like Xbox struggles with an uncertain future, a reader argues that Nintendo Switch Online is a much more successful subscription service than Game Pass.
There are a lot of post-mortems going on about Xbox right now, and I can’t say they don’t deserve to be given the benefit of the doubt. Personally, I’ve never had one and I’m certainly not going to start now, but while playing Star Fox 64 on Nintendo Switch Online last night (to make comparisons with remake) a thought came to me that it is much closer to being a dog Netflix games than Game Pass ever did.
Like most people (incl Microsoft) I thought Game Pass would be a massive industry-changing hit. In fact, I really felt sorry for the whole idea because I felt that Microsoft was cheating and doing something with their money that no other company could afford, giving them an unbeatable advantage. Of course, I needn’t have worried.
It took a while for people to figure out why Game Pass hadn’t worked, and then they realized that most people don’t really have time to play that many games, so not only do they not have the money to spend on something they might not like, they don’t have the free time either. Combine that with the rising prices of Game Pass and the lack of good first-party games, and you’ve got a problem.
Nintendo Switch Online is something I rarely hear anyone talk about and yet it apparently has the same number of subscribers as Game Pass. I put this up for more people who own a Switch and it’s a bit cheaper.
But there’s also the fact that it’s all retro-based, so you already know what you’re getting. Even if you’ve never played a game before, you’ve probably heard of it and probably always wanted to give it a go. You’re not paralyzed with choice because there aren’t that many formats and yet the service has progressed far enough that it already has most of the best games available.
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It’s not a lazy bump either, as some of the games have never been released in the UK before and they have different versions of the same one from different countries. Also, Nintendo Switch Online sometimes has exclusive games – I really liked those Tetris 99 – and you need it to play online for most games, so there’s always some reason to have it.
Personally, I also pay for the Expansion Pack, which is basically the Premium tier, but it’s still not that much money and gives you more retro formats and most DLC for free.
The thing is though, and this is where I think the big difference with Game Pass is, I often forget I have it because it’s cheap enough that it’s not a burden and, unlike Microsoft with Game Pass, Nintendo isn’t hitting it every five minutes, making me sick of hearing about it.
Microsoft is constantly shoving Game Pass in your face, but Nintendo is just getting on with it and I think Nintendo Switch Online has quietly become just a given that most Switch owners pay for. It’s reasonably priced, doesn’t pretend to be the be all and end all of gaming, and offers things you actually want.
The secret to Netflix’s success is somewhat the same. It’s also something that many people consider simply a basic necessity, or at least one of the last luxuries they would give up. I think Nintendo Switch Online has reached that point for Switch, but the failure of Game Pass is that it never did for Xbox.
From reader Onibee
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