The Nintendo Switch is fast approaching and details about the online service has been revealed.
Nintendo president Tatsumi Kimishima stated the online service for the Switch will be yearly fee, with prices averaging from 2,000 to 3,000 yen. That would be around $17-$26 dollars here in the states. Nintendo has utilized online before with their past consoles, most recently the Wii U, but the Switch is the first one to offer an annual fee for the service.
“With paid [services], we will be able to fully commit to the customer.” Kimishima said.
The Nintendo Switch’s online service will be similar to PlayStation’s and Xbox’s in that it will offer free games every month as a thank you to subscribers and an incentive to new buyers. Nintendo will be launching a smartphone app coinciding with the Switch’s release, and the app will go hand-in-hand with the online component. President Kimishima also they have been “studying” how to add virtual reality to their new console.
“If we are able to resolve the issues with playing [VR] comfortably for long hours, we will support it in one form or another.” he said, but no date has been given as to when or if this will be implemented.
Nintendo has also been dipping their feet in smartphone game territory. Super Mario Run was released last year and was met with lukewarm reception. That hasn’t stopped them though as an Animal Crossing game is on the horizon for the iPhone and Android. The Switch itself has had some mixed responses since its press conference last month. Customers are weary about the online structure, how you can only use the smartphone app to communicate to friends, and the rumor that after a month your free game is deleted.
None of these questions have been answered yet, and the release for the Switch is March 3rd.
