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[BNGames]

Man the fanboys all over facebook are trying to defend this with such insightful comments as "Try it before you complain about it. People do not need to try what is clearly a botched implementation of basic communication features that should be built into the OS of the Switch natively. Having everyone use a third party app on separate hardware to accomplish what is essentially Discord is poor design.

Its pretty self evident that Nintendo half baked this entire thing. That is crystal clear when you consider they released a device with no intention of having a fully functional network on LAUNCH DAY. They rushed the thing out the door and said "We'll finish it later. Maybe."

 

[catbrush]

It should at least reflect the fact that queuing up with friends isn't existent and the bit of ability you have to actually play with them is way overly complicated. Itself literally the reason Im doing a 180 on this game. Just not worth the hassle.

Yeah, this was a big problem I had with the first game as well. I think that you can queue up with friends in squad matches once you've jumped through enough hoops though.

 

[Synth]

This sounds similar to the PS4 app, and very convenient when people are using the app. How widely adopted is the app though, if it's not required? Most people do not use it, so if they are offline they cannot be invited without coordinating through other means.

I've been doing this successfully to schedule games with people for months now. Often on games that would be completely dead without it. You don't need to remove functionality from the console itself to make something like this work... you just need to make sure the functionality exists seamlessly regardless of device. People see my LFG postings whether they check the Xbox App on their phone, on their PC or on their Xbox. Hell, it'll suggest my sessions in the party tab to people that may otherwise not be looking, simply because they're in the same "club", which they may have found simply by searching in the past for any of the games that we tend to play.

And when it does come time to play, we're not juggling different devices. We can all just join a party and chat to each other before we're even in the game itself... which is useful in the event that there are any difficulties inviting everyone to the same lobby for whatever reason.

The system Nintendo is proposing is just silly, and carries no actual advantages to the alternatives already provided by their competitors.

 

[catbrush]

Do you mean that you want to make 100% sure that the person you are trying to communicate with has the app in their pocket so that they will schedule game sessions with you? If you have an Xbox (or a Playstation), and if you care about that, you have the app. If you don't, you don't. I don't understand how this changes with Nintendo's system, only that it's now worse.

Yes, I think that the compulsory nature will force features on people that they did not know they wanted. I think your points are very valid as well.

LFG looks amazing. This screenshot might get me to buy an XB1. I want to play 8 player Daytona...

 

[Khalifa Jayy]

Lmao

"Relax guys, we haven't even seen what Nintendo does with it. You guys are all exaggerating. It'll be good. They learned their lesson."

 

[flkraven]

Yes, I think that the compulsory nature will force features on people that they did not know they wanted. I think your points are very valid as well.

Perhaps the compulsory nature will make it more likely that a switch owner has the app, but it will lead to there being fewer switch owners. And what's the point in playing multiplayer with your friends if you don't have a smartphone (kids).

If this is their chat solution next year, I don't know who in their right mind is paying for the online service.

 

[Okami Haundo]

Perhaps the compulsory nature will make it more likely that a switch owner has the app, but it will lead to there being fewer switch owners. And what's the point in playing multiplayer with your friends if you don't have a smartphone (kids).

If this is their chat solution next year, I don't know who in their right mind is paying for the online service.

As bad as this chat solution is, I'll be curious to see how big of an impact it has on people's purchasing decisions. Especially when they'll offer things like software discounts and the Classic Game collection.

 

[Skittzo0413]

WAIT, so not only does the app require the screen to be on at all times, but the app also doesn't override the phone settings and keep the screen on itself when in use? (like Netflix keeps the screen on when watching stuff). You have to keep tapping the screen to keep it awake and not shutting the app off?

That's not right, surely?

Correct, that's not right. The app does override your auto-lock settings (like netflix and youtube do) according to someone who tested in in one of the other threads.

 

[womp]

The fact that my kid is sitting here with Minecraft on Wii U playing online with friends via the gamepad and a $5 pair of headphones chatting AND hearing game audio online through it at once makes everything about this Switch debacle a load of horseshit.

This stinks just like the GBA SP headphone jack did.

I say this as a decades old Nintendo fan and someone who adores the Switch.

 

[hemo memo]

Down to 2 stars and hopefully to 1. They need to realise how broken this is.

 

[Living the Dream]

Down to 2 stars and hopefully to 1. They need to realise how broken this is.

They won't care. Nintendo never listens to fan feedback. Hell they don't even listen to their American branch.

They don't even know how XBl and PSN works!!!

 

[Dreamwriter]

I thought they were going to make it work decently, so that everyone would just say "well this is bullshit, and why do I have to use my phone, but at least it works", but no. The fact that the voice chat cuts off once the phone turns off the display is in itself a sign that they didn't really think the whole thing through, much less give it the basic minimum amount of testing.

