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[jigglet]

I've noticed Nintendo treats their services like hardware - when a new generation comes along, they hit the reset button. They burn every service to the ground every 5-6 years and start from scratch again. Their eshops. Their account systems. Their virtual consoles. It's not like XBL, PSN, Apple ID, they don't persist across products.

I remember being shocked that their account system got reset after Wii U. The NNID had only just gotten started 3-4 years before and it was getting deprecated. WTF, an account is the very epitome of a service that needs to persist. Yet here I was performing a migration from NNID to their new thing. I was pissed cause I intentionally got a Wii U on day 1 to reserve my NNID username cause I thought it would be something I could keep for decades like XBL / PSN / Gmail...yet I lost it on Switch cause someone beat me to it.

Is there any element at all within their current platform that will survive into the next generation? Or are we doomed to see more threads like "When are we going to get virtual console on Switch 2?"

 

[Quasicat]

That happened in the previous gen. XBOX One and PS4 were originally a clean break from the 360/PS3 generation. Granted, Xbox was able to come back on it, but that was expect for that gen. I would imagine that the next Nintendo console would carry over a bit more since Nvidia has already announced a continuing partnership with Nintendo. Either way, some people keep their precious consoles after a new gen starts. I will play my Wii U, 3DS, and PS3 mainly for backward compatibility.

 

[justiceiro]

Where is the poll?
Also, no.

 

[Krappadizzle]

Probably not. I really enjoyed the MiiVerse implementation into games with the Wii U, it did some really unique things compared to Sony and MSFT. No faith and a little bit of hope that it WONT continue the way it is. It is bare bones as hell the way it is and does the absolute minimum.

 

[OrtizTwelve]

No.

Nintendo treats their services like hardware, clean breaks every generation followed by rehash after rehash to get you to pay more for the same thing you’ve paid for already.

 

[SecretAgentHam]

Nope. This is why I refuse to purchase digital copies of any Nintendo titles, too. Nintendo just doesn't have any goodwill left when it comes to supporting their consoles after they introduce a new gen. I really hope Doug Bowser can spearhead a change when it comes to support for the online services, but I'm not holding my breath. There is too much money to be made in rereleasing games and features and charging consumers full price for them again.

 

[HerjansEagleFeeder]

I think this is an important issue to discuss. Nintendos lack of trustworthyness when it comes to these things is the reason i hesitate from buying my switch games digitally, even though it'd make a lot of sense with a portable device. My guess is the next switch iteration will carry over the current account/licensing system but who knows what these idiots will come up with after that? You just can't trust them. It's very frustrating.

 

[Oddvintagechap]

no.

 

[cireza]

Wii U was actually a great step forward for Nintendo in that regard. You could keep all your content with the Wii mode (including Virtual Console), and even upgrade Virtual Console games to the Wii U version for a low price. You even had great manuals, a good internet browser, Miiverse etc... Great user experience and services.

But then the Switch happened, they dropped all of these services, as well as backward compat, and everyone was happy and told them how awesome they were. Then they starting charging 60 bucks for (sometimes inferior) Wii U ports, and people have been throwing their money at them screaming "Moar, I want moar". Next step was rushing development with games not as optimized as they used to be, people are loving it.

As long as people are willing to be taken for fools, obviously, Nintendo are going to abuse it.

 

[Fredrik]

No.

Nintendo treats their services like hardware, clean breaks every generation followed by rehash after rehash to get you to pay more for the same thing you’ve paid for already.

They nailed it with Virtual Console on Wii. It was perfection. I had 100+ games. C64 games, Neogeo, Megadrive. It was awesome.

Then came WiiU, most could be transfered and played through Wii emulator. Not perfect but okay.

Then came Switch and everything was gone.

I’m done.
I’ll play Metroid Dread and BOTW2 but I’m so over using their consoles for anything else than games I can’t in any way imaginable play anywhere else.

 

[MvCSpiderman]

Friend codes have survived since 2006, as well as "no basic online" functionality.

 

[BusierDonkey]

 

[6502]

I've noticed Nintendo treats their services like hardware - when a new generation comes along, they hit the reset button. They burn every service to the ground every 5-6 years and start from scratch again. Their eshops. Their account systems. Their virtual consoles. It's not like XBL, PSN, Apple ID, they don't persist across products.

I remember being shocked that their account system got reset after Wii U. The NNID had only just gotten started 3-4 years before and it was getting deprecated. WTF, an account is the very epitome of a service that needs to persist. Yet here I was performing a migration from NNID to their new thing. I was pissed cause I intentionally got a Wii U on day 1 to reserve my NNID username cause I thought it would be something I could keep for decades like XBL / PSN / Gmail...yet I lost it on Switch cause someone beat me to it.

