MCV/DEVELOP News, events, research and jobs from the games industry
Originally set to launch this autumn, Nintendo’s online service for the Switch will now launch in early 2018, the platform holder announced today.
Simply known as ‘Nintendo Switch Online Service’ at the moment, the paid service will let players participate in online multiplayer gaming and use their smartphone to chat with friends.
With the launch of the service now delayed, the current free trial that’s available to all Nintendo Switch owners who have a Nintendo Account will now remain in place until it gets off the ground next year.
Pricing
Until now, Nintendo had only revealed how much the Switch’s Online service would cost in Japan, but Nintendo UK has now confirmed there will be three price brackets:
- 1 month (30 days):€3.99
- 3 months (90 days):€7.99
- 12 months (365 days):€19.99
Smart app
Launching alongside the Online service will be Nintendo’s dedicated app for smart devices. This lets players invite friends to play online, set play appointments and chat during online matches. A pre-release version of this app will be available this summer – presumably co-inciding with the launch of either Arms or Splatoon 2, but we’ll update this article with more information as soon as it’s confirmed.
Classic Game Selection
Paid subscribers will also have access to an ongoing library of classic games, with Nintendo providing early examples such as Super Mario Bros. 3, Balloon Fight and Dr. Mario.
This is a big change from Nintendo’s original proposal for this part of the service, which implied these titles would only be free for a month, after which time players would have to pay to carry on playing. Now, the service is much more akin to PlayStation’s PS Plus service and Xbox Live’s Games with Gold offering.
Price promotions
In addition to all that, members will also receive special price promotions and discounts for products on the Nintendo eShop.
Here’s a quick recap of everything you get by being a paid member:
