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[Darklor01]

Everything online sounds horrible from Nintendo. It's almost as worse as having no online features. 🤔

Which is pretty much how I currently plan to use it. As an offline system with online support for system related updates.

 

[CrazyHorse]

I want to agree with you, but this is Nintendo and it doesn't help with Reggie saying this shit.

Seriously they are going to be charging people for this. If you can't match make, chat or handle lobbies on the console itself. I'm sorry but that's complete shit.

Nintendo needs to get out of it's bubble.

It's too late; the Switch has no mic.

I think I may buy a PS4 now. Get BoTW on Wii U and leave Nintendo until they sort things out in their next console. I am a Nintendo loyalist who is saying this!

 

[FantasticMrFoxdie]

Crickey



that sounds terrible.


like

whyyyy

and their charging for this bwahaha

 

[Spieler Eins]

Am I insane or something or did the DS have a headset for voice chat? Why can't they just do that again? Why couldn't they include some mic/headphone/headset input on the controllers like the other companies?

DS had voice chat over its built-in microphone in like 2005.

 

[btrboyev]

So now Nintendo is charging me an online fee to use my phones limited data plan that I already pay a monthly fee for and may now go over with more charges? Come on.

 

[13ruce]

Wait you have to use the app to matchmake into a game? So I can't just go into Splatoon solo and play with randoms? Or is this the only thing when with a party. I cant believe the former to be true.

That would be insanely dumb if you need it for online matchmaking with randoms.

 

[MADGAME]

Stop hitting yourself Nintendo Stop hitting yourself Nintendo Stop hitting yourself Nintendo

Ha! More like

 

[EloquentM]

I just don't understand

 

[Malus]

I guess Nintendo is reasoning that if you're in the segment that want to own a Switch, you're in the same segment that has a Smartphone.

If it's integrated seamlessly into games it could work, who doesn't have a smartphone? No need for the Switch to waste OS resources for browser and stuff like that when you can just do it via the phone.

If it works well it works well, to me personally it doesn't really matter much, but of course it would be preferable if it was handled via the system itself or, inside the games lol.

Me lel.

Plus a lot of kids probably.

Good thing I only play with randoms.

That would be insanely dumb if you need it for online matchmaking with randoms.

Please don't bring up this possibility :_:

 

[Narroo]

So what about Switch users without a smartphone?...

Apparently we're a small minority, so it doesn't matter.

 

[Effigenius]

Im really interested to see this app in action. I think its unfortunate how many people want to just hate on something they have never tried or seen in . Action.

 

[Scrawnton]

I repeat so people can calm down. The article says the app is planned to launch this summer. There are games releasing this spring confirmed to have online play. Of course switch can do the online functions by itself.

 

[bman94]

God damnit lol. It's like Nintendo are old people who don't understand how technology works. Sometimes I wonder how they make games the way they do.

 

[antonz]

Its honestly the most Anti-Nintendo move I have ever seen them make. It puts all the importance on a 3rd party device to do things their own device should be providing.

They really are their own worst enemy in the end most of the time

 

[Carl]

Ah Nintendo, coming up with solutions to problems that have have existed

 

[Starlightmuse]

what
the fuck
am I reading

 

[ASIS]

Is anyone actually surprised that Nintendo would fuck up their online strategy yet again??

There is not a single soul that could have predicted this.

 

[phanphare]

I don't understand the logic here and I don't think I ever will. the phone app would be really cool if it was in tandem with all of these features being on the console itself as well. there are some on the go situations I could foresee where whipping out my phone would be more convenient. but not having this stuff on the console in lieu of that is....well it's fucking stupid is what it is.

I'm hoping they'll have to swerve fast on this because if they're going to start charging they're going to have to take feedback more seriously. they likely want to maximize the amount of money they get from online subs so I don't see them holding as strong to dumb decisions. or maybe they will.

 

[Jumeira]

Or Reggie, you could have added some input for your headphone kit on the machine itself.

These are the people running Nintendo. This is what you can always expect from them, utter baffoonery

 

[kIdMuScLe]

Where did you get that figure from?

From a poster here who posted about the OS being barebones and all apps offloaded to the smart devices weeks before the Switch presentation

 

[McNum]

Honestly, seriously, if someone can describe any case where this is better or more convenient than built-in online features, I would be very interested to hear it. Because Nintendo surely must have its reasons.

I can actually think of one scenario, but I'll admit, it's an edge case.

You want to play Splatoon 2 with someone, so you set up a lobby. Then both of you boot up the game and it boots directly to the match. With this, you don't need to have your Switch turned on to set up multiplayer rooms. Or you can play one game, while setting up a match for another and then switch over.