Is there any element at all within their current platform that will survive into the next generation? Or are we doomed to see more threads like "When are we going to get virtual console on Switch 2?"

You will repeat your purchases of the same games, eagerly await release of roms that have been online since 1997, pay more for less online functionality and you will enjoy it dammit

Some people!

 

[Zeroing]

I think the build upon what is there previously is a way better option, you would end with lots of complex things to “fix”, doing a reset every generation is easier for Nintendo! That doesn’t mean is the best for us gamers.

 

[Ryu Kaiba]

This has been an issue in the past but I don't think it will be going forward with them continuing with newer iterations of the Switch.

Their handhelds used to have some of the best continuity when it came to backwards compatibility I don't think it would be acceptable to even ask people to repurchase eShop titles on a switch 2 in this era where people are used to Apple products and androids and ecosystems and whatnot.

 

[LOLCats]

Nope one of the reasons thier ecosystem sucks and im super resistant to buy anything digital.

 

[Moses85]

Nintendo isnt interested in a Service which survives more than a generation. They want to charge you over and over again for the Same game you already owe.

 

[Vae_Victis]

No, because it makes them money and they can get away with it. They just started intentionally removing products form the store prematurely, smack in the middle of the console generation, just to push people's FOMO, so if anything I'd say they are moving in the opposite direction.

Nintendo is by far the console manufacturer, possibly the large video game publisher in general, with the most anti-consumer practices in regards to online services and games. And there is at least a hardcore minority of Nintendo fans that will defend Nintendo's every decision to their death, and think the $60 re-release of a 10-years-old game with nothing but slightly higher rendering resolution (and functionalities locked behind the separate purchase of a $16 physical statuette intentionally distributed in insufficient quantities again to push FOMO) is perfectly fine and acceptable.

 

[Shubh_C63]

Yeah Nintendo doesn't get internet.

They would rather play the harder game of relying on their games and hooks to get people in again.

 

[mcjmetroid]

It's a double edged sword isn't it?

They wil eventually make new hardware that will be completely different and physically unable to play their previous consoles hardware and then hit the reset button.

But if you keep making your consoles compatible then there can be no serious innovation in consoles.

A happy middle ground would be nice.

 

[jigglet]

It's a double edged sword isn't it?

They wil eventually make new hardware that will be completely different and physically unable to play their previous consoles hardware and then hit the reset button.

But if you keep making your consoles compatible then there can be no serious innovation in consoles.

A happy middle ground would be nice.

Fair point, but let's take a look:

• Account system - there was no innovation between Wii U and Switch that required the NNID to be dumped and a brand new account system to be created.
• Virtual console - there has been no innovation between Wii, 3DS, Wii U, and Switch that has rendered any VC game unplayable. All have had the requisite dpads and 6 buttons (for SNES). VC never went beyond SNES so lack of analogue sticks or gyros etc can't be used as an excuse.
• eShop - yes agreed there are games on each eshop that wouldn't work on every console.
• Messaging - there has been no innovation since the first console that could send messages (Wii) that prevented this from being persisted across generations.
• Friends list - there has been no innovation since the first friends list (Wii) that should have forced us to recreate a new friends list on every console.
• Cloud saves - there has been no paradigm shift in internet technologies since their first cloud save game (I think it was PokeBank) that required every implementation of cloud saves to be different and incompatible every 5 years.

So while I agree that sometimes legacy needs to make way for real innovation, it doesn't explain the sheer scale of "clean slate" resetting that Nintendo has done over the last 15 or so years.

 

[Raonak]

That happened in the previous gen. XBOX One and PS4 were originally a clean break from the 360/PS3 generation. .

In terms of Services, this is false. PS4 retained the PS3s accounts, trophies, messaging, etc. And I assume Xbox did too.

Sony slowly add/remove features, but the core system is the same. The same PSN user accounts from the PSP era is usable on PS5.

Even now, I can earn trophies from the PS3 and they'll show up on the PS5.

 

[Porcile]

No. Nothing digital is going to last forever or be compatible with something forever.

 

[mcjmetroid]

Fair point, but let's take a look:

• Account system - there was no innovation between Wii U and Switch that required the NNID to be dumped and a brand new account system to be created.
• Virtual console - there has been no innovation between Wii, 3DS, Wii U, and Switch that has rendered any VC game unplayable. All have had the requisite dpads and 6 buttons (for SNES). VC never went beyond SNES so lack of analogue sticks or gyros etc can't be used as an excuse.
• eShop - yes agreed there are games on each eshop that wouldn't work on every console.
• Messaging - there has been no innovation since the first console that could send messages (Wii) that prevented this from being persisted across generations.
• Friends list - there has been no innovation since the first friends list (Wii) that should have forced us to recreate a new friends list on every console.
• Cloud saves - there has been no paradigm shift in internet technologies since their first cloud save game (I think it was PokeBank) that required every implementation of cloud saves to be different and incompatible every 5 years.

