In November, you might recall how Reggie Fils-Aimé said Nintendo Switch Online was going to be the place where users of the service could play all of their classic content. At the time, Reggie revealed the company hadn't even made the full library of NES games available yet.
During a recent chat with Forbes, the President of Nintendo America reiterated how the focus right now was on the NES era:
"In terms of the legacy content, we’ve said that our focus right now is for NES content. And that’s what we’ll continue to push on."
Despite this limited focus, Reggie said Nintendo was always considering how to evolve its subscription service. He also issued a reminder to users of the service that Nintendo won't simply mirror the competition:
"We’re always looking for ways to make the subscription offer more meaningful to consumers, so stayed tuned as those plans continue to evolve...Nintendo as a company prides itself on doing things differently. So, don’t expect us to simply mirror what others do. We’ll look to provide unique elements, elements that other players in the space aren’t considering. That’s going to be a key area of focus for us."
Are you satisfied with the legacy content currently on the Switch? Do you play the digital NES library on a regular basis? Are you happy to wait for more classic games while Nintendo experiments with its new online subscription service? Tell us below.
[source forbes.com]
Comments 141
Wow, that's a direct yet also indirect way of saying "we're not going to give you all the basic features you want". I hate being cynical, but that's what it feels like with regression of online since the Wii U days.
I do think that Reggie is secretly knows deep down why the online isn't as good as it should be, especially for a paid service, but he's (mostly) powerless to change the course.
Hopefully the new president changes course quickly.
I don’t know Reggie. For me there’s just no excuse for the lack of (at the very least) Snes Games. And if you guys really wanted to make it more interesting, N64 or dare I say GameCube games as well!! I don’t understand the wait on these consoles at all! Dare I say Wii games??? You guys need to fix this and mix it up and HOW ABOUT A PURCHASE OPTION???
That's really sad that we can't have VC right now, I don't even mind paying for Zelda Ocarina of Time(again..) I just want the option on Switch...
“Who needs dedicated servers for our top online games, where everyone can be happy, when we have NES games!”
“At the time, Reggie revealed the company hadn't even made the full library of NES games available yet.”
Wow! Reggie amazed us all with that revelation that the NES had more than 26 games released for it, what’s next will Reggie tell us the little known secret that Mario isn’t an actual person?
@joey302 gets it. Why does Nintendo insist on acting like nobody want's N64 or GameCube games!?
WHAT PLANET IS NINTENDO ON over there?
I just want to give them my money for N64 & GameCube ports. I really don't understand this giant blazing blind spot Nintendo has.
Nintendo is so tone deaf when it comes to they're classic games.
Players: "We want to play our favorite VC games!"
Nintendo: "Oh like the NES ones? Cool we can do that!"
Players: "That's cool but we want more than just these NES games please."
Nintendo: "Oh you want more? We hear you and we're happy to give you more. Here's a few more NES games."
Players: "We want something other than NES games. You used to have lots of other games available..."
Nintendo: "Yes we know we had other games available in the past on past systems including the 3DS, but for now our key focus is on NES games for the Switch. We have nothing to comment at this time regarding other classic games from previous nintendo systems."
I don't expect it to mirror other consoles. I just expect it to be competent as an online service. And, spoiler alert, it's not.
I'm dying to know what Nintendo's strategy is behind the scenes for this painful lack of N64 & Gamecube ports.
Every month, they add at least one game I’m pumped to play on Switch (Super Dodge Ball! Metroid! Ninja Gaiden in a few hours!), but it’s not really that special. I could play these in so many different places already.
I wish Nintendo Online would start doing something unique. Or at least offer games we haven’t seen a hundred times.
We're not going to see GCN games anytime soon for NSO. Nintendo just released a port of Luigi's Mansion for $40 two months ago, double the price of a 1 year subscription for NSO.
Go home Reggie you're drunk, seriously focusing on NES games you will see a major drop in subscription numbers after the first year i guarantee.
Nintendo is as tone deaf as Apple. They will pick what they want to sell us and sell it at a premium, knowing full well that their customer base will buy and rebuy their mediocre products. The NES collection is not what the fans want, but it’s sure the only thing they wanna give us. They haven’t even revealed January NES games!!
Regi can't get it going because of its Slow Start!
What happened to all the people who defended Nintendo saying it was pocket change so it was acceptable to offer a less than mediocre service. I spent money on this service just to be able to download the mario tennis DLC which was supposed to be locked behind tournaments but now you can download them without having online. Basically I paid a years fee to play dr mario for a hour or so. Good stuff.
