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[BouncyFrag]

They should substitute text chat with Morse code. Let's go ooooold school.

 

[Kyoufu]

Wii U online worked fine for Splatoon and MK8, why did they change this? WHY

They're afraid of Wii U and everything it did.

 

[Darklor01]

You move your 'always online' requirements to the device you have with you that is always on and built specifically for messaging and communications, you decouple your social functions to a platform agnostic device that already has access to a list of your real world contacts and friends and can populate your friends list accordingly, you have a somewhat persistent ID for users so that problematic users can be identified and persistently banned at a more inconvenient level than buying a new console or creating a new username, and you are future proofed against having to recreate all of those social links in future, as you already have a device independent list that would let users of future hardware communicate with users of future IOS or android software.

The practicalities of seamlessly integrating your phone with a seperate device I have no idea how they would handle. Ideally, it would be something as simple as pairing your Switch with your phone by tapping your phones NFC with the Switches, and letting all those features be slaved into the game accordingly. Or even automatically letting you use your phone as a limited wifi hotspot when enabled.

The devils in the details though.
Conceptually its not stupid, especially if it is intended as their basis for all future social features.

while this makes logical sense in the perspectives you have presented it, it doesn't excuse the challenges it presents to the consumer in actual use. You may create solid operational reasons for going this route, but complete disregard the potential costs and limitations you might impose to your customer? These impositions exceed annoyances for issues that a service like PSN or Xbox Live might have in that now, you run into mobile data limitations and costs when free wi-fi isn't available and expect your customer to have the following constantly with available charge for use:

1) Charged console and Joy-cons (obviously)
2) Charged Cell phone with or without charged secondary juice pack/battery
3) Available Cell Data if Wi-fi isn't available including room within data cap being used for services you are paying are also paying for to Nintendo. Also customers may incur overage charges for a number of factors including if a family member uses a shared data plan to use the Switch online with Cell Data
4) Paid Wi-fi if Free isn't available
5) Expect all potential customers that want to play online own a Smart Phone

... etc. Do they really not see these limitations/issues or are they possibly just OK ignoring it?

Here's a different question... in Japan, is wifi free everywhere?

 

[udivision]

Remember back in the days leading up to Pokemon Sun and Moon? Every (other) week there was a new announcement of a cool feature for the upcoming games, new pokemon, new forms, new characters.

I was hoping we'd get something like that for the Switch. Every week, there would be focus on a different launch game or system feature.

Now that the January event has came and passed and it turns out they don't even have enough games to pull that off, all I want for them is to spend the next month and a half explaining what exactly we're getting for 299.99 on March 3rd. That is all.

"Maybe he misspoke" "I'm sure the transfer will be free" "There's still time to fix ____"

Blah blah blah, Nintendo needs to leave little room for doubt as possible.

 

[Audioboxer]

Has the GAF culture meme made its appearance yet? This is just such a baffling decision it requires Nintendo to feel the full scorn of internet mockery.

Hopefully to do a 180.

 

[ieptbarakat]

Glad I finally joined the smartphone age, didn't realize mobile apps were Nintendo's future.

 

[Hydrus]

Yes, Reggie its the hardest challenge in the world to whip out a head set. Your debut commercial showed the world how difficult it was:

I like the guy, and I know its not his fault, but the dude needs to really watch what he says.

 

[ebullientprism]

Nintendo. What the fuck are you doing?

This didn't need reinventing.

 

[Nydius]

Why not? Its a replacement for a mic. The phone will connect with bluetooth to the swittch so you will hear poeple talk fine. Pretty similar to a bluetooth car kit I suspect.

So then why not just skip the middle man and connect a bluetooth headset (or inline ear buds) directly to the Switch instead?

Companion apps are one thing and I can see their usefulness. But what Reggie describes here is far beyond a companion app and is literally adding a layer of idiotic complexity to something that should be built into the OS of the flippin' system itself.

