Is it possible that Nintendo has no way to make a modern console without looking like a bunch of idiots? Absolutely!
Reggie: Switch matchmaking and lobbies handled through phone app
- Thread starter Zombie James
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Is it possible that Nintendo has no way to make a modern console without looking like a bunch of idiots? Absolutely!
It sounds crazy but until it's out in the wild for people to use, it's hard to say what it will turn out like.
My biggest issue is Nintendo forcing me to juggle multiple devices/peripherals etc just to play a game.
Nintendo yet again show they don't really get online gaming. Going their own direction, when the standard is simple and works. Ah well, March onward should be interesting.
My biggest issue is Nintendo forcing me to juggle multiple devices/peripherals etc just to play a game.
Nintendo yet again show they don't really get online gaming. Going their own direction, when the standard is simple and works. Ah well, March onward should be interesting.
I didn't read through the whole tread, so sorry if this has been said before.
While this sucks, its essentially the only way Nintendo would let themselves do a proper online service because of their extreme concerns about protecting their family brand.
The way I think it will work is like this: the online service you already get on wii U (i.e. random matches in smash, Mario kart etc) will remain as is, no smartphone required.
You only need a smartphone if you want to have a friends list, voice chat etc.
And the reason for this is the app will be age gatewayed and parental controlled, which means Nintendo cant get blasted for providing a child hotline for peados, which is why they've never done voice chat or convenient friend lists before as this would destroy their business overnight.
So its the peados fault, Yeah it sucks, but it's better than nothing.
While this sucks, its essentially the only way Nintendo would let themselves do a proper online service because of their extreme concerns about protecting their family brand.
The way I think it will work is like this: the online service you already get on wii U (i.e. random matches in smash, Mario kart etc) will remain as is, no smartphone required.
You only need a smartphone if you want to have a friends list, voice chat etc.
And the reason for this is the app will be age gatewayed and parental controlled, which means Nintendo cant get blasted for providing a child hotline for peados, which is why they've never done voice chat or convenient friend lists before as this would destroy their business overnight.
So its the peados fault, Yeah it sucks, but it's better than nothing.
Aztechnology
Member
I mean obviously it's just a hypothetical, and I hope these features aren't reserved to only the Smartphone, but in tandem with it, like a better version of Glass or The PS app. Then leveraging that to cross market and create a mobile-minded ecosystem. That would make sense.
As a Software Eng/Dev student, I cannot imagine creating software like that explicitly for one device when it's not even the main device. It just defies logic. But if that is what's happening, then I'd imagine my guess would somehow factor into that.
Alex, don't worry too much. All the official Nintendo sites (UK/Europe/US) are stating that Online Play is available without the smartphone app, providing you pay the eventual subscription.
Yes he's said it will be handled by the app, but has anyone ever actually said "the console DOESN'T DO THIS", because it could just be the console and the phone can both do it if necessary.
I think matchmaking in the sense he's talking about is arranging games with friends.
Nostremitus
Member
Spiral Insanity
Banned
Vita figured out Party Chat just fine.
Nintendo is the George Lucas of Videogames. To many people who are to big and everyone is afraid to call them out when they have their Nintendo-Ideas.
Better than nothing. Sounds like a quality online pay service to me.
But then you would have to use your phone's data at all times even when you have wifi available. Makes no sense, but I guess it's possible, going by the way this has been handled by Nintendo.
Neat, I'm sorted then. Still, they need to show this thing instead of talking about it. We need a Switch Direct for all these clarification points and it needs to cover off everything because between this and VC, just off-hand comments from Reggie are adding to confusion rather than clarifying.
I hope this is sarcasm
Indeed it is.
Alex_Mexico
Member
I think we can all agree that Nintendo's messaging for a console that's coming out in 6 weeks is less than ideal, yes? We still don't have even a sliver of info on the handling of our accounts, VC or any digital platform other than "there's going to be these present".
Dynamite Shikoku
Congratulations, you really deserve it!
Why are they so weird with online stuff
I'm not sure the amount of people who would actually use voice chat in games on the go is significant enough to justify seriously inconveniencing the home console experience. It's also completely unrelated to why matchmaking is in there. Like in order to justify the mobile app they had to include more core features in it.
WhiteRabbitEXE
Member
No.
The Xbox 360 OS only had access to 32MB of memory while playing games and only needed a portion of that for party chat. The Wii U allocates 1GB to its OS while playing games. If one assumes 360 party chat used nearly all of that 32MB of memory it would still only use around 3% of the memory allocated to the Wii U OS. Even on the Switch parties in line with the 360 would be negligible by any standard.
GameCenterXDS
Member
This is the years and years of "NINTENDO GO MOBILE" finally happening. Nintendo is like fine you want mobile? Here use your phone to set up games... Haha. Man I miss Iwata so much. He would have kept Miiverse going and he seems to at least pretend to give a shit about fans and he would host the Nintendo directs. I know it was just PR stuff but it kinda felt like a way different company under Iwata.
I would really prefer an option to simply use your wifi for online gaming on the Switch, but I guess they might be going for something like this with the app:
- Social hub for all your Nintendo related things
- Connect with your friends, form parties and play games together
- Share your screenshots (and video eventually) with other people
That's realistically what I'm hoping the app will enable me to do knowing how Nintendo usually approaches online stuff. However, perhaps they will also try something like this:
- Let the user manage downloads and other settings on the Switch via the app
- Push notifications on your mobile device when a new game / demo is available -> Allow the user to intiate the download via the same app.