Ok then, don't mirror the competition. Being us all what were gagging for and have been asking for from the very start. Snes, N64 and a smattering of cube titles, dedicated voice chat,party system and friend messaging. I fail to understand why Nintendo doesn't give people what they want! Surely they have someone trawling sites that realise there are a hell of alot of folk who want more than nes games? It just doesn't compute with my brain why they fail again and again to offer people what the want.
They say they want to be different but all they are is not as good. People don't mind paying a full subscription price if the service it there. Just look at what Sony offer. They increased their subscription by 10 quid and everyone moaned but boy have they more or less delivered of the free content month upon month. Some real heavy hitters offered up on the + subscription. That's how it's done right.
Reg, my dude.... Sometimes you just don't have to speak.
That announcement just hurts my soul. Give us some Super Nintendo, 64, or Gamecube games. We'll pay more money if you need to, just something more than NES. Was hoping to wait for next direct for good or bad news regarding 2019, but not looking great for the subscription service.
Reggie hasn't seemed very passionate since Iwata passed away. I wonder if his relationship with Japan's new boss isn't as good.
After all, NoA is NoJ's puppet at the end of the day.
@Malcrash
Dude, you and everyone else crying for dedicated servers really need to get it through your head that MOST games, unless they're always online/MMO type games, don't have dedicated servers. Microsoft is the only company out of the three to give their first party games dedicated servers, and that's only some of them that are online focused.
I'm not saying that I wouldn't like dedicated servers, but people keep acting like Nintendo should be the only console manufacturer/publisher/developer to prioritize dedicated servers across all of their games, and that being with an online membership that is 1/3rd the price of their competition. I really don't get it.
Edit: also, Smash online isn't laggy sometimes because it isn't on dedicated servers, it's laggy because 1.) Whoever lead development for the online component didn't think to add in filters so that you only play with people in your region/play with people with a good connection and 2.) The net code is only okay. Net code is way more important in a fighting game than having dedicated servers. That being said, I've had a pretty decent experience with Smash online after the launch day (which was TERRIBLE)
If rumors like the Skyward Sword remasters or Metroid Prime Trilogy rerelease turned out to be true, I wouldn’t be so salty about a lack of post-NES content on the Switch. But those didn’t happen, so yes, salty.
An option to purchase nes games like on VC or since I have my 3ds and switch accounts tied together offer those VC games I already bought for free as I had done on my psp and vita. I don't play online at all so the only part of the service that interests me is the classic games but I'm not giving them a dime for rentals (especially when I don't get to choose my own library of games and expect them to know what I want).
Bye Reggie bye
I just want them to include the invite feature that Splatoon 2 has in other games.
@GameOtaku Glad you wrote this. I don't need to bother now. I also don't play online what so ever so the only thing worth while to me is also th V console. Until a time when I see Ocarina of time available to play my money is staying in my wallet also.
I believe that Reggie is aware of Nintendo's ineptitude regarding online, but can't really do anything about it. He comes off differently here than he did in that interview regarding Red Dead Redemption 2. There, he was being realistic of the Switch's limitations and RDR2's development but he still recognizes that RDR2 would be a welcome addition to Switch. Here, with the comments about not "mirroring" the competition and "we do things differently".....it just feels forced, idk.
In other words "don't expect a good service in the future. We don't plan on improving it"
Gonna try and be optimistic and point out how he is saying "right now". That could mean in the future things will be different.
Its a little late to be stating the obvious Reg.
I’m not at all satisfied. I don’t care about playing NES games they’ve released a billion times over already.
I preferred the service when it was free.
I don't give a poo about the NES games (or SNES). Give me a competent online system instead please. Thanks.
No I don't play the NES games because in this day and age they're mostly rubbish. Even if Nintendo just went one generation up and provided SNES games I believe people would be happier.
I swear, for what it is, the SWITCH ONLINE SHOULD BE FREE !
On the WII U, it was fine... like OK it's not as great as the competition BUT IT'S F. FREE !!!
Like I said, Nintendo becomes greedier and greedier with the time :
Online which offers less than the previous gen but you have to pay for it ! (NO WAY !)
Ports of the Wii U that you have to pay full price... (NO WAY !)
Accessoiries like the dock 99€, for a piece of plastic... (NO WAY !)
A Pokéball at 55€, for a chinese toy... 'NO WAY !)
etc...etc...
It's a shame that people have to pay for the Online Service the way it is and apparently will stay... :/
As far as I can tell, Nintendo is charging me to host the same old laggy servers for Smash Bros on my own Switch with my own internet that I was before I had to pay for it, but I'll give them my lunch money anyway because I want to play Mario Kart and Smash Bros online with my family.
They can't even get the NES games right. They really need a button mapping feature. Some of the games are unplayable for me because of the current button configuration.
