Welcome back to What Happens NX, where we look at what has and hasn’t worked for Nintendo’s last few generations, what we expect and hope from the NX and what industry-wide trends and conventions we think Nintendo may adopt, and which they may not.

It has been some time since our last instalment, so last week I wrote a catch up to review what has previously been discussed (third parties, the controller and the launch) and also speak about recent rumours about what the NX will end up being like.  At present we're expecting the console to launch in March and currently have no information from Nintendo, although many are expecting them to announce it some time in September.

This time around we're going to be plugging in, surfing the web and all those other 90's terms that you don't hear any more as we look at Nintendo's online offerings.

Nintendo's Online History

Nintendo has been promising better online each time a new console comes around for a while now.  Their services have of course been gradually improving, but it’s always dragged behind competitors in numerous aspects.  Lack of features, inconsistent implementation and the dark days of friend codes still beleaguer Nintendo’s reputation when it comes to online.  Ironically they have offered online services (in Japan at least) since the NES, but their competitors have quickly overtaken these early experiments.

I’m sure when Nintendo finally lift the lid on the NX they will promise a better online service, a more modern online service, an online service akin to their competitors.  And I’m sure they’ll certainly try and achieve it in some regards.

What are they doing right?

Well they have an online service that seldom goes down (or at least with anyone noticing if it does) and they now have an online store that works across platforms.  Plus of course it’s free, which is nothing to be sniffed at.

So at the most basic level, Nintendo does provide an online service and as the saying goes - you get what you pay for.  Given that there isn’t an annual subscription like Sony and Microsoft ask for (at least this generation) there shouldn’t be an expectation for it to offer exactly the same, but it has been 15 years since Microsoft released the original Xbox that in many ways laid the groundwork for online console gaming and a lot has changed quickly.

Nintendo’s Miiverse is a brilliantly Nintendo idea and really one of the Wii U’s most interesting features.  It’s not even one I personally use often, but it is so on brand, well supported and maintained they should really be applauded for managing something like that while Microsoft and Sony are still trying to find similar ways for doing their own (although on the flip side, they tend to just open it up to existing social media while Nintendo doesn’t, and there is merit in either approach).

What’s missing?

Standardisation is the biggest issue, both in terms of the online services offered by games across their consoles and standards of online services compared to their competitors.

Nintendo’s foray into online services has been slow and often feels like they’re experimenting with each title they put out.  Some have matchmaking, some don’t.  Some have voice chat (in some parts), others don’t have it at all.  With the online services being software-based, rather than OS-based, it has resulted in a mixed bag for the Wii U.  In the lead up to any game that people expect (or know) will be online there is usually a lot of speculation as to exactly what that online will look like.  A base standard of online services would help a lot in managing expectations for the NX.

Voice chat is a surprisingly contentious issue on our forums at times.  Many people want it, many people are sick of others asking about it.  As games like Splatoon and Mario Kart 8 came the topic went from “will it have voice chat” to “it doesn’t [fully]” to exchanges that alternated between “that’s rubbish” and “what did you expect?”  Throughout the Wii U’s life the debate about the usefulness of voice chat has raged on, which leads us to the question…

Should Nintendo be looking to care for the younger audiences even if it comes at the expense of their elder ones?  Many fans have defended Nintendo’s actions when it comes to online with something akin to a Helen Lovejoy freak out.  Back in 2013 Nintendo’s Letter Box service was shut down and while it was never confirmed by Nintendo (for obvious reasons) it is believed to be due to child molesters in Japan using it to lure in children.  Obviously this is a very real concern, but must it result in such a comparatively limited service?  There is a chance, and unfortunately a real probability, that Xbox Live, PSN and PC-based services could also be used in this manner.  If anything the companies should be working together to find solutions to this issue.

Nintendo themselves have said that only 6% of the people that use their eShop are under 18 (1) and while the overlap between eShop users and online gamers is obviously not 100%, with a lack of figures to go on we can make some assumptions that there is a similarity there.  Online gamers under 18 on Nintendo consoles is likely to be over 6% (if we are talking about playing games online, rather than online leaderboards or that kind of thing), but it’s difficult to imagine it pushes over 50% as the average age of gamers as a whole is now over 30.  It is important that all companies ensure the younger demographics that play their games can do so in a safe environment (and in fact, all users should be able to do so) but Nintendo’s approach seems to be less about trying to create a safe environment as much as create no environment and ipso facto having a safe one.

Over the years Nintendo has made comments that seem to suggest their knowledge of what happens with other online services and what is possible is lacking.  I doubt they are actually unaware, but some of their statements read as such.  According to one developer that wished to remain anonymous, in the build up to the Wii U when speaking to Nintendo they asked how online would work and made several references to Xbox Live and PSN, only to be told “that it was no good referencing Live and PSN as nobody in their development teams used those systems” (2).  Furthermore, Satoru Iwata himself even said that “offering the same features that already exist within other online communities would [not] be the best proposal for very experienced game players”, somehow suggesting experienced players don’t play Xbox Live/PSN games or would not want similar features from Nintendo. (3)  In the build up to the launch of Splatoon co-director Yusuke Amano gave an interview with EDGE where he outlined his reasons for not including voice chat, but it all came down to negative personal experiences (4).