 

[Kremzeek]

say whaaaaaaaa?

i feel like i'm in bizarro world now, or he's trolling us.

 

[LiK]

Smash Bros Switch at EVO is gonna be fun.

 

[Osiris]

No, using adt you can install an app remotely, but they can certainly just open an installed app remotely without that.

You can send Intents with adt too, how are you going to send an Intent without adt? (All apps are launched by sending an Intent on Android, even the OS uses it for its own purposes) Remote Intent sending is limited to paired dev devices via ADT or apps already installed, this is Android OS dev security 101.

 

[cryptosporidium]

My 2 year old phone cant even handle having the music app and chrome opened at the same time (music app will crash is I do so) so my phone is relegated to browsing gaf and phonecalls. (its a moto G, it was great when i first got it)

So on top of the 400$cdn and 90$cdn pro controller, ill need most likely a 300$+ phone to play smash online, which I have done for free mind you on the wii u for like 200-250hrs.

Good thing Im getting Zelda on wii u

 

[Slaythe]

Why not? Its a replacement for a mic. The phone will connect with bluetooth to the swittch so you will hear poeple talk fine. Pretty similar to a bluetooth car kit I suspect.

That shit isn't barely lasting 3 hours on Zelda in optimal conditions.

Surely even you can understand how having a mandatory bluetooth drain for online is about the worst idea they could come up with.

 

[Mindlog]

Why not? Its a replacement for a mic. The phone will connect with bluetooth to the swittch so you will hear poeple talk fine. Pretty similar to a bluetooth car kit I suspect.

It's literally a phone. It doesn't need an app to chat with anyone.

 

[Ray Down]

Only Nintendo could do this.

 

[Ataru]

They're afraid of Wii U and everything it did.

Let's throw the baby out with the bath water...

 

[SmoothRunningGun]

Go home Nintendo u drunk.

 

[Realyn]

10 years or so ago it was more or less a meme, before memes were a thing, that Nintendo is stuck in the past and behind the current time.


They're trying so hard to prove people wrong.

 

[O Canada Our Home and Native Land]

They need to be stopped. This is just terrible.

 

[Dash_Riprock]

Only Nintendo could do this.

Only Nintendo would do this.

 

[Hattori]

I'm going to reserve judgement for now, but it does sound unnecessarily complicated

 

[Rebel Leader]

I want a direct all about this. Now.



I don't understand why....

 

[Redd]

it's called Powerbank

Come on......I got battery chargers. Just trying to make the best of this backwards situation. -_-

 

[Garrett Hawke]

Remember when they released that trailer last year and it was like

Whew! This is it! Nintendo's time to shine! Unified dev platform so steady stream of games! They must be learning from the mistakes of the Wii U while building on the strengths of the 3DS!

And now every day Nintendo says something worse about this thing. And yet I still want one.

Smash Bros Switch at EVO is gonna be fun.

Could you pass the Lightning cable?

 

[RumblingRosco]

I'm a huge Nintendo fan - owned every console except the Virtual Boy since the NES and have had most of their handhelds. However, I'm starting to just lose faith in their ability to design hardware and accompanying software. Their approach is just so... illogical.

 

[MHWilliams]

I feel that the bolded is unlikely, as it would introduce potential game audio latency or even distortion, both of which are a nono if they can be avoided. It's likely to be the other way around, where your voice / voices is sent to the switch instead, where small latency is basically irrelevant, and you get direct game audio feed. Either that, or its something completely different, and your app literally acts like a ps4 companion app and sends lobby data etc to the switch so that you don't have to change screens ingame, as a person who replied to me earlier pointed out. It could be more of a convenience solution.

Given these cases, there's little reason not to have this functionality on the Switch itself outside of Nintendo's own issues: either conserving system resources or simply not wanting to develop a dedicated online voice app for the system.

Either way, bringing another device into the mix, one which you have little control over, isn't the smartest play for any company.