I would imagine that anyone who wants to play NES games would spring for the NES mini. I don’t even bother with playing these old games with my online subscription there are plenty of “new” games I’m more excited about. I’ve only been a cheerleader where Switch is concerned but the online subscription turning into an NES player is ridiculous. I Can appreciate these old games for what they’ve done for gaming but some fossils should be left in the dirt... like all of them... Where’s my “special subscription discounts/ bonus content “?
I absolutely despise the fact that because Nintendo was late to the party with online play, they have to do weird stuff to pretend to innovate. All their consumers want is a Nintendo version of Xbox Live/Playstation Network, but they cannot seem to concede defeat.
Sometimes copying what already works is the best course of action. Don't try to reinvent the wheel, especially since your design is worse than the original.
Improvements to the online services are necessary, and hopefully Nintendo will attend to that. For example, cloud save is a pillar of the service, but some games disallow that - this genuinely needs a fix. What won't happen in my opinion are the N64, Gamecube, Wii... games in a VC like service or in the Online service. Let me explain.
Nintendo is pretty capable of porting/remastering some of these games and sell those to us in the $20-40 price points (or maybe more) like the rumored Metroid Prime Trilogy/Twilight Princess. Also the 3rd parties like Square Enix are already doing that by porting older Final Fantasy games. So they won't be giving those away as part of a yearly $20 service. Even having these games in a VC like setup will have price points like $10-30. That makes these directly compete with the indie titles price wise. In a battle like that, due to the nostalgia and being older AAA titles, these will probably win, and cannibalise the indies, whom Nintendo are kind of courting in this generation.
Hence as much as we want these classic games, (I would even give $60 for the GBA Fire Emblem) probably not going to happen. They know that hardly anybody wants NES games, so they give those out as sweetener.
No I don't play Nes games on my Switch.
I already have my original nes with an everdrive and the nes mini with the whole nes library on it.
I'm usually a patient man, and I also have been really enjoying the NES games but I hope that those "plans continue to evolve" sooner rather than later for everyone's sake. At this point in time I have probably got my money's worth from the NES online alone and I haven't even made it through the first 20 games.
Reggie said stay tuned and they haven't told us any if the games being released starting January, but since he also said they were continuing to focus on NES games so I imagine we won't get news of any new developments to the subscription service until around E3. I do think they better have some more changes in store before September rolls around or else they will probably not get many renewals.
Though what do I know? I played Tecmo Football for over an hour today.
At this point, I think Nintendo refusing to release a proper virtual console successor (or, gasp, THE ACTUAL VIRTUAL CONSOLE) for Switch is purely a point of pride. They just don't want to admit that it didn't work, that is wasn't executed well, or that they missed the mark on what customers wanted. Heck, it's not even all bad: the idea of a subscription service for old games is great, even if it's not for me. They just haven't done it well at all.
I imagine that it is possible for them to have realized their errors, and be in the "design" phase of trying to make changes. Unfortunately for a company as large and as set in its ways as Nintendo, a two week fix can take months. However, if we don't hear anything different by April, and certainly by E3, then I think it will be a long and bumpy ride for NSO.
I didn't subscribe to NSO as a means of "voting with my wallet" because I just want to play virtual console on the go OR TV on what I consider the best console of all time, no restrictions. Saw a lot of hate from lots of people back in September for that. However, I see the opinions are changing a lot now. I have consistently seen people say "I'm definitely not subscribing again next year." If Furukawa believes the current numbers aren't good enough to report to investors, I wonder what they'll look like next year? Can you imagine if the attach rate for NSO went from, say, 50% down to 20%, even with increased Switch sales? If this weren't Nintendo we were dealing with, I'd say they'd have to turn around at that point... but unfortunately this is Nintendo after all. You never can know what they're going to do, and too often I have found that is more bad than it is good.
The online service is crap.
Not like they could "mirror" it anyway.
Glad to see plenty of people complaining; enough people complaining in ways that Nintendo notice could be the only thing that improves this woeful service.
Switch needs a damn messaging app of some kind. GAAHH!
the switch's success is partially due to the wii u's failure giving it a better library. come on! i skipped the wii u and i didn't mess with net currency in the wii era, im frustrated how now that i'm ready to take advantage of the virtual console it isn't a option.
@joey302 I would get on board if there was a purchase option. $0.99 NES games would be a very fair price.
@ancientlii Wii U virtual console isn't an option? What do you mean?
Distractions, that was the NES games are distractions.
They are meant to take away the focus from the fact that you are paying for online gaming and cloutsaves.
Oh, but the price is so low, why should this matter.
Because you are paying for a service that is free on PC,
and PC is a format there is easy to make back up of you data.
So Nintendo is making it hard to make backups and the adds a fee on the only real service that allows it.
