Nintendo Online launching September, also no Virtual Console for Switch

[Master Disaster]

Nintendo finally dropped some information on the anticipated Nintendo Online service...

 

Features: Online Play

Quote

Battle it out or cooperate with players around the world in compatible games like Splatoon™ 2, ARMS™, Mario Kart™ 8 Deluxe, Mario Tennis™ Aces, and Sushi Striker™: The Way of Sushido.

Switch Online Nintendo Entertainment System

Quote

Enjoy 20 NES games with added online play for the first time ever, and more games added regularly.

 

https://www.nintendo.com/switch/online-service/nes/

Cloud Saving

Quote

Save your data online for easy access. Details about this feature will be available before the paid service launches in September.

 

Nintendo Switch Online app

Quote

Enhance your online experience for compatible games with this smartphone app.

 

https://www.nintendo.com/switch/online-service/app/

Plans & Pricing

 

FAQ

https://www.nintendo.com/switch/online-service/faq/

 

https://www.nintendo.com/switch/online-service/

 

Kotaku then asked Nintendo about Switch VC and received the following statement

Quote

“There are currently no plans to bring classic games together under the Virtual Console banner as has been done on other Nintendo systems,” a Nintendo spokesperson told Kotaku in an e-mail late last night.

 

“There are a variety of ways in which classic games from Nintendo and other publishers are made available on Nintendo Switch, such as through Nintendo Entertainment System – Nintendo Switch Online, Nintendo eShop or as packaged collections,” the Nintendo spokesperson said. “Nintendo Entertainment System – Nintendo Switch Online will provide a fun new way to experience classic NES games that will be different from the Virtual Console service, thanks to enhancements such as added online play, voice chat via the Nintendo Switch Online app and the various play modes of Nintendo Switch.”

https://kotaku.com/virtual-console-is-not-coming-to-switch-nintendo-says-1825848253

 

So good news and bad news both at the same time.

 

It had been rumoured Nintendo wouldn't be doing a VC this time around, I still think they'll release old games in the eShop though.

[AlTech]

The pricing of the individual plans are properly screwed up.

[Okjoek]

Not buying a switch.

 

Price on that subscription aint bad though for 12 months.

[Sniperfox47]

Just to be clear, they never actually said that the games from Virtual console won't come to the switch, just that there's no plans to bring them to the switch "under the virtual console banner" i.e. they won't be branded "Virtual Console".

 

It's very possible we could see something very similar to the ACA neogeo ports that already are available, it just won't be branded as "Virtual Console" because of all the people bitching about having to re-buy their virtual console games all over again on a new console.

 

Damn that's competitive pricing though. Glad to see they're keeping it accessible. Having up to 8 users per family plan is really nice for parental control reasons, but it almost seems like they're undercharged at that point...

[Coaxialgamer]

1 hour ago, Okjoek said:

Not buying a switch.

 

Price on that subscription aint bad though for 12 months.

Sure, but you have to consider xbox live and psn get you free games every so often, which isn't really the case with the switch online service 

[Okjoek]

3 minutes ago, Coaxialgamer said:

Sure, but you have to consider xbox live and psn get you free games every so often, which isn't really the case with the switch online service 

Well that's just coming from a PC gamer who plays Planetside 2 and if I wanted membership benefits it's over 100 USD for 12 months. Though atleast PS2 has a good F2P game model going for it.

[Majinhoju]

It feels like they're really half assing it with the classic games.  I was hoping there would be a full expansive virtual console library by now.  I've been holding off on buying classic titles on my wii-u in case they bring them out on the switch.

[Princess Luna]

If Nintendo released an official PC emulator so you could have a Switch inside of your PC that'd be so cool actually... imagine if Sony did that too? you can buy the physical PS4 if you want but if you have a powerful PC and just wanted to play our exclusives, get an official PS4 emulator by Sony themselves, you pay a subscription or a license fee or something.

[Master Disaster]

6 minutes ago, Princess Cadence said:

If Nintendo released an official PC emulator so you could have a Switch inside of your PC that'd be so cool actually... imagine if Sony did that too? you can buy the physical PS4 if you want but if you have a powerful PC and just wanted to play our exclusives, get an official PS4 emulator by Sony themselves, you pay a subscription or a license fee or something.

What benefit does that bring them?

[Princess Luna]

Just now, Master Disaster said:

What benefit does that bring them?

Pff this is the consumer benefits only kind of thing.

[Blackie Sheen]

2 hours ago, AluminiumTech said:

The pricing of the individual plans are properly screwed up.

Well thats often the case for membership based services. For instance, spotify premium for an individual is 10 CAD per month while the family premium is 15 CAD/month for up to 5 users. The individual thing just doesnt make any sense.

[JediFragger]

49 minutes ago, Princess Cadence said:

you can buy the physical PS4 if you want but if you have a powerful PC and just wanted to play our exclusives, get an official PS4 emulator by Sony themselves, you pay a subscription or a license fee or something.

Problem is it'd be cracked and online for download (along with the games) in about 10 minutes after release! Sony know this, hence they'd never do it.

[ScratchCat]

3 hours ago, AluminiumTech said:

The pricing of the individual plans are properly screwed up.

Longer subscription time means a greater income for them as you cannot opt out later and there are fewer "Do I really need this?" hurdles in order to obtain money from the consumer, in this case the gradient is a bit shallow but it does mean you get the 12 month membership for a reasonable price.

[Tribalinius]

Thank god for Cloud game saves. It should have been available since day 1.

[Eaglerino]

3 hours ago, Princess Cadence said:

If Nintendo released an official PC emulator so you could have a Switch inside of your PC that'd be so cool actually... imagine if Sony did that too? you can buy the physical PS4 if you want but if you have a powerful PC and just wanted to play our exclusives, get an official PS4 emulator by Sony themselves, you pay a subscription or a license fee or something.

By their reasoning, they already do that for the price of $300-$400

[combine1237]

Nintendo has done it. They have made paying to backup your save data a thing.

[HarryNyquist]

I wonder how many more times they'll get people to buy their classic games...

 

SMFH. At this point I'll just buy a damn GBA off eBay.

[PocketNerd]

That's fine, if it was anything like the VC experience on my Nintendo 3DS then I'd rather just use an emulator and my PC.

[Mutoh]

Considering homebrewers already have NES/SNES/GBA and PR-BOOM emulation running on the Switch, Nintendo might want to reconsider that stance!

[michaelocarroll007]

On 5/8/2018 at 11:27 AM, Coaxialgamer said:

Sure, but you have to consider xbox live and psn get you free games every so often, which isn't really the case with the switch online service 

Eh i have Never played more then 1 or 2 of the Free games over the last what 3+ ish years Ps and Xbox have been doing this. I really only want to play the few games i specifically choose and buy. Dont have much of an interest in a game i cant choose and is Half the time seemingly really old and sorta bad. id greatley take a half off discount to get rid of this. 

 

Im sure for some people its awesome though. 

[Misanthrope]

On 5/8/2018 at 8:35 AM, Okjoek said:

Not buying a switch.

 

Price on that subscription aint bad though for 12 months.

It's indeed not bad but $0.00 on PC will always be better.

 

Sadly that's quickly dying and just turning into FREE with lootboxes strongly and annoyingly encouraged.