Opinion about paid Online for the Nintendo Switch

Dehnus

Dehnus

Well-Known Member
Sep 13, 2013
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Norway
After a long hiatus from UVGF (mostly due to work and volunteering), I remembered having mentioned 2 years ago that the only way I'd accept a paid online from Nintendo was that I could download any NES game at any given time.

Most of you found it a stupid idea and not worth the money. Now in retrospect with Nintendo being greedy, it becomes 1 NES/SNES game for 30 days that they choose. With an App on a google or apple device that will scroogle your user-data so Nintendo can sell it to third parties on top of it :(.

Don't get me wrong, I don't want to pay for on-line either, but I would have loved it if Nintendo at least gave me a value proposition, like stated 2 years ago. Now I feel they caved to both the brogamers that want shooters and their ubergreedy shareholders for this unholy satan's child of an online plan.

What is your opinion about with the Switch being paid on-line now being inescapable? Will you also "Switch"from Nintendo to a Steambox? Or is it worth it to put multiplayer behind a paywall, locking out most children from Mario Kart as their parents will never agree to a paid online service (At least not her in Norway).
 
I don't think I'm willing to pay for online with Nintendo especially with the fact that I have to use my own smartphone and associated app for online chat.
 
I don't have issue with charging a fee to use a service, as those do require resources to upkeep. I also find it ironic when people call a company greedy then expect a free service that has maintaince requirements.

That said, it needs to be justifiable. You have to value and need, and I am not seeing it with Nintendo here. If it's really cheap, it might be ok, but it can't be anywhere near MS and Sony.
 
Frozpot said:
I don't have issue with charging a fee to use a service, as those do require resources to upkeep. I also find it ironic when people call a company greedy then expect a free service that has maintaince requirements.

That said, it needs to be justifiable. You have to value and need, and I am not seeing it with Nintendo here. If it's really cheap, it might be ok, but it can't be anywhere near MS and Sony.
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My guesses, $7.99 month to month and $50 for a year.
 
BDaddyK said:
What brogamer shooters are on the way for the Switch?
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Touché, but you have to admit, that using an app and paid online (like many people that don't know better think is "quality online", even though it is just peer 2 peer connections) is like a match made in hell between the bro people that believe this and greedy stockholders that wanted paid online + scroogling and selling user data?
 
Frozpot said:
I don't have issue with charging a fee to use a service, as those do require resources to upkeep. I also find it ironic when people call a company greedy then expect a free service that has maintaince requirements.

That said, it needs to be justifiable. You have to value and need, and I am not seeing it with Nintendo here. If it's really cheap, it might be ok, but it can't be anywhere near MS and Sony.
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Companies can be greedy, just like people can be greedy. For instance if you take a gamble and you become greedy you can shoot yourself in the foot. For me the Switch was a fantastic console, until learning about paid online and having to use an app to access it on a phone I simply refuse to buy (I don't like smartphones that much, for privacy reasons). Thus the Greedy company shot themselves in the foot and won't be selling one to me,something that otherwise would have been a sure sale. And I buy almost EVERY Nintendo game that gets released, plus the platinum games and coop games that are fun like Rayman :).

I"m just afraid that paid online will lead to less couch multiplayer, and more online multiplayer, and one of the reasons I like Nintendo is their strong couch Multiplayer library.
 
Plainview said:
It's a disaster any way you look at it.

Welcome back, Dehnus.
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Thank you, I should finish that article on non rasterized graphics. But I just couldn't get it finished back then with the time I had. My volunteering just took too much time lol :p. Was fun though :).

OT: Yeah, it was also when my "OMG that thing is awesome!!!" wend to near "0" the moment I heard it. I mean it is basically paying for getting timed demos of old games :(.
 
Dehnus said:
Companies can be greedy, just like people can be greedy. For instance if you take a gamble and you become greedy you can shoot yourself in the foot. For me the Switch was a fantastic console, until learning about paid online and having to use an app to access it on a phone I simply refuse to buy (I don't like smartphones that much, for privacy reasons). Thus the Greedy company shot themselves in the foot and won't be selling one to me,something that otherwise would have been a sure sale. And I buy almost EVERY Nintendo game that gets released, plus the platinum games and coop games that are fun like Rayman :).

I"m just afraid that paid online will lead to less couch multiplayer, and more online multiplayer, and one of the reasons I like Nintendo is their strong couch Multiplayer library.
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Sure. I don't dispute that, but I think it is very often over-applied without any self-awareness by many consumers. As if by paying a one-time price, they should be provided with unlimited access to servers and services that cost money TO provide indefinitely.

Nintendo can charge a fee if they incur a cost in maintaining it without the greedy label. Nothing wrong with a little profit either. My contention is in the justification. That's where the greed comes in. Are they offering a fair price for what's offered- and I don't see that yet.

As I said, if it's cheap (ie 1 or 2 bucks a month) then it's fine. If they want to charge what MS and Sony do, then they have to provide an equivalent platform with relevant content and access.
 
DOA

- Ninty systems have historically free online
- Going by the online process, it looks like a hassle as you do it from a smartphone app
- Likely little focus on side apps like Netflix and such (as per the articles)
- The free game of the month is a NES or SNES game where they take it back after the month is over
- Switch will not be a dude bro shooter system or EA Sports/NBA 2k haven, it'll focus on Splatoon 2, MK, Smash Bros, and whatever other first party games come out such as 1-2 Switch and Arms, and family fun party games such as Just Dance online

So add it all up, and whatever online fee is charged, it's going to focus on fulfilling first party MP gaming. If that is your main focus and don't care about a fee in the first place, lacking third party content and you have to do online gaming lobbies through a cellphone beside you, then it'll be worth it.
 