So while I agree that sometimes legacy needs to make way for real innovation, it doesn't explain the sheer scale of "clean slate" resetting that Nintendo has done over the last 15 or so years.

Ya you're right..
I suppose the only thing is it's getting less and less acceptable but it's kinda way I'm very hestitant to buy digital games from Nintendo.

Imagine being one of those games who bought every SNES game on VC back in the day?

 

[Bernd Lauert]

I don't trust Nintendo in that regard, that's why the vast majority of my purchases there are physical.

 

[jigglet]

No. Nothing digital is going to last forever or be compatible with something forever.

No one is asking for forever. Even two or three generations would be nice. I would like to buy their next (non mid-gen refresh) console without having to create a new account and find out I've lost my username to someone else, re-enter my credit card details, start a new friends list from scratch, go through some weird 20-step process to transfer my Mii's and cloud saves, then wonder how long it's going to be until they re-launch their Virtual Console and trickle out 3 games a week. When I buy a new iPhone I simply enter my username and password and BAM, I'm done. I think PS and XB ecosystems are getting close to that level of simplicity too. Along the way I usually find out an app or two has been deprecated. A feature or three has gone. Ok big deal, I move on. But at least they haven’t thrown literally everything out the window.

All I am asking for is: stop burning the house to the ground every 5 years and starting from scratch.

 

[jigglet]

Where is the poll?
Also, no.

I tried creating one but it wouldn’t let me enter “No” as the answer 4 times.

 

[gundalf]

I think I have used the same account from my Wii on wards to 3DS, WiiU and Switch or am I missing something?
There where a migration I think on the WiiU to NNiD but I haven't created a new account or the likes.

 

[Zannegan]

If it were any other company, I'd say, "Of course not. They wouldn't make that mistake again after whiffing on the Virtual Console." But it's Nintendo, so...

...I dunno, flip a coin.

 

[jigglet]

I think I have used the same account from my Wii on wards to 3DS, WiiU and Switch or am I missing something?
There where a migration I think on the WiiU to NNiD but I haven't created a new account or the likes.

Yes there was an account merging process. It was painful and bug ridden as hell if you made the mistake of trying to do it on mobile. Even on PC I vaguely recall some people having issues.

Also it wasn't guaranteed you would get to keep your old username if you weren't quick enough. What a f-king joke. When creating an NNID you couldn't do it online, you had to buy a Wii U. So I was there day 1 with my Wii U to reserve my username cause I thought I would be like XB / PSN where the username stays with you for literal decades. So the hardcore fans got in early to reserve their chosen name. Then during the merging process it was something anyone could do online even if you didn't own a Wii U / Switch. So if you weren't online when the announcement came out then you were at risk of losing your username. It was a spit in the face for Wii U early adopters. Let's see them burn Nintendo Account to the ground again next gen. What's next? Nintendo Universe ID? fucking idiots

 

[gundalf]

Yes there was an account merging process. It was painful and bug ridden as hell if you made the mistake of trying to do it on mobile. Even on PC I vaguely recall some people having issues.

Also it wasn't guaranteed you would get to keep your old username if you weren't quick enough. What a f-king joke. When creating an NNID you couldn't do it online, you had to buy a Wii U. So I was there day 1 with my Wii U to reserve my username cause I thought I would be like XB / PSN where the username stays with you for literal decades. So the hardcore fans got in early to reserve their chosen name. Then during the merging process it was something anyone could do online even if you didn't own a Wii U / Switch. So if you weren't online when the announcement came out then you were at risk of losing your username. It was a spit in the face for Wii U early adopters. Let's see them burn Nintendo Account to the ground again next gen. What's next? Nintendo Universe ID? fucking idiots

Damn that was indeed fucked up

 

[cireza]

But if you keep making your consoles compatible then there can be no serious innovation in consoles.

Xbox Series can play all One games, a lot of 360 games and some OG games. All improved. Things happen when you try. Nintendo take the easiest route, as always. But again, they have no incentive to do things right as people are throwing money at these practices.

 

[Trogdor1123]

I totally expect nothing, absolutely nothing, to carry forward.

It's a touch odd too as Nintendo used to really put work into BC. The DS had an extra spot for GBA games, they made a GBA adapter for GameCube. GameCube games played on the Wii. But when it comes to anything digital, Nintendo seems to not get it.

 

[EverydayBeast]

Don’t waste your time, Microsoft and Sony lead the way with online services while Nintendo uses their energy on original exclusives.

