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Galactor

Banned
Nov 11, 2017
619
switch-demographics-620x349.jpg


The "think of the children" argument doesn't make much sense when you look at the breakdown of Switch users.

Even one pedo abusing the system would be bad PR for them.
 

RobotVM

Member
Oct 27, 2017
1,415
My brother asked the same question yesterday. We both agreed in NY becoming in the online update.
 

Kei-

Member
Mar 1, 2018
1,041
i meant the app xd sorry. (and in all the worlds, chat notifications, keyboard and mesagges should be on screen while you are playing...)

if comunicating with those "new friends" its so important you could use your twitter as your ingame "namertag", that way you can comunicate more than enough

anyway, i think most of us who doesnt care are in a group of "we have/met people through other means and decided to play together on switch" while the people who have more complains are the ones who "want to meet new people through switch" thats the only real barrier here...

Did you really suggest using your twitter name as your online id? You really think that is a good solution?

Why is it so hard for some Nintendo fans to just say "Yea, this probably shouldn't be the case". There is absolutely no defense for it.

Do you know how many times I've made new friends because I just sent them a simple "gg, nice (insert character name)" after a match on Tekken or something? Or a "gonna head off, be back on around (whatever time)" Maybe they wouldn't have been on at the time but will now get back on to play since I sent that message. Are they supposed to follow me on twitter and wait for me to tweet that instead?

So many other very practical uses for a basic system-level feature. It's literally a regression and people are somehow defending this?
 

Lizardus

Member
Oct 25, 2017
1,276
Yeah. They are so paranoid that you need to pay 50 cents to make a minor account (on assumption that a child can bypass parental approval but wouldn't have a credit card). This can also be easily bypassed (by putting in their birthday as an 18 year old) but it shows how serious they take the whole thing.
 

MisterR

Banned
Oct 27, 2017
2,463
Honestly, backwards seems to me to communicate with friends through 12 different channels. A extra chat system for a console was necessary a decade ago, but is superfluous today.

Everyone has a smartphone. Everyone communicates through smartphone messengers today. Why would someone want to split their chats between 5 different platforms.

Nintendo should work on integrating the friend list better (or at all) in online games, other stuff, like chatting through Switch is simply redundant.
You don't have to try and excuse every decision Nintendo makes. This is backwards as hell. They can't even get the basics right and they want to start charging for it as well.
 

HardRojo

One Winged Slayer
Member
Oct 25, 2017
26,100
Peru
Honestly, backwards seems to me to communicate with friends through 12 different channels. A extra chat system for a console was necessary a decade ago, but is superfluous today.

Everyone has a smartphone. Everyone communicates through smartphone messengers today. Why would someone want to split their chats between 5 different platforms.

Nintendo should work on integrating the friend list better (or at all) in online games, other stuff, like chatting through Switch is simply redundant.
Hahahahaha! I thought you were kidding before, but wait, you're actually serious? Wow! Not everyone on my PSN list is someone whose personal info I know, nor should I need to.
 

test_account

Member
Oct 25, 2017
4,645
Could we expect better social integration between people when the payed online service launches? Or do you think that this is mainly just a deliberately decision from Nintendo to stop people from potentially getting hate messages through their network?
 

Crazy_KiD_169

Member
Jun 21, 2018
293
Nintendo will make us pay for these features, and their excuse will be "to protect the children". Since they don't have jobs to pay for the features, and would have to go through parents to get access. Lol
 

DevilMayGuy

Member
Oct 25, 2017
13,577
Texas
Dont post that outdated chart again.
Either supply an updated chart or accept that demographics have likely not changed significantly since its creation. Old data is infinitely better than random forum member asspulls in showing that "think of the children" is 100% fanboy horseshit used to justify the lack of a pitifully basic feature that has existed for longer than the imaginary children you supposedly think they're protecting with its absence. The under 16 demo for the Switch is less than a tenth of the total as of that chart's creation. Using a subset of a fraction of users as a basis to cut functionality for everyone else when a simple solution to avoiding them harm (parental controls) already exists is abject corporate ballwashing.
 

