And the Xbox One's issues were far more fundamental. Their used game/always online plans would have affected anyone who owned the console and they were understandably extremely unpopular. The voice chat issue with the Switch is only an issue if you play online, and even then, not everyone who plays online uses voice chat, and even then, many people who do voice chat are already using other means than game or OS provided chat. It's not a good solution and is something that needs to be addressed, but it's not as big a deal as some think, because it's not that big of a deal to a lot of people who are aware of it, without even mentioning all of the people who aren't aware of it at all.
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Nintendo Website Indicates Built in Switch Friends List (+other online features)
- Thread starter Skittzo0413
- Start date
And the Xbox One's issues were far more fundamental. Their used game/always online plans would have affected anyone who owned the console and they were understandably extremely unpopular. The voice chat issue with the Switch is only an issue if you play online, and even then, not everyone who plays online uses voice chat, and even then, many people who do voice chat are already using other means than game or OS provided chat. It's not a good solution and is something that needs to be addressed, but it's not as big a deal as some think, because it's not that big of a deal to a lot of people who are aware of it, without even mentioning all of the people who aren't aware of it at all.
Skittzo0413
Member
Except that's not true, as I pointed out above. Ultra Street Fighter II has friend matchmaking without the app.
http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1337323
The point of all of this is, we don't know for sure what is relegated to the app and what isn't, the information is very incomplete. It's likely (in my opinion) that the app is just a replacement for party chat and party lobbies, which is a feature the Wii U didn't even have.
Saint Gregory
Member
The app has sounded from the beginning like the companion apps thst the PS4 and the XB1 have and it's likely that there's no social/matchmaking function that's exclusive to either one but Nintendo with this terrible messaging have found a way to turn what could have been a positive or at very least a neutral into a negative.
Skittzo0413
Member
Sadly that type of thing is all too common with Nintendo. How many more Wii U's could they have sold if they had made it clear it was a new console and not an upgrade for the Wii? Even a different name could have given them a few more million sales.
I don't think the name hurt it really but the design and the price certainly did.
I love my wii u but it's an ugly, boring looking console that should have been $250 at launch
Sammy Samusu
Member
Nintendo wins again.
ultrazilla
Gold Member
When they announced a paid online component for Switch, I knew they couldn't possibly tie all their online features to a phone app. It makes zero sense.
Now, what they *may* do is tell people who don't want to pay for their online service that they can use a dedicated phone app that will handle their match making, etc.
I do not see Nintendo locking people out of multiplayer if they don't buy the online service. I just don't.
So Nintendo IMHO can still be seen as pro-consumer by not putting multiplayer behind a pay wall like Sony and MS.
That all said, it will take a hell of a lot of enticement for me to pay for their online service especially if they're going to be asking for Sony/MS pricing tiers-monthly, 3 month blocks, 1 year, etc.
Them making the virtual console library free or giving paid players different game system themed months for the length is the way to go, not monthly "free rentals".
Let's say Nintendo does a monthly "All Nintendo virtual console games are free this month" and then open that section up for all paid online members. This way, gamers would have a nice selection of games every month without Nintendo having to give away the entire backlog.
For example: January is NES month. All NES titles are open for paying members. February is Turbo-Grafix-16 month. March is Super NES month, April is Neo Geo month. May is Nintendo GameCube month. June is Nintendo Wii month. July is Sega Dreamcast month. August is Nintendo 64 month, September is Nintendo Gameboy Advance month, October is Nintendo DS month, November is Sega Master-system month. December is Sega Genesis month. Now that would be cool and it's entirely doable. Also offerings from Capcom, Konami, Hudson(Besides their TG-16 games). Taito, Namco, Bally-Midway, etc.
It would also be neat of Nintendo to look into getting the rights to enable Atari 2600 games, 5200, 7800, Lynx and Jaguar games for the virtual console. ColecoVision, Commodore 64 games, Capcom arcade ports and so on.
They'd also have include some very enticing discounts or giveaways to get me on board.
Now, what they *may* do is tell people who don't want to pay for their online service that they can use a dedicated phone app that will handle their match making, etc.
I do not see Nintendo locking people out of multiplayer if they don't buy the online service. I just don't.
So Nintendo IMHO can still be seen as pro-consumer by not putting multiplayer behind a pay wall like Sony and MS.
That all said, it will take a hell of a lot of enticement for me to pay for their online service especially if they're going to be asking for Sony/MS pricing tiers-monthly, 3 month blocks, 1 year, etc.
Them making the virtual console library free or giving paid players different game system themed months for the length is the way to go, not monthly "free rentals".
Let's say Nintendo does a monthly "All Nintendo virtual console games are free this month" and then open that section up for all paid online members. This way, gamers would have a nice selection of games every month without Nintendo having to give away the entire backlog.
