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Ars: Early tests show bizarre issues with Nintendo Switch voice chat app
- Thread starter Zombie James
- Start date
Patrick S.
Banned
I think I spider!
This answer might make half sense if the only console option people had was Nintendo. But people do have a variety of other options to consider besides the mere fact that a box can run games. On top of the negatives the Switch has, just like all consoles do, their online situation can absolutely be enough to turn people and their online gaming friends away.
It's just basic stat tracking, something that has been done countless times before for years. Some second screen apps even make changes during gameplay and bypass the need to navigate menus. Splat Net's setup doesn't even reach that level of functionality. Being forced to create a room on the Switch actually makes me question the need for the online app, rather than calling everything but the voice chat experience incredible.
Seeing GameXplain video, it seems the app is doing the former Splatnet website too (and more).
It's a sign to me that it's heavily drived by Splatoon 2 dev and that the app is trying to do more than it should IMO.
Don't get me wrong, it's cool to do this in some extent, merging companion apps and such things, but still the core voice chat app should be functional and user-friendly.
It's a sign to me that it's heavily drived by Splatoon 2 dev and that the app is trying to do more than it should IMO.
Don't get me wrong, it's cool to do this in some extent, merging companion apps and such things, but still the core voice chat app should be functional and user-friendly.
Skittzo0413
Member
From what I can tell the app basically will contain links to game-specific companion app pages such as Splatnet 2. The app itself isn't doing any of this, it's really only there for voice chat. Everything else, including setting up the lobbies and linking to Splatnet is handheld elsewhere (on the Switch, on the internet).
Which makes one wonder why the app is necessary for those things in general. It's clearly just a design limitation.
No because I'm not a jerk and know how to not blast my stereo when playing.
Exactly.
This applies to damn near any product. No SD cards is enough to make some ppl not get certain phones. Same for non removable batteries.
You see in Android land some only get phones with no manufacture UI.
TV's, monitors, etc. It can be any product.
Ppl buy consoles to play games....and you also see many use the many features available on some consoles...
Skittzo0413
Member
That's one of the big unanswered questions here. The Switch has all of the hardware necessary for traditional voice chat through the system, it's just not utilized by any software. So it might be possible for third parties to completely ignore the app and just offer in-game voice chat on a game by game basis.
But as of now we don't know.
Yeah I was wondering if devs just made the designs in the game and the app pulls those files or if they had to make it in the app which would be weird because that don't have access to the code or updating process of the app so they'd have to send that to the Nintendo department and they upload the graphics and elements for their game space on the app?
boiled goose
good with gravy
People are outraged at the voice chat implementation, but that's just of the problem.
The deeper underlying problem is the lack an a modern integrated online service. This is another piecemeal, disjointed, per game basis Nintendo service.
It's basically wii chat levels of awful.
The deeper underlying problem is the lack an a modern integrated online service. This is another piecemeal, disjointed, per game basis Nintendo service.
It's basically wii chat levels of awful.
It's obviously web based, I'm guessing you can have web-page-like companion stuff in there if you want, and that there are basically API hooks to allow the developer to access your login state, whether you're in a room, the state of the room etc. as well as some means to communicate with their own game, if they want to do that (as with Splatoon's item ordering)
The voice chat probably isn't necessarily connected to a companion-app page. You start a room in Splatoon 2, and via the common login, it shows up on your mobile device and you can ping invites out to messaging and social media. This aspect of the service is absolutely fine really.
The big disappointment for me is that the app sounds like it's badly designed. Had this been tested with actual gamers who play online regularly, anybody could have told them that it would need to pipe audio via a background service. Anybody could have told them we'd like 'party' functionality. This could have been an amazing opportunity to do something cool around their online system in the mobile space. It could have been used for arranging tournaments, online meet-ups and games, instant messaging even when you don't have your Switch with you. It could have functioned as an extra space for them to target us with marketing. The idea of an app in and of itself isn't a bad one, it's the execution.
