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Eurogamer: Switch VC plans include upgrade progam, VC engineered by NERD

It's scary to see how many people are wanting to throw money at Nintendo with these BS upgrade fees. Can you imagine the backlash if Apple charged you to upgrade your apps when you buy the latest iPhone, iPad, iMac, or Apple Watch? Stop pandering to this crap.

That's a pretty crap comparison if you ask me. Apple keeps things consistent by being able to use the same OS on new and old devices. If the iPhone 7 had it's own OS that required apps to be re-built to work on it, I would think an "upgrade" fee justifies the extra time and money devs need to spend to make it work.
 
Literally nobody thought you could even upgrade your purchases on the Switch. Everybody assumed, since it's a brand new platform with a wildly different architecture and account system, that you would have to rebuy everything at full price, because they have no way to transfer your data from your previous devices.

This is most definitely progress. Especially if it's something like the Wii>Wii U upgrade fee was, which was about $1-2 max. The people complaining about this clearly have no idea how Nintendo has treated the virtual console previously.



That could easily be the case- we don't know yet what the plan is. The example in the OP is what the upgrade fee from Wii to Wii U was.

I don't think so..... People have been complaining about this for years and it's out of line with people expectations of digital purchases. I don't even think it makes business sense, people buy more when they're confident the purchase will be supported. I haven't bought anything on the Wii U and stopped buying on 3DS for just this reason. If they want to do it that fine but it's easy to see why people don't want to support it.
 
I mean, people do realize Nintendo will need to make a brand new VC emulator for switch, and that this costs time and money right?

Microsoft is putting time and money into the 360 emulator for Xbone and there is no upgrade fee there.

Nintendo would make more money long term if people actually felt comfortable investing in their digital ecosystem and weren't going to get hit with nonsense upgrade fees.
 
That's a pretty crap comparison if you ask me. Apple keeps things consistent by being able to use the same OS on new and old devices. If the iPhone 7 had it's own OS that required apps to be re-built to work on it, I would think an "upgrade" fee justifies the extra time and money devs need to spend to make it work.

Hell even then, don't some games just stop working after a certain amount of upgrades and require that Devs decide on their own to patch compatibility, which may or may not happen?
 
there is so much non sense in this topic.
The Wii to Wii U transfer was for free. The cost was for the upgrade.
I think that the Wii to Wii U free transfer was vastly superior system to whatever it is supposedly happening on other environments where many games simply are NOT playable with new hardwares.
So..wtf!?
 
Microsoft is putting time and money into the 360 emulator for Xbone and there is no upgrade fee there.

Nintendo would make more money long term if people actually felt comfortable investing in their digital ecosystem and weren't going to get hit with nonsense upgrade fees.
Do you know if Microsoft is actually benefitting from that though? Hell, I'm pretty sure the reason they're moving to mixed console-pc direction is because they want to get away from stuff like this
 
I find it way less scandalous than last time, being a completely different machine and all.

Wii U had litterally a Wii inside it and the upgrade fee was basically so you could play on the gamepad, which was a fuck up on their end, (wii mode being separate).

Maybe a single fee for your entire library would be more appropriate though.
 
When I first heard this rumor, I immediately responded that I think the author may be extrapolating "NERD developing GC Virtual Console" to "NERD developing all the Virtual Console emulation". That seems unusual.
 
Did I seriously just read that you suggest to brighten the TV to compensate for the incompetence of Nintendo not able to emulate the NES correctly?

Not NES, N64. I haven't played NES on Wii U VC so I can't speak to it. I'm saying N64 and GBA games are darker online than they are in person, and that if the sufficient brightness isn't sufficient, it's at least an easy fix. I agree the default brightness should be not dark.

Is it such an outlandish suggestion to make as a workaround, though? I'm not excusing Nintendo's lack of correct brightness, except in cases where changes were made for epilepsy sensitivity or similar concerns. I just meant it as a workaround that is more doable than if there were more significant problems with the emulation.
 
Hell even then, don't some games just stop working after a certain amount of upgrades and require that Devs decide on their own to patch compatibility, which may or may not happen?

Well... the games that stop working on iPhone are generally ones that never made an effort to support newer OS'. Apple provides the tools to port things forward but it's up to devs to decided where their time goes. Either way, work is work and it's insane to expect people to work for free. Especially when no one is forcing us to re-buy things. We're more than welcome to continue playing on Wii/Wii-U/3DS.
 
No more than a dollar for each title on all platforms. You already got mine and everyone else's dollars from double dipping on your archaic digital storefront. I'll be damned if I pay more than a buck on a SNES game when I did that for the Wii VC to Wii U VC.
 
Do you know if Microsoft is actually benefitting from that though? Hell, I'm pretty sure the reason they're moving to mixed console-pc direction is because they want to get away from stuff like this

You really think they decided to do it because it would lose them money? They make money selling to new customers and by adding to the value of the machine overall. They didn't start the backwards compatibility program just to throw money away
 
I don't think so..... People have been complaining about this for years and it's out of line with people expectations of digital purchases. I don't even think it makes business sense, people buy more when they're confident the purchase will be supported. I haven't bought anything on the Wii U and stopped buying on 3DS for just this reason. If they want to do it that fine but it's easy to see why people don't want to support it.

