Nintendo's online service for the Switch might not be everyone's cup of tea, but company president Shuntaro Furukawa previously stated at the start of this year that new members "continue to join" and more than 15 million users have signed up since launch in September 2018.
During the company's latest conference call (Fiscal Year Ended March 2020), Furukawa was asked for an update. While he wasn't willing to reveal the latest figures, in terms of the number of subscribers, he did once again mention how the Japanese video game giant was eager to increase the appeal of the service and said memberships had been "increasing steadily" since the release of online-enabled titles such as Animal Crossing: New Horizons.
Regarding the number of paid memberships for Nintendo Switch Online, we do not plan to disclose a specific number this time, but memberships are increasing steadily with the expanding hardware install base beyond 15 million accounts, the number we have already announced at the Corporate Management Policy Briefing in January 2020. The number of paid memberships has particularly grown since the release of titles that support online play, like Pokémon Sword and Pokémon Shield and Animal Crossing: New Horizons. By adding elements that make games even more fun to play and by increasing the appeal of the service itself, we hope to continuously grow this into a service that makes Nintendo Switch even more enjoyable and convenient for consumers to play.
Nintendo wanting to increase the NSO's appeal is nothing new. In fact, Furukawa has been talking about boosting the service with "more games, more features and more fun" since November 2018. Back then, he also noted how it would take a lot of time:
We need to further enhance the content of the service for the subscriber base to reach a certain size, so that is what we're working on, with the understanding that the time it will take to do so will be measured in years.
Just yesterday, Nintendo announced it would be bolstering its SNES and NES Switch Online libraries with another four games. These titles include Wild Guns, Operation Logic Bomb, Panel de Pon, and Rygar, and are due out next week on 20th May.
Do you have a subscription to Nintendo's online service? How would you make it more appealing? Tell us below.
[source nintendo.co.jp]
Comments 179
My 1 year subscription expired just now and I'm not bent on renewing O_O Unless I miss Tetris99, perhaps.
It's already worth it for me just for the NES and SNES games and Game Vouchers, though I'd obviously happily welcome anything further.
The instant they put NES Open Tournament Golf on the service, it justified its cost.
@StuartGipp It's all about NES Open...
I used to pay monthly and got a year's free subscription with Super Mario Maker 2.
I believe it expires in September.
As it stands I've turned the auto renewal off.
The nes and snes games were a nice little bonus at first but an awful lot of the games haven't aged very well so Nintendo definitely need to up their game a bit if they want my money again for next year
I don’t usually play online but the few times I have. Well, it did not leave a good impression.
Animal crossing sums up how far behind Nintendo is. It’s a headache to add switch friends. It’s a headache to visit friends. It’s a headache to be on an island that is hosting multiple people. It’s a headache using your island whilst the gates are open for people to visit. It’s a thousand tiny paper cuts. When I have to travel to someone’s island I slightly sigh. It’s an annoyance.
The online function is probably the most disappointing thing about the Switch. Matchmaking and social interaction are so far behind the other consoles, particularly considering online gaming now is a huge draw for people.
I use online for quite a few Switch so I feel my whining is justified.
@Alaninho The best feature of the online is using your phone as a keyboard in Animal Crossing. That's essentially it though
Where is the DKC trilogy? Some GB, GBC, GBA, and N64 games seem like no brainers by now.
Please just bring back the VC or start releasing some Nintendo retro collections for Switch that aren’t this subscription nonsense.
Price is one thing, value for money is another. While the price to me is very affordable it's not good value for money. And while I don't mind spending money I don't like waisting it.
While i would like to play a few of the games on offer, I don't play online.
Like releasing the NES and SNES apps new games on a monthly basis? I don't ask for more.
They need to get on the same level as Sony and Microsoft. The cost may go up, but I don’t mind if the functionality increases.
Nowadays, the only true reason for me to have this subscription is Tetris 99. Not so much, even for 20€ a year.
GBA and N64 yes please - now please, today please. Thank you... please.
Nintendo would have to implement a lot to get my money, I doubt they’re willing to do it.
How about some more online games that actually use it
We need Game Boy games yesteryear.
I don’t and see no reason to since I don’t play online nor do I have access to internet at hone. If they would bring back the VC I’d be much happier.
I just wish it was console-wide, I hate that I can play ACNH online but my wee brother can’t because you only get one file per user, and one island per console. It’s blatantly withholding access to a core part of the game because you have the audacity to play the game on the same console.
My sub is due to expire at the end of summer. I’m still on the fence about renewing it. The only thing I’m unsure about is what happens to my Mario Maker levels if my sub expires. Will they drop off the servers? Can I reupload them later if I start a new sub?
How about allowing cloud support for ALL your games, including games like Pokémon and Splatoon? That seems like a good start.
"the time it will take to do so will be measured in years."
So what, at the end of the Switch's life cycle?
I feel like this is going to take years because Nintendo failed to take this service seriously until after they started charging for it. Rather than take it seriously in anticipation of, and for, the launch of it being a paid service.
I'm content with the 7 day trials that pop up every now and again.
And even so, I hardly use it. I used the most recent trial to add some QR patterns to Animal Crossing (which should have been possible WITHOUT a subscription), and absolutely nothing else.
Local wireless multiplayer in Animal Crossing is bad enough, and a bad connection online would make me want to throw my Switch out the window, especially if I were to be paying for their joke of a "service" which was (and remains) free on prior systems.
Considering how rarely I would even use NSO, I think it's (as it stands) lousy, lousy value for money. My brother's subscribed though as he loves playing games online, but I do not share his enthusiasm.
Really need to step it up and make it easier to be part of a party group etc as I end up using WhatsApp or Discord which in turn drains your phone battery. Lastly I spoke to my friend who had xbox and what he's getting offers and free games compared to us with old NES and SNES games that aren't great ones is a tad disappointing. Still loving my Switch though 😊
Unleash the DKC Trilogy so I can FINALLY play DKC2 at 60hz (the only one on Wii U that plays at 50 for some reason) and N64 games.
