Reggie: Switch matchmaking and lobbies handled through phone app

Status
Not open for further replies.
So, "lol Sony", "lol MS" and "lol Nintendo"?


Super Bomberman R has online multiplayer and it releases on launch with the system.

You don't need PS+ or a smartphone app to do something as simple as party chat. Why of all things is this what you choose defend? Why back up a company doing something so ass backwards when their competitors have been able to do it correctly for years? Can we not expect better? Shit, can we not expect Nintendo to get the bare minimum right? I honestly don't get it.
 
Yes, as paying consumers we have a right to voice our opinions, but... Y'all don't know what you're talking about yet. None of us do. Let's see it in practice.

We don't know what we're talking about because Nintendo won't give us any details on the online nor the consoles UI.
Probably because Nintendo hasn't finished them yet.
 
So, "lol Sony", "lol MS" and "lol Nintendo"?
Don't know how I've been able to use party chat on Vita with my friends on PS4 all this time. Without an app and a subscription too. Thanks Nintendo for solving this problem for me.

No somehow this is only unacceptable for nintendo.

Has anyone considered that you will still hear voice chat through the speakers you get game audio but your phone can act as a microphone? That seems pretty convenient actually.
How is any of that more convenient than literally just plugging my headset into my controller.

If you can ONLY chat on the app, why is there a messaging icon on the Switch home screen?
It's "Game News".
 
Why does Reggie talk about matchmaking then?

That is the ability to set up games with your friends from the OS, or in this case the app. MK8 for instance does this through its own software, but system wide matchmaking lets you set up games abd schedules through the system itself to simplify the process for you and your friends.

At least that's how I understand it.
 
To be fair, I could see some use cases for this.

1. Joining a party to chat with your friends before you're able to log onto the console

2. Being able to use any Bluetooth headphones paired with your phone. I'm immediately thinking about my AirPods.

3. Being able to pause and move away from your console, but still connected to voice chat.
 
Man. The negativity in this thread is overwhelming. I'm not rushing to the defense of a companion app - I'm not that thrilled about it either - but *none* of us have tried it or have any idea what it will be like. I think our time on this forum is better spent talking about how this might become viable and what it could be like; rather than just wishing for an alternate reality where Nintendo decided to do things differently. (That might come off as whining to some people.)

Yes, as paying consumers we have a right to voice our opinions, but... Y'all don't know what you're talking about yet. None of us do. Let's see it in practice.
Nah. I'd rather try and get this changed by speaking my mind, like we were able to change the Xbox One's DRM nonsense by raising our voices, rather than just rolling over and accepting this. There's no reason this stuff can't be built into the Switch. None.

Making our voices heard, there's a chance we can get this changed. Maybe a low chance, but a chance nonetheless, which stuff like the Xbox One proves. But that chance goes to absolutely nothing if we stick our heads in the sand or just roll over. I for one would at least prefer to try.
 
No he's not. This is the misunderstanding. Reggies taking about like a "party chat" that Xbox has where all your friends can talk to each other. Like a Skype or Google Hangout.

It's hard to give Nintendo the benefit of the doubt with some of these basic things. On the other hand, it even seems outside of their realm of stupidity to do this.

Also people really like to be angry and will default to believing the worse outcome. If it turns out this isn't true, you won't be hearing from many posters in this thread on how they're glad things worked out and that they're buying a Switch because of it.
 
No somehow this is only unacceptable for nintendo.

Has anyone considered that you will still hear voice chat through the speakers you get game audio but your phone can act as a microphone? That seems pretty convenient actually.

Oh god that sounds awful. I can just imagine all the background sound that will be picked up because obviously your not gonna be able to hold your phone so it has to be placed down on speaker.
 
Oh you know this app will be handy for pushing their mobile games. Maybe even integrate with their mobile games.

$$$$
 
Reggie really just needs to shut up about the online services until it's time to actually fully explain them, because this, hint at small little details approach is clearly not working.

Regardless, this is what the official site says regarding the matter:
http://www.nintendo.com/switch/online-service/ said:
Online lobby and voice chat

Our new dedicated smart device app will connect to Nintendo Switch and let you invite friends to play online, set play appointments, and chat with friends during online matches in compatible games─all from your smart device.

A free, limited version of this app will be available for download in summer 2017.

From how they're describing it, "matchmaking" in this context seems to only be referring to the kind of OS-level lobbies that other consoles have. Standard, per-game matchmaking should happen in the games as per usual.
 