For example: January is NES month. All NES titles are open for paying members. February is Turbo-Grafix-16 month. March is Super NES month, April is Neo Geo month. May is Nintendo GameCube month. June is Nintendo Wii month. July is Sega Dreamcast month. August is Nintendo 64 month, September is Nintendo Gameboy Advance month, October is Nintendo DS month, November is Sega Master-system month. December is Sega Genesis month. Now that would be cool and it's entirely doable. Also offerings from Capcom, Konami, Hudson(Besides their TG-16 games). Taito, Namco, Bally-Midway, etc.
It would also be neat of Nintendo to look into getting the rights to enable Atari 2600 games, 5200, 7800, Lynx and Jaguar games for the virtual console. ColecoVision, Commodore 64 games, Capcom arcade ports and so on.
They'd also have include some very enticing discounts or giveaways to get me on board.
Just fyi, none of that is Happening (in my, and most people's opinions). Paid online will be the only online from the end of 2017 unless something drastic happens, like the switch bombs and Nintendo keep free online to entice people.
It could have looked better but it's not like the PS4 or the XBO are that great looking either. Many consoles don't look that good to be honest. Nintendo dropping all advertising once the holiday was over certainly hurt I think. I remembering being the most upset about that at the time. That's what stop them from clearing up any confusion. The beginning ads were bad but bad ads can be fixed. What is not helpful at all is stopping all ads and allowing confusion to reign and allowing people to forget the system even exist. Doesn't matter if there were no new games at that moment. You still push the system and the games you do have and it's benefits unique to the system. Always be closing as the saying goes. Like said there are a number of things they could have done that could made differences and the Wii U could have been ending it's life several million higher. Maybe in the high 20s instead of the mid teens..
Inferno313
Banned
They've literally said that's the plan though. What the fuck else would they be able to charge people for?
Visually I think it just looked way too much like the OG Wii and that caused a ton of confusion.
Absolutely. The communication has been unbelievably bad. They could have nipped this in the bud weeks ago right after the reveal with a statement from someone. This is where they could really use someone like Shu or Major Nelson who can quickly tweet out a clarification, or at the very least say something like "this isn't correct and there will be more details soon."
It's downright staggering to me how quiet they've gone since the reveal event. I mean...we're almost a month away at this point.
th3sicknness
Member
I was thinking that some type of hand off was taking place.
For instance one of the most annoying things in general is knowing if someone is online while not at the console and being able to chat with them (obviously you can use your phone, but if they are gaming you would like to see a notification pop up on their screen). The steam app on your phone lets you see who is online and what game they are playing you can also message them from your phone. Discord works the same way.
Maybe the smart app for voice chat / game lobbies / scheduling is essentially a companion app like the parental control app. You can do everything through the smart phone and then it syncs with the Switch (or it doesnt have to).
BRocknRolla
Member
I think you're going to be very disappointed. If they've told people they're charging, they're going to charge. This has been par for the course on the other consoles, so there just isn't a fight that would logically happen to change it here.
I do think there will be an "on-console" way to do most things, at least the essential stuff, for online. Not having that sees crazy to me. It will be part of the whole paid structure though.
As for the rest of your post, there is plenty of time for them to figure out their value adds and pricing structure. I'd put money on it not being what they've described so far, but how good or bad it will be remains to be seen.
We've known about friend "management" since the original news blowout. You pointing to the UK version of what the US site has said all along doesn't change anything.
And random pulling of people on your friend list isn't what people are hoping for either. As I stated before, the SF implementation sounds like its making the best out of the features that are available.
The endless stories about people thinking it was a tablet addon for the Wii say otherwise. But it was part of the pie of things that were wrong with the WiiU from the start.
Skittzo0413
Member
If you look through the first few pages of this thread you'll find many people were not convinced by the US page, which is exactly why I updated it with the new info.
Also as to "random pulling of people on your friends list" I don't think that's what the SF online does... It sure makes it look like you can search through your friends list to see who's available to play with.
calc84maniac
Member
It says "search", nowhere does it say "randomly choose".
Dark Cloud
Member
Why these guys keep making stuff up. I hate that crap.
brochiller
Member
With the official specs up on the Nintendo website did anybody else notice the Bluetooth support?
It says the Switch console supports Bluetooth 4.1 but the Joy Con use Bluetooth 3.0. Could this mean that they are supporting 4.1 for headset use?
Why bother supporting 4.1 if all of your controllers use 3.0 unless you have another use in mind?
It says the Switch console supports Bluetooth 4.1 but the Joy Con use Bluetooth 3.0. Could this mean that they are supporting 4.1 for headset use?
Why bother supporting 4.1 if all of your controllers use 3.0 unless you have another use in mind?
th3sicknness
Member
Cheaper most likely. And the Switch itself will support gaming headsets rated at 4.1 which have less power draw. So I am assuming that is most likely the reason.
One thing I was wondering is the type of Bluetooth on the joy cons will limit what attachments we will get? I was thinking newer joy cons may include a camera for streaming (pipe dream) but maybe that can be included through using the usb c port?