It *is* a beta, rushed out in time for Splatoon 2...

 

[flkraven]

It *is* a beta...

Unfortunately this beta app is required for certain functions in a $60 not-beta game.

 

[BlueTsunami]

Maybe they alpha tested this app on the original Samsung Galaxy lmao

 

[moltonasty]

Lmao

"Relax guys, we haven't even seen what Nintendo does with it. You guys are all exaggerating. It'll be good. They learned their lesson."

TFW you were right to expect this would be a shitshow from the moment it was announced

 

[hatchx]

Am I the only one actually happy about this?

The more this phone app crashes and burns the better. The more negative press the better.

There is absolutely no reason this app can't work on the Switch itself. It's absolutely ridiculous, and Nintendo deserves every bit of negative press, rejection, and ridicule they can get for this.

 

[squidyj]

Nintendo still hoping this whole internet fad blows over.

 

[Synth]

Am I the only one actually happy about this?

The more this phone app crashes and burns the better. The more negative press the better.

There is absolutely no reason this app can't work on the Switch itself. It's absolutely ridiculous, and Nintendo deserves every bit of negative press, rejection, and ridicule they can get for this.

You're being very optimistic that the result of this leads to a reverse in direction, and the Switch handling the chat functions natively... as opposed to us just getting a better working mobile app like 8 months later.

 

[n0razi]

So you have to keep the app on-screen at all times, with the screen never auto-locking?

Hello burn-in on OLED phones (Galaxy S8, iPhone 8, Pixel)

 

[WhiteRabbitEXE]

There is absolutely no reason this app can't work on the Switch itself.

Nah man, it's technical! No way they can run voice chat using only the 1GHz core and 750MB of RAM dedicated to the Switch OS!

Wait, what do you mean that's 30 times more resources used than the Xbox 360 OS?

 

[DrROBschiz]

Nah man, it's technical! No way they can run voice chat using only the 1GHz core and 750MB of RAM dedicated to the Switch OS!

Wait, what do you mean that's 30 times more resources used than the Xbox 360 OS?

They dont even know how their box works!

They pay other people to worry about that shit and then refuse to consult them apparently

 

[Synth]

Nah man, it's technical! No way they can run voice chat using only the 1GHz core and 750MB of RAM dedicated to the Switch OS!

Wait, what do you mean that's 30 times more resources used than the Xbox 360 OS?

Seeing as it's not across games, it would make more sense to compare it to whatever portion of the 733mhz Pentium 3 CPU and 64MB of RAM was being allocated to handling voice communications on the original Xbox.

The 360 was handling global background music playing and other shit along with both ingame and party chat simultaneously.

 

[Vegetable Lasagna]

lol Amazon already shipped Splatoon 2 before I could cancel. Wtf do I need to run game and voip audio together through my headset?

God damn you, Nintendo.

 

[jroc74]

People are rating this a 5?

As soon as it launched...lol

Hello burn-in on OLED phones (Galaxy S8, iPhone 8, Pixel)

Hadnt thought about that. Yea...they really didnt think this thru... I read this with the Hello Darkness My Old Friend tune

 

[Living the Dream]

Unfortunately this beta app is required for certain functions in a $60 not-beta game.

I'd say the game is beta too. Arms and Splatoon 2 aren't feature complete (yet).

 

[Nesther]

I'd say the game is beta too. Arms and Splatoon 2 aren't feature complete (yet).

What's missing from Splatoon 2?

 

[funroll-loops]

Nintendo isn't legally responsible, but the news headlines wouldn't help their brand image.

Again, let's all remember the fact that two girls actually arranged a sex meetup with a middle aged man via Swapnote. It actually happened, and the story got attention in Japan. And Swapnote wasn't exactly a smooth communication platform to begin with.

Yeah this thing with the Switch app doesn't suprise me ever since they gutted Swapnote on the 3DS without any warning after the Swapnote incident in Japan.

 

[Bit-Bit]

I'd say the game is beta too. Arms and Splatoon 2 aren't feature complete (yet).

That's a bullshit way to look at free DLC.

 

[hatchx]

You're being very optimistic that the result of this leads to a reverse in direction, and the Switch handling the chat functions natively... as opposed to us just getting a better working mobile app like 8 months later.

I think the app could be pretty well perfect, but backlash will still happen, and deservedly so. Nintendo makes a lot of dumb decisions, and catch flack for it, but this one is taking the cake for embarrassment imo, and it's one that can be changed.

So long as voice chat and game audio doesn't come through the same set of speakers, this entire thing is an absolute cluster fuck and I don't see how improving some of the blasphemy of the app fixes that.

