How Nintendo's Switch voice chat will *apparently* work!

Why can't Nintendo just make things simple? How hard is it to get chat right?

Why make it simple when Nintendo fannies would buy it up and then take on the role of Nintendo PR for free?

My main concern with this is just how convoluted and unnecessary it is. I mean, maybe the app is simple and easy enough to understand, the cords might be long enough, by all accounts it might work as intended and get the job done without much blood and sweat, but...why? I hear that this is supposed to be some solution to online gaming on the go or something, but what if I'm online gaming NOT on the go? Just seems like being different for the sake of being different.

Also, is it confirmed that this is just for voice chat and not for online in general? Because Most of the time I don't use voice chat with randoms (and if I was gaming with other people there are other channels to go about doing that outside whatever the f*** Nintendo does), so if this phone stuff is just for voice chat then it isn't really the end of the world for me.

Nintendo next gen: A friend makes a blinking morse code signal to a keen eyed Nintendo employee who drives around aimlessly spotting for messages and then he translates and sends via a carrier pigeon, which takes your message to a telegraph office. The telegraph is relayed to someone who sends a vague smoke signal in your general direction.

This will be described as "pure", "effective" and "a true gaming experience, unlike the other machines" by Nintendo fanboys only happy to drop $10 to Nintendo each time they want to send a message.

Nintendo slow to catch up on common sense

if nintendo launches the app before the paywall....which they will since splatoon launches in july....

then you can try it for free then complain after you determined it sucks.

"all i am saying.....is give switch a chance"

lol remember that song? "give peace a chance"

ALRIGHT!!!!!

How stupid. This doesn't need to be complicated. Nor should it be.

This reminds me of the days of Gameboy link cables. Even the Nintendo DS had better voice chat functions as a mic was built into the system. It's almost like Nintendo is taking a step back into the 90's. I don't even understand why they're making a phone a part of the equation between a bunch of wires.

WTF???..too messy....can always count on Nintendo to stick with archaic solution..for modern times. :P

I did and it lived up to my disappointment. The contraption that they a sporting is adding to that disappointment. I don't need to try it to know that its a backward way of voice communicating with friends. As someone else mentioned, you are better off using Skype.

Further reinforcement as to why I did not purchase this stupid console.

Who at Nintendo think this is a good idea??? *facepalm*

For those who are complaining, if you do not like it, do not buy it.

Complaining? Seems like more people are making fun of this shit.

Could their reasoning be that they want voice chat to be 100% system-wide and clearly opt-in and not opt-out? (Cause kids.) Because the way this works it could be that nobody hears the voices unless they use the app. Technologically it's simpler than if voices would be send to the host of a game from the room in the app and distributed to the other players or something. Instead it would be more like a Discord room of current players that exists completely separated from the game aside from it knowing who is playing together.

And knowing who is playing together in what game, that is not a very resource intensive request. The games already need to know who you are playing with, and the Switch is already aware of what game you are playing. You are already online, too, signed in to Nintendo Online. So all that would have to happen is a simple request for a list of players in what game every second or so, so that the app can regulate the rooms accordingly. That's completely negligible performance wise.

That would also explain why making appointments to play games happens through the app. (If you would want to start talking to your friends in a match, you couldn't set that up reliably through voice chat unless they are using it already. So you use the app to let someone know 'hey let's play together using voice chat'.)

If this is the case I expect many western reviewers to get very puzzled. (They're not very good at understanding systems different from MS/Sony systems.) It's still kind of weird if that is their reasoning because I think you can set all XB1/PS4 voice chat to off in parental controls, and I think that works? Well, we'll see.

This could mean that your Switch friends can request to talk to you/make appointments to play games with you through the app while they're at work or whatever, without needing to have your personal details like your email or phone number or anything else to contact you with. They're just your friends on the Switch. They would be able to set up times that they'd like to play with you. Without having to check your Switch for messages. It would just pop up on your phone. If it works like that, I guess that would be the ideal version of this, it would be kinda cool.

@KungfuKitten: Well said mate, its kinda shameful more gamers dont think the same. It seems many have gotten old and are not familiar with the awesome phone apps many young people use like Discord, etc.

That's Sega "tower of power" territory for a weird roundabout solution to a fairly basic problem. It's treating voice chat like some weird add-on

@xantufrog: It's Nintendo so, as silly as it sounds, it somehow makes sense in their world. Or something. Just remember that the Vita & 3DS already solved this issue years ago :P

@Desmonic: IMO the GameGear had the smartest solution - one cable directly connects you to your friend's system, and to communicate you speak in their general direction ;-)

@xantufrog: Very real life like! It's almost like one would do to a person nearby lol

If all those wires are actually the solution, it would be easier just to hop on a conference call with everyone you're playing with. This is as brilliant as Apple taking the headphone jack off the iPhone, which should make for an interesting setup for Switch owners.

This is... terrifying.

Honestly, I don't want my phone required for their online service in any way, shape or form. I need my phone to be free and available to me in case I need it for something important, not tied-up in Nintendo's online service having it's battery drained so I can play their games online.

This is just dumb and poorly thought out.

@Micropixel: The App shouldnt take much battery from your phone. And your phone would still function like normal.

@iandizion713: But... the phone itself is still tied-up in Nintendo's Online service rather than being on Standby for my person use. This is the issue I have with it.

Do what i do and wait for the revision of the switch for the following reasons:

1) cheaper price

2) better worked out switch, with probably extra ram / cpu speed for party chat incorporated in it without the hassle of this crap

3) cheaper games

4) more game selection, no waiting

5) probably more better looking device

6) better battery life with a better screen or whatever.

The end.

Its just an app bro. I use dang 5 apps at once on my phone.

Looks hella redundant.

Why would you need that?... Zelda is a single player game.

I would hope this is all a bloody temporary solution for the reality that they could not develop the app into the switch for release/initial year.

If not... well I guess I'l be trading in the Switch for Switch XL or whatever it is.

@iandizion713: You're missing the point. My phone will be tied-up in this service. I don't want that. I want it to remain available for what I need it for. I take management calls from work all day, so for me, my phone MUST be available to me for those reasons.

If the App impedes this in any way for me, then I cannot use it.

@Micropixel: It's a smart phone mate, multitask that beast.

@iandizion713: You're not understanding me. The App must not interfere with the phone's ability to receive or send out carrier calls (and vice versa). Most carriers will suspend phone Apps from their own secondary networks in order to prioritize a phone call. That's what I'm trying to tell you.

If this turns out to be the case, I won't be able to use it.

@Micropixel: I wouldnt worry.

WHAT A JOKE the original box had voice options and that was in 2002

Yeah, I expect there are reasons we don't realize why Nintendo is doing what they're doing. I wouldn't worry too much aboot that picture, phones have had BT for quite some time. As for the "why don't you just use Skype etc" camp, I'm sure there are good reasons Nintendo hasn't said that - otherwise why waste money developing their own thing? My bet is they're baking up something that will actually be useful this time- we just can't wrap our brains around it yet because we're stuck in a M$/Sony train of thought. Fixing what the WiiU did wrong is one of Nintendo's biggest priorities- that puts online services at the front line. Hopefully we'll know much more in the coming few days, it'll either be garbage or genius... I'm hoping for genius (crosses fingers and waits in the corner Blair Witch style 'till E3).

It blows my mind how something so simple is how somehow being built out in the most confusing way possible.

Do they have trouble implementing voice chat in 2017 or something? What the hell is this???