As long as they only release NES and SNES games I'm pretty cold about news like that.
I want GBA games!
Smh. Talking outta the side of their necks.
What the sub already has is enough to keep me on board for its price, so whatever they may throw in later is a surplus. I'd never say no to more emulated platforms, but even the current NES/SNES collection is potentially enough backlog to last me until the fabled Switch successor, especially with JRPGs like Breath of Fire in the mix. Heck, I'm still at the beginning of Zelda 2 as we speak. Let them do what they fancy - it may well surprise me just like Tetris 99 did back in the day.
@TheAwesomeBowser so fans can start complaining about "primitive ancient junk with ugly monochrome garbage that aged horribly unlike [insert N64/NGC favourite] and is a sheer anticonsumer joke when compared to the rivals' AAA offeri- SHUT UP, MAY 2020 ISN'T CANON!"
My yearly sub was up last month and I’m not gonna renew. The features just aren’t good enough for me to see it as a genuine option for online play. Honestly nintendos offering seems really subpar to me.
It’s so cheap that I can’t afford not to get it.
It’s cheap but not good value
I like to play online, but I'll renew it when their online service is as good as Xbox 360, or when their Virtual console offerings are half as good as it was on the Wii.
My sub runs till mid October and I will get a physical version of Tetris 99 which is basically the same price as a years online subscription (Just 2 or 3 pounds more) when it gets nearer to expiring. For that you get the Tetris Big Block Dlc above the base game and obviously a physical version of Tetris 99 plus a year of Nintendo Online....
I think that's good value for money when you add in the SNES and NES title's. I also play alot of Splatoon 2 and Mario Kart Online...
@1UP_MARIO
That's actually a perfect way to put it, cheap but not good value.
Eh, whatever. If you game online on consoles nowadays you gotta pony up for their online service, so here we are. I do think they'll keep adding games, maybe some incentives here and there. I'd love to see member-exclusive eShop deals or maybe multiplied gold point rebates on purchases.
Some things I’d like to see:
-Discount coupons comeback - every other service offers discounts on games for paid subscribers
-exclusive demos
-Bonus gold points for digital purchases
Action speaks louder than words and right now all Nintendo does are all just talks and no action. Where's the N64, GameCube, and Wii games, where's Virtual Console, where's themes and folders, where's UI menu music, where's cart and review feature for the eShop, where's Netflix, where's headset support that doesn't required a stupid app, where's external game save back-up, where's online play for NES and SNES games that isn't limit to just friends, etc. These are simple things Nintendo could had done in their two years that we are paying for their service. Heck themes and folders should had been day one launch feature with the service, the fact that it took them this long and still hadn't implement those is just sad. Heck they don't even need to sell us original themes or folders, just the option so we could make our own is okay but did we get that, nope. Then they get so butthurt when we found a way to hack the Switch and add some ourselves, like c'mon we wouldn't had done it if you did.
CONTINUE to increase the appeal???
Wouldn’t that require them to actually start first? It’s more of a necessity rather than an ‘appealing’ product. Unlike Xbox Live Gold/Ultimate Game Pass (as for value for money; I paid £76 for just over three years of Xbox Ultimate Game Pass. That’s value for money!).
Some sort of bundled and exclusive MMO would be a real asset. It'd also be a new genre for Nintendo so give the service a unique selling point.
I have nso because it's necessary for online games. Not for the insulting non-vc games. I'm over 80s 90s games, believe it or not.
My money for n64, gamecube, wii ports has been collecting dust for over 3 years.
Give us GAMECUBE/N64/GBA games on the service and I’ll consider renewing my subscription; until then auto renewal is off until proper changes/adjustments are made.
I like that phrase
"Nintendo's online service for the Switch might not be everyone's cup of tea"
WHO`S CUP OF TEA IS THIS??? SHOW ME THIS AlIEN!
The NES and SNES games are nice but I have other ways to play those games and some of my favorite games from that era are of course not part of what’s offered.
I did really like getting to play Arms for free for a few days and would like to see more of that type of incentive.
Think it’s only a matter of time before Nintendo starts adding Full games (something like Donkey Kong Tropical Freeze). It doesn’t appear like they’re interested in doing a budget Selects style range but you can’t keep charging full price for games that are over half a decade old forever either. Bulk it up some more with n64, GC and GBA emulated games and I think there’s enough there to get more people to buy into the service
You’ve been doing a poor job for the past year.
Perhaps bringing Virtual Console back would be a start, including games from all previous consoles and handhelds. Aside from that, better discounts and free monthly games like the competition has been doing for ages now.
I love the fact that Nintendo is always trying to go their own way in regards of everything, that's one of the mains reasons I like and stick with them, but there are times when that way of thinking ends up being detrimental to their business and clients.
Nintendo need to realise people are not impressed with the online service I know it’s cheap but it reflects that ,connecting with friends is a hassle the SNES and NES games although great in theory are just lame getting 4 games every 4 months is a joke bringing back the VC is not the answer either buying individual games is gonna cost a fortune but we should by now 3 years into the consoles life cycle have N64 and GameCube games
I got my sub with the Tetris 99 package and thought it was good value for money. For $30 I received Tetris (duh) which is a fantastic game . And I’ve also spent a good 10+ hours each with the NES and SNES games so far. And I played Arms for a couple hours. Don’t know yet if I will resub but I’m content with the year I had for sure.
The online infrastructure and eShop suck ...it's 2020 and they shouldn't suck but they do
$25 a year is super cheap and I'll likely keep doing it for no other reason than it's cheap.
I really wish Nintendo brought back those vouchers to North America for subscribers here. In Canada it worked out to be a savings of around $30 on your second game. It was definitely worth it.
The more I think about it, the more I just want Nintendo to re-release some of their games under a budget label really. I totally get keeping big sellers like MK, Zelda, Odessey at full price since they’re still some of the best games you can buy and sell accordingly . But there are also quite a few Nintendo games that aren’t shifting anywhere near those numbers and have been around for years in some cases. Permanently pricing these down to $30 would be a step in the right direction I think.
