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Forums - Gaming Discussion - Should Nintendo play the "free online" card?

KingdomHeartsFan on 13 July 2013

Its so sad that free online has come to be a positive for a console...If I get a PS4 I intend to only play single player games, I will not pay a penny for online.



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Kasz216 on 13 July 2013
Conina said:
Kasz216 said:

it will sway the parent buying systems for their child.

"Online, i'm not paying monthly for that bullshit if i don't have to"

is what i'd expect to hear.


Most parents don't want their kids go online unsupervised. So "free online" will not be a strong selling point to PARENTS. ;)

Pft.  I think you overestimate most parents.



Kasz216 on 13 July 2013
BasilZero said:
Kasz216 said:

I agree.

It won't sway the nerd gamer... it will sway the parent buying systems for their child.

"Online, i'm not paying monthly for that bullshit if i don't have to"

is what i'd expect to hear.

 

Anyone who cares about the quality difference likely already knows.


I'm actually one of those lol - even though I'm not a parent ;__;.


Well yeah, but you have a glorius glorius gaming PC.

 

I've never paid for Online either.   Hell  I have away my 3 month free Xbox Live card to someone on this forum.  Why would I when PC online works better and is free?

The few console exclusives that exist don't justify ponying out money for online.

 

PS+ would be tempting were I guranteed that i get to keep the games after THEY discontiue the service and move on to the PS4/PS5 etc.



NightDragon83 on 13 July 2013
attaboy said:
NightDragon83 said:
Nintendo needs to actually start including online modes in their games before they start boasting about their "free" online service. What's the point if all you can do with it is stream Netflix and YouTube videos?


Why do people keep saying this?  I've played Ninja Gaiden and Call od Duty and the experience was pretty seemless.  And it has Hulu, Netflix, Youtube, a great browser (leagues ahead pf the one on Xbox 360 and PS3), it lets you video chat with the controller, it has Miiverse, and a pretty decent online store.  You can't download trailers like on PS3 and 360 and there's usage limits on demos.  Not a lot of people have mics, either.  Regardless, the online I've experienced was decent.  If it were up to Xbox standards, that would be great but it's almost up to PS3 circa 2008 standards.

Notice I singled out Nintendo, not 3rd parties.  So far NONE of Nintendo's big titles for the Wii U have featured an online mode of any kind.  The fact that multiplayer-centric games like Nintendo Land or NSMB U can only be played locally is mind boggling in this day and age.



On 2/24/13, MB1025 said:
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TruckOSaurus on 13 July 2013
Conina said:
Kasz216 said:

it will sway the parent buying systems for their child.

"Online, i'm not paying monthly for that bullshit if i don't have to"

is what i'd expect to hear.


Most parents don't want their kids go online unsupervised. So "free online" will not be a strong selling point to PARENTS. ;)

I know that at least Miiverse is heavily monitored by Nintendo. So that could comfort some parents (and other parents don't give a damn too)



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TruckOSaurus on 13 July 2013
NightDragon83 said:
attaboy said:


Why do people keep saying this?  I've played Ninja Gaiden and Call od Duty and the experience was pretty seemless.  And it has Hulu, Netflix, Youtube, a great browser (leagues ahead pf the one on Xbox 360 and PS3), it lets you video chat with the controller, it has Miiverse, and a pretty decent online store.  You can't download trailers like on PS3 and 360 and there's usage limits on demos.  Not a lot of people have mics, either.  Regardless, the online I've experienced was decent.  If it were up to Xbox standards, that would be great but it's almost up to PS3 circa 2008 standards.

Notice I singled out Nintendo, not 3rd parties.  So far NONE of Nintendo's big titles for the Wii U have featured an online mode of any kind.  The fact that multiplayer-centric games like Nintendo Land or NSMB U can only be played locally is mind boggling in this day and age.

At least, Mario Kart 8 and Super Smash Bros. 4 will have a good online component but that's off in 2014.



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attaboy on 13 July 2013
NightDragon83 said:
attaboy said:
NightDragon83 said:
Nintendo needs to actually start including online modes in their games before they start boasting about their "free" online service. What's the point if all you can do with it is stream Netflix and YouTube videos?


Why do people keep saying this?  I've played Ninja Gaiden and Call od Duty and the experience was pretty seemless.  And it has Hulu, Netflix, Youtube, a great browser (leagues ahead pf the one on Xbox 360 and PS3), it lets you video chat with the controller, it has Miiverse, and a pretty decent online store.  You can't download trailers like on PS3 and 360 and there's usage limits on demos.  Not a lot of people have mics, either.  Regardless, the online I've experienced was decent.  If it were up to Xbox standards, that would be great but it's almost up to PS3 circa 2008 standards.

Notice I singled out Nintendo, not 3rd parties.  So far NONE of Nintendo's big titles for the Wii U have featured an online mode of any kind.  The fact that multiplayer-centric games like Nintendo Land or NSMB U can only be played locally is mind boggling in this day and age.

Yeah, i picked up on your wording a couple of hours ago but didn't go back and edit.  I often re-read my replies and sometimes I fix them.  sorry about that.  You can use it for more than netflix/youtube, though.



outlawauron on 14 July 2013
TruckOSaurus said:

As the new set of HD twins get ready to launch somewhere around November on this year, the 8th generation will soon be in full swing. Once this new race is officially started, Nintendo’s Wii U will be the only 8th gen console offering free online gaming.

My question to you guys is should Ninty’s marketing focus on that fact? On the one hand it could sway the occasional gamer (i.e. the non forum nerd like us) toward the Wii U because paying for online makes no sense gaming is not your main hobby but on the other hand it would invite Sony and Microsoft’s marketing teams to draw attention to the vast difference in quality between their services and Nintendo’s (which we all know isn’t the most favorable of comparisons).

My personal opinion is that they should go for it. The dedicated gamer already knows what he wants in a console and he’s gonna buy his console (or consoles) according to his gaming taste so marketing lines won’t affect him much. The people who do respond to marketing pushes are the less informed gamers, those who aren’t sure if they want to step in the new console gen, the parents looking to buy a present for their kids and I do think advertising the free online could be a deciding factor for a lot of them.

What do you guys think?

I think they could, but there would be backlash because the online system that Nintendo has setup doesn't even come close to PSN or Live.



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DarkTemplar on 14 July 2013

I think they should, especially on underdevelopment countries and some European countries.

I have a theory that the free on-line on the PS3 helped the console to sell on those markets.

Also, if Nintendo wants to have free on-line as a selling point they should make a few on-line centered games.



Alby_da_Wolf on 14 July 2013

They should definitely do it, but then they should also remove region lock, it wouldn't make sense to be the last console with free online multiplayer and still have that jurassic imposition, not to mention that keeping it offers competitors an easy way to return fire.



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