No somehow this is only unacceptable for nintendo.

Has anyone considered that you will still hear voice chat through the speakers you get game audio but your phone can act as a microphone? That seems pretty convenient actually.

How is that more convenient than just plugging in a headset into the Switch in portable mode or into a controller when docked?
 
Both PSN and xbox have apps that compliment what can be done on the console itself.

It should not be a requirement to need your phone to voice chat. It just shouldn't. That's no convenient or elegant. It's needless.

That's a nice opinion you have there. It'd be a shame if someone... Disagreed with it.

I mentioned that I'm not out to defend this idea or try to persuade anyone that it's the best thing Nintendo could have done, or the best solution. But I am rather keen to try it. It's rare that I use voice chat on PSN or XBL, and on the occaisions that I do, I'd certainly be more than willing to pull my phone out of my pocket.

And you are correct. PSN does have an app that compliments what the console can do. Now that I think of it, 9 times out of 10 I use the app on my phone to send messages to my friends on PSN, and will glance down to see who's online if I can't be bothered to suspend my game.

Relegating several social and networking features that have hitherto been OS-bound to a smartphone app sounds pretty snazzy to me, especially if it runs well and the UI is slick and easy to navigate.
 
i think the phone stuff could work really well if done right but to execute that would require so much thoughtfulness, and forethought and a magical crystal ball (the one they used while designing the wii and the DS lite) that i'd consider it a longshot.

My predicament: I pretty much use headphones (with a mic built in) when gaming on any console at any place. So, how will this work for me? If I have headphones on, I can't hear people though my phone. If I use my cans with my phone, I won'tbe able to hear the game. I guess they can stream the audio from the Switch to the app and then it will play out my phone but I don't think that is going to happen, or if it does, it will have serious latency.

EDIT: I guess I could take two sets of ear buds and plug them into both devices and then put the left bud from the Switch into my left ear and the right bud from the phone into my right ear. It's not elegant and I'd look like a dick.
 
Don't know how I've been able to use party chat on Vita with my friends on PS4 all this time. Without an app and a subscription too. Thanks Nintendo for solving this problem for me.


How is any of that more convenient than literally just plugging my headset into my controller.

This. It's something so damn simple, how are some of you people so content with Nintendo fucking up the basics?
 
Man. The negativity in this thread is overwhelming. I'm not rushing to the defense of a companion app - I'm not that thrilled about it either - but *none* of us have tried it or have any idea what it will be like. I think our time on this forum is better spent talking about how this might become viable and what it could be like; rather than just wishing for an alternate reality where Nintendo decided to do things differently. (That might come off as whining to some people.)

Yes, as paying consumers we have a right to voice our opinions, but... Y'all don't know what you're talking about yet. None of us do. Let's see it in practice.

Nah. they have every right to complain. I hope they still do this complaining about the fact all 3 console manufacturers charge for online play, which is ridiculous to be honest as none of it is worth it when something like Steam does it free and WAY better than MS and Sony could dream of.

if Nintendo wants to join the console "pay" club, fine, but they better have this service down lock, and this "App" better be the most mind fucking destroying thing ever.

I'll give them the benefit of the doubt for now, as they did invent the Wii controller and DS, and randomly put 3D into their system so they are capable of creating things no one thinks of that actually are pretty amazing.

We'll see. But yeah with lack of details everyone has a right to complain about what they know, even if the complaining is generally "lol Nintendo sucks!"
 
You don't need PS+ or a smartphone app to do something as simple as party chat. Why of all things is this what you choose defend? Why back up a company doing something so ass backwards when their competitors have been able to do it correctly for years? Can we not expect better? Shit, can we not expect Nintendo to get the bare minimum right? I honestly don't get it.

I'm expecting the other companies not to charge me to pay for online play, but they're doing it so I can't blame Nintendo.

I haven't seen the full details to say they haven't gotten the bare minimum right.
 
I'm usually one to temper the outrage in these cases, while urging people to think rationally and try to see thing from a different/sensible perspective. This time, there's no defending this dumb and cumbersome alternative. The fact that Reggie tried to spin this one - even calling it elegant?! - is the main reason I can't stand reading/listening to any interviews he does, especially during critical periods such as this. His BS is so annoying, and makes it hard to take anything he says as genuine. Some may say; "this is how PR works!" but, this is not the Iwata did things, and that's why many loved his character.

Anyway... I get that they may still be working on a native console solution (no Miiverse/street pass kinda hinted).
I get that they are worried about connectivity on the go. But come on now.