I think Nintendo knows NSO is not appealing, needs more content and more games that take advantage of it. These must be some other reason why they haven't improved.
Could be they don't have the resources to dedicate to fixing it. They aren't sure the costs will outweigh the benefits. They have to deal with licensing. Nintendo and other companies might not see releasing their back catalogue on a streaming service as the best way to make money. So many old games are being rereleased or remastered. That's the trend now. Why do the work to update it for a modern console and then have a third party pay you to stream it on their platform, when you can just release it and people will buy it separately? They probably see that as more lucrative.
I only renewed mine because I forgot to change the auto renewal option.
Now I've changed it and don't plan to sign it again.
Until there is n64 and gamecube games available I'm skipping the service.
If only NSO added more features.
finally a reason for them to give us N64 games to go along with our NES and SNES games.
or maybe a option for game renting (digital versions only). everyone remembers block busters; so maybe Nintendo could somehow allow us to have one free Nintendo Switch game a month and will allow us to pick which free game that we will have for that month.
Not expecting another update until September. No idea what it'll be next time, but probably another year of okay updates whenever they feel like it. I miss monthly updates, gives you something to look forward to. That said, please bring over Star Tropics II, Earthbound, Super Mario RPG, and the Donkey Kong Country Trilogy.
On top of that, I assume we'll get a gameboy emulator next because they're too afraid of 64. A monthly free game from the Switch's library would be nice, instead of one new multiplayer game every year.
I'm also willing to pay more if they do more.
More than anything, NSO is just a missed opportunity and a sad replacement of the virtual console.
My old SNES died years ago. I now have a bunch of classic games that I loved at my fingertips again. Games that gave me many many hours of enjoyment. For about 5p a day. I realise some titles will never see the light of day on there due to licensing issues and software houses going down the pan, but what’s there is great.
I imagine the N64 is a given at this point. September methinks?
"We need to further enhance the content of the service for the subscriber base to reach a certain size..."
Translated: They are counting the days until they can do some sort of subscription model. Whether that's XBLGold/PSPlus or Google Stadia-esque, that's yet to be seen.
My sub ends early Janurary 2022. I only bought 1 year sub, 1 year came with Mario maker 1 and another year with my twitch prime.
It has gotten use with animal crossing but I have stopped playing now and only log on for friends regard turnip price checking. Other then that I don't see myself renewing it unless they make massive steps foward within that time.
A year can be bought for £13 in the UK. That’s like £1.06 a month. What do you really expect for a quid?
And if that’s too much, go share a family account and get it for like £4 a year.
Extra discount on already discounted games would be really nice. So far that voucher thing is pointless as all the games included I can get for less both physically and digitally in third party shops.
I had the subscription for the past year. Not sure if I will renew. After the initial nostalgia of the wow factor of being able to play NES and SNES games, the excitement wore off and I realized how badly these aged. I went back to Switch games. Yes, it is cheaper, but maybe charge more and maybe offer an extra 10% discount on the game on sale like Sony does with PS Plus. Or maybe charge a little extra and offer more recent games from 3DS, Wii, and Gamecube, and maybe even offer games from the Switch library. I'd pay more for that. They could rotate those each month. I love my Switch, but the online membership is just ok.
Just keep them coming slowly but steadily NES/SNES games and then switch to GB/GBC/GBA/GCube/N64 etc. would be rad~!!
Yeah, I'm not feeling the online stuff anymore. This slow ass trickle of games... I have no interest in. What is the problem? Does it really take that long to release hits that they've already released on the 3DS or Wii? Is it THAT hard to port old GCN or N64 games? Man, it's just frustrating knowing all the classics they have and aren't releasing buy would rather release games that aren't classics at all imo. I may be the only one that thinks that way but it's how I feel. I have a load of Switch games but would love some classics like Eternal Darkness, Prime, Mario 64, or Wave Race.
@retro_player_77 good to see something can make you upset. Sorry I thought you were a Nintendo apologist
Add more actual bona-fide classics, earthbound would be nice. Expand to N64 games and it would be even better?
Nintendo has always been the most stubborn company. However time and time again they prove it's their method to the madness and it's been proven mostly successful. Mostly.
In that case they're well aware the people want N64, Gamecube, Game Boy/Color/Advance, 3DS, even Wii games as part of the Online subscription in some form. That sort of content can be multiple aces in the hole and they know it. I'm betting when the attention of the masses start to shift towards Microsoft & Sony's new toys it would benefit Nintendo more to slowly drip feed any of those things.
They make the same statement about increasing the appeal every year, yet since they claimed they were going to "increase the appeal" last year, all they have done is make the conscious decision to reduce the amount of NES and SNES games being released on the service. That's not very appealing to me. And now they are again saying they're going to keep increasing the appeal? Unless they actually have something big planned that is just taking a long time to implement, I am getting the feeling they don't quite grasp how to handle this service.
I just realized that I haven't utilized the online in any significant way since Animal Crossing came out. I've had my fill of the NES/SNES games that I want to play and Animal Crossing has overtaken Mario Maker as my play-before-bed game, which I play exclusively offline. I'd let the subscription expire but I only bought it in February.
Needs Donkey Kong Country trilogy.
I really love Nintendo but they definitely need to get with the times
The time to improvement ratio is astoundingly bad
N64 and GCN games would go a long way in improving the service. Not holding my breath on either, though.
Just give us GOOD classic games. That's all I want.
Last September they added the SNES games to entice people to renew. I feel that something will happen in September. N64 hopefully x x x
They blab this same nonsense every year. Prove it already.
It's really quite frustrating to the extent that Nintendo has punted their features over to smartphones.
Why even purchase a dedicated device if some of their most important features are outsourced to a smart device I already own? Messaging through your phone to your Switch; Themes and Wallpapers for my phone and desktop but not for my Switch; consistent content updates to their mobile games rather than games like Super Mario Party or Yoshi's Crafted World; online gaming QOL is superior on their mobile games rather than their Switch.