MisterR

Banned
Oct 27, 2017
2,463
Either supply an updated chart or accept that demographics have likely not changed significantly since its creation. Old data is infinitely better than random forum member asspulls in showing that "think of the children" is 100% fanboy horseshit used to justify the lack of a pitifully basic feature that has existed for longer than the imaginary children you supposedly think they're protecting with its absence. The under 16 demo for the Switch is less than a tenth of the total as of that chart's creation. Using a subset of a fraction of users as a basis to cut functionality for everyone else when a simple solution to avoiding them harm (parental controls) already exists is complete corporate ballwashing.
Yep, it's just another bullshit line to try and defend Nintendo's backwards ass ways.
 

Deleted member 11934

User requested account closure
Banned
Oct 27, 2017
1,045
Hahahahaha! I thought you were kidding before, but wait, you're actually serious? Wow! Not everyone on my PSN list is someone whose personal info I know, nor should I need to.
You know Discord is a thing right?

I wish they baked in support for that and be done with it. I don't care one single bit about yet another messaging platform I'll ignore because I'm not daily logged in 24h/24. I count the times I used messaging (other than for toxicity) on one hand - I would've always used Discord the other times if possible. Never actually used the friend list in 3DS and Wii U. Even on 360 (since 2007) and Vita at best I used it to check achievements, activity and hours played of others.

Sounds incredible but some people don't really feel the need. Messaging is good in gaming platforms for exchanging other contacts, often pseudo anonymous.
 

mikehaggar

Developer at Pixel Arc Studios
Verified
Oct 26, 2017
1,379
Harrisburg, Pa
I hope this is remedied when the online service launches. However, I really love how minimal the Switch's OS is and I'd really like for that not to change. Keep it simple with key features that work well. No bloat.
 

Cipher Peon

One Winged Slayer
Member
Oct 25, 2017
7,801
you wouldn't be forced to use it
have you ever played on a system that has voice chat in games? you can easily mute people
While I do want voice chat even though I'd never use it (for those who want it), I'd want it to be opt in instead of opt out.

What I want is for everyone to start automuted and if you want to hear someone then unmute them instead of the other way around. I think that's a fair compromise!
 

Khrol

Member
Oct 28, 2017
4,179
It's definitely weird but as others have said it's just Nintendo being Nintendo. I don't really care though. I barley use the social functions on my Xbox anyway.
 

justiceiro

Banned
Oct 30, 2017
6,664
Just a reminder that if you wish for them to change, don't pay for incoming online service. Don't support bad practices with your money people, it's not that hard.

BTW, can't you use the friend list to join in-game lobbies in online games on switch?
 

Camells

The Forgotten One
Member
Oct 25, 2017
4,056
Just wait until the next Direct when they reveal the Chatmiino ™, the latest addition to the Amiibo™ family! With this new feature you unlock the latest technology in social interaction called Nintendo Chat™! With Nintendo Chat™ you can send and receive up to 64 letters long text messages to your friends in Nintendo Switch™ (not included). In order to setup you console Chatmiino™ comes included with a telephone shaped cardboard add-on. This add-on is required to access the new features.

*screen dips to black*
*smash flaming logo appears*

That's right Chatmiino™ is coming to smash!
 

HardRojo

One Winged Slayer
Member
Oct 25, 2017
26,100
Peru
You know Discord is a thing right?

I wish they baked in support for that and be done with it. I don't care one single bit about yet another messaging platform I'll ignore because I'm not daily logged in 24h/24. I count the times I used messaging (other than for toxicity) on one hand - I would've always used Discord the other times if possible. Never actually used the friend list in 3DS and Wii U. Even on 360 (since 2007) and Vita at best I used it to check achievements, activity and hours played of others.