So we have a company that releases a console with online, but does not see what the competition is doing, furthermore does not seem to believe there is any reason to (or desire from fans for them to do so) and may exclude voice chat from games because that director doesn’t like it.  All in all it does not paint a good picture when it comes to online and one that feels more focused on what Nintendo want than what their fans want.  Let’s move on to look at all of the areas separately to really see how Nintendo lines up with its competitors, before questioning if they should.

Online accounts

Oh friend codes, how we don’t miss you.  Nintendo’s previous attempts at online accounts received a fair share of criticism and it’s hardly surprising when you consider what their competitors were up to, but at least they’ve made a lot of improvements lately and it bodes well for the NX.

Nintendo’s recently created ‘Nintendo Account’, which ties in with their existing Nintendo Network ID, allows users to sign up using Facebook, Google+, Twitter or registering their email address.  Interestingly this contrasts with PSN, which only allows signups with an email address, and Xbox Live Gold which requires a Microsoft account.  The others do allow you to later connect to your social media accounts to find friends and share content, while Nintendo allow sharing to other social networks via Miiverse but not directly like their competitors do.

Nintendo has also recently unified their accounts which should hopefully mean with the NX we will see the back of problems whereby someone with a new console (due to one being lost or damaged) has to go through a painful process to regain part of what they had before.

So they lagged behind, but Nintendo has recently achieved a lot to get their online account service closer to that of their competitors and I imagine the NX will edge ever closer.

Online Store

After a myriad of console-based stores with all kind of names Nintendo seems to have settled with eShop and recently launched a web-based online store, something which Sony and Microsoft have offered previously.  Players can now shop items on the store from a computer in the same way that they can on the console itself and providing it is not switched off the console will download the title.

All the stores have minor annoyances and problems and Nintendo, Microsoft and Sony will continue to iron out these problems as the years go on, but at least Nintendo now offers something similar to their competitors and we have no reason to believe the NX will offer anything worse so this area is certainly one they've made great strides with.

Subscriptions & Bonuses

Sony and Microsoft both charge customers for playing games, a major difference between them and Nintendo.  However, in order to provide an incentive to sign up they both also offer free games every month.  The titles obviously vary, but they try and ensure there are titles of a certain quality (i.e. an aggregate review above a certain percentage) and you only get them as long as you're a paying member, so it is essentially a long-term rental scheme.

At the time of writing Microsoft is offering Warriors Orochi 3 Ultimate, Spelunky, W2K16 and Beyond Good & Evil.  Sony meanwhile is offering Rebel Galaxy, Tricky Towers, Tom Clancy’s EndWar, Yakuza 5, Retro/Grade, Patapon 3, Ultatron and a theme across PS3, PS4, PSP and Vita (where appropriate, not all games are available for each console).  

Obviously most people would prefer not to pay, but these extra bonuses certainly help ease the cost and if Nintendo was to start charging for an online service it would be a smart move to match.  Their back catalogue is impressive and sought-after and would make great monthly gifts, although the only downside might be by this point their biggest fans may have already purchased old titles numerous times each time a new Virtual Console shop is released.

Nintendo does of course offer rewards through their My Nintendo scheme which offers a mixture of add-ons for existing games and apps (such as Miitomo items) and discounts on specific games.  Coins are earned in various ways by using their apps and the shop itself and the rewards come from that, differentiating it from paying for the 'free' rewards.  If Nintendo did start charging for a service, they could simply provide more coins and/or offers on My Nintendo to make it more appealing.

While some gamers are ideologically opposed to the notion of paying for online services, they are in many ways in the minority.  While many expected Sony to suffer because an online subscription is mandatory for online play on the PS4 (it was not with the PS3), they've actually gone from strength-to-strength.  PSN has 110 million accounts - free and paid - (5) with 65 million active users (6) and in the last financial year PSN made more than the whole of Nintendo (7), suggesting the notion shouldn't be dismissed out of hand.  It is unclear if this includes money they make off each sale of anything on their store, but if it does it likewise shows the importance of getting content on there (Sony also sells films on their story).  Xbox Live meanwhile has over 48 million active users (8).  Unfortunately statistics for Nintendo's online accounts are more difficult to find, but it is clear from Sony and Microsoft a lot of people are willing to pay for online, but of course we don't know how much of Nintendo's audience would be willing to do the same (and what service they'd expect before paying).  A lot of Nintendo fans own more than one console so many will probably already be paying for an online service, but the question remains would they then also pay for a Nintendo one?  I guess it comes down to what games come out and what the service itself is like, but it is very much an unknown at this stage.