And then the is the VC drop. Why?
Because CV games are cheap and popular. And there is more money for Nintendo to give you Nintendo Online with the VC games. You just pay more for the same service.
Imagine if EA add a small monthly fee to Origin so you could play you old games, online gaming and access to you could saves.
Well that what Nintendo has done.
We are just distracted by the shiny new console to notice
Why ohh why is it so hard to lissen what your custommers are saying?
I'll be honest, I am really hoping that the online service will become the Netflix of classic games. I'm currently disappointed that SNES, Game Boy, N64, GameCube, and Wii games are still hidden in the trash bin of the glorious past but high hopes this changes over time. And preferably before the launch of Nintendo Switch 2.
Reggie feeding us the turd sandwich again...
What frustrates me most about Nintendo’s online efforts isn’t so much how the actual service but how they built the multiplayer parts in their games.
I mean, playing in local coop is great but today the world is different. Today you play with friends from all over the world and Nintendo hasn’t really caught up with this yet.
@Mamabear
The Mini only has a set number of games unless you mod it and dump roms of games you want to play on it. This service already has games that are not on the mini.
It's so interesting that a part of Nintendo is leading the innovation scene of consoles and another part is still stuck in the '80s.
I think it's time to let go of that part, guys.
You'd be doing all of us (and yourselves) a huge favor.
Sounds a little arrogant.
Just give me console-based voice chat, party-creation, messaging, and themes.
That's all I want. I'd even be okay with a price raise if that's what it takes to get the basics
there'll be no gamecube ports, especially when they have the potential to release games like Sunshine HD, at about £40 I expect aswell.
This is utterly pathetic. I really don't know what more to say. It should be obvious to them how sad this focus on NES games is.
You're ruining everything with your bad handling of Nintendo ONLINE.
Reggie, you guys cannot survive without us. Got that? You NEED to start listening to us and give us something comparable to the competition. Otherwise we're just not going to give you our money.
You can't leave your consumer base feeling scorned about this and expect to survive. Our dollars keep you around.
That's what I've been saying since the beginning. They don't seem to want to put even SNES games on it, let alone N64 and GC, but people keep waiting for them, even demanding them. Well, you have the answer now.
For what it costs, it's a great deal. Less than 2 bucks a month, that's like a 3/4 gallon of gas to make your car go. What it needs are perks beyond the pathetic star points setup. So cheap, Nintendo. So cheap. I don't take my PS4 online very often, but I sign up for the Plus option every year because of the amazing sales they offer subscribers. THAT is something Nintendo could totally do. Hard to justify a 3rd party Indie title on Switch for 20 to 30 bucks when I can nab it for 5 on another system
'Not mirroring the competition' is all well and dandy...but when it comes at the expense of basic features like online chats, parties, messaging and even a straightforward way to add friends I call bulls#@t. These are basic quality of life things that other consoles have had for at least 2 generations now, sort it out Nintendo cos these constant sidesteps and excuses aren't fooling anyone.
Are you satisfied with the legacy content currently on the Switch?
No
Do you play the digital NES library on a regular basis?
If by "regular basis" you mean running a game or two once a month, then I'd answer "sometimes"
Are you happy to wait for more classic games while Nintendo experiments with its new online subscription service?
Not at all
Anything else?
Yay, more games I will not bother to play!
"Nintendo as a company prides itself on doing things differently. So, don’t expect us to simply mirror what others do."
Does what the other console manufacturers do and charges for online.
Throw us a bone Nintendo!
Give us Metroid Prime Trilogy as part of the service and overnight it becomes more than worth it.
NES doesn't interest many of us. Even the humble Gameboy had far more interesting titles. NES and another more interesting system is what we need . NES alone is just too dull.
I don't understand why they would purposefully focus on their weakest library under the slogan of improving the service and providing value.
While I am definitely a 'retro' guy, the NES library doesn't contain many titles that are still enjoyable to play today. Even one step further, the SNES has an exponentially better library that holds up way better.
@SethNintendo he just toes the corporate line doesn’t he
Poor old Reggie can’t say anything else because nothing else has been officially announced by NoJ. He is unfortunately NoJ’s puppet.
That's fine, do things differently, but LISTEN TO YOUR CUSTOMERS
I don’t want to play NES games.
@Archius9,
That is a bit of an issue with the current online service for you,I am sure they will offer some other consoles content at some point.
@sleepinglion Sony are kings of the online store. Fresh deals constantly, great looking store, great free ps+ Games etc. They offer real service and value for money.
@Bunkerneath,
Is this everbody or just the internet forum minority?,as your customers is a very broad term.
