Nintendo Is Using A Phone App For The Switch's Voice Chat

Megalith

Megalith

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You need to have your phone by your side, running an app, to get basic functionality such as voice chat? Am I reading this right? And remember, this is a paid service…

…most perplexing…has been Nintendo’s focus on a new mobile app. The confusion has been about whether the grouping/voice chat app is just an added component of the service, or whether the app effectively is the service. After a bit more discussion, it seems that the latter is the case. …the idea that you would have to voice chat through Nintendo’s app alone on your phone seems nothing short of ridiculous. Obviously, there are a million other ways you could chat to friends on your phone, like Skype or Discord, which do not cost a monthly subscription fee. Or hell, you could literally just call your friends the old fashioned way if you really wanted to.
 
Nintendo just doesn't get Group and Party chat/play. They do the least amount of work with the mindset of "Well if it's that important you will find a way" instead of making it SIMPLE like XBL/PSN do.
 
I don't even know how they're still in business. They haven't figured out this whole online thing and continue to play catch-up with their competitors. Like literally their IP is the only thing keeping them alive and I'm not sure how long that'll last.
 
Skillz said:
I don't even know how they're still in business. They haven't figured out this whole online thing and continue to play catch-up with their competitors. Like literally their IP is the only thing keeping them alive and I'm not sure how long that'll last.
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Shouldn't have lasted this long - the IP itself is unimpressive at best.
 
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Well that's one way of offloading tasks from your console hardware. They are banking heavily on the mobile phone generation and this is Nintendo's tactic to get the kids to put their phone down. As I mentioned in yesterday's thread, it is always about the games and nothing else will save Nintendo. They are so concerned with reinventing the wheel; they forgot what made them great which resulted in spoiling their IP and true innovation. Edit: missed a preposition
 
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Skillz said:
I don't even know how they're still in business. They haven't figured out this whole online thing and continue to play catch-up with their competitors. Like literally their IP is the only thing keeping them alive and I'm not sure how long that'll last.
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Pokemon
 
the more we learn the more I believe this is all a joke. They have to have built something different and will surprise us at launch. They can't really have built what is being presented.
 
I was mildly interested until the press conference. A crap launch lineup, only token interest from third parties, and outright bizarre decisions like this just don't bode well. I love their IPs... but I'm left hoping the Switch flops and they just start bringing titles to every platform.
 
Well Nintendo has the handheld market on lockdown, the Wii was extremely successful, and their IP library is arguably some of the most popular and consistently strong. Anyone questioning why they are still in business is being willfully ignorant.

They are too set in trying to stand apart from everyone else though. They should just integrate a known voice client like Discord or Teamspeak, because anyone arguing quality for Xbox or Playstation voice chatting is wrong.
 
It's what's known as a "Nintendo Like Solution". Seriously expecting Nintendo to get anything internet related right is a pipe dream, they've fucked it up every time for the past decade plus, no reasons to expect them to start getting it right now.
 
Kor said:
It's what's known as a "Nintendo Like Solution". Seriously expecting Nintendo to get anything internet related right is a pipe dream, they've fucked it up every time for the past decade plus, no reasons to expect them to start getting it right now.
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When the Switch was first announced, there were plenty of people stating exactly what you are saying right now. But the general attitude was how great it was going to be.
 
Nintendo will continue to fuck up everythig related to online play until they are out of business as a hardware maker. In this case, it looks like Nintendo missed the boat and doesn't realize all the "companion app" bullshit from a few years ago died and few people liked it.

Nintendo is also fucking up their paid service. The NES/N64 games people will get for free each month are only playable that month. I think they could take any unpaid intern from another country and the intern would design a better online system than Nintendo can come up with.
 
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Bigdady92 said:
Nintendo just doesn't get Group and Party chat/play.
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They are perpetually stuck in the mindset of "local multiplayer", something that just doesn't happen nearly as often outside of Japan...or conventions.
 
