PhilipDoesMatter
Member
And demand is still high. If it wasn't for its licenses, Nintendo would be fucked.
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Ars: Early tests show bizarre issues with Nintendo Switch voice chat app
- Thread starter Zombie James
- Start date
Honestly, what a shame.
Nintendo has been on such a roll with gaining the cultural and market relevance it had been steadily losing for the past decade. In May, Zelda was considered in the top 5 "coolest" video game brands among High Schoolers. Splatoon in Japan is a phenomenon. The (very important) cherry on top is the online service, which is the thing that will cause Nintendo's competitive scene to sink or swim.
And this is what they come up with.
I know that they're gathering feedback, and app store ratings are where companies hear criticism the loudest and the clearest (I speak from 1st person experience). I also know that with company with such a cumbersome production process as Nintendo isn't agile at all, so even if they understand fully what's wrong with the current plan and how to fix it, it could be months before we see any indication of change.
Nintendo has been on such a roll with gaining the cultural and market relevance it had been steadily losing for the past decade. In May, Zelda was considered in the top 5 "coolest" video game brands among High Schoolers. Splatoon in Japan is a phenomenon. The (very important) cherry on top is the online service, which is the thing that will cause Nintendo's competitive scene to sink or swim.
And this is what they come up with.
I know that they're gathering feedback, and app store ratings are where companies hear criticism the loudest and the clearest (I speak from 1st person experience). I also know that with company with such a cumbersome production process as Nintendo isn't agile at all, so even if they understand fully what's wrong with the current plan and how to fix it, it could be months before we see any indication of change.
You what?
It must be because the app is using a HTML5 backend rather than being a complete app. That's the only explanation I can think of. It's weird as hell.
Hopefully it's something they can fix, and soon.
PhilipDoesMatter
Member
What what?
They aren't behind the curve. They are completely off-track.
You're basically saying if it wasn't for Nintendo's good work on stuff away from online, they'd be screwed, which is a ridiculous and obvious statement.
So, I was discussing this with a few coworkers who looked it up.
Apparently in the tech specs of the Switch console it says that it has a Headphone/Mic jack.
Is this jack not functional or something? Is it only called a Headphone/Mic jack but only works with headphones as a audio output?
Apparently in the tech specs of the Switch console it says that it has a Headphone/Mic jack.
Is this jack not functional or something? Is it only called a Headphone/Mic jack but only works with headphones as a audio output?
I imagine it could be because of the overhead or something like that.
PhilipDoesMatter
Member
Not only that good friend. Inventive but low horse power hardware, poor customer handling, baffling supply chain management. Yes, if it wasn't for Mario or Link and so on Nintendo wouldn't be anymore.
I laughed. Now I'm going to hell.
You're absolutely right. Specs completely mean successful devices. That's why every top selling device each generation is the highest spec. Oh hang on.
Come on now. You're conflating arguments.
Annoying Old Party Man
Member
I think you are overestimating the impact this thing will have in Nintendo's affair. People seem to forget that Splatoon is out tomorrow and Switch users will jump in and never look back. And then in October you have Super Mario Odyssey which will be one of the hottest releases of the year.
I'm not sure if they will set their foot in the competitive scene and I'm not really sure if they need it. My main worry with this online setup is this: Is there a technological stopper that forces the mobile app solution for voice chat? If there is, it's a real bummer.
jobrro
Member
Exactly. Xbox 360 had 512 RAM total and had party voice chat. PS3 too (not party chat but voice chat) but the memory was split.
I feel Nintendo will improve on the application. Why it is like it is when they have had at least months to prepare I have no answer.
Charles Brandon
Member
I can't really believe there is a technical/OS reason for voice chat being routed through a phone. Not one that couldn't be fixed anyway. My guess is that it's to do with protecting children somehow. Little kids don't have smart phones ...?!
PhilipDoesMatter
Member
Go ahead on the arguments.
I'm just basically saying Nintendo sits on such good licenses that it allow itself to make mistakes like this app. And they could conquer the world if they were more serious on stuff away from the licenses.
If I was a stockholder I would be pissed on them.
I highly doubt this app will impact sales or anything at all.
Not going for lossleading hardware is a good thing considering, unlike Sony and Microsoft, Nintendo don't (until recently) have avenues to build it. Going for a 3rd near identical box is also not an option as there's no market for it. Also, for what it is, Switch is actually powerful. You're not going to get a consumer friendly priced device that's like the Switch but PS4 Pro level specs. That's just not feasible at this time.
MetalliCabombination
Member
Stop making arguments in a vacuum. He listed down a couple of things most of which are unquestionably true, you singled out one thing and aggressively responded to it.
That doesn't make your argument any better than his.
What he said might sting, but theres no debating nintendo has been making one bad decision after another since the n64 when it comes to their consoles. That doesn't make them irredeemably bad, but itd be foolish to say their software and long lasting ips aren't pretty much THE reason they remain important.
Annoying Old Party Man
Member
And if you dig deeper, there is a hidden message from the team responsible for the online software...
