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Shigeru Miyamoto: Nintendo Debating Online Subscription Fee vs Free Online With VAS

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Nirolak

Mrgrgr
In a recent interview with Edge, Shigeru Miyamoto said that one of the major things Nintendo needs to do is decide their online business model, and stated that they are thinking about either a subscription based model or a free model with value added services.

Edge said:
Miyamoto: Nintendo Could Charge For Online Gaming
By Tom Ivan
May 7, 2010

Shigeru Miyamoto has said that Nintendo needs to decide whether to stick with its free online gaming service or introduce a paid subscription model.

Online-compatible Wii and DS titles are currently free to play using Nintendo’s Wi-Fi Connection service, but in a recent interview Miyamoto suggested this could change.

“… Probably the other thing that we are desperate to realise is the core [online] business structure,” Nintendo’s Entertainment Analysis and Development boss told us. “Do we need to demand customers pay monthly fees to enjoy online activities? Or give an online subscription that is free of charge, but then offer something extra for people that pay, so that they get some extra value? With these core business strategies I think we are less active than we should be.”

Despite this admission, Miyamoto rejected the suggestion that Nintendo has only taken small steps in the online space.

“To be honest, I think it’s rather unfair whenever I hear such comments – that Nintendo isn’t proactive when it comes to its online strategy. The fact of the matter is that we always want all Wii consoles to be connected online, all the time, so Nintendo has never been less than proactive in that kind of endeavour,” he said.

“It is true, though, that Nintendo hasn’t been very proactive in developing such online activities as an MMOG. But when it comes to our endeavours that try to take advantage of internet technology, where we can provide our customers with more fun and entertainment, then I think we can say we have been very, very proactive and well-received. And that attitude won’t be changed at all in the future.”
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Source: http://www.edge-online.com/news/miyamoto-nintendo-could-charge-for-online-gaming

Any thoughts or preferences?
 
well, they're going to actually have to do work if they want to have a subscription service. they're probably going to have to go with value added if they want the masses to use online.
 
Make a real online system before worrying about this.

I think the extra value system is the way to go. They should really put more focus on getting more people to hook their Wiis online.
 
I have no problem with charging for "value-added services," whatever those turn out to be, as long as the core online play is free. Nintendo would have to create a much better online infrastructure before they could even think about charging a subscription fee for it.
 
i'd pay 50 bucks a year if they can make it like Live.

playing monster hunter was nothing but headaches for awhile, smash bros wasn't any easier.

they have so many NAT problems. if i need to donate money to them (:lol ) for a competent online, so be it.

we're long past video games being for cheap people.
 
Free with extras should be the best of the two, but you have yet to define the 'extras'

Xbox Live is great in itself, but having to pay for Gold membership to play ANY game online just plain sucks and destroys the overall interest.
And Xbox is just the best example, since the vast majority of its game are out on PC where you can play the same game for ..... free ... xD

If the 'extras' are DLC-like products Mii accessories, or whatever isn't essential for just plain online play, then just go with that.
 
Effect said:
Going with a free service with you buying extras I think is the way to go.
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Quoted for maximum truth. I've been both an Xbox Live Gold for years (2002 - 2008) and PSN user (2008-present.) I can tell you, in the year and a half of having a PS3 and a PSN account, I've spent more on DLC, PSN or download-only games and other PSN-related purchases than I have in six years on Xbox Live Gold subscription fees and purchases on XBLM combined.
 
I couldn't see Nintendo going for a subscription service for online play. It would probably turn off expanded audience customers who might've thought about going online.

They have already tinkered with the idea of VAS, with things like Wiinoma and that other Japanese theatre channel. I'd say that is a route that is much more fitting with Nintendo's strategy, they just need to expand on what they offer.

Online multiplayer must remain free, no way would you ever see an expanded audience customer pay to play Mario Kart online!
 
Segata Sanshiro said:
Hahaha it'll be -50 C in Hell before I'd pay a fucking cent for the half-assed online services Nintendo offer.
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Agreed. Nintendo would literally have to knock my socks off for me to pay one red cent for their online offerings. Since I already think XBL is a waste of money, they would have to have Miyamoto personally give me back massages as I play online for me to even fathom the idea.
 
They would have to be free or have a whole 'silver/gold' thing to get most online.

