A recent Nintendo Switch online update added some NES and SNES games that have been frustrated by switch owners. This has led to a debate about the value of Nintendo’s subscription service and, in general, the company’s business model that usually offers classic games on the switch.
According to a game analyst at Digital Trends Omedia, spoke to why Nintendo was not interested in selling older, fan-favorite games to consumers. Bailey explains that the Nintendo Switch is not a best-seller because it’s the perk of classic games online.
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A difference in philosophies
To set the stage, here’s what customers get with Nintendo Switch Online: This service allows switch owners to play online just like PS Plus or Xbox Live Gold. The Nintendo Switch Online price is just $ 20 per year, which is significantly lower than the price of its competitors. The Nintendo Switch service also has access to a variety of NES and SNES games through the library, which continues to evolve.
That philosophy seems evident in Nintendo’s recent update, which includes obscure games like Super Baseball Simulator 1.000, Caveman Ninja, Magical Drop2, and Spanky’s Quest for the SNES, and Ninja JaJaMaru-kun for the NES — all of which are playable on Switch through the Nintendo Switch Online service.
Fans weren’t happy following the announcement. While it is nice to be able to play some of these classics via Nintendo Switch Online, fans argue that games like Ninja JaJaMaru-kun just aren’t cutting it, especially when so many beloved titles like Earthbound or Super Mario RPG aren’t available to play on Switch. The community has made it clear that it would be willing to purchase fan-favorite games outright if Nintendo simply offered the ability to do so.
5 titles are coming to the #SNES & #NES – #NintendoSwitchOnline collection on 5/26!
Super NES – Nintendo Switch Online:
・Super Baseball Simulator 1.000
・Caveman Ninja (also known as Joe & Mac)
・Magical Drop2
・Spanky's QuestNES – Nintendo Switch Online:
・Ninja JaJaMaru-kun pic.twitter.com/OzYmF7lIYk— Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) May 19, 2021
A looming change?
What’s fascinating is that Bailey thinks Nintendo could begin pushing the online services toward the end of the life cycle of the Nintendo Switch, once the install base is much higher.
So, it’s possible Nintendo will start to focus more on its subscription service after it has reached a certain number of Nintendo Switch sales (which is currently sitting at around 84 million units sold). This could be a great time to start adding more fan-favorite games from the SNES and N64 eras — and possibly beyond.
While this might not entirely satisfy all of our curiosity about Nintendo’s odd business practices, it at least can explain some of the company’s decisions when it comes to its older games. Ultimately, Nintendo doesn’t offer many of its beloved classics through a subscription service because it doesn’t have to. At least not right now.