This measurable, consistent trend of decisions can be labeled as either incompetence or careful planning. The former is disappointing and the latter is concerning.
And here I am just waiting for new Switch themes.
It's fine for 20 dollars a year. But only fine. It just does not deliver what I thought they were implying when the service launched.
The choice to replace virtual console titles with NSO implied a lot more than what they have delivered.
And although they have had ample time to improve the service, they've not added even the most basic features. There is an invite system that almost no games support. No messaging system, no party system, no activity log, nothing. And the smartphone app hasn't been improved at all.
I suppose it's worth it for online play and saves alone. But I am not all that excited about the games. Tetris and Kirby were awesome. Retro games ok.
I would like a few more exclusives, even if simple/minigames. Is one a quarter too much to ask? Maybe some StreetPass type stuff? Then, I would like some sales for subscribers. Hell, I would pay $10 more or even $20 if they made it worthwhile.
Yep, thanks to all our current customers, once we get a few more we'll start making it better???
As long as they don't raise the price
As upset as I am about some games running super poorly (like Smash Bros. and Mario Maker 2), I have the admit the subscription service has been worth it for me still due to the SNES games and the ability to play Mario Kart 8 and New Horizons online with my friends. I would definitely like to see improvements with specific games and N64 games added in the future. Would pay a little extra for those two things too.
@GameOtaku Cheers to that!
N64, and a service architecture that lets me transfer my purchases forward. This is the only solution for me. Not more games that have been re-released a million times, that we just had released on a mini-console. Even Disney has opened the vault more than Nintendo, and I feel the thriving ROM scene is fed by many customers who would gladly pay for old games that have been locked away.
To be honest, the bar isn't really set that high to begin with, considering how the other online services are already way ahead of it. All I want is the virtual console to make a return... Some GameCube games would be nice too. Kind of tired of hearing them saying this and not delivering to be honest.
@ArtiomNLS It kinda is my cup of tea.
I generally dislike having to pay just to be able to play online.
This service though is at least cheap enough for me to not care a lot about.
That doesn't make it good, but it does make it better than the other consoles solutions in my book. (PC is best though, obviously)
And all the extra stuff you are getting is, to me, mostly useless on any of the three consoles. Nintendo might even be the best case for me, I like being able to just start some retro games without having to buy them specifically or having to plug in different consoles. That is at least something, I guess.
Best regards,
an Alien
I'd give up literally every bonus feature for decent online and basic features. It's cheap, but that doesn't matter to me when I expect basic stuff that isn't there. I am buying this while pinching my nose to play online games and every online game is a mess.
Mario Maker 2, Smash Bros, Splatoon 2, even Animal Crossing New Horizons, they keep releasing these great multiplayer games that have awful internet experiences.
It's truly upsetting that everyone here is literally complaining, it's only $20 a year (comparing to its competitor, $60). Sure, the NES and SNES collections are quite lame, but the availability to play online is worth it.
I have it for online games, specifically Smash. Kind of a shame we have to pay for online play now, but such is the world we live in. I don't complain, though, because it's absurdly cheap.
From that perspective, the NES and SNES games are bonus--a very nice bonus. I have no complaints on that front.
But there are obvious issues when we circle back around to online gaming. Voice chat is a farce on Switch. It's also silly how convoluted it can be to add new friends, or to join friends in a game.
There are game-specific issues, too. Much has been said about the poor net code in Smash. It's baffling that you can't have two people on the same console join an area (especially when you can double up in random matches). If Nintendo wants their online service to be worthwhile, then they should make sure their own games use it well.
Trophy/achievement system, Gameboy, Gameboy Color and GBA systems as with NES and SNES.
Start by adding basic functionality and bringing it up to current standards. Friend list functionality, add the ability to message them, chat, add that stuff on the damn phone app onto the Switch itself. That phone app should be a supplement, not the only option. And get rid of having functions available only for certain games. Any game I join up with friends to play, I should be able to communicate with them, without suing my phone. If I have to use my phone, I may as well just call them. Stop being different just for the sake of being different.
It's sad how far behind Nintendo is when it comes to this stuff.
Nothing really wrong with the service, I prefer the low cost instead of paying a high price just to get "free" 3-years old games. If they could add Nintendo 64 or even som Gamecube games to the Online App on the console, and add team voice-chat in Splatoon 2 without the need of an phone app, it would be pretty much all I ask for.
@Alaninho Eh, I don't consider the majority of "gamers" as actual gamers. Hopping online to stream CoD playing deathmatch after deathmatch is bottom of the barrel, equal in line with mobile gaming. It's more of you're occupying your time with something that you don't have to be invested in than enjoying an entertainment medium for the narrative and experience. Basically having Netflix on in the background replaying a show you've seen 100x over while you browse Facebook on your phone. All in all, most online-focused gamers aren't actually gamers, and the industry (as in, quality for real gamers) would improve vastly if most of these types of games disappeared.
Is there an echo? I feel like we've heard this before.
Turns around to see canyon full of Goombas, Octoroks, and Metroids
Oh.
Mario 99. Excite bike 99. Don't put me in the same online Mario maker 2 as someone in China. Make Mario Bros 4 on the nes for switch.
I'm already happy with what we get for the low price... except for Mario Maker 2's online seems to be used by people with slow modems.
To do that, you're gonna need a steadier stream of NSO games. Not just a few every few months.
Not planning to renew my membership but to be honest this actually sounds like "we are happy with the numbers but we expected more, we will have to lock certain features of our games behind online connectivity to force people to pony up"
Which is exactly what they do when they try and get you to buy a second console so you can play one game with your brother.
Maybe they'll add Virtual Boy games
@justin233 That's what I've been wanting since day one. I'm thinking it has to be a rights issue with rare? Idk though they were on VC.