Are they even looking at this for 'this' generation? Making a Live type service and maintaining the Disney rating that made them a safe bet for Christmas presents seems like a tough balancing act.
 
Mihos said:
They would have to be free or have a whole 'silver/gold' thing to get most online.

Are they even looking at this for 'this' generation? Making a Live type service and maintaining the Disney rating that made them a safe bet for Christmas presents seems like a tough balancing act.
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Well, if they really consider Apple as their main competition now, I imagine that the 3DS will have a heavy online focus.
 
Stuff bought from the nintendo shop gets tied into a Wii console instead of an account like other services, at least that's what i hear. They should really fix that before worrying about online subscriptions because that's the one thing that troubles me when thinking of buying a Wii.
 
An online pay-for service from Nintendo.... Unless they suddenly understand online gaming and provide dedicated servers, it won't be worth any amount of money.

Value added services is the way to go when you can't provide dedicated servers.
 
VAS is the way to go for nintendo. they shouldn't even think about introducing an online subscription fee unless their online service makes a huge leap forward and even then, they risk alienating parts of their userbase.
 
wtf? I think the first priority would be to get their service at a level of quality where it can then be thought about charging for it. Charging for the Wii's un-unified, mostly horribly implemented service now would be the dumbest move ever.
 
There's a wall with Sony on one side and Microsoft on the other. Ideally they both want to get to a position where they are sitting on the wall, but they can't find the right balance of features to make that happen.

Nintendo has the advantage of watching the other two grapple with the free vs paid argument, and should probably hold off on deciding what their online strategy should be. Of course, Nintendo has an advantage with their huge back catalogue of title on the Virtual Console, any subscription fee they ever introduce can be sweetened very quickly with a couple of free games every month, or unlimited access as long as you're a subscriber, things like that.

Of course, they don't have an online service worth charging anything for right now. Something to think about for their next generation of hardware though.
 
Well, they have two very good examples of online service and how they work and how consumers react to them right here.

They need to decide if they want a model where consumers pay, and the service is (arguably) better or they don't pay and it's (arguably) worse.

Or they could make them pay for bad service or not pay for good service.

Should be interesting.
 
FHIZ said:
wtf? I think the first priority would be to get their service at a level of quality where it can then be thought about charging for it. Charging for the Wii's un-unified, mostly horribly implemented service now would be the dumbest move ever.
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I think this is indicative of just that.

They may have realized that they need to hike prices after the changes.
 
It has to be better than the Wii online for me to pay. Because in the state it's in, they should be paying me to play on their online service.
 
ShockingAlberto said:
I'm pretty sure it's that thing you use to shoot in Fallout 3
Click to expand...

Honestly, for a bit, I wondered if Nintendo had announced the codename to the Wii successor and I missed it.
 
I'm totally for VAS. I likes mah free online.

...Although, I would have to see exactly what sort of services would be provided before I decide one way or the other.

I actually am not sure that Wii owners do that much socializing online through their Wii, outside of the Opera browser. Maybe a Facebook update later, like XBL has? They've already got Netflix. They could also add Wii Speak for all online multiplayer games, with people on your friend list.
 
They won't get a penny from me unless there's a radical improvement in their online structure. They don't seem to think there's much problem either, according to that quote. Can't believe they're silly enough to think anyone's gonna pay for what they're currently offering.

As others have stated, online should be free. But if you're going to start charging, they better seriously study the quality of Live or Steam. Anything less is unacceptable.
 
I will never support a subscription service just for basic online features. It's too bad, because there are a few Xbox 360 games that I would be interested in buying and playing online, but I'll be damned if I am going to pay an additional $30 - $60 per year just to have access to (often laggy) p2p online gameplay. For example, Halo Reach looks like fun, but I won't be buying it because of Xbox Live Gold. I might pick it up when I get it for $10 or so used just to play the campaign, but Microsoft isn't seeing any of that.

Microsoft is probably making hand over fist off Xbox Live Gold subscriptions, but I wonder how much they are losing out on by alienating people like me with their fees. Most likely not enough to matter...
 
Segata Sanshiro said:
Hahaha it'll be -50 C in Hell before I'd pay a fucking cent for the half-assed online services Nintendo offer.
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Bububu the Ninth Circle, Segata!
 
I'd pay for a Live comparable service for around the same price, but it'd seriously have to be comparable to what the 360 can do online.
 
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