I have a guess.
You see the users icons in the top left corner? I wonder if, by clicking on those icons, you can directly see your friend list and who's online at the time you're playing.
Inferno313
Banned
I have a guess.
You see the users icons in the top left corner? I wonder if, by clicking on those icons, you can directly see your friend list and who's online at the time you're playing.
I think those are user accounts, but who knows.
Yeah, exactly. You tap / click on the user accounts' avatar, and a drop-down menu appear with your friend list, people currently playing online, etc.etc.
...But this makes me wonder the purpose of having multiple users' icons there, especially considering how you change them with Y, going by Nicalis's UI screen
Probably a choice between touch screen and pressing the y button
Dark Cloud
Member
Yep that's what I was going to say.
Yeah like if they conveyed it properly then it wouldn't be an issue. It's still their fault for the backlash.
Inferno313
Banned
That thread about the Switch hitting 40 million units is gonna be a gold mine. So many posts suggesting it won't even reach the WiiU's number.
That's why he said something to the effect of, 'I want to give a very specific answer about the app"
People just ignored the fact that he said he was only talking about what the app could do and not talking about what the console could do.
UnemployedVillain
Member
Yeah, you'd think people would stop jumping to conclusions, but another year and another few threads of angry kneejerk reactions out of misunderstandings and not waiting for information.
Joeshabadoo
Member
do you honestly think that ANY game with online play isnt going to have software-level solutions to match random people together for online play, or even let you connect to whichever room a registered friend might be in? That every single piece of software for this system will pause and force you to interface with an app before being able to play online AT ALL and get placed in to a match AT ALL. That all the games that will be out and feature online play for Switch BEFORE THIS APP EXISTS will force players to open a non-existent app to get in to a match?
This app is so clearly for scheduling play sessions, creating private friend lobbies, and using voice chat. IT IS NOT AND NEVER WILL BE REQUIRED FOR BASIC ONLINE PLAY. Yes, connecting to the servers that will manage online lobbies in Switch games will eventually be behind the pay wall, but this app is for select use cases, not any/all matchmaking. We need to drop that ridiculous reggie quote that he clearly didnt think through
You set criteria and it populates the room with anyone on your friends list that fits that criteria, who is also playing the game. It's not letting you pick and choose specific individuals so there is some randomness to it.
Nothing said by Nintendo, reiterated in any variation of english, has suggested there will be the type of specific friend invite found on competitive hardware. Unless you use the app. Hope alone will alone will never change that.
LegendofLex
Member
"Register and manage friends" is a non-subscriber service listed separately from the "Online Lobby & Voice Chat App" (which is a subscriber service) on Nintendo's website about Switch online services.
There's really no reason for friends to be a separate service from the app, with an interface on-device, unless interactions with friends can happen outside the app.
Dark Cloud
Member
Hopefully next week is the week for new info. February starts Wednesday
il Diavolo
Banned
This compartmentalization of various online functionality is odd and confusing.
Yup, still stupid as fuck.
Jonneh3003
Banned
That does seem to clarify things, perhaps the app launches with Splatoon. Here's a direct link: http://www.nintendo.com/games/detail/splatoon-2-switch
New weapons – New dual-wielding Splat Dualies join the action, complete with a new Dodge Roll move. Mainstays like the Splat Roller and Splat Charger have also been remixed to include new gameplay mechanics and brand-new special weapons.
Local and Online Multiplayer – In a first for the series, compete in local multiplayer Turf War battles, whether in TV mode or on-the-go in handheld or tabletop modes. Online battles also make a return.
New ways to play – Play using the Joy-Con controllers or the Nintendo Switch Pro Controller, both of which allow for gyro controls for better aiming and control.
New Trends – Two years have passed since the release of Splatoon in real life, and two years have also passed in the game world. Some familiar characters return under different circumstances, and new characters are introduced as well.
Fresh Updates - Similar to Splatoon for Wii U, updates will roll out post-launch, adding new content.
Smart Device Support – An upcoming smart-phone application for the Nintendo Switch system will enhance matchmaking and allow for voice chat options.
Turf War – Iconic 4 vs. 4 Turf War battles return. The goal is to splat ink on as much territory as possible, while strategically submerging yourself in your team's colors and blasting your enemies.
It's definitely a mix of Nintendo being bad at messaging and people absolutely loving to assume the worst case scenario for anything Nintendo related
Daffy Duck
Member
You'd expect built in Matchmaking and such not to require an app.
At this point all this confusion is on Nintendo. I have no idea why they cannot communicate anything.
Maybe they are releasing an app that explains everything.
The name clearly hurt it. You could walk into any GameStop during the launch period to see that confusion.
Dark Cloud
Member
What is enhanced matchmaking? I guess the friends thing and the app is needed to do any kind of voice chat.
Still this doesn't explain if you have to do the voice chat through your phone or it's through the Switch or both.