Sounds incredible but some people don't really feel the need. Messaging is good in gaming platforms for exchanging other contacts, often pseudo anonymous.
Good for you then, but I don't really care about these hypothetical "some people" who don't need it, and going by this thread I don't seem to be alone in this. Several times in fighting games I've played against someone and enjoyed the match a lot, so I'd immediately ask I they wanted to get a lobby going and voila! No need for discord or anything else, took less than a minute and all from the console itself. No need to share more usernames from a different service.
 

Deleted member 11934

User requested account closure
Banned
Oct 27, 2017
1,045
Good for you then, but I don't really care about these hypothetical "some people" who don't need it, and going by this thread I don't seem to be alone in this. Several times in fighting games I've played against someone and enjoyed the match a lot, so I'd immediately ask I they wanted to get a lobby going and voila! No need for discord or anything else, took less than a minute and all from the console itself. No need to share more usernames from a different service.
Yes, parties are probably the only thing that is missing for me.
 

spam musubi

Member
Oct 25, 2017
9,380
I hope this is remedied when the online service launches. However, I really love how minimal the Switch's OS is and I'd really like for that not to change. Keep it simple with key features that work well. No bloat.

Features and bloat aren't necessarily correlated. You can have basic features while still having a minimalistic UI. Bloat is a hallmark of bad UI design, not of having features.
 
Apr 21, 2018
6,969
The Switch featureset barely beats the GameCube. It's piss poor. The first Xbox and Xbox live pit Switch's OS to shame.

Let's not pretend wii and WiiU were much better. Miiverse was neat and gifting games should come back but that's it.

If the online featureset isn't upgraded in some way when they start charging for it people are going to be pissed. They are going to be asking kids with Splatoon to pay more money to simply play the 60$ game they already bought- it better bring something worth while without looking like a cash grab.
 

MrCarter

Banned
Oct 25, 2017
3,509
They are going to be asking kids with Splatoon to pay more money to simply play the 60$ game they already bought- it better bring something worth while without looking like a cash grab.

Exactly. Also much much for "protecting the children" when they rip them off with $60 games (some even that price years later) and also expect them to pay for poor attempt at online too.
 

Lynd

Member
Oct 29, 2017
2,438
It's simple. I'd like to message ppl that I see online and ask if they wanted to play something together.

You can send tweets or messages on other services, but if they are playing a game they prob won't see it right away.
 

Bunkles

Attempted to circumvent ban with alt account
Banned
Oct 26, 2017
5,663
I'm shocked how static the Switch OS is. Very little evolution since launch. Also it would really suck if they put basic things like the ability to message friends behind their online paywall.
 

Axass

The Fallen
Oct 25, 2017
1,384
Because Nintendo sometimes is so backwards it warps around the other way as if they were a damn moebius strip.

I'm shocked how static the Switch OS is. Very little evolution since launch. Also it would really suck if they put basic things like the ability to message friends behind their online paywall.

The Switch OS was so barebones at launch that people were 100% sure we'd get tons of QoL improvements and features with a massive revision at E3. At E3 2017. One year ago. We've basically had no major updates for 1 and a half years. I'm thinking they won't change a thing about it until a possible hardware revision at this point.

Fact is I can't understand why, Nintendo seems to be stretching themselves so thin right now: they were supposed to unify their handheld and home console efforts and they've been releasing plenty of ports to have more time for other endeavours, yet here we are.
 
Last edited:
Apr 21, 2018
6,969
Exactly. Also much much for "protecting the children" when they rip them off with $60 games (some even that price years later) and also expect them to pay for poor attempt at online too.

Well I never said Splatoon 2 wasn't worth full price, it definitely is. I just think it's weird that kids under the age of 12, without credit cards, without any warning unless they read gaming forums, are going to lose most of the game's features suddenly. There was no giant warning on the box.