But that is an edge case, as I said, and it doesn't explain why the same feature wouldn't be on the Switch itself.

 

[Nibel]

They are batshit insane if they think this will work well for the majority of players

 

[D i Z]

I hope this is sarcasm.

Yeah, making your console look worse after the disaster of the Wii U is certainly the direction to go.

You should be asking Nintendo if they're being sarcastic. They obviously don't want to do it right. No matter how many excuses people create for them, Nintendo is tanking online as a standard deliberately. Putting it on an app. Forcing you to use your phone and your phones service fees. You'll most likely still need headphones, but they don't talk about that with their "bulky headset" talk.
No mic. Not having an in console accessible feature, not even for matchmaking. The app is behind a paywall.... Not charging for the service initially while they "build it"


Now lets list the positives.....

 

[MHWilliams]

The smart phone app that we're creating, that will be part of our online service, we believe is going to be a very compelling part of the overall proposition because that's how you'll voice chat, that's how you'll do your matchmaking, and create your lobby. We also think it's a very elegant solution because if you've taken your switch on the go, you've put yourself in a hotspot, you're looking at get a quick match of Mario Kart in, to whip out some sort of bulky, gamer headset is a bit of a challenge.

That's what's going to be hooked to the smartphone anyways, so why can't we hook it directly to the Switch?

Like, the concept is good in addition to the service on the Switch itself. If the console and do it, or I can connect via an app? Grand! App only? Nah.

 

[Audioboxer]

Lol, and remember: this is what we'll be paying for. Can't fathom this.

Pls enjoy awesome pings, and awesome wireless speeds.

It's bad enough in typical Nintendo fashion there is no ethernet port, but this is next level for adding unnecessary lag.

 

[XenodudeX]

Jesus that is completely fucking stupid. I just don't understand how they could possibly think that this is a good idea.

 

[Cre8]

I hope the app don't drain your phone battery like Pokemon Go does....

 

[ksamedi]

Sorry guys but im gonna say something positive here.

Having a fully dedicated app is great. Im sure most of you have your phone by your side anyway.

Some advantages:
- chat will be easy
- voice chat will be easy for outdoors, no need for headset but will probably connect with bluetooth and will also be available directly trough the switch interface
- invites through push notifications when console is off
- social media integration
- less system resources used for Online gaming.
- countless other possibilities of having your phone connected to switch trough bluetooth like seeing whatsapp messages and stuff durimg play.

I want to hear the full details before i will judge. In app eshop would be nice as well.

 

[Spieler Eins]

So much for holding your judgement on Nintendo until they unveil their online price plan. It was obviously going to be something that isn't even worth a cent.

 

[R00bot]

I repeat so people can calm down. The article says the app is planned to launch this summer. There are games releasing this spring confirmed to have online play. Of course switch can do the online functions by itself.

Quoting for visibility.

 

[Mahonay]

Ha! More like

I can't stop laughing

 

[Pineapple]

How are we supposed to engage in voice chat while playing games? Do we put our phone on speaker mode? Do we have to hold it up to our ear in the middle of the game to talk to other players? If we have to use a headset, then what is the point of having to go through a smartphone app in the first place? Reggie mentioned that no one wants to carry around a "bulky headset" on the go, but if you want to chat with other players, you need a headset at some point.

Has he seen the headset included with the PS4? It's a cord with an earpiece and microphone. You can easily fit it into any pocket as it takes up virtually no space.

1. A headset similar to the PS4's should be included with every Switch.
2. All of this functionality should be integrated into the OS itself. Having to download a separate smartphone app seems ridiculous.

 

[EvetS]

This is just Nintendo's twisted way of keeping online predators away from the kids.

 

[Artanisix]

no god

please

nintendo why is your online always so fucking dumb

 

[HelloNewman]

I've always said playing online wasn't complicated enough.

 

[Dryk]

Yeah because plugging in some microphone earbuds to the unit wouldn't be very elegant!!!??

Clearly the elegant solution is to tether to a phone... and plug microphone earbuds into that

 

[calc84maniac]

I repeat so people can calm down. The article says the app is planned to launch this summer. There are games releasing this spring confirmed to have online play. Of course switch can do the online functions by itself.

Hello, voice of reason.

 

[Osiris]

Reading some of the reponses in this thread all I can think of is this scene:

 

[Kyoufu]

None of this makes sense. I'll never understand you, Nintendo.

 

[riotous]

The bulky gamer headset comments are killing me lol... modern consoles support cell phone headsets.

So now Nintendo is charging me an online fee to use my phones limited data plan that I already pay a monthly fee for and may now go over with more charges? Come on.