Voice/party chat

A lot has been said about voice chat.  Typically lacking from Nintendo titles, and often only available in lobbies between games.  If you’ve not used it elsewhere it’s difficult to ascertain the appeal, particularly as most of what you read online is about the ugly side of it, but if you’ve played online games through other consoles with friends you soon realise what a big impact a lack of voice chat has.  When I reviewed Mario Kart 8 I noted how I was reminded of Harlan Ellison’s ‘I have No Mouth, and I Must Scream’ because that is how I felt; in matches I would want to converse with those I was playing with (even if it was just to moan about them attacking me), but I couldn’t.  I was literally silenced until I was in a lobby and by that point it becomes redundant ("they red shell you used on the second lap as we were near the end of the lap was a nuisance").

Yeah you can use Skype, WhatsApp or whatever.  But it isn’t the same experience.  It becomes this extra layer of organisation (getting everyone’s contact details, having a separate device open) that makes what should be a fun experience burdensome.

One of the biggest arguments against voice chat has always been “but the abuse!” and that is true and something that needs to be addressed, but turning away from something because some people use it inappropriately is not a way to address the problem.  Microsoft and Sony offer players the ability to report and mute individuals at OS-level as well as party chat so that you can only communicate with those you have designated your friends.  In my experience of playing online I very rarely actually play with anyone but my friends and I am just one person, but online play does not need you to play against strangers and thus open yourself up to the ugly side of the internet.  I think even those most critical of Nintendo's lack of voice chat would make a concession if it was just friends-only as a way of ensuring children are more likely to not come in harm's way (but by no means is it a perfect system because you can befriend anyone online).

What Happens NX?

Where does Nintendo go from here for the NX?  In a way they’ve painted themselves into a corner and are going to potentially alienate or offend an aspect of their own audience in the process.  

Do they stick to their family-friendly approach and offer a free but comparatively weakened online service and keep potentially ‘dangerous’ features like voice chat at bay, in turn alienating older audiences that have become accustomed to these features elsewhere and possibly wanting them from a Nintendo console?

Or should they look to provide a more comparable online service and the responsibilities that come from this to ensure their younger audience are not put in harm’s way?  Microsoft and Sony provide parental controls for these kind of features (as do Nintendo, obviously) and as an industry we find ourselves in a tricky position - how much should companies expect to do in order to account for parents who themselves don’t take as much responsibility as they could?  Prompts and warnings only go so far, particularly if the parent never touches the manchine in the first place.

Nintendo’s online has often been a punchline when it is compared to others, but they have made great strides over the last few years to level themselves out.  They have some way to go, but they’re not as far behind as they once were.  Honestly I’m not sure if they ever wish to be at exactly the same level as Microsoft and Sony.  However, in spite of its flaws it hasn't stopped its fans from still playing games online and setting up leagues and such forth.  In fact, their fans should be commended for going that extra mile to set these things up because there's a lack of consistent in-game or OS features to make it easy.

Personally I feel that if they offer voice and party chat at an operating system level, thus providing a base level for their online games, it will do a lot to please fans.  There's other ways they can improve, but as gamers grow older and experience what the competition is offering the lack of voice chat in game speaks volumes about the difference - both in terms of the technology and also the company mindsets.  We may no longer gather in each other's bedrooms, but that does not mean gamers are not as social as we used to be.  Times have changed and voice chat has become integral to many people's experiences of online gameplay. 

When discussing this in the forum recently I pondered if those who made the decisions about the NX’s online infrastructure, undoubtedly longterm Nintendo employees, will have checked into the market as it is now and asked their more junior employees what they would want as consumers and developers to make online gameplay better.  Nintendo, for all their brilliance when it comes to making games, have often been criticised for being too insular.  The NX might be their chance to either prove they have changed, or perhaps prove they never will.  Undoubtedly it will offer a good online service, but will it offer a 'standard' one?  We'll have to wait until next year.  

 References

1) https://mynintendonews.com/2014/08/28/nintendo-reveals-demographics-of-wii-u-eshop-users-males-account-for-93-and-females-only-7/
2) http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/digitalfoundry-2014-secret-developers-wii-u-the-inside-story
3) http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2012-11-29-nintendo-not-interested-in-emulating-xbox-live-iwata-says
4) http://za.ign.com/splatoon/90673/feature/dear-nintendo-splatoon-needs-a-voice-chat-option
5) http://www.playstationlifestyle.net/2013/07/03/psn-passes-110-million-accounts-sony-pictures-developing-exclusive-original-tv-style-programming-for-psn-timed-exclusives/
6) http://news.softpedia.com/news/Sony-Plans-to-Invest-Heavily-in-Its-PlayStation-Division-This-Year-Surprises-Incoming-479825.shtml
7) http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2016-04-28-sonys-psn-is-making-more-money-than-all-of-nintendo
8) http://www.windowscentral.com/xbox-live-now-boasts-48-million-active-users-39-million-last-quarter