I'll keep my cool for the following reasons only:
- We don't know for certain that this will be the only option for voice chat & matchmaking - at launch - even when at home.

- It may be temporary until Nintendo finalize a proper native solution.


Ok, I said I didn't have a defense for this one, but maybe there's actually some sense somewhere in all of this. So here goes...

If you're going to use a phone to tether a connection when you can't access a WiFi signal, then, you may as well use it for chat too, and save your Switch battery for longer gaming. Either way, you'll have to use two separate divices, so why not?
Of course, this doesn't answer the question of why this method seems to be the only method, even when you have access to WiFi, but it actually does make some sense otherwise.

Still though, I'm going to wait a bit for more info, before I lose my cool. Even if Nintendo does have plenty more info and details to share, they deserve whatever flack they get for disseminating this bit info in this manner, and not via a more detailed and clear way.
 
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.

Im sleeeeeeeeeeeeep 💀
 
Nah. I'd rather try and get this changed by speaking my mind, like we were able to change the Xbox One's DRM nonsense by raising our voices, rather than just rolling over and accepting this. There's no reason this stuff can't be built into the Switch. None.

Making our voices heard, there's a chance we can get this changed. Maybe a low chance, but a chance nonetheless, which stuff like the Xbox One proves. But that chance goes to absolutely nothing if we stick our heads in the sand or just roll over. I for one would at least prefer to try.
Funnily enough, their online plans are as vague and nebulous as Xbox One's DRM plans. Their official wording is especially vague and can be taken a number of ways, and their execs are throwing crap into the pot by using the wrong phrasings.
 
Thank you!

Better version:

v4S5mkO.png
 
From how they're describing it, "matchmaking" in this context seems to only be referring to the kind of OS-level lobbies that other consoles have.

Bingo.

Games are not going to depend on an app to handle their matchmaking to their own servers. That's not how this shit works, it can't even work in this way unless Nintendo are wizards.
 
Reggie really just needs to shut up about the online services until it's time to actually fully explain them, because this, hint at small little details approach is clearly not working.

Regardless, this is what the official site says regarding the matter:


From how they're describing it, "matchmaking" in this context seems to only be referring to the kind of OS-level lobbies that other consoles have. Standard, per-game matchmaking should happen in the games as per usual.

I agree with everything in this post. Nintendo really, really, desperately needs to hire better PR/messaging staff.

Edit: I'm out of this thread, clearly not that many people are interested in reading and understanding exactly what has and has not been confirmed. It's much easier to shitpost.
 
What? Is this for any game with online multiplayer or is this just for private/ friend matches?

Like in Splatoon on wii u I'm just thrown in with randoms and I play the game. Can I still do this without the phone app on the Switch?

Regardless, why the hell is it not just done through the console??
 
Switch threads are like Trump threads, every new piece of info is worse than the last and you dont know whether to laugh or cry.
 
What? Is this for any game with online multiplayer or is this just for private/ friend matches?

Like in Splatoon on wii u I'm just thrown in with randoms and I play the game. Can I still do this without the phone app on the Switch?

Correct. You won't be able to chat or create lobbies, but you will be able to play with randoms online.
 
what the hell?

Ok i need to see how online works before purchasing this thing and online membership.

In regards to tethering, wouldn't that use a ton of data?
 
How is that more convenient than just plugging in a headset into the Switch in portable mode or into a controller when docked?

You need to take a headset with you when you take the switch on a trip? You would have the phone with you anyway.

Open the app and set it on a table next to you, and have voice chat. As long as it's one option.
 
Reggie really just needs to shut up about the online services until it's time to actually fully explain them, because this, hint at small little details approach is clearly not working.

Regardless, this is what the official site says regarding the matter:


From how they're describing it, "matchmaking" in this context seems to only be referring to the kind of OS-level lobbies that other consoles have. Standard, per-game matchmaking should happen in the games as per usual.

So, it's just like I said? I mean it's right there. You can put Mario Kart 8 Deluxe in. Go online and find your friends, create a room and play a game.

The voice chat stuff is weird, but I need to see how it's implemented.
 
What? Is this for any game with online multiplayer or is this just for private/ friend matches?

Like in Splatoon on wii u I'm just thrown in with randoms and I play the game. Can I still do this without the phone app on the Switch?

Yes, you will be able to do that without using your smartphone. This for custom matchmaking outside of the game.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Top Bottom