The Nintendo Switch Online App for Voice Chat is a Disaster, But I Don't Really Care

Forbes: "Splatoon 2 may not launch for the Nintendo Switch until tomorrow, but Nintendo's new online app for iOS and Android — essential for playing the game like a normal online shooter — launched yesterday. For those that don't know, the online app is used for voice chat, arranging private matches and tracking some in-game stats. If all that stuff sounds like something you usually don't need an entirely separate piece of hardware for, it's because it is. Nintendo's online app always sounded like nonsense, and now that people are finally getting their hands on it, we seem to be able to confirm — it's nonsense. The app has been met with near-universal scorn because the concept of using your phone for voice chat is cumbersome, convoluted and ineffective.

Here's the thing, though: I don't really care."

[DigitalRaptor]

I hoped for better.

Wasn't XBL service better than this when it came out nearly 20 years ago?

[Vits]

More or less, not all games had access to voice chat and the user had to purchase a separate accessory that should be plugged into the control to allow use of a headset. Also I can't vouch for the service's quality, but it was certainly a simpler process.

[lellkay]

yup.

[ocelot07]

The PS2 Network was probably a better service and that is saying something.

[EddieNX]

Thats a huge stretch. The actual online in Splatoon 2 is actually as good even better and faster than most games, im not exagerating, its a fact. The app is a bit awkward but it does still provide voice chat and the splatnet 2 features are actually really good. People are just massively over reacting like they do with everything. It takes ten seconds to join a game in Splatoon 2 and there is 0 lag.

[3-4-5]

Yes...Halo 2 & Crimson skies never had a problem on the OG Xbox.

That being said....I don't need voice chat for splatoon 2 and I'm sure in the next 1-2 years they will learn from their mistakes and get it right eventually...or more right.

Microsoft has lead online gaming since the OG Xbox and it's always been that way. That is something they get 100% right and have since day 1.

If only the rest of the company could be as efficient.

[PhoenixUp]

I wouldn't call 15 years close to 20 years, unless you want to make it sound like it's been around longer than it existed to fit an agenda

[OtakuDJK1NG-Rory]

I don't either. Haven't used Party Chat or played with friends once on PS4 and I have about 80 on my friend list.
Only game I really used Voice Chat for was Left 4 Dead 2 on X360.
Using an outside source for voice chat doesn't bother me either because I can multitask but if I were to use voice chat for Switch. I rather have Discord up on my phone or computer.

[freshslicepizza]

And this is why Nintendo will never be encouraged to change because so many simply just accept what's given to them, even when they are now going to charge for it.

[lellkay]

Absolutely this. Imagine if this same thing happened to Xbox or Playstation players. The voices would be loud and the companies would be forces to change and evolve and "get with the times" Nintendo fanbase is so universally willing to stick up for any decision even if its ridiculous. They should expect and want more.

[Protagonist]

Leave it to the cult-like nintendo fans to swallow anything nintendo pukes out.

[2pacalypsenow]

Probably the only thing i agree with moldybread on...

[TekoIie]

@cha0skinghtmare

I'm doubtful of that to some degree. I mean we all sung the praises of Sony when online was free. But when they adeed a monthly fee people just rolled over and accepted it.

Right now I would rather we get the Wii U's online service than what Nintendo is promising for 2018.

[DigitalRaptor]

Another thing for moldybread to pretend to care about. Wonderful.

[OtakuDJK1NG-Rory]

Yes like 1 person out of the 4 or 5 million Switch users who doesn't care will tell Nintendo it's fine.

Keep thinking because one person say it then Nintendo is gonna stick with it.

[TKCMuzzer]

What rubbish, you have just gone the long way around to justify something that shouldn't be justified in 2017, the Switch should have party chat included in the hardware, its as simple as that, no ifs or buts. It should have been standard. The machine costs £279 for crying out loud. I imagine you are on Nintendo's Xmas card list for accepting such limitations.

[OtakuDJK1NG-Rory]

Uh what so hard about understanding that "I" don't care. I never said I don't care and you shouldn't either.

You are free to care or not. Doesn't bother me. Whether its a traditional voice chat or not. I still wouldn't use.

[admiralvic]

"I rather have Discord up on my phone or computer."

Isn't this basically the issue. Nintendo offers a service, one they plan on paying for and when push comes to shove, but for the same amount of effort I might as well use another service. Even if it isn't a problem for you, you should be able to relate to people not wanting to use a convoluted system of devices and wires, when other services have done better for years. Even the Vita has a better voice chat system than the Switch and it's six years older.

[gamer7804]

you might not care, but many other gamers love to play games and chat with friends. This should have been a feature built in that works flawlessly.

[CrimsonWing69]

Of course you don't.

[wonderfulmonkeyman]

Let's be honest; even if public voice chat were a thing in Splatoon 2, the jerks that want to ruin things for others would turn the matches into such a foul mouthed cesspool that Nintendo would just shut down public chat anyways after all the complaints start rolling in.

The way it was done may be inexcusable and convoluted, but at least chat with friends is actually a thing this time around, unlike on wii U.

I know it's difficult to be grateful for it in its current form, but ask yourselves if it's better than not having it at all before you all completely demonize it, ok?

[Gh05t]

So they couldn't have created a chat with friends "inside" the system?

[wonderfulmonkeyman]

Again, and let me be clear about this for emphasis: "The way it was done may be inexcusable and convoluted, but at least chat with friends is actually a thing this time around."

I'm not saying I approve of HOW they've done it; I'm saying I'm glad that it is actually a thing, which, in the end, IS a step upwards from not having it at all.

I don't think that it's a bad thing to have expected better, but I also don't think that it's a bad thing that they've made at least SOME progress towards it.
Nintendo's been afraid of online interactions for a long while now, and with how toxic things get and how overly-vocal the community can be towards companies, especially passive/"friendly" ones like Nintendo, when that toxicity hits them in the face, can you really blame them for not going all-in right from the get-go?

They've been having to deal with bad PR for a gen or two now; having articles pop up about how Splatoon's public lobbies are overflowing with the worst the internet has to provide wouldn't do the game's sales any favors in their currently-recovering state.
As stupid as the way they did it was, being able to only chat through existing chat programs, that contain lists which prioritize mostly people you'll know and who won't likely be scummy people, probably feels like a good middle ground to Nintendo, for understandable reasons.

[admiralvic]

Let's be really honest here, just because one solution has a problem, doesn't mean they shouldn't try. So many people seem to say "Nintendo won't like the response" or "I don't want to mute every foul mouth person, so it should remain the same," but why can't we get it, but you have two options. Friends enabled and public enabled, with both off by default. With this, guess what, now it's YOUR fault if you want to listen to other people and amazing, everyone gets what they want.

Don't like hearing people? Don't enable.
Don't want to talk to random people? Don't enable.
Want to talk to random people? Enable.

It really is this simple and countless ways to implement it to achieve this end goal, but so few seem to be okay with it.

"but ask yourselves if it's better than not having it at all before you all completely demonize it, ok?"

Is it better if I end up using another service anyway? The app sucks, other FREE services do it better and require the same amount of resources (another/headset), so does it really make a difference? I much rather Skype my friend since I can turn off the screen or use my computer to prevent wasting my phone battery.

[wonderfulmonkeyman]

Again, and let me be clear about this for emphasis: "The way it was done may be inexcusable and convoluted, but at least chat with friends is actually a thing this time around."

I'm not saying I approve of HOW they've done it; I'm saying I'm glad that it is actually a thing, which, in the end, IS a step upwards from not having it at all.