I so wanted to buy the switch, but it costs as much as a gtx 1070 in Norway and, IMO, it's way overpriced considering the fact that the console seems to be built from stuff they found in somebody's parts bin (720p screen in 2017 and a last gen tegra?) and the games are expensive. Both ps4 and xbone are cheaper and a ps4 pro costs the same.
The wii had crappy hardware too, but it was cheap and had something new to show. The switch is a portable console with a hdmi out. And is more expensive than the competition. Just weird...
 
The switch is basically "Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - The Console"
Unfortunately this means I'll be buying it.... that is an expensive $360 game!
 
cbutters said:
The switch is basically "Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild - The Console"
Unfortunately this means I'll be buying it.... that is an expensive $360 game!
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or you could buy a Wii U off the clearance rack
 
I am at the point of saying Nintendo could do so much better if they just ditched the hardware already and went with software only. they could make a killing putting out their IPs on every platform. the only reason they still do hardware is because that way people that want to play their games are forced into it by the virtue of needing their hardware.

though I guess for me...Nintendo as been ass in the first party stuff after Mario 64.
 
Ocellaris said:
Nintendo is also fucking up their paid service. The NES/N64 games people will get for free each month are only playable that month. I think they could take any unpaid intern from another country and the intern would design a better online system than Nintendo can come up with.
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Wait seriously?!?!? It's not free FOREVER* like every other damn online gaming provider? What kind of bullshit is that? Who wants to pay for a service to once a month get a game you MAYBE want to play and other months wonder "What the hell game is this?"

*as long as you are a subscriber
 
It still blows my mind that people somehow think Wii sales numbers being high equates to success. The attachment rate with the Wii was terrible. A huge portion of Wii owners bought the console (which has minimal profits) and only one or two games max over their entire ownership.
 
I prefer my kids not use any voice chat in gaming (transmitting or receiving), so I'm ok with it not being built-in.

When they are teenagers maybe, but for now, I will pretend they are nice stand up citizens.
 
Exavior said:
or you could buy a Wii U off the clearance rack
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You could and be stuck at home then playing the game. I want to be able to play it when I am not at home. This is the only reason I pre ordered the switch, so I can play my games on the go.
 
MavericK said:
There's a Wii U emulator? How does that work with motion and touch controls?
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They're still working on it, but the emulator has made a lot of interesting progress. It's still not quite there yet, but some games work decently well. It will be a long, long, time before it's something that can be recommend without some serious qualifiers, but it certainly shows promise.
 
Bigdady92 said:
Wait seriously?!?!? It's not free FOREVER* like every other damn online gaming provider? What kind of bullshit is that? Who wants to pay for a service to once a month get a game you MAYBE want to play and other months wonder "What the hell game is this?"

*as long as you are a subscriber
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Yup, he is serious. Well, almost, it is actually an NES or SNES game and not a n64 game but yes you get a game to try for free for one month. The way they word is on the site is "Subscribers will get to download and play a Nintendo Entertainment System™ (NES) or Super Nintendo Entertainment System™ (Super NES) game (with newly-added online play) for free for a month.” So I think you get to select your free game for the month. Could you keep selecting the same game over and over again or does it have to be a new one every month? Do you get to select your game for sure? Cant' say for sure as that is all we got is that one sentence on their site.

westrock2000 said:
I prefer my kids not use any voice chat in gaming (transmitting or receiving), so I'm ok with it not being built-in.

When they are teenagers maybe, but for now, I will pretend they are nice stand up citizens.
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There is one issue with that, no in system friend manager. So they cant play games online with their friends without the app to send out and accept game invites. So if you don't give them the app they can only play with random strangers and not their friends.

Prod1702 said:
You could and be stuck at home then playing the game. I want to be able to play it when I am not at home. This is the only reason I pre ordered the switch, so I can play my games on the go.
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That was not a requirement you put into your first post, just being able to buy the game.
 