Frozpot said:
As I said, if it's cheap (ie 1 or 2 bucks a month) then it's fine. If they want to charge what MS and Sony do, then they have to provide an equivalent platform with relevant content and access.
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Who knows what the fee will be. But I don't think Ninty will go through the hassle of an online sub if they charge around $10-20/yr.

I'll estimate $40. What that will do is give Reggie a PR bit to say Switch has the lowest online fee, so it's great for gamers.... even though the online package pales in comparison to MS/Sony.

They want a cut of online revenue (which MS/Sony boast about big revenue streams), but they know Switch won't have the quality or content as XBL or PSN. So I don't think they will be thick enough to try charging $60 for it.

Then again, they are selling Pro controllers for $70 US and a fully featured joy con + charging grip for $110.

So maybe Ninty is going full out Apple pricing and will charge $60 or more for online?!?!?
 
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VaLLiancE said:
Looks at participating posters in thread
leaves
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Dehnus
BDaddyK
yankeessuck
wshowers (mod)
PV (owner)
Spiritech
Living Tribunal (mod)
Frozpot
Intellivision
Valliance (you)

So what's the problem with these posters?
 
Intellivision said:
Who knows what the fee will be. But I don't think Ninty will go through the hassle of an online sub if they charge around $10-20/yr.

I'll estimate $40. What that will do is give Reggie a PR bit to say Switch has the lowest online fee, so it's great for gamers.... even though the online package pales in comparison to MS/Sony.

They want a cut of online revenue (which MS/Sony boast about big revenue streams), but they know Switch won't have the quality or content as XBL or PSN. So I don't think they will be thick enough to try charging $60 for it.

Then again, they are selling Pro controllers for $70 US and a fully featured joy con + charging grip for $110.

So maybe Ninty is going full out Apple pricing and will charge $60 or more for online?!?!?
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I'll say, PSNow is by far a better value for your buck than this "1 month NES game". I mean had they made it "We'll open up the entire NES collection and a 50% discount to SNES games for subscription members!", it would have been a sure sale.

No it's 50 bucks a year for something I only play like once or twice on line a month. Simply not worth it, and I won't support the console for that decision. It simply is greedy, Nintendo is giving in to extremely Greedy stockholders that smell those mobile whales (it is why it is a smartphone app as well) and certain people that think"Oh it's paid so it has to be good.". For goodness sake even EA has a better value proposition for you on the Xbox :D. EA! Of all companies...
 
The Wolf King said:
Have they announced pricing?
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Not yet, but I doubt it'll be 1 buck a month. They probably were pushed by stockholders to put it at the same price as XBL and PSOnline. The thing is Nintendo's market is also very different. It is fans like me and parents who want a reliable product for their children to game on. None of the latter will be okay with paying per month to play online. Not here in Norway at least.

I genuinely believe this is the point where Nintendo shot themselves in the foot. Even the 300 Dollar price tag is not that big an issue (even though Both MS and Sony have better products out there for a better price, Nintendo would be able to say their console is mobile as well, and have their Nintendo products on it :) ). But 300 + <x> amount of bucks per month? + expensive joycons? + very expensive pro controller?

Yeah... it will get parents to skip right past Nintendo and go "Hellooooooo Sony!" in the store.
 
We are watching a sinking ship grab every bit of cash they can from their devoted fanboys before they capsize. Overpriced machine, peripherals, games, and paid online service. Don't think for a second they didn't get to a point with this machine (before Pro/Scorpio announcements) where there was no turning back despite focus groups telling them "WTF?!?!". The only choice at that point was to milk their core customer for their last hurrah in the console market.

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$25-30 a year is about max I could go. Aside from Splatoon 2 I can't think of another game I'd play online unless they decide to have online coop with Super Mario or a DKC game. Maybe Smash Bros if it wasn't so damn laggy.
 
I'm not even sure online gaming is important to me in regards to Nintendo. A service similar to Xbl and PSN could be good though.

I'm sure Nintendo will figure it out and correct things when the backlash affects their bottom line. Just give me a robust Virtual Console experience and I'm good.

Does anyone know if external HDD's are possible with Switch's base dock?
 
http://nintendotoday.com/switch-app-matchmaking/

The smart phone app that we’re creating, that will be part of our online service, we believe is going to be a very compelling part of the overall proposition because that’s how you’ll voice chat, that’s how you’ll do your matchmaking, and create your lobby. We also think it’s a very elegant solution because if you’ve taken your switch on the go, you’ve put yourself in a hotspot, you’re looking at get a quick match of Mario Kart in, to whip out some sort of bulky, gamer headset is a bit of a challenge.

So we think we’ve got an elegant solution. That’s a very specific answer to your question.
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So matchmaking and lobbies are also done using the smart phone app too? How in the hell is this an elegant solution, having to use two different devices just to have online functionality? Not to mention "bulky headsets", there are plenty of small in ear wireless in ear speaker/mics, heck MS even had one for the 360. Why isn't this all just done internally on the Switch?!
 
As it is, I don't like their approach to online. But whenever I get a Nintendo console, I tend to shy away from online multiplayer any way, so for people like me it may be a moot point.
 
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