"help"
I guess this was lost in the wording. I broadly agree that Nintendo rely on the focus they place on what they're good at, so they can basically take the piss elsewhere. To be fair it is good that they double down on the games, but it is annoying just how little stock they place on everything else.
Pretty much everyone was positive about Nintendo with the Switch until this app, now they've changed their mind about Nintendo making the right decisions with the Switch and claim they're making poor ones?
No. That's a ridiculous notion just because of this.
WhiteWaterM00se
Member
Rocket League, Fifa, NBA, and Payday 2 online will greatly suffer with this app as is. If their sales suffer due to no real voice chat, Nintendo will loose any momentum they had with third parties and we will be back to third parties don't sell on Nintendo consoles.
Ebenezer Grymm
Banned
You don't think this backwards ass solution impacted sales at all, eh?
I thought, briefly, about buying a Switch. But when I did research and found out shit like this? Nooooooooooope.
And yes you can get a consumer friendly priced device with PS4 Pro level specs. It's called a PS4 Pro. It's quite feasible at this time.
PhilipDoesMatter
Member
And that's the point. Will not impact on sales anyway so let's shit on customers' heads.
Ah. My bad.
I thought people bought consoles to play games. Sounds like you were looking for a reason not to buy one.
It's true. It has one on the unit.
The issue is that the jack isn't practically accessible while the Switch is docked next to your TV and you're sitting on your couch/sofa.
I'm wondering how on earth Nintendo expects Activision to even consider a CoD game on Switch with this setup.
Basically, a massive design flaw that they didn't put a jack on the Pro-controller or the regular controller dock?
MetalliCabombination
Member
1) no they weren't, i dunno how closed off you have to be to believe that.
2) again, these things dont exist in a vaccuum, the left joycon, no apps, poor pr, weak 3rd party support and this online bs, all happened, you can choose to like all of it buts not true for everyone . People buy a new thing and they want to like it, so they look past certain things but afterwards they choose to draw the line. Switch was never perfect and its far from a mess, but problems are problems and everyone has their own standards.
Maybe its because that out of the 4 major switch releases, 3 are big online multiplayer games and the backbone of that system is a mess.
Suburban Thug
Member
Everyone has been positive about Switch? Where?
jobrro
Member
What does lossleading hardware have to do with this app? The Switch has enough power and memory to spare for a voice chat session.
I don't even care about voice chat to be honest, the app will improve eventually but this is still a poor implementation of things that have been done many times before both natively on console and in smart phone apps.
A company like Nintendo should be able to do better.
Annoying Old Party Man
Member
I reckon that Switch users are starved for good third party games, so they will eat those titles up. We will see I guess.
PhilipDoesMatter
Member
And let's not forget we are in 2017. Voice chat is a completely dominated technology. Not premium anymore.
Ebenezer Grymm
Banned
It is your bad.
People do buy consoles to play games. Some people, I'm guessing like yourself, blindly buy things from certain companies just because. I understand, I do that with Taco Bell. But with tech? Phones,, PCs, consoles? No, those I do a little research on before putting out the cash. And the thought of having to go through those kinds of hoops to play online? You have to be fucking kidding me.
It seems like you just clocked in for your shift on the defense front. Enjoy. You might get some overtime today.
This app decision for voice chat when playing Switch online made you completely change your mind about buying a Switch? It completely prevented you from being able to play and enjoy all those great Switch games out at the moment? It completely changed your mind from being able to play Super Mario Odyssey in the future (which isn't an online game)?
For real?
MetalliCabombination
Member
Theres an odd lobby making system that font properly follow,
You can check your stats and buy some clothes.
Note that the app works on a game per game basis, which means the dev has to add these features themselves (or nintendo does it i dunno) but it has to be specifically added
People were hesitant when they revealed that the online chat would only be available on an app for a smartphone. Who would be positive having to fumble with all these wires and charging devices to use your console chat eystem?
It's snappy and the Splatnet is incredible
PS4 Pro isn't a portable device...
No. I think the voice chat here is a mis-step. I only find the exaggerations and hottakes to be ridiculous.
I also don't blindly buy things from certain companies just because.
Splatnet could also have just been part of the main game.
That kind of goes against the point of it though?
I don't have Splatoon 2 yet. What advantage does SplatNet have by being on the app?
Ebenezer Grymm
Banned
Yeah for real. Don't care about Mario. Zelda I can go take or leave, but I thought NBA2k from the Switch commercial looked like something I could get into just spur of the moment with friends at work, and then some Splatoon at home online. But all the reports about how voice chat would work combined with the left joycon problems and the dock scratching the screens stopped me.
I don't know anyone that has one, but all my gamer friends know what it is and cite the same reasons I just gave about why they don't. Putting screen protectors and scratch resistant cloth on the dock and tethering a cell phone to a tangled mess.... sorry Mario might be worth that to you but not to me or anyone I personally know.
Charles Brandon
Member
Why? Why not have the stats in the game? Why lock them behind an annoyancewall? Surely 'the point' of splatnet is to show you stats.
jobrro
Member
Keeping in mind this will be a paid service soon.