Just make it so we can invite friends to games like Splatoon 2 has
A few more SNES games, and premiere of GBA would go a long way. SO many good zelda games on GBC and GBA, and GBA should be able to run the GBC ones too.
A. I waste way more than a year’s subscription each year on games that are horrible from the eShop (AfterParty most recently), so this fee is well worth it when you get Tetris and the SNES/NES games
B. It’s super cheap. Go find something else to complain about people.
N64 games here we come!
My sub's due to expire next month...so sounds like a good excuse to nab that physical Tetris 99.
Personally, I hate subscriptions. I am not subscribed to streaming services, nor do I subscribe to PSN or Xbox Live Gold (although I have been given Live Gold before by a friend). Yet I am subscribed to Nintendo Switch Online. My only reason for subscribing is Splatoon 2. Whilst I do enjoy online play on Mario Kart and Smash, I can always play Mario Kart 8 on Wii U for my online fix, and Smash Ultimate when I last checked was still horrible. Heck, even Splatoon 2's online is not great. And that is where my grudge lies; even if it is cheap, why am I paying for online, and not noticing any improvement? Especially since all previous consoles online for Nintendo was free.
I would love if Nintendo just ditched the online fee and just let us buy NES, SNES, N64 games (along with other systems like gamecube) via virtual console again. I feel like all these comments regarding the service improving are empty words.
Not sure what the problem is. If people don’t like the games on offer, don’t buy the subscription. It’s far better value than the rest
20 N64 games added to the service would be appreciated
@meeto_1 then dont play.
@tendonerd 4? there is no 4 its called Super Mario World? you crazy.
@ArtiomNLS but you people have no problem paying for PS4 and XBOX which is $60
@NintendoPok Just as there was no Mega Man 10... but there was a Mega Man X. Just as there was no Double Dragon 4 only Super Double Dragon 4. I was meaning what if the Mario series continued on NES? Use today's technology to make a NES game and put it on Switch Online.
It's so cheap that I don't care. I played F-Zero for a couple of times and some NES Classics, but I'm using it mainly for some rounds online on other games. I'm a day-one subscriber and will renew the service as long as I play on the Switch.
Same with my PS4 and XboxOne. Who can't see the value in this is blind imo.
@DAHstroy It's genuinely upsetting that people on here can't understand that this is a crap service. Are you blind? Terrible servers, no features, old as sin games, and it's the same online we were using in the first year of the Switch, but now we're paying for it.
This service is inexcusable. I don't care if it costs a penny compared to the competition, but if you're going to sell a service, at least make it decent enough to be worth the money. In this case, you get what you paid for, utter rubbish.
@tendonerd youre clamoring for a title that isnt confirmed and you want nintendo to just make something because YOU want it. dream on.
As long as they keep handing out free NSO trials, I'll keep using them. Even at $20 a year the service isn't worth it for how much would use it (which is not very much).
@NintendoPok Can't they just give away all Nintendo titles with Switch Online like Microsoft seems to be doing with Game Pass?
still waiting for NSO to feel like an online service and not a retro game subsciption. dont worry nintendo you'll get there eventually. baby steps. slow, grueling, baby steps.
@DAHstroy my issue with NSO is if you dont care about the retro games, what are you even getting from this deal? the privileged the play online? it wasnt even that good beforehand, but at least before they had the excuse that it was free.
now we're paying for it and i doubt the money we actually pay goes into making the online better, but they now drip feed us classic games a big majority of us wont invest lots time into. $20 a year a fine deal for dozens of old games, but it should not be the most we get out of an online service
this shouldnt have been called NSO, it shouldve been labeled a classic game subscription, cause thats all this is. trying to pretend online is its selling point when its just a paywall
@justin233 Hopefully, they start getting faster with the number of retro consoles for Switch Online. Maybe we'll N64 (or at least GB Family) games next month, or September by the latest.
@YourLastSurprise I believe it isn't an rights issue with Rare anymore, as the DKC Trilogy was not only added back to the Wii VC in 2015, after a 3 year disappearance, but also got added to the Wii U VC, as well as DK 64 getting added to the Wii U VC, not long after that happened.
@ACNHislit You're probably right, I'm not sure if the rights have to be renewed periodically or with different systems.
@YourLastSurprise
I don't know why they would have to be renewed with each new console. Even with that is the case, Nintendo and Microsoft are in a really good partnership currently, so that shouldn't be a problem.
Heck, even Phil Spencer said that getting Banjo-Kazooie in Smash Ultimate was a really easy deal to reach with Nintendo, IIRC.
@ACNHislit Yeah I was just trying to think of any potential reason other than they just don't care. I wouldn't be surprised though especially if there's no real incentive to do it.
A much more consistent release schedule for the NES & SNES online service would help,, adding more retro systems a lot, and they could also add non retro features like exclusive game discounts for members. Really what they need to do is stop pretending online gaming and features in general is a niche that isn’t worth investing into
@Ulysses I feel like I read your comment before in a previous article.
Edit - Nintendo says it will try to figure a way to create interest in the switch online service.
after 4 months of waiting you gave us 4 laughable games.... i dont play MP, i am a subscriber only for the old games and I am so disappointed by you..
Sony's PS Plus - 3 or 4 AA/AAA games for 9,99e per a month
Nintendo'OS - 4 archaic games for 3,99e per 4 months
.....
I don’t care about the cost. It’s basically nothing. I make that money in less than two hours of work. I’ve had plenty of fun playing my games online for that price. Mainly Rocket league but also tetris and animal crossing.
But yeah betrer online functionalities in the games would be nice. Especially Animal crossing. But that’s not this services fault. That’s game design. That’s nintendos fault for being bad at making online games. Other online games are making good use of the switches online capabilities. It’s up to nintendo to step up their game. But I don’t think that will happen this generation. They need new people in key positions to understand how to do better to be better.
I doubt it but sure Nintendo. Go ahead. Improve.
I want the old NES rareware games like cobra triangle and RC-AM on NSO but understand this will never happen. // looks at Rare Replay and Xbox 360on eBay for the hundredth time...