 

[King_Moc]

That's a bullshit way to look at free DLC.

It's not free. you're paying in advance.

 

[HotHamBoy]

That's a bullshit way to look at free DLC.

Free DLC is just PR speak for "we need to ship this yesterday"

 

[WhiteRabbitEXE]

That's a bullshit way to look at free DLC.

I have no idea on the launch state of ARMS and Splatoon 2, but that was literally the case with Splatoon.

 

[TDLink]

I would definitely say it was the case with the original Splatoon, where modes advertised before launch weren't added to the game until after release, there were 3 weapon types, and there were only 5 maps.

However, with Splatoon 2 all of the modes and weapon types from the first game are back, plus the new horde mode, new weapon types, starting with more maps than the original game did. So I wouldn't classify the free post-launch support as the game not being feature complete. Yes the value of the game actually increases over time due to the additional content, but the day 1 package is pretty stuffed with content, and definitely enough to warrant the $60 MSRP.

 

[HotHamBoy]

I have no idea on the launch state of ARMS and Splatoon 2, but that was literally the case with Splatoon.

It was the case with ARMS, too.

Both games were advertising content that would be added soon after launch. The idea is to get the game certed, printed, shipped. Digital distribution extends dev time beyond Gold cert.

The price of the games includes the "free dlc, because that content is advertised at part of the package you are buying into.

With any other company I say it makes no sense to buy at launch. Look at SFV, it was $40 less than 60 days after launch and much better off by that point.

With Nintendo, prices take years to drop, if they ever do, so you won't be saving any money by waiting.

 

[MatrixMan.EXE]

I don't know how much these reviews will help. Nintendo is stubborn and I can seldom think of examples where they've taken fan feedback in earnest and changed something for the better. They always do everything at their own pace and so frustrating.

If it ever comes out that this is the case, how sad would a part subsidiary company has more sway over Nintendo than NoA and NoE

Unfortunately, DeNa is Japanese so they'll have more sway with NCL than those foreign idiots at NoA and NoE, obviously.

 

[catbrush]

Nintendo is stubborn and I can seldom think of examples where they've taken fan feedback in earnest and changed something for the better.

They improved the docked frame rate in BOTW, fixed the HDMI switching bug, and changed the upcoming paid online free game perk from being 1 free game per month to a Netflix-style service.

 

[DunpealD]

Really disappointing, but not surprising considering Nintendos pedigree in online stuff.

I think we now need an update to this picture, since the smartphone also needs a Powerbank:

 

[Agent Gibbs]

What a shit show! i'm sorry the lack of the ability to even lock the screen is a deal breaker! it will kill phone batteries as bad as Pokemon Go and cause some serious overheating of phones
Be glad you don't have a note 7 Nintendo just made a detonator for it

 

[Jaded Alyx]

Nintendo never listens to fan feedback

That's why the console is still not region fr-.....oh, it's you again.

 

[Night Angel]

That's why the console is still not region fr-.....oh, it's you again.

Why didn't they listen to everyone who wanted multimedia capabilities or voice chat?

I'm not ready to pretend Nintendo is good at listening just because they finally caught up to the competition in one area.

 

[LinkAndEpona]

That's why the console is still not region fr-.....oh, it's you again.

Yup, finally got region free. So then they'll act on the feedback for online in like 10 years then, hurray?

 

[Lightning_Roller]

What a shitshow....why Nintendo? And you were doing so well with the switch, too.

 

[DrROBschiz]

Really disappointing, but not surprising considering Nintendos pedigree in online stuff.

I think we now need an update to this picture, since the smartphone also needs a Powerbank:

There it is!!

Needs to be in every Nintendo online thread until they come to their senses

 

[Godzilla's Left Toe]

There it is!!

Needs to be in every Nintendo online thread until they come to their senses

Yeah they should end their deal with DeNa.

 

[nullset2]

And Nintendo still manage to continue to disappoint us with her online offering.
It's like they have no idea of what they are doing.

It's blatantly obvious they have no idea what they're doing.

 

[Acquiescence]

That's why the console is still not region fr-.....oh, it's you again.

Was that decision made due to fan feedback though, or the pressure felt from being the only one of The Big Three to not have region-free hardware.

 

[killatopak]

they expect us to pay for this shit in a few months.

better be working on the fix.

 

[Tank Jr.]

That's why the console is still not region fr-.....oh, it's you again.

They put it in after years of demand.

 

[Zombie James]

That's why the console is still not region fr-.....oh, it's you again.

Nintendo's proper online service, coming 2026.

 

[BackwardCap]

Is that Splatoon headset even good?