I mean... you need access to wifi to play switch online, so presumably you'd be connecting your phone to the same wifi and not going against your data plan.

 

[Yagharek]

So now Nintendo is charging me an online fee to use my phones limited data plan that I already pay a monthly fee for and may now go over with more charges? Come on.

You already get charged online fees to use your home internet data plan, but they usually have larger caps than mobile.

The problems are separate:
Paying for peer to peer as on other networks
Needing a specific phone and app to use it

The other systems only have the first problem.

 

[LowSignal]

I thought perhaps it was a misunderstanding about the smartphone app for voice chat,this is disappointing.

 

[Lemaitre]

Jesus that is completely fucking stupid. I just don't understand how they could possibly think that this is a good idea.

It's Nintendo.

 

[phanphare]

Sorry guys but im gonna say something positive here.

Having a fully dedicated app is great. Im sure most of you have your phone by your side anyway.

Some advantages:
- chat will be easy
- voice chat will be easy for outdoors, no need for headset but will probably connect with bluetooth and will also be available directly trough the switch interface
- invites trough pus notifications when console is off
- social media integration
- less system resources used for Online gaming.
- countless other possibilities of having your phone connected to switch trough bluetooth like seeing whatsapp messages and stuff durimg play.

I want to hear the full details before i will judge. In app eshop would be nice as well.

the app would be cool if the console had these features as well

 

[tearsintherain]

I know exactly why they are doing this: because they can't trust parents to implement parental controls. Remember how they got rid of Swapnote entirely, over something terrible that happened one time because a kid was able to run free on their 3DS (even with friend codes implemented!)? Rather than try and beg parents to utilize the parental controls on a device that their kids can take on the go and away from their supervision, they are making it as obtuse and difficult as possible for anyone who isn't an adult to utilize online. Can't you see it? No browser on the console. Friends via social media invites. Paid online functionality. Chat and matchmaking handled through an app. The biggest way any of these can be feasibly managed is by being an adult with a card to pay for things. So if you are a kid and lack any of the requirements, you are being forced to be kept "safe" by them preventing you from accessing anything in the first place.

That doesn't really make any sense since almost every kid, especially one who is getting a switch, is going to own a phone and even if the phone is adult protected the kid has long figured out how to get around that shit.

Nah, the simplest explanation is that Nintendo just doesn't want to deal with all the technical issues of integrating party chat and audio into the switch. Its all system level stuff that the OS and UI team would have to deal with and they are probably frantically dealing with a million other things. Whereas a phone app can be outsourced to any old team and they just need to know the APIs that let them see nintendo friends lists etc. Plus the phone app can now be updated without requiring any switch OS updates. It makes things a LOT easier for nintendo devs, but makes things much more awkward for users.

I'm sure a year or two down the road the app features will be integrated into the switch itself but for right now its far more efficient for Nintendo to just focus on getting out an operating system with as few features as necessary to launch.

 

[Dmax3901]

Say you're out and about. You're at a wifi hotspot in a cafe or whatever. You have your switch, your Bluetooth headset and your phone. You want to play online. So you go onto the app and join a lobby or party chat.

What I don't get is this bit now. How can you listen to both the game audio feed from the switch, and party chat on your phone at the same time through one headset? Would your phone actually connect to your switch somehow and stream over the chat, or would it literally just send data from the phone to the switch telling it what lobby to join or which friend to party chat with, meaning you'd have one audio feed.

I'm getting confused just talking about it.

Shit, good point. Maybe the phone will just be a second screen in which to interact with the switch? So the phone connects via BT to the Switch, allowing you to leave join mute people etc by using your phone, it's just so you don't have to swap between or minimise 'screens' on the Switch in tabletop mode?

 

[Vital Tundra]

I repeat so people can calm down. The article says the app is planned to launch this summer. There are games releasing this spring confirmed to have online play. Of course switch can do the online functions by itself.

Yeah you're right. I think everyone is just in shock of such a weird work around.

 

[Boke1879]

It's too late; the Switch has no mic.

I think I may buy a PS4 now. Get BoTW on Wii U and leave Nintendo until they sort things out in their next console. I am a Nintendo loyalist who is saying this!

Not just you and not just here, but I've seen many people who are fans of Nintendo now voicing their disappointment for this.

 

[wildfire]

Internet is almost essential at this point in time. Smartphones aren't. And a lot of people just have cheap or old smartphones. There'll probably be people locked out because their phone is too old to support the app. Besides, internet isn't as big of an investment as buying a smartphone.

They could make a phone browser version but I don't see them even thinking of doing that.

 

[Rocketz]

Yeah this console isn't getting any major multiplayer titles.