@Marios-love-child they all aged just fine. They are made to be just like they were back then. That is the appeal. I don't want a remaster.
1- $20 a year isn't a lot of money.
2- The service is not worth $20 a year.
@BlackenedHalo Sony gives you crap. First of all it's mainly all indie titles that are almost free to buy and the AAA games they do give are also less than 20 bucks. Most of which are all crap. It's cheaper to not have the service at all and just buy the games. I'd rather pay Xbox for game pass and online service than ps which I let lapse due to their lack of games and service .
NSO will be more attractive if Nintendo could add new feature to it (better online play, allow cloud save backup for every game, voice chat without smartphone app, a new miiverse) instead of taking old offline/non-subscription features away (purchase VC games, offline save backup)
In short, just COPY what Sony's PS Vita did.
(i.e. Able to backup save and game data to PC for free, PS+ only required for online backup, able to voice chat, able to buy classic games without subscription, but if you want subscription based games you can go that way too)
@beazlen1 the rare replay is worth it actually. It has those and many more excellent games on it.
@JudgeMethos i have a gamecube collection and very much intend on adding eternal darkness at some point but a switch port would work just as well if they remastered it i’d have no trouble buying it at full or near full price
@GoblinKing86 I disagree. I’m not someone who cares about streaming etc. and I mostly enjoy single player games, but online gaming is like a sport, in that you’re competing against people very skilled at the game. You will always find tougher opposition online than in the main game.
@Dirty0814
I think you're being very generous with use of the word "all"
Granted some of them are fine and still very enjoyable to play but some of them are simply terrible. Not even worth a remaster.
So this basically confirms it'll be one console per year.
Well, I can't complain with Super Smash Bros. 64's release this September, I guess. I mean, most users - like yours truly - most likely paid the service when it went live, and last year Nintendo wasn't even subtle about adding SNES right as people renewed their subscriptions so yeah, N64 this fall, methinks.
Also, the Mega Man Legacy Collections (standard and X) include NES, SNES, PS1 and PS2 games (and GBA and DS, if we count the Mega Man Zero/ZX Collection that is the only one in this comment I don't have yet). By adding the Castlevania and Mana compilations into the mix, we have more of a Virtual Console than what Nintendo Switch Online itself has provided us. Just sayin'.
I pay for the family plan because we have three users and two switches. So my outlay each year is roughly the same as Xbox Live. What Xbox is giving you for that same sort of money for unlimited profiles on one console is far better. Yes NES/SNES gaming is nice, but it doesn't compare to the suit of online options by Sony and Microsoft.
I am one of the few people who aren't against the Nintendo Switch Online App voice chat system, when your playing games with joy-cons in motion there really isn't a good headphone option. What bothers me is Nintendo doesn't bother to have on demand voice chat without specific requirements. I get that even Sony with PS3 couldn't do party chat mode, so Nintendo is proper farther behind that, but I should be able to do the following as a matter of course:
1) message friends on the console and/or through the app.
2) start a voice chat session with other players easily on a Nintendo platform regardless of if I am friends or not.
3) Invite friends to play games through the console (this feature is insane that it doesn't exist!)
my (warp)pipe dream is an expanded Retro service that lets you buy the games if you want to keep them. (basically a mix of the virtual console and what we have now)
unlikely but still would love it.
@Dirty0814 yes, it is true that most of these 'free" games on PSPlus are 20 dollars or less on PS4. Some of the same games are 59.99 on switch. PSPlus also gives additional discounts on games. There are bad months on PSPlus but I got pulled back in to paying for psplus by a good free game. I have never regretted the end of my switch online service, it actually took me 3 months to realise it expired. I don't think the switch has had a good month, closest thing was when they released snes games for the first time. That isn't enough to get me to resubscribe.
You don't "grow" a service you launched with the promise of certain features that you haven't even wanted to properly support your own first-party titles (examples: cloud save compatibility with Zelda: BotW and Animal Crossing New Horizons) or clearly lost interest in maintaining (the NES and SNES libraries). You spell out exactly what the consumer can expect from their investment and deliver on it, or stop wasting everyone's time pretending Switch Online is relevant to your long-term plans. It will be as important to your consumers as it is to you.
@SwitchplayerJohn that's 'probably the best chat solution... voice to text from the phone or voice to any game (creating friend lobbies) inside the app (invite using the user code), could be the unique solution.
Don't want be crazy, but add a kind of objective to have friends on switch
It desperately needs access to the full potential library of virtual console games. Just let us buy games!
I'm genuinely shocked at the idea from some that criticism shouldn't be levied just because tge service is cheap compared to others. If this were any other company who came out every six months to spout the same spin about improving the appeal of their online service, but their execution said otherwise, they would be ripped to shreds.
And I say all this as a huge Nintendo fan. I've always said if they aren't all in in getting this service where it was promised to be, then save everyone the trouble and don't even waste your time. I'd rather no online service at all as opposed to a half ass effort.
@SwitchplayerJohn voice chat isn't parent or child friendly. The smartphone ensures that all users are allowed to speak to strangers.
@justin233
I feel the same way. I miss the virtual console. I played the classics more on the Wii than the regular Ocarina of Time, and Majoras Mask I replayed many times. Smash 64 I played instead of the Wii Smash. Harvest Moon Snes was fun too.
Honestly imo switch online is very much worth it especially for only $20 and they are giving a lot and with more to come
Now with that said we need folders already and other things to be addd to switch already can only hope these updates happens soon
N64 or Gameboy virtual console would do it for me.
I don’t know why everyone puts up a fuss for $20 a year. I spend $60 on the other consoles and all it’s good for is playing online. Sure you get a couple free games but as soon as your membership expires, you can’t play them. My save files are also held hostage until I renew. I think the one thing Nintendo online needs is a cloud.We could backup our saves online in case our Switch’s break or memory card is lost.
They should realize they don't have years to make the service great. Unless they plan to keep the same content available on their next console?
