Nintendo Aiming to Improve Switch Online Service to Make it “Worth Paying For”

Nintendo Switch Online didn't wow people when it was announced earlier this year. Could more features be added to the service?

[DarkVoyager]

No themes
No wishlist
No proper voice chat
No interaction between friends
eShop needs a redesign

Fix these issues while you’re at it!

And now you’re wanting to fill the eShop with 30 indie games per week? Forget about quality let’s just fill it with shovelware.

[wonderfulmonkeyman]

Actually, the system does apparently support regular voice chat.
People are using it in Fortnite.
So I guess that one is just Nintendo being Nintendo, when it comes to stuff like Splatoon and other online Nintendo games.
Hopefully chat will be a thing in Smash Ultimate without the app.

Also, the Eshop does have a Wishlist feature, and the system does have a themes feature, though there's no new themes added to that yet besides basic black and white.

And as for interaction between friends, an in-system messaging system would be just dandy. I expect that to be a thing with the new online. I also expect a redesign for the Eshop around that time, hopefully with some ACTUAL DAMNED MUSIC to it.

As to the indie games, how do you know most of them are not going to be worth it?
Look at them before assuming all will be shovelware.
More games to look through isn't a horrible thing.

[3-4-5]

Yea E-shop and online service has a lot of planned updates, but it will be more impactful to release those 1 week leading up to the price charge, so people can see what they are paying for.

At the end of the day, it's $20 a year....that is $1.67 a month......Don't be that person and complain about $1.67 a month.

Like really? $1.67 a month is breaking the bank for you? Even the poorest of poor people could scrounge up $1.67 a month.

So please stop with all the " It's not worth the money"...

It's worth way more than $1.67 a month and you know it.

Changes are coming, Nintendo isn't dumb enough to release it as is.....It just makes no sense to update those changes until it's about to release....so September we will see the changes we want.

[Taz X14]

@ 3-4-5
I don't care about the price, but paying for something that I don't use often for nothing more than access to online games is not something I'm willing to do. At the moment, the only online games I have are splatoon and mario kart, the former being the only one I play online at all really, and I don't see myself coughing up an additional $20 just to play that game online.

Services like PSN+ and LIVE still hold online multiplayer hostage behind a paywall and I'm not condoning it, but at the same time I do play quite a few multiplayer games on those consoles as well as receive games that I'll actually play from them (as well as constant discounts which Nintendo are notorious for). While it'd be nice to have some older games to throw on every now and then, until I see serious support from Nintendo and them going in the right direction, I'm not supporting their online regardless of cost.

Finally, the idea that they'll update everything right before releasing paid subscriptions is a terrible way to look at it. Services like this require constant attention and updates from said company, and until now Nintendo hasn't shown they're willing to do this. You may say, but with the cash they will, but from the effort they've shown thus far why should anyone fork over cash for unjustified promises?

Sony put their best foot forward way back on PS3 with the introduction of psn+ and has at the very least attempted to keep a level of satisfaction with it until now. LIVE was the first service which started to wane as 360 got a bit older and people began complaining about the comparisons to PSN+ (Which prompted them to improve). Nintendo's idea seems to be we can milk our fans by providing a discounted bargain bin version of the others, charge for what we've already been providing, and give just the bare minimum to keep the true blues satisfied.

In the age of customer satisfaction and company reputation, Nintendo seems to be taking all the wrongs steps with this service...

[DarXyde]

Give it time, maybe? They're acknowledging the service is imperfect and are at least saying that they want it to be better.

And before you say "Nintendo had 2 generations to figure it out", it's fairly obvious that they march to their own beat, but they also had different leadership at the time.

Take it as an indication that they're in good hands and making progress.

[princejb134]

some indies are good. Im in love with hollow knight at the moment

[TGG_overlord]

You nailed it.

[FallenAngel1984]

I’d like to see them make the effort

[Jackhass]

I'm sure they'll add new features if nobody signs up, but hopefully we don't have to wait.

[Eonjay]

They did. They made a crossplay video with Microsoft. Gamers never asked for playability, stability, functionality or ease of use. They asked for crossplay in Minecraft and Fortnite.

[ZaWarudo]

Party chat and friend messenging would be nice.

[jairusmonillas]

This is just PR talks. I doubt they would even bother improving it. This is Nintendo afterall. Once they got your money they don't care about consumers.

[XxSPIDEYxX]

I just want Smash bros Ultimate to run well online. That alone would warrant a subscription.

[NotoriousWhiz]

Hopefully it does, but if it doesn't, I've still got Brawlout and Indie pogo (maybe) to play online.

[Majinzo]

Hopefully

[HylianMigz]

not gonna lie i just want some sweet themes

[Prince_TFK]

Its about time really.

[paintedgamer1984]

Its ridiculous nintendo cant offer simple staples in gaming others have since 2006. Its shameful nintendo charge anything for this. People wonder why gamers scrutinize nintendo so much.

Nintendo:

Just being good enough to overcharge its consumers

[chris235]

making it worth paying for? huh? so they are ditching their excuse for an online service and will be coming back with something that meets the industry standard? wow.

[ClanPsi1]

I don't care unless they intend to make it optional while offering online play for free like it should be.

[Lon3wolf]

No console offers free online play?

[Kokyu]

Um I play warframe for free on my Ps4.

[Lon3wolf]

@Kokyu

Can you play all games online for free, yes there are 1 or 2 exceptions like warframe, but the majority need Gold or Plus as you well know.

[abovetheclouds]

Warframe, Fortnite, etc. free on PS4

[Lon3wolf]

@abovethecluds

I can find 9 - 10 games (mot have some form of RMS to buy stuff from) that you do not need to pay the sub for, the rest you need to pay the sub for, so no the online is not free across the board, but yes there a few exceptions.

[ClanPsi1]

Exactly. It's bullsh*t and why I'll continue to play on PC until console manufacturers stop being such greedy c*nts.

[Lon3wolf]

I mainly game on PC myself, my consoles are for exclusives only really, maybe if console friends get an MP game on console then I'll play there occasionally.

[Segata]

I want themes and not a BS limit on backing up saves like 1GB or something stupid like that. In fact,give as much as the default system memory in 25GB (real-world space avail)

[Ivar_Ragnarsson]

Free games pl0x

[Kosic]

I would prefer Nintendo not to milk it's fans with the retro mini consoles and give us a virtual console. I know they've hinted at something with the Switch's online subscription, but I don't believe it'll have a large library.

I doubt I'd play my Switch online (mainly bought it for the JRPGs), but if the free games a month are actually worth it down the line, then £20 a year is nothing.

[Kokyu]

Probably should have started that way to begin with.

[DialgaMarine]

Achievement system?