"So, don’t expect us to simply mirror what others do." - in this instance - trust us, we don't
Ive defended them on starting with NES games, it made sense, but to say that will remain the focus at this point is annoying. Is anyone defending this??? We want the full NES back cat.. yes that would be awesome... but we also want newer stuff... we are just going over old ground they covered before but VERY slowly.
3 a month... wow... this is going to be a long wait for anything near n64 and GC.
Being unique is often one of Nintendo's strengths, but sometimes mirroring the competition is simply the best thing to do. If it ain't broke, don't fix it.
I'm happy with NES games for now as long as they put some licensed games on the system, such as Ninja Turtles, Friday the 13th, Top Gun, Ducktales, etc. Virtual Console wasn't very good without these games.
To people asking for SNES, N64 and GC games, give them time. They are just getting started with this streaming service. Those will get here eventually.
Would SNES games be asking too much Reggie?
I got a feeling why it's only NES and they can't be brought is due to selling the Mini SNES and NES..
Want SNES games buy the mini. Hopefully Nintendo change their minds and start giving us N64 games would say Game Cube but that seems like asking too much..
Even though I grew up with the NES, NES games are so unexciting. Mega Man 2 is the only game I'd play I think and that's being milked by Capcom in other compilations I really wonder what from the Wii/WiiU VC made them so radically rethink their content strategy. I loved it to bits and think the VC was one of the highlights of those products, and Switch with its on-the-go features just begs for the same classic library. So frustrating.
Yah, that's right. Focus on games that are graphically no better than Colecovision. That's why I bought a Master System over an NES back in the day. I thought NES games looked no better than what I was playing years before hand.
You guys do realize that it takes a lot more power to properly emulate a past system than it takes for that past system itself to run, don't you? That's because the system has to run the past system's architecture on top of its own.
Having said that, the Switch may be able to emulate GameCube games (although I have no way of knowing for sure), but I highly doubt it could possibly emulate Wii games!
On top of that, the Switch is incapable of properly handling any Wii games that use IR functionality as part of the motion-controlled gameplay. That means no "Wii Play," no FPS (or FPA like "Metroid Prime Trilogy") games, no "Metroid: Other M," no "Kirby's Return to Dreamland" (due to one of its minigames), and I'm not sure about "Zelda: Skyward Sword." That's even assuming that it wouldn't be more trouble than its worth to switch other motion-controlled functionality from the Wiimote architecture to the Joycon architecture.
@Joe-b It's true that most NES games have terrible graphics by modern standards (although most are still at least somewhat better than older systems like the Colecovision), but there are also some later releases that actually have decent graphics that still hold up to a certain degree. In particular, "Super Mario Bros. 3," "Kirby's Adventure," and "TMNT 3: The Manhatten Project," were absolutely gorgeous at the time and still look good today.
What an utter disappointment going from the very first iteration of the Virtual Console on Wii to where we are at with these retro games now on Switch. Thank God at least some companies are releasing compilations and stuff.
Pretty sure the Nvidia Shield emulates Wii games in China. The switch can emulate but if it does anything N64 and later will be at a cost.
@BulbasaurusRex I'm sure it could do. They had wii games on the wii u VC
@subpopz couldn't agree more on this. Seriously, voice chat on the console is so easy and I don't know why they're so adamant to use a phone app. A wireless headset system would work very easily while the switch is docked.
I hate the phone app. I don't even own an android or apple. Even if I did my nephew who I want to play with doesn't have a android or apple either. Btw the Wii u had voice chat. What's equally bad is I can't send him a text based message either from the switch. The whole online system is like going back to the original xbox live service. I don't even think it's that good.
You been offering the same crap since for ever.
I just find it hysterical that there is no way to message my friends through the system to set up a game of Smash and invite them to play. Is it because other systems do that? Is this the different type of service Nintendo is offering than their competitors, Reggie?
Reggie is a talking head. Everything about him is manicured. Need proof? Game awards he was selling Smash and made a comment that it was the most ambitious cross-over ever. Knightly then jokes that the Russo brothers probably have something to say about that. Reggie didn’t even blink. Just continued with his script.
Painful.
@joey302, @ritouf @Sumimasen, @WillTheLion, @canucksfan989, @Whalehome and others. Not saying I'm happy with the service but they're making the NES games online and multiplayer compatible. Its not just a basic port of the games. They're starting with NES because code wise as it is the easiest. I think they will work their way up to SNES games. Once the SNES games hit, it will be worth it.
I don't think they plan to release Virtual Console because:
a) It is much harder to emulate GameCube games and beyond;
b) Honestly, emulated N64 games look ugly.
I think they are looking at it from that perspective. Stop thinking you LOT are the only target market for the Switch Online.
How come we don't generally hear about ports of Saturn and N64-quality ports?
