The Nintendo's strategy meeting with investors is happening right now and they just confirm this on Twitter.

#NintendoSwitch Online will launch in September 2018! pic.twitter.com/h3Rpeyymsx

— Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) February 1, 2018

EDIT: Apparentely, Nintendo promises "attractive content/programs"...

<rephrase&resend>

Nintendo Takahashi:
-Preparing some attractive (contents or programs) for subscription-based online membership. Please wait for the detail announcement later in the year.

— Takashi Mochizuki (@6d6f636869) February 1, 2018

9/11

They also said they will talk about it later in the year. *cough* E3 *cough*

Im guessing Smash Bros Deluxe in September.

I mean if it took that long it's probably cause its bringing something to the table. 

And, another nail in the coffin for me. At this point, I'm in the doorway, looking out. Growing up as a kid in the 80's, I've watched the industry go from plug and play to... something else. Whether it's good, bad or somewhere in the middle one thing we can all agree on... it's entirely different. Streaming services, digital distribution, pay-to-play-online, DLC, chopping up games to sell in small chunks down the line, shipping buggy games and using consumers as beta testers, Amiibo.... it doesn't even resemble the industry I fell in love with so long ago. 

To me, it's like a marriage. Sure, you can stick it out. You can pretend that she's still the woman you met. You can push through, trying desperately to hold onto something for the sake of doing so... for the sake of those vows you made decades ago. But you know it and so does she... whatever there was that initially got you into it, it's no longer there. In its place is an imposter. Something different. Something else.

Sorry to get all prose on your guys. But, gaming has been a big part of my life and everything from the companies making and selling them, to the hardware, to the people playing them... it's all changed and what I loved about it is gone.

Where is my Ivan amiibo Nintendo?

Why exactly should it be free? Servers aren't free to maintain.

PC gaming has online it for free doesn't it? I can still play Civilization IV online games free of charge.

Honestly the only good thing about this is that it forces Nintendo to make a good online system. Maybe by the end of 9th generation we will have a robust online system.  

I better get my fill of Splatoon 2 before this trial is up. I don;t think I can play online for just one game now.

And that's when we can expect Smash Bros.