I'm not saying you shouldn't be upset about the way they've previously handled VC, as I clearly am upset about that. I can't remember a single person, when the Switch was announced, expecting any sort of VC titles to carry over- for free or for a small fee. My point is that, by doing this "small fee" upgrade, they are at the least showing some positive progress in this area.

Yet people are treating it like it's spitting in the consumer's face. Having to rebuy everything at full price would be spitting in our faces- implementing an upgrade program on a brand new platform with a brand new virtual console system implemented is a much better proposition than anyone was expecting.

yeah maybe it's just me but I wasn't expecting any of my digital purchases to come forward. I had figured Switch would be ground zero.

Yeah, same. I don't know of anyone who seriously expected any kind of upgrade program honestly.
 
I'm feeling a bit of a double standard, the OP says NERD are enhancing the Virtual Console and there will be a small upgrade fee and this upsets people, yet the majority of remasters sell close to a full retail price and few people seem bothered about that? What makes those games different to virtual console games? Both are having time and money put into technological enhancements, the only difference is we're just paying a small upgrade fee rather than going all out on a new purchase. Like why couldn't I get The Last of Us Remastered for free because I had it on PS3? The only games I can think to do this is Skyrim.
 
That could easily be the case- we don't know yet what the plan is. The example in the OP is what the upgrade fee from Wii to Wii U was.
Ah I misread.
That's what I get for participating in a GAF classic of "jump to the worst conclusion".

Though granted previous VC stuff does still leave me sceptical.
 
Would be interesting if they made an online subscription and you get a few VC games per month + free upgrade.

But I understand Nintendo will want to keep online free.
 
Well... the games that stop working on iPhone are generally ones that never made an effort to support newer OS'. Apple definitely provides the tools to easily port things forward. But yeah, work is work and it's insane to expect people to work for free.

No ones asking them to do it for free. People will buy more games if they can transfer them between devices
 
It's scary to see how many people are wanting to throw money at Nintendo with these BS upgrade fees. Can you imagine the backlash if Apple charged you to upgrade your apps when you buy the latest iPhone, iPad, iMac, or Apple Watch? Stop pandering to this crap.

Typically apps spanning multiple hardware convert to a service model, IAP, ads or subscriptions. It's necessary because they aren't charities, they need money to keep developing but a buy-once product eventually runs dry. But on the technical level PPC -> ARM pretty much makes any non-emulation of the existing emulator impossible (and two emulation levels would be ridiculous), so you can't get them directly working like they did on Wii U in Wii mode for free. So then it boils down to: I want free stuff or I want an alternative fee that is more easy for me to mentally separate from ownership (subscription).
 
It's scary to see how many people are wanting to throw money at Nintendo with these BS upgrade fees. Can you imagine the backlash if Apple charged you to upgrade your apps when you buy the latest iPhone, iPad, iMac, or Apple Watch? Stop pandering to this crap.

The difference here is that Nintendo will (hopefully) add in new features. When upgrading your Wii VC games to Wii U, you got save states, full button remapping, digital guide, etc. I'm expecting the Switch VC to have better display, filters, and more.

Plus, paying $1 to $2 to not only have an improved emulation, but the ability to play them anywhere is a major selling point as well.
 
Not NES, N64. I haven't played NES on Wii U VC so I can't speak to it. I'm saying N64 and GBA games are darker online than they are in person, and that if the sufficient brightness isn't sufficient, it's at least an easy fix. I agree the default brightness should be not dark.

Is it such an outlandish suggestion to make as a workaround, though? I'm not excusing Nintendo's lack of correct brightness, except in cases where changes were made for epilepsy sensitivity or similar concerns. I just meant it as a workaround that is more doable than if there were more significant problems with the emulation.

Telling me to brighten my TV, yes, is an outlandish suggestion.
 
Lol the upgrade fee will be like 5 bucks.
Nice shitposting.

The people complaining about this clearly have no idea how Nintendo has treated the virtual console previously.
I already paid for the Wii->WiiU transfer, which is why i'm complaining now. The upgrade should be less than 1€ for NES/1€ for SNES-GBA/a bit over that for everything else to make it irrelevant to me. That being said, i'll repeat it: they can't keep asking 5 bucks for NES games, especially after the NES Mini. They need to slash prices (and have a big library right away) if they want VC to be as relevant as it used to be.
 
