Reggie: Switch matchmaking and lobbies handled through phone app

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Loud noises!

People losing their minds and calling for the complete failure of the Switch...Just settle down.
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simpsons-villagers-pitchfork-torches.jpg


Welcome to neogaf.
 
The only thing refreshingly different about Nintendo is their IPs. Motion controls suck; there's a reason the Kinect and Move both failed, HD rumble can be kept and put on the pro controller.

You don't think a PS4/X1 that can play Mario and Zelda and Star Fox and Pokemon and Metroid etc. etc. etc. would be appealing as fuck? There's no reason Nintendo can't put those franchises on a powerhouse of a home console. And there's no reason that powerhouse of a home console can't have games like Mario Kart and Mario Party and Kirby.

I'm not saying you're saying this, you're more talking about the extra features, but I've seen countless people say they'd rather have those franchises than have a powerful system. Why not both? Having a powerful system and having Nintendo's franchises, including the more casual ones, are mutually exclusive. There's no reason Nintendo can't put those franchises on a super beefy system. And if Nintendo really cares about portable gaming, they have the 3DS. But they also have smartphones. They could make so much fucking money by putting a ton of casual games on Android and iOS.

Nintnedo's different because of their IPs.

I think the Joy Cons have a lot of potential. Nintendo probably wont implement them in any innovative way and just make dumb party games with them, but the potential is there. Being able to relax your hands individually without pointing at the screen with a dumb pointer is a big step forward for motion controls.

They'd probably work really well with VC.

I really wouldn't mind seeing Nintendo games on a Sony platform, but it's never gonna happen.
 
The smartphone app should be optional and compliment the Switch. But making a smartphone and an app a necessity in order to use some fundamental features is beyond ridiculous. There is absolutely no logical excuse for not having these features baked into the Switch itself.
 
You can't use the bluetooth set you already have for your phone? You have to buy a dedicated gaming headset and use that to make this work?

...

What? What are you even saying? It seems like you're working against your own point now.

Why couldn't I use that "Bluetooth headset I already have for my phone" (which I don't have by the way, but I'll play along) on my Switch? And have voice chat through my Switch? And how does this counter the fact that if one wants to play with headphones and voice chat they now need two headsets? And how does this roll back to the point of these features not being in the console itself is somehow a good thing? You're literally just saying things without a coherent stance at this point.
 
Then chill and don't buy it. You're right, if what they're showing doesn't appeal to you, and you really don't care to wait to hear more, then look the other way and forget the system exists. I buy Nintendo consoles and games because the way they do things appeals to me. If it doesn't appeal to you, then that's all good man.

My personal approach is far more passive. I keep my ears open. Once I've heard enough confirmed details about any product that interests me, and I decide I want it, I buy it, no matter how long before/after launch I make that decision. We all have different thresholds. If not knowing all the details for online services at this juncture is a deal breaker for you then there's no need to be emotional about it, just don't press the pre-order button and we're gravy.

I'm not being emotional. I don't think many people are. And it's fair to discuss the pluses and minuses of a system/video game/etc. Part of that is weighing whether or not it's worth it for you, and things change. If we weren't able to talk about this kind of stuff, what would be the point of forums?

Plus, people voicing concerns leads to changes. I would love to get a Switch, but the product's impairments are standing in the way, and most of them can be dealt with. I'm not the only one, either.
 
I think the Joy Cons have a lot of potential. Nintendo probably wont implement them in any innovative way and just make dumb party games with them, but the potential is there. Being able to relax your hands individually without pointing at the screen with a dumb pointer is a big step forward for motion controls.

They'd probably work really well with VC.

I really wouldn't mind seeing Nintendo games on a Sony platform, but it's never gonna happen.

Not without a D-Pad. I don't want to use an analog stick to play classic 2D games that require D-Pad precision.

And the JoyCon is the only option in handheld mode. I really want them to make alternative JoyCons but they won't.

Neat. I'm not sure a 9 year old should be participating in online play anyways, especially one who can't be trusted with a smartphone.

That's not for you to decide. Or Nintendo.
 
GamesBeat sat down with David Young, Nintendo of America’s assistant manager of public relations, at the Switch event in New York City. We still don’t know plenty of information about the Switch or how Nintendo is approaching some of its features and services, but Young was able clarify several questions that we had.