- Push notifications when your friends start playing a game. Make it easy to join the same game via the app with the option to quick launch the game on your Switch in multiplayer mode.
Other features that most people would absolutely hate or love:
- Add-on games for your Switch games on your mobile device: Grind those rupees in Zelda while in class in in this awesome pottery smashing minigame!
- Boss making you work overtime again? No worries, your waifu/hubby in Fire Emblem will send you push notifications when they are feeling lonely and you can touch their face and do other fun minigames to raise their affection towards you!
- Need some more content for your full retail priced game? Just complete these daily challenges with your mobile app to open up new awesome content - or just buy them with these fun nintendo coins which you can get with your credit card!
- Social hub for all your Nintendo related things
- Connect with your friends, form parties and play games together
- Share your screenshots (and video eventually) with other people
That's realistically what I'm hoping the app will enable me to do knowing how Nintendo usually approaches online stuff. However, perhaps they will also try something like this:
- Let the user manage downloads and other settings on the Switch via the app
- Push notifications on your mobile device when a new game / demo is available -> Allow the user to intiate the download via the same app.
- Push notifications when your friends start playing a game. Make it easy to join the same game via the app with the option to quick launch the game on your Switch in multiplayer mode.
Other features that most people would absolutely hate or love:
- Add-on games for your Switch games on your mobile device: Grind those rupees in Zelda while in class in in this awesome pottery smashing minigame!
- Boss making you work overtime again? No worries, your waifu/hubby in Fire Emblem will send you push notifications when they are feeling lonely and you can touch their face and do other fun minigames to raise their affection towards you!
- Need some more content for your full retail priced game? Just complete these daily challenges with your mobile app to open up new awesome content - or just buy them with these fun nintendo coins which you can get with your credit card!
WhiteRabbitEXE
Member
You do realize parental controls exist, right? Every console, including the Wii U, has them and allows parents to lock out online features.
This isn't to protect children, this is just utter nonsense Nintendo cooked up to be different.
Majestic 12
Banned
The negativity in here is too much. I believe it will be great, I base this on nothing.
Yeah I completely trust Nintendo on this. Their track record on online services totally show that they know what they're doing.
Randy Monk
Member
Online will be in beta until Fall, so...sort of present.
StrongBlackVine
Banned
No it does NOT sound good.
If I ever buy a Switch I won't be playing anything online so I guess it won't effect me though.
I know that. But I think ninteno reason that if just one instance of a kid being harassed or worse online because a parent 'didnt understand why they would have to do that on a Nintendo' hit the media, it would be so damaging to their brand they could never recover
Like it or not, nintendo is a kid focused brand, and I think this is why they have done this rather than just to be different.
ZombiePlatypus
Member
You're just arbitrarily deciding that what info was revealed so far for an unreleased product, is all that's needed (or there ever will be) and suggesting otherwise is "nonsense"?
If you wanna personally write something off early on, that's absolutely your choice, and there's no justification needed. But let's not pretend it's being done with all the facts in the picture, or in a timely manner.
You wanna jump the gun, go ahead. But you're jumping the gun.
Dude, stop. They could just lock any and all chat via the parental controls.
Joelstinton14
Member
I do think having a phone App does have it advantages ( as well as some disadvantages) but they also need to make it optional. Guess we will have to wait on details.
See above -I think they think that wouldnt be enough.
Im not saying I agree with the decision, I just think its the most likely reason rather than to just be weird, offload ram, or to stop you 'carrying a bulky headset'
Sounds like what you want is the Xbox or Playstation App.
ZombiePlatypus
Member
Apparently that didn't stop some creep from luring a kid to his hotel room via the 3DS. Despite its parental controls.
MoogleWizard
Member
IIRC there was an incident that caused them to shut down SwapNote on the 3DS. So, this reasoning wouldn't be too far fetched...
The 3DS was back then also controlled by their Parental Control App, that is going to be released in the future? Thats interesting. They seem to really have Fluxcompensators.
ZombiePlatypus
Member
The device had parental controls.
unrenowned
Member
Will the app be released at launch anyway?
If not then it's a dangerous suggestion to "stop with the negativity" and just wait and see. Players putting down their money for a Switch pre-order now are entitled to know details of the ecosystem they're buying into.
Also having online officially launched half a year after the console release does not bode well qualitywise.
If not then it's a dangerous suggestion to "stop with the negativity" and just wait and see. Players putting down their money for a Switch pre-order now are entitled to know details of the ecosystem they're buying into.
Also having online officially launched half a year after the console release does not bode well qualitywise.
And you think parents who dont set up the devices of their kids are going to use their phone, download a Parental Control app, connect it to the console and use it then actively?
Limited functionality free soft launch targeted for Summer 2017. Service starts Fall 2017.
Doctor_Thomas
Member
A solution to a problem that never existed.
No. A limited version of the chat will be available in the summer. Full version in the fall when online subscription starts.
I'm certainly not an IOS expert, but I don't see the problem. The Switch connects to the iPhones hotspot, the Switch opens an audio stream on some port, the iPhone app does some kind of local network device discovery and starts playing the audio stream. In this scenario you already need to have your Switch connected to your phone hotspot to get an internet connection so this would happen automatically when the app is open and your Switch is connected to your phone. I don't see how that is convoluted from a user standpoint.
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