Again, a companion app is a perfectly fine option. In addition to the built-in system functionality.

 

[Fluxdyne]

You can send Intents with adt too, how are you going to send an Intent without adt?

They don't need to send an intent. They can keep a background service listening to connections and launch their activity when they receive some signal packet. Or they can use GCM to avoid keeping a service open in the background.

 

[King_Moc]

Both of my housemates are Nintendo fans and neither have smartphones.

This seems dumb in the extreme. I can't see how anyone thought this was a good idea for anyone.

 

[Ultryx]

Honestly, what in the hell are they thinking? It's clear to me that they aren't. Like at all.

 

[Grisby]

Well that's one way of handling it.

 

[brandonh83]

I just need to try it I guess. I don't really play online much so I guess that could be part of my indifference. We'll see!

 

[LordRaptor]

while this makes logical sense in the perspectives you have presented it, it doesn't excuse the challenges it presents to the consumer in actual use.

No, I agree, user experience is going to be pretty integral to the whole thing, and its mostly pointless to speculate how that user experience will be because it could well be awkward and cumbersome as fuck.

I'm just saying social features "as an app" conceptually makes a lot of sense.
More sense for people who actually own smartphones than those that don't, I will admit though.

 

[Zaraki_Kenpachi]

"Bringing out big gamer headphones" is a lame argument when the PS4 came with earbuds.

Lame, Reggie. Lame!

Also when you consider 99% of people who use headphones on a phone is just earbuds with a mic...

 

[WadeitOut]

Nintendo hates multiplayer on airplanes.

 

[Suburban Thug]

Well I'm still a big fan of this. Hopefully it works well and I think it will make things much easier through a phone.

In what world would this be an easier solution than having it built in to the system like everyone else?

 

[Devilgunman]

Also, in case anybody forgets, all of this mess will be behind the paywall. It's like paying for box of present full of shit.

 

[vgamer1]

Are you kidding me, Nintendo?

Please don't do this. This is a MASSIVE step backwards.

 

[Flare]

This is such an astoundingly myopic move... Like I don't understand how they decided just having and requiring a phone app would be sufficient for multiplayer. I mean it's a great option, I'd love to be able to party chat with friends on the side... but like... ¯\_(&#12484_/¯

 

[msdstc]

This is just... Wowwwwwwwwewwwwwewweeeweeeeee

 

[Dryk]

I literally think Reggie misspoke. There's no way to have to take out your phone just to join a multiplayer game

Well he's either been misspeaking in the same manner for days now despite numerous people asking for clarification, or this is actually what's happening.

 

[Firehead]

Ooooh, they're bringing back that cellphone feature from the Gameboy Colour!

Nintendo, what are you doing?

 

[Alphahawk]

I'm excited to play Splatoon 2 and Mario Kart 8 but you know what? I think I'll do this sans chat and app.

 

[Garrett Hawke]

Imagine if you needed the NeoGAF app to submit your posts to NeoGAF

 

[SRTtoZ]

Will it also handle game audio? How come this shit still isn't answered? Fuck, Nintendo is so thick.

 

[hwy_61]

Imagine if you needed the NeoGAF app to submit your posts to NeoGAF

Thatd be kinda neat actually

 

[kowhai]

There was a slight chance that I might get the switch sometime in the future.

After this though it sounds completely disjointed. I'm 100% out. Even after a price drop.

 

[Linkura]

This is not what investors had in mind when they wanted you to put more stuff on mobile, Nintendo.

 

[Osiris]

They don't need to send an intent. They can keep a background service listening to connections and launch their activity when they receive some signal packet. Or they can use GCM to avoid keeping a service open in the background.

That background service sounds like a nice wakelock

GCM could work I guess, hell of a kludge though IMO.

 

[SuperSonic1305]

The idea that I need to grab my phone just to start an online game on a completely separate device is just.....I can't even begin to comprehend this decision.