Online plans

For Switch’s online ecosystem, Nintendo is for the first time moving to a paid model. The online services will be free at launch and then will start charging sometime in the fall. Players who subscribe will be able to play Switch games online, use a smart phone app for online lobbies and voice chat, and also get to play a free NES or SNES game each month (but only for that month). Yet, it’s still another cost for people in an area where Nintendo has traditionally struggled and lagged behind the competition.

“Yeah, you know, this’ll allow really a more robust kind of environment and development of that online,” Young said.

And as for voice chat, it sounds like that functionality will only be in the smart phone app, not something that is actually going to be part of the Switch system itself.

“Right,” Young said. “That’s what we’ve been discussing, is that this app will allow you [to use] the voice chat.”

http://venturebeat.com/2017/01/18/nintendo-on-switch-availability-battery-life-leaks-and-the-3dss-future/
 
Right. But the point is I don't get any benefit from using the app on my phone to manage everything.

Also, even if I did, data is at a premium. Why would I expend data on this shit?

Well the data wouldn't be an issue. If you can only use the Switch on wifi when outside to play online, then wouldn't the same apply to using the smartphone app (wifi as well)?
 
Neat. I'm not sure a 9 year old should be participating in online play anyways, especially one who can't be trusted with a smartphone.
Are you saying they don't have a smartphone because they can't be trusted with it and not because the parents think he doesn't need a fucking smartphone at the age of nine?!

The arrogance of your post is staggering.
 
Truth. One way or the other, just detail the shit out of it.

Odds are they haven't figured it out themselves, which is even worse.

What if by doing this it meant a lighter weight OS, so eg you had 1GB more memory for games, and an extra CPU core?

If the features aren't baked into the OS, I honestly think that's the reason why. Push all the social functionality to an external device to focus on pushing as many pixels as possible with the existing hardware without killing the battery.

Smart decision? Dumb decision? No idea until this thing rolls out.
 
What is wrong with you?

Ask your mom... but seriously, I just like good games. The Witcher 3, Fallout New Vegas, Tales of Vesperia, Shenmue, Super Mario Galaxy, Odin Sphere, Uncharted 4, Gears 4 etc. but not that shit I listed before. I've seen posters gush over that garbage, and they have received entirely too much attention imho.
 
GamesBeat sat down with David Young, Nintendo of America’s assistant manager of public relations, at the Switch event in New York City. We still don’t know plenty of information about the Switch or how Nintendo is approaching some of its features and services, but Young was able clarify several questions that we had.

Online plans

For Switch’s online ecosystem, Nintendo is for the first time moving to a paid model. The online services will be free at launch and then will start charging sometime in the fall. Players who subscribe will be able to play Switch games online, use a smart phone app for online lobbies and voice chat, and also get to play a free NES or SNES game each month (but only for that month). Yet, it’s still another cost for people in an area where Nintendo has traditionally struggled and lagged behind the competition.

“Yeah, you know, this’ll allow really a more robust kind of environment and development of that online,” Young said.

And as for voice chat, it sounds like that functionality will only be in the smart phone app, not something that is actually going to be part of the Switch system itself.

“Right,” Young said. “That’s what we’ve been discussing, is that this app will allow you [to use] the voice chat.”


http://venturebeat.com/2017/01/18/nintendo-on-switch-availability-battery-life-leaks-and-the-3dss-future/

So, first of all, the voice chat is for sure outside the system and relegated to the app. That's silly.

And secondly, it sounds like you can set up online lobbies, again backing what Reggie said. There's still a tiny big of wiggleroom in there, but to me it's more or less confirming it.
 
Ask your mom... but seriously, I just like good games. The Witcher 3, Fallout New Vegas, Tales of Vesperia, Shenmue, Super Mario Galaxy, Odin Sphere, Uncharted 4, Gears 4 etc. but not that shit I listed before. I've seen posters gush over that garbage, and they have received entirely too much attention imho.
Oh snap.
 
Sounds like the best option for when it's on the go... Pretty much works like a conference call at work...

Pretty fucked at home though... like why?

Seriously, this is gonna kill my data... most likely(?).
 
Ask your mom... but seriously, I just like good games. The Witcher 3, Fallout New Vegas, Tales of Vesperia, Shenmue, Super Mario Galaxy, Odin Sphere, Uncharted 4, Gears 4 etc. but not that shit I listed before. I've seen posters gush over that garbage, and they have received entirely too much attention imho.

Oh, THAT'S what the "13" is for!
 
