonna say it was a bad idea.
I flatly refuse to give Nintendo money for doing nothing of value with an online service. Its ridiculous that gamers have to create solutions to basic fracking needs
I wish 3DS and Wii U (maybe even Wii and DS) was integrated into this site.
Will definitely try this out over the weekend, would be great to find someone nearby to play with me and my girlfriend.
Aaaaand now I sound like a swinger.
This is what happens when you defend a low quality service on the basis that it's a good service because it's low cost.
If only there were people who had been vocally expressing their concerns about a major console maker trying to launch a paid online service without all the basics a modern day online community requires.
@Richnj There was, and still are, except they don't realize that whining on random forums doesn't do anything; contact the source of the problem directly (Nintendo).
@Kalmaro They use the words Nintendo Switch
therefore they can sue their pants off!
What exactly are we paying $20 a year for, again? 🤔
LOCAL Friends, to play in REAL LIFE. YES PLEASE!
@AlphaElite Awesomeness, but, your just trolling
@Reigestugatensho
You just used the term switch so I guess Nintendo can sue your pants off now.
@PLAYwithGregg Ah, yes, "awesomeness". A nebulous word to conceal the lack of anything tangible.
This is awesome
just joined upto the site, looks pretty decent. good way to meet people playing similar games.
@EVIL-C It was sarcasm, and even contacting the source directly does nothing. Not that my comment was aimed at Nintendo anyway. It was aimed at those who defended the service against the fair criticisms put against it.
When a company makes a misstep. For example; trying to launch an online only console with poor exclusives. They have thousands, if not millions, of voices online telling them what they don't like, and what they do like. So that they can at least launch a console with offline options. Maybe that company will lose all their ground to the competition still, because they were morons, but at least the gamers of that console have a better console as a result of all that complaining and whining on random online forums. Or you go the Nintendo route and just ignore everyone, launch a subpar service and have your hardcore fans defend the living heck out of it, despite the fact you are actively screwing them out of a substantially richer online experience.
I signed up...I don't like Discord much because the experience that I had with it is not good. But my profile is up there if anyone wants to add me on Switch or Discord.
@DigiF4N I just joined into Discord like a month ago. Honestly I found it a little frustrating at fisrt but worked through it. May consider using the website. (Also nice Profile Pic, glad to see there is another Digifan out there!)
@Reigestugatensho lol, thx, yeah i am a digimon fan but not only that but i really am davis irl, from digimon! i'm having a blast with his spirit in me
@Glitchling78 lmao
This reminds me of the origins of this very site, which was once known as abxy.org, and provided a way to find online players for the DS.
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