Streaming services have become really popular in the last decade. Are subscription and streaming services right for Videogames?
Nintendo Switch Online has replaced the Virtual Console but is the service up to the standard of previous Nintendo offerings? Furthermore, do subscription services like Xbox’s Game Pass and NSO really suit video games? This article explores these issues and looks back at the Virtual Console.
Nintendo's mid-noughties revolution feels so distant now, even if its impact hasn't really dimmed. The touch sensation of the DS led in its own way to the iOS revolution, the motion controls of the Wii helped reestablish video games in the living room and push them towards the mainstream, and the reverberations of both are felt to this day. There's another facet of its revolution that sadly never had the same impact, and now is set to finally fizzle away.
yet another part of gaming where the past was better than what we get in the present/future.
While that's valid, though, that old social media meme 'why not both?' springs to mind. Why not have subscription options and a Virtual Console eShop? With NSO being multi-faceted in its offering, it seems unlikely that everyone would drop that subscription in a heartbeat in order to buy Super Mario Bros. for $5.
Because a yearly flow of money is better than people buying specifically what they want. If online was also not behind a paywall you'd be surprised just how many people would drop the sub. When you're only given one option there's not much of a choice.
No reason not to have both. Consumers would have the option of buying separately like PS+ and Game Pass owners can or have access to it all with a sub
Of course there's no reason, and Nintendo fans have been very vocal about virtual console being brought back. I think however that those who really have an issue with how Nintendo has handled classic games have stayed with emulation. I know the appeal of being able to buy instead of the free alternative. As I see it, it sends a message that there's still an audience for these games, but for whatever reason it may be it's not been made easy to the consumer.
Just another reason why modding your Switch can fix almost all of the flaws Nintendo purposefully created on their platform. Save file back ups being another reason. Nintendo is the only company that forces you to pay money in order to back up your save files, and it doesn't even work for all games. Talk about anti-consumer B.S.!
Because it was only successful on the Wii. Both the Wii U and 3DS VC offerings were no where as successful. It was time to move on from that service. More and more 3rd parties devs started supplying older games in other ways on the Switch so there's no need. Look at all the Capcom collections for instance. Even Konami got in on it. Same with Neo Geo or Atari collections. I could go on and on.
Nintendo Switch's Expansion Pack prices are too expensive, and the company’s is missing out by not bringing back the Virtual Console for the Switch.
People need to get off the VC cake. It's dead. Devs lost interest as it's more lucrative to just do compliation games themselves and consumers voted with their wallets and were less likely to buy the games offered.
Burning money? They're making money hand over fist, and VC is not that big of a selling point at this point in time. Emulation and FPGA systems/handhelds pretty much ate up the market for that, not to mention how easy the Switch is to boot into custom firmware.
Just torrent the rom collections do not ever give them money for their old games over and over. You can also invest in a nice Raspberry Pi 4 and have a nice emulation console.
Yup but even tho I had a SNES and N64 I was still emulating N64 on my first PC in 1999, then playing SNES games with my friend online via ZSNES netplay in 2002.
Yeah, ZSNES is an awesome emulator. I use to emulate MAME years ago and still do. The sad part of all of this is that Nintendo will continue to do this with every new console they make, I say that's enough.👿
No. I'm pretty sure it's far more lucrative to not charge a one-time fee for each game and instead lock all the games behind a subscription.
I’m sure it’s more lucrative to do both. Sony and Microsoft offer classic games on their subscription services and allow you to buy them individually
No reason for Nintendo to not also do so
If VC was so lucrative, Nintendo would be doing it. That's just a fact. Nintendo isn't one to just leave money lying on the table.
Don’t even get me started on the many bone headed decisions Nintendo has done over the decades
I see no reason Nintendo can’t just offer both
VC is better imo. I got games like Super Metroid for like 30 cents. If NSO allowed you to play online with anybody then I would give it the edge.