I'm not being emotional. I don't think many people are. And it's fair to discuss the pluses and minuses of a system/video game/etc. Part of that is weighing whether or not it's worth it for you, and things change. If we weren't able to talk about this kind of stuff, what would be the point of forums?

Plus, people voicing concerns leads to changes. I would love to get a Switch, but the product's impairments are standing in the way, and most of them can be dealt with. I'm not the only one, either.
But we don't know if it's "impaired" yet because there are no confirmed details one way or the other, except "there will be an app". We're all just making idle discussion over rumors or supposition rather than a complete picture of how the system works. I think it's more than fair to criticize Nintendo for the lack of information, but it's also doing oneself a disservice to dismiss the system before you have the full picture.

I'm not saying this discussion is pointless, I'm saying that if you still have some desire to own a Switch, there's not a reason to dismiss it until we have full details on how online works, unless you just don't want to support Nintendo's behavior on sharing information, which is fair, and you're free to only support those companies who's business practices you agree with. However, in a practical sense, as long as Nintendo shows how this thing works before launch, you're at no disadvantage and can still go pick one up that same week.
 
Now you have to get your phone, load an app, and plug in headphones into your smart phone.
Or just put an AirPod in my ear, swipe left tap and good to go.
You now have to wear two sets of headphones. One for Bob, which connects to your dying phone. Another for the Switch. If both are plugged into charging devices, you now have:
Or just use the Switch built in speaker for the game audio? You don't always need to use headphones to hear the Switch.
....you are wearing two sets of goddamn headphones and tangled in cords.
unless you buy $15 bluetooth headphones

Not a big deal 100% of the time, annoying yes, but there are workarounds.
 
...

What? What are you even saying? It seems like you're working against your own point now.

Why couldn't I use that "Bluetooth headset I already have for my phone" (which I don't have by the way, but I'll play along) on my Switch? And have voice chat through my Switch? And how does this counter the fact that if one wants to play with headphones and voice chat they now need two headsets? And how does this roll back to the point of these features not being in the console itself is somehow a good thing? You're literally just saying things without a coherent stance at this point.

You can use all phone headsets universally on other home consoles for online play? Without issues?
 
Yeah the Switch doesn't have a mic. :/

Neither does a Dualshock or Xbox One controller. They all have headset jacks though.

And if PDP's actually selling a headset for the Switch, it has to have voice built into the OS. Otherwise it'd make no goddamn sense.
 
Wow, this sounds so stupid. Won't affect me since I refuse to pay extra for online gaming.
I want to give Nintendo the benefit of the doubt, but they chose to inform in bits and pieces, instead of telling everyone how the whole online thing works on Switch.

Maybe this is just an optional thing, but right now it doesn't sound like it. This together with pay for online, one VC game a month, no media stuff or internet browser(though I'm sure they will add it later) just sounds like bad online experience. And bad news travels fast and stick in a lot of people's perception.

They seemed to have told all the "bad" stuff, why not just share how everything about online is suppose to work? Maybe most of the bad stuff aren't so bad after all. The longer they wait, the more people will think online on Switch will be crap.
 
I hope this device fails tremendously, like what the fuck man , cant even provide features from wii u heck even 3ds or wii itself

Let's not go there. This sounds as bad as the blind fan-boys defending every Nintendo fuck up.

As gamers we should all want Nintendo to succeed. A gaming world without Nintendo would be a sad one, indeed.

So, as someone who pre-ordered (2) Switches, (5) games, and a couple extra sets of joy cons with charging grips...I'm more than a little annoyed at how fucking *clueless* Nintendo seems to be regarding their customer base and the changing market. The console and especially accessory pricing, a pathetic sales proposition for paid online, the PR in general...and now this retarded mobile app online communication idea...all of it...has been so poorly handled it almost feels like Nintendo is trying to convince people to cancel pre-orders.

The only way to get them to take notice (a long shot to be sure) is to voice our displeasure with the direction they've chosen to go with this thing.

After the Wii U was a complete cluster-fuck, a lot of people who skipped it (like myself) have a lot of pent-up excitement/desire for a new Nintendo console...a chance to get it right this time. And the Switch does seem to have some pretty great potential. But I pre-ordered *in spite* of Nintendo's sales pitch thus far. That's an important point worth saying twice: I pre-ordered IN SPITE of Nintendo's sales pitch. Think about that for a second.

