The one thing Nintendo keeps getting wrong

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sheehanje

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#1  Edited By sheehanje
Member since 2014 • 44 Posts

I really really really want to love my Nintendo Switch. I've owned almost every Nintendo console, including the much maligned Wii U (for a short time). The switch is versatile, has a great core game lineup, is powerful for a hybrid console/handheld. It's almost perfect.

Here is the one thing that Nintendo keeps getting wrong, and it's a carry over from the Wii U (and is what ultimately caused me to sell the thing after a month of owning it).

Digital Distribution. They still don't get it. I'm relatively new to the switch - I have 2 powerful PC Gaming rigs for my boys, a Xbox 360, a Wii, and Xbox One S. I was hesitant to buy the Switch, but I figured it would be a good birthday present for my 6 year old. I bought it a couple weeks ago and he loved it. I did too. We got a few of the cartridge games (Mario Kart 8, Super Mario Odyssey). I then logged in my Nintendo account, created a kids profile for him, and purchased Zelda and Minecraft (a staple for a 6 year olds creative juices).

I fell in love with Zelda so much that I decided to get a Switch console for myself. I figured I could just log in on the switch and play Zelda while he played his cartridges - and at worse he might not be able to play minecraft while in, but certainly Nintendo probably has a digital distribution platform comparable to Microsoft's Xbox Live. Nope.

I was pretty perturbed to find out I couldn't even download the game I purchased on the second switch, let alone play it. Now, if I had just bought the cartridge version of the game, this wouldn't be a problem - but not learning my lesson from my Wii U Experience, I just assumed Nintendo couldn't be boneheaded enough to not have a solution for households with more than one console.

Look - I get that they need to protect their revenue stream (most revenue comes from game sales, not hardware sales). But tying a digital distribution account to a single piece of hardware is ludicrous. Valve figured this out. Microsoft figured this out in a big way. I'm not sure how Sony does it, I never owned a Playstation.

So, I plead with Nintendo (again) - please bring your digital services up into this decade at least. There are models out there of how it should work in a way where you don't lose a ton of revenue, yet don't chain your customers. Yes, I could just go out and buy all cartridges, which is what I'm doing for now. But I'd probably buy a bit more if I had the freedom to play my games on whatever system I want - especially when I'm travelling, which I do frequently.

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Eikichi-Onizuka

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#2 Eikichi-Onizuka
Member since 2008 • 9205 Posts

When their online service rolls out later this year(that they will be charging $20 a year for) I should hope something will be in place.

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sheehanje

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#3 sheehanje
Member since 2014 • 44 Posts

@Eikichi-Onizuka: I hope so too. The thing is, if you are going to do Digital Distribution - do it right. If I knew getting a physical copy of the game was the only way to ensure me being able to play on multiple devices then that is what I would've done. I don't mind paying twice for something multi-player like Mario Kart 8, but a 1 player game that is tied to only one device is very restrictive and makes me scratch my head wondering when Nintendo will finally get a clue how to manage their IP properly.

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KBFloYd

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#4  Edited By KBFloYd
Member since 2009 • 22714 Posts

oh, you are talking about digital game share?

just check online.... there is a way to do it on switch. it is a bit of a hassle but possible. you both will not be able to play it at the same time. but at least it is possible.

http://en-americas-support.nintendo.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/22317/p/897

http://en-americas-support.nintendo.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/22434/p/897

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Oni

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#5 Oni
Member since 2002 • 1649 Posts

@KBFloYd: Interesting!! Thanks for the heads up! :)

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Techhog89

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#6 Techhog89
Member since 2015 • 5430 Posts

@sheehanje said:

@Eikichi-Onizuka: I hope so too. The thing is, if you are going to do Digital Distribution - do it right. If I knew getting a physical copy of the game was the only way to ensure me being able to play on multiple devices then that is what I would've done. I don't mind paying twice for something multi-player like Mario Kart 8, but a 1 player game that is tied to only one device is very restrictive and makes me scratch my head wondering when Nintendo will finally get a clue how to manage their IP properly.

There are no cloud saves so even with a physical copy you would have been screwed.

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Litchie

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#7 Litchie
Member since 2003 • 34467 Posts

An account you log in to, with all your games you have bought, there for you to download as long as you can access the account. An easy thing to do, but extremely hard for Nintendo to do. Very annoying, and I hope they get it together ASAP. I've no idea what Nintendo's problem with this is..

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theone86

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#8 theone86
Member since 2003 • 22669 Posts

Nintendo is just horrific when adapting to changes in technology in general. They were criticized for not making internet connectivity built-in on the Gamecube when the Dreamcast had already introduced the concept, and they were still forcing you to buy an adapter for the Wii. They lost out on not having the ability to play media on the Gamecube, they're still losing out not having the ability to play Netflix on the switch. They were criticized for having a half-baked web browser on the Wii, they still don't have a browser for the switch. Microsoft and Sony were killing it with online play and gamertags, while Nintendo insisted on pushing their archaic friend codes system for two generations of consoles. This is one area where their institutional stubbornness does not pay off.

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jcrame10

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#9 jcrame10
Member since 2014 • 6302 Posts

@techhog89: so nintendo Switch games save to the switch and not the cartridges themselves?

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Techhog89

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#10 Techhog89
Member since 2015 • 5430 Posts

@jcrame10 said:

@techhog89: so nintendo Switch games save to the switch and not the cartridges themselves?

Correct.

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jcrame10

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#11 jcrame10
Member since 2014 • 6302 Posts

@techhog89: I didn’t know that. That’s pretty dumb. Saves to the cartridge are pretty much the only advantage cartridges have over CDs.

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npiet1

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#12 npiet1
Member since 2018 • 3576 Posts

My problem with Nintendo is that they seem to hold more value in the long run some Mario games on the Wii are more expensive then the console its self second hand. Like I would love to buy A switch with a pro controller, but I know its going to cost me at least $500 aud with a game unless I get lucky and find some junkie that needs cash and sells theirs. (How I got my Top loader NES and PS4) for cheap. Though the Switch is relatively new and has sold plenty of Units it might come down like the wii did in price soon (I hope).

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Techhog89

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#13 Techhog89
Member since 2015 • 5430 Posts

@jcrame10 said:

@techhog89: I didn’t know that. That’s pretty dumb. Saves to the cartridge are pretty much the only advantage cartridges have over CDs.

There's also the fact that they're faster and more durable, though since games are installed now on the other consoles I guess that doesn't really matter. Either way, it was done as a cost-saving measure and so that it functions more like a console. Also, isn't it the same for Vita? Or am I mistaken?

A big advantage of doing it this way though is that the save files are based on the profile, not the console. This means that the next Pokemon game will have a workaround to get multiple save files, as an example.

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jcrame10

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#14 jcrame10
Member since 2014 • 6302 Posts

@techhog89: they’re saved on the profile but you still can’t play a game across multiple switches with your profile

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VFighter

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#15  Edited By VFighter
Member since 2016 • 11031 Posts

@techhog89: It was done so you could use it as a portable, you really can't have a Blu-ray based gaming portable. It wasn't a cost saving measure as disc cost a lot less then carts.

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Techhog89

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#16 Techhog89
Member since 2015 • 5430 Posts

@jcrame10 said:

@techhog89: they’re saved on the profile but you still can’t play a game across multiple switches with your profile

Also correct. That's why we want cloud saves.