You really think they decided to do it because it would lose them money? They make money selling to new customers and by adding to the value of the machine overall. They didn't start the backwards compatibility program just to throw money away
You're assuming the decision works as intended, which we have no way of knowing
 
I'm feeling a bit of a double standard, the OP says NERD are enhancing the Virtual Console and there will be a small upgrade fee and this upsets people, yet the majority of remasters sell close to a full retail price and few people seem bothered about that? What makes those games different to virtual console games? Both are having time and money put into technological enhancements, the only difference is we're just paying a small upgrade fee rather than going all out on a new purchase. Like why couldn't I get The Last of Us Remastered for free because I had it on PS3? The only games I can think to do this is Skyrim.
Point out these people in this topic who are being hypocritical here

For one thing, your last of us example was essentially a game of the year edition since it came with left behind and all of the map packs and technical improvements so that already breaks your example
 
It's scary to see how many people are wanting to throw money at Nintendo with these BS upgrade fees. Can you imagine the backlash if Apple charged you to upgrade your apps when you buy the latest iPhone, iPad, iMac, or Apple Watch? Stop pandering to this crap.
This is a bad comparison.

The Wii to Wii U was free. The upgrade charge was to get new features like save states and such.

Apple charges you to get new features to the tune of a $700-$1000 device. Also Apple doesn't hand hold every app to work on to their new OS. I had apps I bought for iOS 2 that didn't work beyond iOS 3. Straight up crashed at launch.
 
I already paid for the Wii->WiiU transfer, which is why i'm complaining now. The upgrade should be less than 1€ for NES/1€ for SNES/DS/a bit over that for everything else to make it irrelevant to me.

Wii and Wii U shared a common architecture though, which undoubtedly made porting those emulators much easier and less costly. I don't think anybody was expecting an upgrade program from Wii U/3DS to Switch.

And we don't know what the prices are yet. I agree charging $1 or so again per title is a pain in the ass, but still this is a better situation than most thought we'd be in.
 
I mean, people do realize Nintendo will need to make a brand new VC emulator for switch, and that this costs time and money right?

Then why does it need to be a per game basis? Why can't I just pay $10 to transfer all my purchasss over? This is not a big deal if you buy 1 or 2 games. Even someone like me who wasn't all in on VC because it wasnt account basd is going to burn through decent cash just to move everything to one system. I didnt even bother from Wii to WiiU.
 
I'd rather pay a flat fee to bring everything over. Like if I had to pay $10 and all my shit was then good I'd be fine with that.

Nickel and diming on a per game basis sucks ass though.
 
You're assuming the decision works as intended, which we have no way of knowing

It's a bit much to suggest they're making a loss with no evidence. The evidence it's working is that they continue to invest in, advertise and support the program. I'm sorry but you can't just say 'we don't know' when every sign is they're very happy with the program and they want to continue expanding it the the future. Do you have any evidence to support the idea it's losing them money?
 
It's scary to see how many people are wanting to throw money at Nintendo with these BS upgrade fees. Can you imagine the backlash if Apple charged you to upgrade your apps when you buy the latest iPhone, iPad, iMac, or Apple Watch? Stop pandering to this crap.

Agreed. I purchased 40 titles for VC on the Wii, 5 on 3DS, and 0 on the Wii U. As soon as I saw that my Wii U and 3DS purchases didn't carry over to Wii U I stopped making VC purchases.

They've probably missed out on about $100 of purchases from me (and I'm sure many others) because we know that our library won't follow us from device to device.

It's frustrating to see how out of touch Nintendo is with their fan base. It sounds stupid, but I have more money than time and I make impulse purchases I know I won't get around to for a while on platforms like Steam. This is because if it takes me a year or two to get to them I know the game will still be available. With Nintendo, I don't do it because if I upgrade to a new console before I get to my backlog, I won't be accessing those games ever (I only keep the latest consoles hooked up).
 
I'd be angry about the upgrade fee if Sony didn't show what happens if a company has no financial incentive to keep a library going.

The lack of PS1 and PS2 Classics (outside of the handful new PS2 games for double the price) is still probably my biggest gripe with the PS4.

This. I still have a number of Xbox Live games sitting on my 360 which are registered to my Xbox account, but good luck playing them on my Xbone. None of the platforms do what GAF wants Nintendo to do here; only Nintendo is getting slammed for it.

Furthermore, GAF, stop comparing video game consoles to iPhones and iPads. The economics of the two markets are different. The former makes money off software, and the latter makes money off hardware. "But my iPad does this!" is meaningless here.
 
Then why does it need to be a per game basis? Why can't I just pay $10 to transfer all my purchasss over? This is not a big deal if you buy 1 or 2 games. Even someone like me who wasn't all in on VC because it wasnt account basd is going to burn through decent cash just to move everything to one system. I didnt even bother from Wii to WiiU.
For all we know it might be this time. Or this report could be untrue. Or it might still be subject to change. It's too soon to jump to conclusions
 
Then why does it need to be a per game basis? Why can't I just pay $10 to transfer all my purchasss over? This is not a big deal if you buy 1 or 2 games. Even someone like me who wasn't all in on VC because it wasnt account basd is going to burn through decent cash just to move everything to one system. I didnt even bother from Wii to WiiU.

There is probably some sort of deal with other companies to rerelease their old shit on a new machine and part of the fee goes to them.
 
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