Gamestop WAS offering around $195 for Wii U Trade ins. Think it was ONLY for that one day though and you
had to put the money towards a Switch.

I traded in ALL my games and controllers since they're not backwards compatible.
And i had enough for the Switch and Splatoon 2. I will get Zelda on discount someday.

I'm happy to rid myself of that Wii tUrd. Only game i liked was Splatoon.
 
Nintendo just doesn't understand how the internet works. Between their game consoles and YouTube I'm starting to believe the people actually in charge of Nintendo are still falling or Nigerian Prince scams.
 


My question about regarding Nintendo pulling a SEGA'ish fate is at 8:12. Might not be entirely related to the subject, but some food for thought. NES punk mentioned third party support will keep the Switch (NX @ date of video) alive. I do agree however, Nintendo's too proud of being unique which is missing implementation of proper online play like XBox live. "Oh, this still works so we'll still go with what we're used to."
 
Dekoth-E- said:
Nintendo just doesn't understand how the internet works. Between their game consoles and YouTube I'm starting to believe the people actually in charge of Nintendo are still falling or Nigerian Prince scams.
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Honestly I think it's just pride. You know that japanese cultural thing, Nintendo is a trend setter, not a follower. I think they understand what online connectivity means, but thats what everyone else does. Nintendo goes out of their way to be as different as possible in everything they do, and jumping into the online multiplayer arena is just not part of that for them. Keep in mind Nintendo is the only hardware manufacturer that acts as a 1st party developer too. They build their own systems and develop their own games all under the same roof. Since Nintendo doesnt really design online games their hardware team sees no need to support it. They know their AAA titles like Zelda and Mario dont need any sort of online component and they design their systems around that. Them including online functionality at all is more or less throwing you a bone, a sigh of contempt as if to say "FINE, here's your stupid online thing that you'll never really use". They probably also have poor telemetry results, basically they designed a lousy online system that nobody uses and then use those results to frame the service as lacking demand.
 
Honestly, after the Wii I just have not been interested in anything Nintendo. I know they cater to kind of a more casual/younger audience. Maybe I've just grown up. But their business decisions still puzzle me. Besides, if I wanted to pay $300, I want something that gives me the most bang for my buck. My PS4 allows me to rent movies, stream from my PC, play games, watch Netflix/other content, etc etc. I think 3rd party support will eventually die, as was the promise with the Wii U but developers eventually abandoned. The Switch seems no different. I'm also sick of Mario/Zelda/<insert Nintendo franchise here>. But that's just me.
 
How hard could it possibly be to implement voice chat in 2017?

Overpriced Console (especially in Canada - $400 - fuck right off)
Launch lineup consists of Wii U ports and a game that was built for Wii U but never released... and Skyrim....
Voice chat requires a smartphone
Paid online service, with free games that expire at the end of the month

I can't believe I was actually going to buy one of these.
 
Alright, I was reading this thread on the can and I just had to switch to my compie to type out my thoughts properly. I'm going to say my bit on a bunch of points that have been said here, and most of them are common rhetoric aimed at Nintendo. Sorry, but this is going to be a long post.

First, let's outline the talking points:
  1. Not simple like XBL/PSN
  2. Nintendo doesn't get a lot of things
  3. Don't know how they're still in business
  4. Switch, over-priced under-powered
  5. "Crap" launch titles lineup
  6. Perpetual "local multiplayer" mindset

Second, now let me share my thoughts on these points


1. "Not simple like XBL/PSN"

Nintendo online play, when implemented, has actually been the simplest implementations (mostly) that I've seen. There are exceptions however, such as some of the Wii U titles requiring your Wii U to be in a DMZ, or you need to setup some seriously advanced routing to get around that. However, putting the routing aside, the actual user experience (UX) when playing the games online, is very easy and convenient. The only profile I had to make was when I first setup my Wii U, I don't have to set it up later on. I jump into the game I want to play, and normally the matchmaking is rather fast. I select the mode I want to play, and it matches me with someone generally appropriate and I play. If we were to consider that traditionally it's been for free, I would argue that simplifies the online experience compared to XBL/PSN. Furthermore, I don't have to worry about some angry player throwing slag messages at me post-game because I don't have a way of stalking other players (last I checked) in online play on Nintendo games.