It's not so much that they are incompetent, they have competence in spades when they want to achieve something, it's that they are SO SO detached from what people want and expect. Different != Better.
Left my negative review on the Play Store. Subject to change when I actually use it. If it's as bad as it sounds I'll be leaving feedback elsewhere too.
I hope they're reading all of this and taking it in. It's not good enough!
Yes, the per game implementation/non system level voice chat, is stupid.
Switch online with Discord is here to stay, I'm building my community there.
Louis Cyphre
Banned
Reggie will and has.
I've used Discord for Mario Kart 8 DX and while it's great, it's not remotely intuitive for the average user. Setting up a private server with roles and different channels is not a simplistic process.
I want Nintendo to refine their idea and fix this.
I'm not angry about it. I'm disappointed. And that's worse.
TannerDemoz
Member
Me and my friend have already decided that we're just gonna use PS4 party chat when he gets round to buying a Switch and have it running in the background.
Hilarious that such an insane solution seems like one of the most reasonable ones.
Hilarious that such an insane solution seems like one of the most reasonable ones.
Skittzo0413
Member
Sorry, I meant nobody here in this thread. Unless Reggie is lurking around...
That's kinda his job. I doubt he's to blame for the app and whole system's shortcomings, though him passing all all the negative feedback to Nintendo of Japan would be appreciated.
Using another computer that idles at 70 Watts (original model iirc) just to voice chat.
The things Nintendo drives us to!
No, but he certainly gets a ton of egg on his face for spewing bullshit like "bulky headsets".
Pancakes R Us
Member
No. It's this forced app for VC and matchmaking which is an absolute joke and shitting on the core Nintendo players that would prefer a non convoluted solution. The people that kept Wii U treading water.
Nintendo is clearly a little too afraid of online and these shots are probably being called by 50+ and maybe 60+ year old men that don't have a clue.
I would be truly shocked if anyone that worked on this at Nintendo truly thought that this is a genuinely good idea.
They thought doubling up their IP's on multiple platforms releasing close together was a good idea, so...yes.
I get the idea that they're doing this because the Switch is a portable, but this isn't the way to do it.
Skittzo0413
Member
I believe most matchmaking can be done without the app. You can join friends' rooms and do any online play with randoms without use of the app, I think the only matchmaking feature the app is necessary for is inviting friends to private rooms.
For what little that's worth.
I'm OK with the design if it's a web-based app behind splatnet2.
However, there should be a Switch client/in-game client as well as full website with Nintendo Account auth in this case.
Just the same as the voice chat app should be maybe.
BunkerStar
Neo Member
If using the Switch App for just inviting my friends to a party in Rocket League (Please let there be a party system in Rocket League) is mandatory, I'm out on the Switch.
Has anyone said why we can't just use Bluetooth headsets and mics? Is this just a "because Nintendo" situation or is it something else? Licensing? What is it?
I'm just baffled at the jank going in here with audio mixers and all of this other shit.
I mean who greenlit this whole damn thing? It's completely unintuitive and seems to absolutely work against everything that's cool about the Switch.
I'm just baffled at the jank going in here with audio mixers and all of this other shit.
I mean who greenlit this whole damn thing? It's completely unintuitive and seems to absolutely work against everything that's cool about the Switch.
I've been using the same solution, just Xbox live instead of PSN. One of my friends really isn't techy at all, and he finds Discord a bit difficult. But yeah, we play MK8 together whilst running an Xbox Live party in the background. Absolute chaos.
This app was supposed to fix that, not force us to only chat if we are connected to the same game.
I've provided feedback, and whilst I understand they said this would launch with "limited features", I set my expectations low, and have still managed to be disappointed.
I was at minimum hoping for proper "party" chat (in the Xbox live sense - don't know how it works on PS), where we can just chat from within the app regardless of game we are running. I've been in the "no" camp with the app since it was announced, and fully believe it should be system level, but a proper chat system that my less techy mate could easily use, man I'd have settled for that and wouldn't have complained about it.
