After eagerly waiting for Nintendo to drop more details on Switch’s future online service, the long-awaited time has come and information has finally emerged, including price, a general time frame for its implementation, and much more.
Nintendo Switch’s online service can be purchased for $20.00 per year, three months for $8.00, or one month for $4.00. The service will launch sometime in 2018, but until then playing online will continue to be free.
As Nintendo has previously stated, voice chat and online lobby features will be utilized via a smartphone app that will be released this summer. The company made the following statement regarding the app:
“Our new dedicated smart device app will connect to Nintendo Switch and let you invite friends to play online, set play appointments, and chat with friends during online matches in compatible games─all from your smart device. A free, limited version of this app will be available for download in summer 2017.”
Those who purchase a subscription to the online service will receive free online versions of classic Nintendo games, but they will include added online features; Super Mario Bros. 3, Balloon Fight, and Dr. Mario are a handful of examples of games that will be given the online treatment. However, while Nintendo previously stated that subscribers would have access to a different game each month, the company seem to have changed its tune, given a tweet in which it stated that “Nintendo Switch Online includes ongoing access to a library of classic games you can take anywhere.” The company has made the following statement regarding its updated plan:
“Nintendo Switch Online subscribers will have ongoing access to a library of classic games with added online play. Users can play as many of the games as they want, as often as they like, as long as they have an active subscription.
“Nintendo Switch Online subscribers will be able to play a wide variety of classic games, including Super Mario Bros. 3, Balloon Fight and Dr. Mario. More games will be announced at a later date. At launch the classic game library will include NES games. Super NES games continue to be under consideration, but we have nothing further to announce at this time.”
Nintendo has also said that it has “nothing to announce” regarding the future of the Virtual Console on Switch, so it’s still up in the air whether the service will be making a return.
What do you think of the pricing for the online subscriptions? How about the change of plans regarding the library of classic games? Do you want to see Virtual Console come to Switch? Let us know in the comments.
Source: Kotaku