 

[Sid Of Bee]

I wish they would come out and flat out commit to keeping the current ecosystem backwards compatible moving forward.

I love the way my Xbox account works... It's perfect.

Now that Nintendo have consolidated their hardware and software business, as well as are working with Nvidia and using a chip architecture that has a long future... I'm hoping this is the case. I think the subscription service idea is part of that.

It's taken too long for Nintendo to modernize certain aspects of their business (which is in stark contrast to some of the innovations).

 

[mcjmetroid]

Xbox Series can play all One games, a lot of 360 games and some OG games. All improved. Things happen when you try. Nintendo take the easiest route, as always. But again, they have no incentive to do things right as people are throwing money at these practices.

yes but all those consoles kept the same console design.. physically.

NIntendo went from the Wii to the Wiiu to the Switch.

For the Switch concept to work, they needed to lose the discs for instance.
Nothing to mention completely different controllers and concepts.

I think more should have been done to bring over digital content though.

 

[SecretAgentHam]

yes but all those consoles kept the same console design.. physically.

NIntendo went from the Wii to the Wiiu to the Switch.

For the Switch concept to work, they needed to lose the discs for instance.
Nothing to mention completely different controllers and concepts.

I think more should have been done to bring over digital content though.

I agree with this point of view if we're looking at Nintendo innovating with new ways to play (i.e. Joy-cons, wiimote, Wii U gamepad, etc.). However, locking people out of their purchases for VC titles, such as the many on the Wii and Wii U, on new systems doesn't sit right with me. Considering how old these titles are and how they can be played on any hardware it is criminal to force your loyal fans to continue to repurchase them if they want to play on the latest hardware.

3DS is discontinued and those purchases will likely be stuck on the dead platform for good (GB, GBC, GBA titles). The same can be said for the Wii and Wii U purchases. Nintendo has decided to lock all of their classic titles behind a subscription service which is laughable considering how many times we've likely purchased those games on other platforms. We should be able to retain the licenses if we've purchased them before.

All I'm saying is they can be better about supporting their legacy content without sacrificing innovative designs in future hardware.

 

[Kagoshima_Luke]

Nah, with the Virtual Boy 2, everybody will be starting from scratch again.

 

[Senhua]

Looking at my Wii U, 3DS, SNES consoles which still needed to play my legacy games and : nope
They love to sell us the same game again and again same as Sony.
So Switch 3 will reset all over again from beginning.

 

[Birdo]

Nope.

I don't even think Switch cartridges will carry over to their next gen console.

 

[Astral Dog]

Eshop for next Switch likely, they will have some sort of compatibility

 

[Allforce]

I gotta know now what the Nintendo ID was that someone snatched away from you

 

[teezzy]

Yeah Nintendo doesn't get internet.

They would rather play the harder game of relying on their games and hooks to get people in again.

They know damn well what Sony and probably even Xbox are doing.. they just don't care

 

[Corgi1985]

The shittier the feature, the more likely it is to last. Friend codes are ass, but have been around forever whereas miiverse was fun and killed anyway.

 

[LordBlodgett]

Never buy a Nintendo game digitally. Until they can show me a few generations where they migrate all of their digital games and user IDs then I will not trust them on digital titles. I know people eat it up, but it is really stupid to do so.

 

[Meesh]

What virtual console? Lol

 

[pr0cs]

They have an army of loyal fans that will continue to support this business model. It's effective and making them great profits, why bother making any changes whatsoever

 

[Unk Adams]

The worst part about playing on Nintendo consoles is having your gaming history wiped clean every generation. For the 360 it has your gaming history dating back to 2005. For the PS3 it dates back to 2009 (when they introduced trophies). Steam as well. For Nintendo? None of that gaming actually happened. At least there's no proof of it. Even the game log on the Switch is very limited and only saves the history of a few games. Microsoft and Sony keep making their tracking better and more detailed while Nintendo actually made the game log of the Switch worse compared to the 3DS which tracked every single game on your console and the time played (but sadly that data is tied to your unit so once that eventually breaks it's gone forever).

 

[LavitzSlambert]

At this point, they have to or they will be in trouble. People have come to expect their libraries to be accessible in the future and the Switch has been such a huge success - it would be financial suicide to abandon the existing audience (many who are digital only). I think Nintendo will begrudgingly carry forward next gen. Not sure about after that.

 

[Shadowstar39]

At this point, they have to or they will be in trouble. People have come to expect their libraries to be accessible in the future and the Switch has been such a huge success - it would be financial suicide to abandon the existing audience (many who are digital only). I think Nintendo will begrudgingly carry forward next gen. Not sure about after that.

Yeah as someone who owns 30 physical and like 70 digital titles on switch i would riot. Nintendo would have multi-millions of angry customers knocking at their headquarters.