My experience thus far is that Nintendo online gaming hasn't actually been complex, so the argument that it's not "simple like XBL/PSN" is a moot one.


2. Nintendo doesn't get a lot of things

I'm a gamer. I play games. I have limited loyalty and affinity to any platforms. I've played more games than most of you, and I would put that on the line. One thing I've seen that Nintendo "gets" is what's fun. Not only that, they get quality control. The recent generations of their systems haven't been as massive as say the SNES or Gamecube days in terms of popularity, but I don't come home with flop titles that are just shitty games (ET anyone?). If I don't like a game on a Nintendo system, it's probably my preference, not necessarily the quality of the game. There are games on the systems that are intended for audiences that aren't me (Nintendogs, Animal Crossing, and lots of others). That doesn't inherently mean they are bad games, or that Nintendo "doesn't get it". If you actually talk to those who like these games, ask them if they had fun, you'll probably hear a yes.

Nintendo's priorities have been around what they think people will find fun, and how they can enable developers to have fun. I'm going to bring you folks back in time a bit, to 2012. Penny Arcade did a strip about the Wii U ( https://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2012/09/10 ). This strip says to me that the Wii U has a tonne of awesome potential. Sure, it wasn't as leveraged as it could be, but there have been some games that did. Hyrule warriors for example, I can play that co-op. One player's view is on the TV, and one is on the tablet, we get each a "full screen" experience instead of split-screen. Show me that on XBO/PS4. Nintendo gets innovation, and they're trying new things all the time. Just because it isn't what other people are doing, doesn't necessarily mean they "don't get a lot of things".


3. Don't know how they're still in business

It's no secret that Nintendo has declined in revenue over the years, but by no means are they not making money.
These go back to 2008 at the earliest. Keep in mind that the Wii was released in 2006, and the Wii U was released in 2012. So about half-way through the Wii life-cycle they were making mad stacks of money. It's also visible that they have made a tonne of money from their mobile hardware and games too. Nintendo makes revenue from many different streams, not just hardware sales, but also licensing of their platforms, and software title sales too. Nintendo is a powerhouse of making money, and while they have had a bunch of down years, they have proven repeatedly through history they can make plenty of money. So they're probably still in business because they take wise strategies to guard their earnings. How much do they hold onto? I'm not sure if I can find that info.


4. Switch, over-priced under-powered

For the sake of this, we're going to align with USD. The Nintendo Switch MSRP is $300 USD. Now let's look at the XBO and PS4
  1. Xbox One release price, June 9 2014 : $500 USD
  2. Playstation 4 release price, November 15 2013 : $400 USD
Now let's take into consideration that NEITHER the Xbox One nor Playstation 4 consoles are portable, and NONE of them can be converted to portable either. The Nintendo Switch is a system designed to combine the portable audience and the "console" audience that Nintendo has bread into one product. This is a very strategically wise decision. The battery life being 3-6+ hours is alright, but consider that neither the XBO nor the PS4 can operate by battery inherently, one could argue this is a competitive advantage to the Nintendo Switch.

Furthermore, we're just speculating on what is, mostly, a paper launch. They are demoing units to the public, and yes we will see what it's like in real-work scenarios, but just like any other paper launch (AMD?????????) we all know that the proof's in the pudding. Also consider that the "last generation" of hardware, the Wii U, was "underpowered" relative to the XBO and PS4, yet it is mostly the same silicon. Despite this, the games that have been released on the Wii U look fabulous. Smash bros, Mario Kart, and so many others look so good I don't even give a shit that it's "underpowered". One thing I've been personally getting on my Wii U is 60FPS, and I hear that's hard to achieve on the XBO and PS4. Frankly, I'd rather take 60FPS and a little less fidelity, than 15FPS and bloom in my eyeballs.