Nintendo won't be getting my money for online play this year unless they start fixing there games better having to wait 6 to 8 months for bug fixes is ridiculous and what's worse is if you buy a game from there online store for 59.99 and it only halfway works
I’ll want to see a lot of growth before I renew. Got a year off my Wife for Christmas then another off Amazon/Twitch Prime. Tetris is great but I don’t see enough value in it overall. Without significant improvement I won’t be renewing.
Okay but what about fixing the atrocious netcode for Smash? As it stands, even with a wired connection I am only getting 100ms at the very best, which is BS. Smash is unplayable online. Going to drop my subscription asap until they fix performance.
For me its already worth it. The price is really cheap. So i keep paying, but i want them to at least make the option for all their online games to simply invite friends (smashbros)
@TBomb1989 your nes and snes games will be gone if you don't remove too. I don't think that's an argument against xbox or ps when Nintendo is doing the same thing. Lots of Nintendo defenders on here. The service is often laggy. Not many games feature online. No native voice chat. Not the greatest even at its cheap price. Personally if all you want to do is upload or download MM2 levels I don't think that should require a subscription but I have no business sense.
I don't get how a game like Mario Kart Deluxe runs absolutely fine online, yet Smash Brothers, Super Mario Maker 2, and load of others clank along like with all the unpredictability of the Drunken master?!
They've been pretty much near unplayable every time I've jumped into a match! My subscription ran at at the end of March, but until they sort out the horrendous lag and latency issues, well, simply put I won't be renewing it anytime soon!
In my humble opinion Nintendo should make it’s online service free for everyone that has a Switch or Switch Lite or any Nintendo Console. Another option is make online play possible through people’s own internet. We are all ready paying double the price for games on the system.
The online is not good. I got the free year with Twitch, then that expired last month. I decided to buy Tetris 99 physical to get the yearly subscription, but should hav elooked to see what you got for the "premium" version. It's next to nothing.
They need to fix the online, it's worse than WiiU. WiiU at least when you wanted to play with friends, it wasn't a struggle and laggy.
To be honest the times I have played Smash Bros Ultimate online I don't have too much fuss with it. The only access I have is my phone's hot spot and yes sometimes it is laggy but not too much to where it gets super frustrating. SMM2 normally runs well for me most of the time but yes I do agree it could be better. At first I was doing the quarterly subscription but in January I bought a year's worth and will see what Nintendo does the rest of the year. What I mostly want is being able to communicate with friends through the console itself such as at least by text, have more games support the chat app, more games to use the invite feature, and stronger netcodes. I have only had my Switch since December 2018 so I know many of you have had it since day one and have dealt with the NSO alot longer than me. The pandemic hasn't helped either with more people playing online putting even more strain on it. Dragonball FighterZ usually works well but I have dealt with connections lost so I understand the frustration, I understand both sides of the debate. Stay safe everyone
@Ulysses Hey bud sorry that I haven't been online lately, I haven't played much even offline. What time is usually good for you and I will try to be online to play, I am in central time.
NSO is terrible, but if you mostly buy games digitally then the vouchers for 2 first party games for £84 probably makes it worth getting.
@RobbWes
Then I must be repeating myself at this point.
They've had years to make this a decent service, since it was free. I'm using it more with AC now, however that alone for me doesnt justify what I'm spending on it.
People complain a lot about the service, but for me it works flawlessly in the 2 games I play online, Splatoon 2 and Tetris 99. Having all those SNES and NES games in there as well is just more icing on the cake. For the price, I'm happy with it and will continue to have it for the foreseeable future.
The most appealing thing Nintendo could add to their online service is an N64 library and Gamecube library
It's not great, but for the price it's worth it to me to play Tetris 99, Mario Kart 8, Super Mario Maker 2, and Splatoon 2 online, the NES and SNES games are a nice bonus. I get it's not as good as PSN or XBL, but it's also a third of the price.
no they won't, they don't care. No messaging or voice chat. Cloud saves are not universal. No achievements. Online servers are a fracking joke. And still no GBA or N64 Virtual Consoles. No promised "discounts" either and they ended the coupon system, which was the only aspect I used.
What a fracking joke
Maybe it should improve the service itself before adding more "content"...
@lacaras4
Actually PS Plus has been selling for cheap at third party sites. I bought a year for $30 this Saturday from CDKeys.
I'm really starting to become disenchanted with Nintendo as a company. Their online service was outdated the moment it launched with hardly anything that made it worth even its small price tag, their UX is terrible in almost every regard, their first-party games are terribly overpriced, and they're still struggling to figure out how to use the internet. I hope they actually do something that improves their business model because I don't know how long they can keep this up while still keeping their fans happy.
@Michaelrojelio84
No need to apologize! I got pretty busy myself and still haven't made any progress yet.
@tendonerd if nintendo opened the floodgates guarantee you idiots will hack the crap out of their switch thats just asking for bad news. it has to be done in stages
@B_Lindz then leave
@Mando44646 since when did entitlement ever come into play with nintendo online?
@lacaras4
Third of the price (not really with sales) with not even 1/20 of the features, functionality, and discounts of Xbox and PSN
i hope they pressure gamefreak into giving free pokebank access for NSO subscribers. letting GF pull EA shenanigans with a shared copyright unhindered is just bad pr. hell, there are many who blaming nintendo for gf's idiocy.
