Nintendo Wants To Make Nintendo Switch Online More “Appealing” To Gamers

There’s a reason why Nintendo is one of the best video game companies in the world, as they have a lot of great things going for them. But, oddly enough, they almost always have one or two things that they really lack behind in. And one of those things is online service. Sure, the last few years they’ve been offering internet for free, and gamers loved it. Then in 2018 they finally brought out Nintendo Switch Online, and it got a bit of a mixed response.

Despite the remarkably low price of service, less than half the fanbase has used it (not including free trials). And as revealed by Nintendo President Shuntaro Furukawa, those who do get it often only get smaller subscription versions:

“We are not disclosing details by each membership plan but among consumers who have purchased memberships, however, a growing percentage is now opting for shorter plans like the one-month membership,” Furukawa said. “This is in contrast to the situation around the end of October of last year, when we reported that over half were opting for a 12-month family or individual membership.”

While not exactly bad per se, as it is showing that they’re using Nintendo Switch Online, it’s also fair to say that Nintendo needs to up their game with the online service. And that’s the plan going forward in 2019:

“It is critical that these members want to continue using the service for a long time rather than letting it expire, and for that we need to build relationships with consumers and enrich the content” Furukawa said. “With this in mind, we are currently planning ways to boost the appeal of the service on a yearly basis. We will announce more details as soon as we are ready.”

We’ll have to wait and see what Nintendo does, and if it makes the difference that they want.