I understood the free online when it was as crap as it is now, but if they charge for it they really need to add some modern features (cough features Xbox Live had in 2004)
 

headspawn

Member
Oct 27, 2017
14,605
You know Discord is a thing right?

I wish they baked in support for that and be done with it. I don't care one single bit about yet another messaging platform I'll ignore because I'm not daily logged in 24h/24. I count the times I used messaging (other than for toxicity) on one hand - I would've always used Discord the other times if possible. Never actually used the friend list in 3DS and Wii U. Even on 360 (since 2007) and Vita at best I used it to check achievements, activity and hours played of others.

Sounds incredible but some people don't really feel the need. Messaging is good in gaming platforms for exchanging other contacts, often pseudo anonymous.

It honestly just sounds like you don't play that often with people online and I don't fault you for that. But it should be incredibly obvious to you that people expect basic streamlined functionality.

I can turn on my Xbox, see who's online, Press X and three different gamertags and have a 4-person party chat in a matter of seconds. "Hey, jump on this game with me, need a squad." I press one more button, every person gets an invite to the game which loads up with a single button press from them; we're then all thrown into the same in-game lobby, still in voice-chat. That's basic shit in 2018.
 
Last edited:

DigSCCP

Banned
Nov 16, 2017
4,201
Honestly, backwards seems to me to communicate with friends through 12 different channels. A extra chat system for a console was necessary a decade ago, but is superfluous today.

Everyone has a smartphone. Everyone communicates through smartphone messengers today. Why would someone want to split their chats between 5 different platforms.

Nintendo should work on integrating the friend list better (or at all) in online games, other stuff, like chatting through Switch is simply redundant.

I like using only one device to my gaming chat and believe me its my gaming system.
 

Davey Cakes

Member
Oct 27, 2017
3,687
Massachusetts
The Switch is such a great system in many ways but there are plenty of baffling design choices and feature exclusions. Even some of their games are like that. For example, Splatoon 2. Fantastic game in general but heavily flawed in the online component.

Nintendo really needs to work on this. I won't frame it as "Nintendo hasn't caught up to 2018" because, well, everyone says that. The problem is more that Nintendo is continually too limiting in their services, and are seemingly not taking critical feedback in areas that they've repeatedly failed in.

I remember how I found Mario Kart Wii's online to be acceptable (in 2008) because it was such a success in terms of performance and Nintendo didn't have much of a track record at that time. But even then, the game lacked communication features. One could say that it's because Nintendo has always been overly protective of their player base but here we are a decade later and the same issue persists across their games (and the entire Switch platform itself) because they just won't respond to the demand for more robust online features.

The black mark will only look even worse if the paid service launches and doesn't fix the issues.
 

jmizzal

Member
Oct 27, 2017
1,171
It they think somebody is gonna get harassed just put a block and report feature in it, also allow you to set up parental controls that dont allow chat for kids, so simple

This is the most mindbogglingly missing feature on the Switch, when you can chat on Wii and WiiU
 

Deleted member 41178

User requested account closure
Banned
Mar 18, 2018
2,903
personally i do that with telegram or wassup xd but ok, that could be a reason... but if you are close enough with your friends to invite them over, you should have other means to do that... thats my point. i understand is not ideal, but if you want to put some kind of barrier between children and extrangers you need to make some sacrifices (and no, sadly parental control although is excelent on switch is not enough)

but i agree that the system needs some tweaking, is just that i dont think that system level chat is the best shot (and voice chat is totally innecesary for that, as a simple message should do the trick)

i understand that for some people there is a NEED to be conected, to be able to interact with each other, but we are already conected enough to be "in need" of another platform to check messages on.

Of course I have other means to contact my friends but I'm not sure why I would need to. For example the other night one of my friends was on Lumines, another was on playing Mario Kart and a third was playing Hollow Knight, all I wanted to do was jump in a quick party and find out if they wanted to group up and play some Fortnite.

Instead I had to message two of them on WhatsApp and the other via discord, this is ridiculous when you think we are all playing on the same console.