Because it is much better from a marketing perspective to remake them in HD then to port them but that in itself takes time.
I'm not compaining at 1 euro something a month. A real VC this soon on Switch would kill the thriving Indie scene. Did you not notice the new practice of new Indies releasing simultaneously on Switch and Steam? I'm loving it. Eshop sale discounts are a lot better now as well.
You so individualistic Reggie!
That’s fine. And it will continue to be irrelevant to me.
Really? SEGA did this a million times better in 1994 with SEGA Channel. This is pitiful.
“Nintendo as a company prides itself on doing things differently”
Whenever Nintendo talk about ‘different’ in relation to the internet they mean ‘worse’.
(Shakes head sadly) What a missed opportunity for a company suddenly doing so many things right.
They won't offer anything meaningful to nintendo switch online until September of next year to keep everybody signed up before subscriptions lapse. That's when you'll see some n64 or gba games.
I gotta admit, I dont care for retro games at all. But Reggie, you DID say to "come back to you in a year and see where we are" and look at this - still no Mother 3. So I dont know how anyone can take your word for it at face value anymore. Mother 3 or not.
@BulbasaurusRex
There’s evidence that Switch could emulate Wii (and therefore GC) games.
https://www.eurogamer.net/amp/digitalfoundry-2018-super-mario-galaxy-hands-on-with-tegra-x1s-wii-emulator
I wonder if Nintendo of Japan will ever change.
Everyone is bagging on Reggie, but he is just the messenger.
NoJ are the ones pulling the strings, and I feel until a lot of the older crowed leaves / retires from Nintendo and let's the newer youthful developers in on the Nintendo service, not much will change. Many are stuck in the past and to prideful to accept what many of us gamers really want.
Don't lower your game quality, just have a full team dedicate to the online and improve on it.
I bet it's hard to be a spokesperson for Nintendo since NoJ is very stuck in their ways, and NoA knows what consumers want. Heck even Sakurai knows what fans want, but the limitations that they are given..... I wonder when things will start changing.
In other words, "We don't care about making the online good - just give us money because we want more money."
Translation is:
"We're Nintendoing at the moment-- As we have, as we always will."
Sounds like I still won't be picking up the online service anytime too soon, the only thing I've missed so far is Rocket League online. Other than that I'm still waiting, their subscription service has not been very impressive yet even if it's cheap.
Very misleading headline. Leaving out "simply" completely changed everything. Enough with the cheap clickbait headlines... PLEASE!
@Sumimasen truly unreal the logic that’s in place!!
@goggles789 so far, there’s a few Nes games on there I’d actually buy....but we apparently can’t! 🙄 now one day maybe when we are on our death bed lol they will add newer consoles and THEN that lack of a purchase option will REALLY be missed! 🤦♂️
@GameOtaku I’m aware that the service has games the mini doesn’t. I’m also aware that there was a reason that there was a carefully curated list of titles that made it to mini- probably because they were the most well known and beloved. Adding more obscure NES titles is missing the mark. NES titles aren’t going to bring in a larger fan base. My 11 yo nephew doesn’t want to play NES “hockey”... I don’t either for that matter. My 45 yo uncle on the other hand... These NES games are catering to a very small niche. Let’s move on and cater to a wider audience.
Sometimes I think the lack of VC content on Switch is designed to make fans have to seek WiiU's to play old favorites, so they can move the remainder of inventory, keep WiiU costs elevated, and finally be able to declare it a successful console.
Mostly I think it's all about this odd new incestuious relationship with indies, not wanting classic content to cut into the indie cash cow. That weird stacking of the deck in indies favor ultimately makes me begin to actively resent indie success.
@EvilLucario The weird thing is Furukawa says he wants to increase focus on online content. Iwata wasn't terribly into online, and Miyamoto hates it. Yet it's regressing more under Furukawa's lead.....
I would say "but Japan doesn't do online" but when I look at all the western online games on sales charts there...its seems they now do.
@NEStalgia He only just recently took over from Kimishima, right? It's not an overnight process, to be fair. I know he was trained behind the scenes, but it's not like he had that much say on stuff before he really took over. It took Phil Spencer a few years to completely overturn everything Don Mattrick did for the original Xbox One.
@Spectra People still buy their games, so your argument is invalid.
@EvilLucario True, but it also took a year and a half of delays to even get the online launched. From what Furukawa has said he's more of a "mobile, merchandise, and margins" first kind of guy. I'm not expecting much improvement to online other than adding lootboxes and microtransactions from him. Truthfully I think I prefer Kimishima, though his tenure at NoA was some of the darkest days in Redmond.
@Yorumi "being inferior is different"
There's some stiff new competition from Sony in that arena though.