NOLA_Gaffer
Banned
I mean even Nintendo admits the app is launching with a "limited feature set" for Splatoon 2, so there's more than enough time for them to fix it up by the time the online service launches next year.
Saint Gregory
Member
Whoever came up with the idea for this app at Nintendo should be fired... Immediately.
Fingers crossed. As hard as I possibly can. It doesn't help very much with the Splatoon 2 launch for me, though. Really, a lot of the complaints are down to the structure of the implementaion, as much as the individual issues. An on-the-system voice chat setup (ideally with a party setup for friends) with blutooth compatibility is what they should work toward.
Skittzo0413
Member
Sure, but even releasing it in its current state is so badly handicapping the experience for Splatoon 2. I mean, it might even be completely fixed within a week but it's still incredibly mind-boggling that they would think it was okay to release it in such a broken state.
The idea for the app is fine. The idea for not having that functionality on the Switch itself is pretty stupid. The actual execution of the app is inanely stupid.
Okami Haundo
Member
That would be the most ideal solution, but it's also the one that seems least likely to me. I just can't see them backing down from this online app.
Blam
Member
but you can just make a group dm?
Louis Cyphre
Banned
A good rep should also be able to listen to constructive criticism and not just turn a blind eye. It took them a long time before they publicly announced some of the WiiU issues, thankfully the online is still in a beta stage so they have time to improve the system before they start charging.
Jo Shishido's Cheeks
Member
Remember when we saw the NX patents for supplementary computing devices and got all excited over the possibilities?
Seeing it boil down to connecting a mobile phone just to get half-assed voice chat is hilariously tragic.
Seeing it boil down to connecting a mobile phone just to get half-assed voice chat is hilariously tragic.
Skittzo0413
Member
In an extremely roundabout way this almost is the SCD coming into fruition. Your phone's processing resources are being used to supplement the resources of the Switch.
It's basically the most monkey pawed SCD we could've gotten.
The simplest way to do it is to not use wires at all. Chat through the mic of your phone, listen to chat through the speakers and listen to game audio through the Switch/TV speakers but ideally have that somewhat quiet.
Sammy Samusu
Member
To be fair this is the first version of the app and updating it should be easier than updating the Switch OS.
A shit show but it will get better. Probably.
A shit show but it will get better. Probably.
The last few monkey paw comparisons I read today have been hilarious. Oh Nintendo...lol.
You can't make voice chat which requires a phone besides you at all times for online gaming better, the very premise is poor. This is more painful then friends codes, Nintendo are making something very simple needlessly convoluted.
That's pretty good news at least.
Now you mention that, why doesn't Nintendo release a device that connects over WiFi with both your switch and the online service. First asking your switch for a key to see if you are eligible (paid online remember), then connecting the service needed. Your headset would then connect to this device and you wouldn't need a smartphone nor have the issues of this app.
No screen, everything is handled by the switch outside of the connection nor does it need one of the Bluetooth connections. Even the encoding and decoding of audio can then be done on this device, if the switch really can't handle that. (which I find hard to believe).
Zombie James
Banned
First version, hundredth version, it doesn't matter. The very concept of needing to use a phone is flawed.
I think Nintendo should have gone all out and just not had voice chat at all.
I think that approach would have had less backlash than this now. People would have cried online before launch and then there'd be nothing more to say.
People would have just got over it, but now this shit is only just starting, and it's not going to get better because:
You're right. I meant the Splat Net setup (module within the Switch Online app) doesnt allow you to make in game, on the fly changes independent of the game. That a companion app should at a minimum be able to create a lobby without you first needing to create one on the Switch.
I edited my post to help make that clear.
They would have, as long as Switch online was free.
But the problem is that this doesn't do much aside from creating fake smoke and mirrors. Pedophiles can still solicit children on here and it's just as easy for people to exchange contact information etc. by writing it down on a piece of paper. Hell, they could even use another tablet/phone/computer. All this is doing is making the user experience god awful for everyone involved in some half assed attempt at policing.