It's like they're doing everything possible to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. Again. And it's really pissing a lot of people off, for good reason. We want Nintendo to succeed in spite of itself.
 
What if by doing this it meant a lighter weight OS, so eg you had 1GB more memory for games, and an extra CPU core?

The Xbox 360 did party chat with a grand total of 32MB of memory being allocated to the entire system OS. The party/chat system itself only accounts for a portion of that. Memory is not a significant concern here. Don't forget that the Wii U dedicated an entire gigabyte to its OS. Hell, I think the 3DS even has more RAM dedicated to its OS.
 
Neither does a Dualshock or Xbox One controller. They all have headset jacks though.

And if PDP's actually selling a headset for the Switch, it has to have voice built into the OS. Otherwise it'd make no goddamn sense.

The Switch is a portable system, though. Those are controllers.
 
The idea of the switch is a good one in general but Nintendo are the last company you would want trying to execute it.

Missteps and fails from start to finish with no clue of what they are doing.
 
But we don't know if it's "impaired" yet because there are no confirmed details one way or the other, except "there will be an app". We're all just making idle discussion over rumors or supposition rather than a complete picture of how the system works. I think it's more than fair to criticize Nintendo for the lack of information, but it's also doing oneself a disservice to dismiss the system before you have the full picture.

I'm not saying this discussion is pointless, I'm saying that if you still have some desire to own a Switch, there's not a reason to dismiss it until we have full details on how online works, unless you just don't want to support Nintendo's behavior on sharing information, which is fair, and you're free to only support those companies who's business practices you agree with. However, in a practical sense, as long as Nintendo shows how this thing works before launch, you're at no disadvantage and can still go pick one up that same week.

Opinions can always change. As I just said, I'm willing to buy it once it meets my needs. Rarely does anyone write off a system completely, and since opinions are subject to change, people end up buying a product or they don't.

And on the topic of confirming things, they just confirmed, again, that voice chat is smartphone only. I really don't think there's going to be a huge flip on half the things said by the PR people.I wouldn't mind being proven wrong, but the above doesn't install hope.

Neither does a Dualshock or Xbox One controller. They all have headset jacks though.

And if PDP's actually selling a headset for the Switch, it has to have voice built into the OS. Otherwise it'd make no goddamn sense.

Nope.

GamesBeat sat down with David Young, Nintendo of America's assistant manager of public relations, at the Switch event in New York City. We still don't know plenty of information about the Switch or how Nintendo is approaching some of its features and services, but Young was able clarify several questions that we had.

Online plans

For Switch's online ecosystem, Nintendo is for the first time moving to a paid model. The online services will be free at launch and then will start charging sometime in the fall. Players who subscribe will be able to play Switch games online, use a smart phone app for online lobbies and voice chat, and also get to play a free NES or SNES game each month (but only for that month). Yet, it's still another cost for people in an area where Nintendo has traditionally struggled and lagged behind the competition.

"Yeah, you know, this'll allow really a more robust kind of environment and development of that online," Young said.

And as for voice chat, it sounds like that functionality will only be in the smart phone app, not something that is actually going to be part of the Switch system itself.

"Right," Young said. "That's what we've been discussing, is that this app will allow you [to use] the voice chat."

http://venturebeat.com/2017/01/18/ni...e-3dss-future/
 
I'm very much against not having voice chat built into the device since it just seems unnecessarily inconvenient.

I'm guessing they are doing this to try to weed out kids from communicating online. However, for the sake of both kids and adults, it seems like it would be much better to just have some kind of robust age verification system. I imagine this would require identification when using a credit card to sign up, or tying your Nintendo Account to Facebook.

This way, parents wouldn't need to worry about their kids being online, and older gamers could play socially in a civil atmosphere without some angsty teenager screaming racial/homophobic/sexist slurs at them every 5 seconds. Better yet, you could have custom online communities for certain age groups that might prefer dealing with like-minded people. For example, you could have groups for 30+ gamers who grew up on NES/SNES/Genesis games, or you could have groups for senior citizens where they can get together and socialize online in a more comfortable setting.

I must confess, I used to game a lot on Xbox consoles, but the horrid experience of dealing with people on Xbox live soured me on that, and was a factor in pushing me more towards PC/Nintendo. So, a system that could potentially make the experience a lot better would be appealing to me, at least.

Relevant comic:

http://theoatmeal.com/comics/online_gaming
 
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