4 words on why being different just to be different doesn’t work - PlayStation All-Stars Battle Royale 😂
Still would like some more options on the NES games, like ability to display full 4:3 filling the screen from top to bottom, with solid black bars on the sides instead of having the border they do now, and also ability to map keys and REWIND with the L button that even the NES-style controllers have (pretty please!)
That's cynical. A big middle finger for customers - "Take those NES games and f* off", he basically said.
@Yorumi You sure about that?
Don't expect us to mirror the competition? Giving us more classic games on the console is not mirroring the competition, it is doing what previous consoles(Wii and Wii U) did. It is also what fans want. The Wii and Wii U had virtual console which let us play classic games on them consoles. I don't understand why Reggie thinks that putting classic games on the Switch would be mirroring the competition when previous consoles had classic games on them.
@Yorumi LOL, that's so true....I really don't know what Sony is thinking. They had the world in their palm.....
I think at this point it's safe to say Cobalt is anti-matter's troll account
@Yorumi Um, hate to be the bearer of bad news, but Steam is also removing games with adult content.
https://www.dualshockers.com/steam-censorship-child-exploitation/
So for those championing PC and Steam, you might want to rethink that because they are censoring games that made it into Steam that have adult content. I don't want to offend anyone who is a PC fan, but I wanted to say this since I learned about it from a PlayStation fansite.
THe funny thing about what I said about this is because I'm neutral on this whole censorship thing.
@Yorumi Ok, But that's just your opinion. There still will be games on consoles despite what's going on at Sony. And Nintendo is doing well with the Nintendo Switch and getting more games on it.
@Alantor28 Steam's policies are just weird with the "images that could look like children" thing since it's so subjective, but at least their policy is based on children. Sony's going after basically anything as risque as a Victoria's Secret commercial during family Christmas specials.....
@Yorumi China makes sense to a point, they've been cracking down on "wholesomeness" (which is just hysterical considering we're talking about China....) and they're the darling every media giant wants to court. Hollywood makes everything for China first these days, and we can't forget Sony = Hollywood. Maybe it is China appeasement.
Remember the 1940s when Hollywood fawned over whatever the Nazis disliked so they could continue selling in German controlled markets which were a big market for them? Yeah....that's kind of the Hollywood way.
@NEStalgia Come now. Do you actually believe Sony will ban anything that is ecchi and other things? To be honest with you, this war against censorship is downright silly.
And seriously? Comparing Sony to China? Don't be ridiculous. What I'm about to say may sound foolish to you and your friends, but Japanese game companies will still put their games on PlayStation despite the censorship policy even if they claimed they will never put games on Sony consoles ever again, they will eventually come back to Sony and Nintendo consoles.
Again, this foolish war against censorship is downright silly and is just fear mongering nonsense.
Nintendo Online is terrible. The switch app only lets you voice chat in selected Nintendo games. What about voice chat in third party games, like Overcooked 2 (where you actually need). If Nintendo is not going to invest money into Switch Online and brings more features, then make online free. Nintendo this generation is the epitome of greed.
@Alantor28 They are seemingly engaging in exactly that, though. I'm not particularly interested in the censorship issue when it comes to US standards, but where Sony is going strangely is that they're using US standards to censor what happens in Japan. Even Nintendo's never gone that far. It's just a sign of how Sony operates in general, more than about if you care about beams of light on otaku games normal people were never going to play to begin with. Couple that with reports of them banning accounts (including digital purchase access) for users that have usernames that trip the "offensive words" filters (in other languages!) etc, and it paints a very "we're here to be as politically correct as possible and will flatten all partners and customers that interfere with that" image of Sony Corp.
It wasn't a comparison of Sony to China Yorumi mentioned, but that one rumor is that they're doing what they're doing to appease Beijing as a prelude to introducing the games business there, which is very believable. that's the current corporate trend. Become Beijing to please Beijing to tap that lucrative China market (or to foolishly attempt to while believing they'll actually allow you to for longer than is needed to copy you fully.)
Japanese developers will likely put their games on Playstation in the future, but they seem awfully eager to also bring them to other platforms where before they were not. There's been a lot more developer enthusiasm around XBox than there used to be. Look at Capcom and Squeenix breaking big announcements at XBox shows this past year or two. That's something I never thought I'd see. DMC5 seems more associated with XBox now than PS.
@NEStalgia Well, I can understand that. As long as Sony keeps their IPs like Ratchet and Clank and possibly more as their exclusives, I wouldn't mind game developers like SE and Capcom putting all their games in all current gen consoles (Switch, PS4 and Xbox which I am not a big fan of Xbox). Plus, I don't play Steam games because I find games on consoles more appealing than PC games.