Now for another even worse example, I've met a few decent players playing Street Fighter Anniversary we send friend invites to each other and then what??? I have no way on the system to communicate with that user to set up further matches etc.
 

OléGunner

Member
Oct 25, 2017
3,275
Airborne Aquarium
There's almost no point in even having a friends list on Switch imo.
It really does and shows sweet fa.

OT: This thread got me thinkin of Nintendo paid online. Are they gonna paywall f2p stuff like Fortnite behind it?
 

Zing

Banned
Oct 29, 2017
1,771
I believe they treat friend list as "friends I know personally" as opposed to how many people seem to treat them ("random dudes from internet"). Naturally, you would have other ways to communicate.

This is actually how I treat friend lists on my systems and why I have few "friends". It feels weird to have a bunch of strangers on my list due to playing a few matches of Overwatch or visiting a town in Animal Crossing.
 

Zing

Banned
Oct 29, 2017
1,771
I don't know if it was intentional or not but I think it's a great feature for little children.

You don't have to worry about chat or voice chat and the garbage kids will hear online.

The 3DS already has the solution. Accounts of children under 13 have online interactions disabled unless the parent explicitly sends a request to Nintendo allowing it. Even then, it has to be enabled on a per-game basis.

So, there is nothing holding the Switch back form doing the same. I suspect Nintendo simply doesn't see the point of having strangers on friend lists.
 

Shawndroid

Member
May 24, 2018
591
Canada
Well, Switch Online launches in September. Maybe we will get an update then, maybe not.

Having friends is not useless. I love seeing what my friends are playing right night. I love knowing what they have played. I love this social feature. But it should be more. I agree.

The excuse used to be that the Switch was seemingly rushed and they would update the firmware at some point to allow for basic features like this. Now it seems that Nintendo has no real interest in adding meaningful features to the system. Regressive even by Nintendo standards.

Yeah, that's me. The system was rushed. I'm very surprised that they haven't made a slow trickle of updates. That would satisfy a lot of people. If they start charging and no update comes out, then I will agree with you that when it launched they had no intention or prioritizing such features. But it would be consistent with their MO to not tell us about it. (Bad idea.)

I almost never messaged anyone on the Wii or Wii U, other than the first month I got the system. It's a silly feature. Why type on a gamepad when I can use my phone to talk to my friends? It would be good for those of you who make new friends, and I cannot think of a reason it wasn't shipped with the system.

Instead, what I want:
  • The ability to send secreenshots and suggested games
  • The ability to use Switch Online app to message those people
  • A website where I can read and reply to the messages
  • Those message to also be on the Switch and replyable on the Switch
Heck, if it was fun a quirky and had lots of smart-reply options, I might use it as a fun chat/hangout.

The only reason to have messaging now is to make up for the fact that you cannot put social info in your bio. If they did that, it's not required. But yes, they should have messaging and more social features.

I think it's silly to believe something is coming without any evidence. They did very little to update the Wii U system. But a big update did come eventually. Did it help? On the other hand, I'm unwilling to say they are being regressive, because they are usually secretive. So I could see them holding it for the Switch Online release to have more people talk about it when it all launches in a few months.

Probably a bad PR move on their part.

I honestly can't believe how far behind Nintendo is... Like they even have a mobile app that'd be great for doing thing like messaging friends, checking the eShop, setting up matches...

Yes, I desperately want an app on my phone to interact with my Switch. Send messages, see my games list, check out if my friends have played any good games recently, see their reviews. And an activity feed so I can see what all my friends have recently played without going in to each profile. On my phone. And on the web, please.

Note: reviews went live, and then disappeared. Maybe because it is supposed to launch with Switch Online and was turned on by mistake. Nintendo being secretive. So they turned it off really quickly.

Don't have blind faith that they will add even half of what we want. But until the service officially launches, don't claim nothing will change by winter. We don't know.