During the holidays, we are republishing some selection feature from the past 12 months. Compilation of arguments, interviews, opinions and more from NL staff and collaborators, you’ll find our usual blend of thoughtfulness, expertise, vanity, classic nostalgia, and — of course — enthusiasm for all things Nintendo. Happy holidays!
Soapbox features allow our writers and individual contributors to voice their opinions on hot topics and random stuff they’ve mulled over. Today, Thomas discusses Nintendo’s unnecessary ‘choice’ between the Virtual Console and Nintendo Switch Online subscription apps.
Among the various questions, debates and issues that emerged following the announcement that Wii U and 3DS eShop stores to close in 2023, one thing that caught my eye was that the topic of Virtual Console platforms would be lost. Although I have included a jokey option in Our Poll articles at the time, mocking some collective outrage, implying that many of us are annoyed despite not having used either store (or made a purchase) in quite some time, there are valid points around the content that will disappear. My first instinct was to think that systemic exclusions (especially excellent Indie titles) would be gone, but seeing references to VC offerings definitely gave me pause. think more.
Despite ceding expertise, data, and resources to Nintendo, its approach to the accessibility and monetization of classic content still baffles me. Here is an answer that really is eliminate are from Official Q&Aactual settlement is a lots of old downloads will no longer be available for legal purchase from the company.
On our Nintendo Switch Online membership plans, over 130 classic games are now available in growing libraries for various legacy systems. Games are often enhanced with new features such as online play.
We think this is an effective way to deliver classic content easily to multiplayer. In these libraries, new and long-time players can not only find games they remember or have heard of, but also other interesting games they might not have thought of finding.
We currently have no plans to deliver classic content in other ways.
This is subject to change, of course, but let’s take it at face value and assume that, at least for the near to medium term, Nintendo will continue with its current approach of occasional releases. eShop once the classic games – like weird limited time release belong to Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon & the Blade of Light – with others appearing as part of a Nintendo Switch Online subscription. As most people reading these pages will know it’s a very slow drip feed for releases on specific platforms, with Expansion pack is currently a big focus for Nintendo after it was confirmed it would also include Coming Soon Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Booster Course Pass. Between both NSO options, we have game batches (of different sizes) for the NES, SNES, Nintendo 64, and SEGA Genesis/Mega Drive.
The logic that drives subscriber growth is undeniable. As Kate Gray highlights in this article on the subject, businesses value the reliability and consistency of earnings from having popular subscription services. The basic NSO bundle is required for cloud saving and online play, leading some Switch owners to have little interest in the NES and SNES libraries. Meanwhile, the Expansion Pack is said to be worthy of Animal Crossing: New Horizons – Happy House and the upcoming MK8 Deluxe DLC alone, whether you want the original N64 or SEGA titles or not. On the other hand, some subscribers will sign up mainly for classic games, so this strategy is easy to spot.
However, while that’s valid, the old social meme ‘why not both?’ springs to mind. Why is there no subscription option and eShop virtual dashboard? With NSO being so multifaceted in its offering, it doesn’t seem like people will immediately drop that subscription to buy Super Mario Bros. for 5 dollars.
Thinking back to the Wii/3DS/Wii U era of the Virtual Console, there’s definitely an element of VC fatigue after a while among dedicated fans. Sales data was probably low by the time we moved to the 3DS and Wii U versions, although classic Pokémon games have dominated the 3DS eShop charts for a long time. Long time. There have been complaints for years about emulation as well – in Europe we had to endure 50Hz refresh in the Wii years and any addition of the VC platform would spark debates over accuracy. resolver, filter, etc
I can’t help but feel that the fully loaded Virtual Console eShop (without the trickle-down releases of previous iterations) will be a hit.
I would say they are loud debates between a minority and the fact that for me and others, the Virtual Console is a great starting point in the history of games. Although theoretically old enough to own an NES, Game Boy, and SNES, my first Nintendo system was the N64. When I got the Wii, I spent a lot of money on classics I’d never played, appreciating the chance to catch up. Then the 3DS Virtual Console came out and I bought a bunch of Game Boy and Game Boy Color titles. Even on Wii UI is available for some important Game Boy Advance titles. My first thought whenever re-downloading is threatened – which hasn’t happened yet – is to pick up and download my collections on each system.
In terms of model, while subscription platforms like Netflix specialize only in streaming, other mainstream entertainment services allow you to subscribe and buying. Microsoft Game Pass doesn’t stop you from becoming a subscriber and purchase downloads of the game are also available on the service. On PlayStation, a lot of PlayStation Now content is also available for purchase. On TV, platforms like Amazon Prime and various services that allow you to stream and buy the same content, often have streaming-only and purchase-only stores that exist side-by-side.
The other side of the argument could be that Nintendo doesn’t have the resources or inclination to update and create the necessary game page texts and other aspects that we are used to on NSO, like the control screen, etc. it’s just a matter of dropping a few hundred ROMs into a store and watching sales grow, it will take a lot of basic work to make the ‘product’ and it probably won’t be a simple case to use. reuse content storage from previous Virtual Console platforms. It will be a relatively important project, and perhaps Nintendo has research and data to show that the effort won’t pay off.
That said, I can’t help but feel like the fully loaded eShop Virtual Console (without the trickle feed releases of previous iterations) will be a hit, especially at this stage. during the Switch’s lifecycle when it has a large and engaged user base. Add systems that Switch owners haven’t experienced—like Game Boy, Game Boy Advance—and there’s bound to be renewed interest. Because we rely on compilations from third parties like Konami and Capcom for some of these experiences.
I understand why Nintendo has tried an alternative to the Virtual Console using Switch Online. What I don’t understand is why VCs have been scrapped altogether – for a company with such unparalleled nostalgia and history, it’s weird to share that vintage content with as many people as possible. .
Let us know what you think about this, as always, in the comments!