5. "Crap" launch titles lineup

This is 100% subjective. If you don't like the titles, I'm sure there's plenty of other games on any other platform you won't like. There are games that are announced for the Nintendo Switch that are distinct from a lot of games you find on other platforms. Does that mean they're crap? Not necessarily. The new Zelda game looks absolutely fucking awesome. I'm a bit torn about the Mario Kart 8 Deluxe option, but I'll see what I think about it in-person. Also, I haven't been horribly interested in Splatoon, yet Splatoon 2 actually looks like a quality sequel I might actually enjoy. Do you really REALLY need yet-another-call-of-duty on the Switch for you to enjoy it? How many old Nintendo games that you liked were anything like titles on other platforms? There are games released on Nintendo platforms that are similar to other platforms, but most aren't. Why are you surprised by this all of a sudden?

Sure, I want more titles for the console. But consider that past Xbox and Playstation launch options were rather poor too! This is common to new console launch windows. In fact, the Wii U had more launch titles than XBO and PS4:
  1. Xbox One launch titles : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_video_game_console_launch_games#Xbox_One
  2. Playstation 4 launch titles : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_video_game_console_launch_games#PlayStation_4
  3. Wii U launch titles : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_video_game_console_launch_games#Wii_U
Take a look at the lists, and compare how similar the XBO and PS4 list is, they're almost identical. Is that really diversity? Sure doesn't seem like it to me.

The Nintendo Switch isn't even out yet, and it seems likely to me that more games are to be announced for it in the coming months. Let's just see how it really pans out.


6. Perpetual "local multiplayer" mindset

Did you know that Nintendo had online multiplayer before either Xbox or Playstation? It's true.
So what? Well, I would argue that Nintendo has had online multiplayer in their "mindset" for a longer period than either Xbox or Playstation. While Xbox and Playstation have developed their online services to be more involved with more of their ecosystem, Nintendo hasn't had an exclusive "local multiplayer" mindset. They've had online titles on every single platform since GameCube. This includes portables such as the DS and newer. Typically when they implement online play for a game/platform, they try to take into account what is fun and convenient, and try to avoid frivolous features. I would argue there are plenty of frivolous/garbage features in the online services found on Xbox and Playstation. Especially considering that there have been lots of game servers _shut down_ on Xbox and Playstation, so what are you really paying for there?



Alright, well these are my thoughts thus far in response to the discourse in this thread. I do not work for Nintendo, I am not paid by Nintendo in any shape or form, I am not compensated or rewarded by Nintendo, I am a gamer of my own accord. I love Nintendo, and I wanted to share my thoughts. There's a lot of people, not just in this thread, that are chicken littles, saying the sky is falling just because the next Battlefield isn't on the fucking Nintendo Switch. Get over yourself already. If you don't like it, don't buy it. That doesn't mean it's going to be shit. We won't know till it's in hand. One thing however that has historically been proven time and time again is that Nintendo hardware and games hold better value over time than either Xbox or Playstation, just go look on Kijiji and Ebay.

Nintendo intentionally does things differently from their competition, because that's how you differentiate yourself. Copycatting their competition is not strategically wise. Don't forget that both Xbox and Playstation copycatted the Wii's motion controls very shortly after the Wii came out. How's that for some truth in your morning java?
 
I think a lot of us are just disappointed because Nintendo went from a gaming machine with endless 3rd party gems in the NES/SNES era to a Mario machine and we are getting sick of it. (Good thing I got a Wii U to wait for Metroid /sarcasm) Mind you, the effective death of companies like Konami and wtf moments of companies like Square / Enix don't help at all either.
 
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