@Alantor28 They'll certainly keep their own IPs, and expand them. The big thing is that they're decreasingly the "Best Place to Play(TM)" for everything else, if they're exerting more control than 90's Nintendo over the content on their platform.
I like all 3 platforms and am always partial to Nintendo, and don't have any PS nostalgia (since I was strictly Nintendo/Sega in the PS1 era and barely knew PS existed.) But where in 2014 PS4 seemed like a really fantastic platform and X1 seemed like a joke, in the past year or so it's flipped and X1 seems like a great "total package" platform while PS seems like an exclusives box. Funny how one company can right the ship so well, and the other can find the nearest iceburg and run the engines full speed.
I spent a decade or so on PC, but returned to consoles midway through last gen.
@NEStalgia I can understand that. And while I can't change Yorumi's opinions on her views on gaming companies, I can respect them.
"We’re always looking for ways to make the subscription offer more meaningful to consumers, so stayed tuned as those plans continue to evolve...Nintendo as a company prides itself on doing things differently. So, don’t expect us to simply mirror what others do"
Let me break this right down.
1) People are complaining that the current service isn't good value as it is. So yes, you need to make that offer more meaningful. Absolutely.
2) Gamers have already told you what you can do to make the subscription be better value. This ranges from adding in better VC options, to yes, adding in more features that are standard to other platforms. The reason they are asking for that stuff is because those features have helped enormously in building and sustaining online communities and engagement.
3) NES games offer very little in comparison to the features Nintendo refuses to include. Cross party chat enhances the potential for all games on the system. Removing friend codes improves the system on a large scale also. NES games are their own little addition. Hell, the screenshot and video function have added more value in this sense. They can be taken advantage of with most games. They enhance the experience of all games, where as the NES games take you out of other games to experience the feature.
4) As for not mirroring the competition. Well, Cloud Saves, Bonuses, Online Play, a Rental Game Service, and an App are all mirrored features. They aren't doing things differently, they are doing the bare minimum to have an online service to begin with. So let's not pretend they are currently offering online features that other platforms haven't even considered. This feels like an excuse to not have to fix their friend codes, add in on system chat, and improve server support.
@goggles789 i skipped the wii u
So will this mean we'll get some SNES - Nintendo Switch Online games in the future if possible?
It is only $20... So that aspect is appealing. I think they should maybe offer stuff like discounts on eShop stuff and like they did with Mario Tennis with early access to stuff.
But what about the SNES games that were initially promised for the service? What happened to those?
I don’t understand why people are so mean to Reggie, he isn’t all powerful. I think he knows that the current online offer is lacking, but I personally believe Nintendo will do something about that. I really believe they have a plan. It might take a while before it’s applied however, that would be a classic Nintendo move.
We're not expecting them to mirror what others are doing, we're expecting them to continue the precedent THEY set by offering games from a vast range of classic consoles for download. Of course we're going to expect that since Wii and Wii U had at least the first 3 consoles covered, the Switch would carry on that legacy. Correct me if I'm wrong but weren't Nintendo the first of the big 3 to start offering old games for download on their consoles? They've all mirrored you, Nintendo. Just keep doing what you do, don't worry about them...
Anything less than SNES and N64 available on Switch and this is a backwards step.
We need dedicated servers, plus SNES through to GameCube games if this service is going to cost money. I would've never gotten it in this state if it didn't include cloud saves and could be purchased using gold points.
Nintendo Switch Online is really, really bad.
@Kidfunkadelic83 The Wii U is natively backwards compatible with Wii games. It doesn't use emulation to run them like the Switch would need to do.
@electrolite77 That article admits that there are some performance issues with the emulation, and Nintendo has repeatedly made it clear that it won't rerelease their classic games unless the emulation runs flawlessly (or at least as flawlessly as the original release did).
Although, parts of the game were somewhat enhanced in that artcle's example, so I don't know if restricting it to the original resolution and graphical quality of the original Wii release (as has been the case with all past VC releases) would make enough of a difference to fully eliminate those performance issues. I doubt it, though.
Also, the "Super Mario Galaxy" games are also examples of Wii games that use IR functionaly, in this case for the second player star bit mechanics. Nintendo would have to either drop this aspect of the game (thereby making it a single player only title), or modify the game to switch that functionality over to either analog stick and/or touchscreen controls, which probably isn't worth it to Nintendo either way.
@BulbasaurusRex
Yeah I agree the quality probably isn’t quite there yet-and that they would have to be selective with the games published-but it strongly suggests that with a bit of tweaking and polishing on top of the legwork already done it’s distinctly plausible. Depends if the inclination is there. They may see HD remasters as the way forward, which I would be quite happy with personally.
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