Oh, oh boy, did you ask how to make the membership better? Where can I upload my spreads and visual models? Teehizzle
I actually believe it to provide strong value. I think the service should be as close to free as possible, so I bias the price for what you get. And I will take it bc it has been some what jank but it also has been cheap and alot of fun in many instances. There are myriad of improvements to make, foremost connectivity, but much of my qualm is actually hardware and only some of that is Ntdo product (most). The dock should do more. Post graphic processing and have it's on nic, or whatever and ton of network card options you can stuff in. Really the dock should be able to direct connect out the box, and it should provide itself as a wifi booster with a dedicated direct channel to the switch when it's off the dock. The switch should be able to rcv dual channels, so it can grab bandwidth from the Super Dock and the router, and steal all the connection and wifi bandwidth from the household! I would just settle for better and more online features and connectivity when docked. Focus though, should be the network, server side. They need more processing space and bandwidth (you know so when my little bottlenecking bandwidth comes orbiting around it's giant bandwidth Nexus, I have as much of it coming at me, my little bottle can catch). Bussing chat over the hardware is an issue, and very few games do it and with out any mixer, like Wolfenstein whatever it's called w the blascowitz sisters, but it's rather just simply, bad. Using the app is more than serviceable but who knows if the room or server is fully populated, even if the game supports it. SR4 runs great and it's open world servers, but it's rarley populated by more than one or two users. Granted it's an old title, but the idea of rebirthing servers in the platform would be awesome and it's out there w PC communities. We should probably crossplay with MS and PC, get Merced but have populated and continuous communities for the legacy of titles appearing in switch and still supported in PC. But really all Ntdo has to do, is add N64 to the free offer, and boom, everyone is completely satisfied w Ntdo online membership as is. And to note, some games have great support, community, and fluidity online, like MU, Diablo, Mario Kart and Splatoon (not smash). But definitely, all the aforementioned added. See you next gen space cowgirls.
@Alaninho
Well they down played it from wiiu era. The matchmaking did have options and miiverse integrations. But some gamers, like this guy, relentlessly go full unadulterated, and Ntdo hates their ntdy babies being infected, and parents hostile. No matter how seemingly respectful you may try to be in order to empathize w stifling others enjoyment. Ntdo is afraid of the very instance it occurs. And the voice chat options may have been one one or two games, in the lobby only. So who knows. They need full on suite of voice sequesting and parental lock features the other consoles don't even bother to have or that well functioning (they just fine print it all and put the liability on the user and give you the bandwidth to chat and murder endlessly). But really the simple fix is a dominate lobby chat system over all online games and environments so they can be private or muted. Not per game but an online voice bussing environment existing between the console and network (for proper chat n splat) And let parents be liable for their parenting. That's a feasible catch-up Ntdo!
And long live miiverse!!!!
@Kaleid-Stone
Actually it sucked back then too, and it could use more of everything. On the wiiu the fidelity it could bus over network play, seemed higher, but it missed alot of features and none of the features week global across all online games. But in all, I think Ntdo is afraid to offer every thing Sony does online bc if the integrations and piracy that can occur. They get it. And they can pay everyone Sony can to get it for them. They are a billion dollar company. In the bank billion dollar company. Sitting there in liquid funds, Mario stamped gold bricks--- billion dollar company. So if something isn't as it is with everyone else, it's not bc they're behind it or out of money. It's bc it will begin a ripple effect of changes to their culture and consumer principles, and they haven't finished with all facets of development to control that bleedover (mainly on children) in some innovative bubbly, fun loving ntdy package. They have to evolve things the Ntdo way. But I would like to use the switch all the time wo caveat.
@GiygasAF
That is true but you pay them way too much and their file system is jank, when you rcv that "free" offerz you'll delete for games and dlc you did buy. Which isn't free to even have access to extra discounts.
On sony it's a locked license they let you use in when you pay them and are online. And the connectivity ebbs and flows per game per server, meaning direct connect is the only way to go for consistent connections, which will have hiccups and glitches and drops. There are only like three major online titles anyway. And they have all adopted pay to play predation in some way, mostly via gruelling in game economies and leveling, in one shape or proportion.
The rest, wish people played them consistent or consistently didn't have server issues (usually albeit over hours duration gameplay you see the hiccups). Unless, you're a codder. Then your need for online butt wipery has credence.
The offers used to be pretty good, but, PS Play came along, and made those offers look like what they are. Old useless crap they shovel a license out at you over and over. Same with the games on sale and special offer. They're old, tired licenses on Play or once offered on Plus. And your waiting for publisher events just like the other platforms. But that's pushing into an online store tangent.
That level of expectancy of what you should get from membership, not how good and affordable the service should be, none of the consoles offer value. Top buck for what you get as a member and online functionality across the board, community to storefront, and server support, the gold standard is steam. That's a long list (and you know, I'm gonna list it) with their free full license give aways you can HD download for life (then absconded in all matters of digital devilry/ user enabling freedom of property), cross device licenses, full community and server support, sales w coupons, and return policies, it's almost like you're giving them real money and they are giving you real products. Sony, Ntdo and even xbo(x)ne, in most facets, you're just renting licenses for a time or the life time of the machine. Certainly only as long as the system is supported. With Sony and Ntdo, and the majority of Xbox (unless they announce something rediculously generous just so their consumers don't firebomb their offices, after their seasonal episodic egregiousness), once the network support is gone, you buy a game or are given a license you download, you only have a copy until it corrupts or your system dies. They don't save you a copy for the PS5.
They're not offering you the license again under a migrated profile. Given to you by Sony or not. Paid for by membership, or not. So comparing what you should be offered atop your membership, to the value you should rcv from the online experience, is like reaching for what you thought was truffle, and instead its nougat, or worse cherry pastel. We're talking the candy itself, not the chocolate it's covered in. I could just use w voice lobby suite and stronger connectivity between device and servers. However they can bump up their service to be better w the pesky cable company in between, I appreciate.
What if Ntdo chocolate covered a N64 suite into it's offering?
And w Ntdo, you can play the SNES suite offline!!!!!!! Yeahhhh that's right put that in your waffle maker and pancake.. drop the duckhunt pistol (I'm not using on SNES), I'm out... Might get some food now...
@B_Lindz
Broken record B... broken record. You can try, but if you could roll back this board every year, like the pages of a calenders flipping between your thumb and index, the oil on paper feel as the swoosh of smelly stale air wooshing your hair back. And you keep flipping, all the way back. Just a swooshing like a cartoon real thru the blog's pages, unto the time "Ntdo Come," and you would see that very same argument, in zoetrope definition and animation!!
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