Over the holidays we’re reposting some select features from the past 12 months. A mix of talking points, interviews, opinions and more NL staff and associates, you’ll find our usual mix of thoughtfulness, expertise, frivolity, retro nostalgia, and — of course — enthusiasm for all things Nintendo. Happy Holidays!
Soapbox features allow our individual writers and contributors to voice their opinions on hot topics and random things they’ve been chewing on. Today, Thomas discusses Nintendo’s unnecessary ‘choice’ between the Virtual Console and Nintendo Switch Online subscription apps.
Among the various questions, debates, and issues that surfaced following the announcement that the Wii U and 3DS eShops would close in 2023, one that caught my eye was the topic of the Virtual Console platform being lost. Although at the time I included a tongue-in-cheek option in our Poll article poking fun at some of the collective anger, implying that many of us were upset despite not having used any stores (or shopped) in a while, there were valid points about the content that was going to disappear. I first instinct was to think about system exclusives (especially great indie titles) going away, but seeing the references to VC deals definitely gave me extra pause for thought.
While it cedes expertise, data and resources to Nintendo, its approach to accessibility and monetization around its retro content continues to baffle me. Below is the answer that actually was removed from official questions and answersdealing with the fact that a many retro downloads will no longer be available for legal purchase from the company.
Our Nintendo Switch Online membership plans currently have over 130 classic games available in our growing libraries for various legacy systems. Games are often enhanced with new features such as online play.
We think this is an effective way to make classic content easily accessible to a wide range of players. Within these libraries, new and long-time players can not only find games they remember or have heard of, but also other fun games they might not otherwise have thought to look for.
We currently have no plans to offer classic content in other ways.
This could of course change, but let’s take it for granted and assume that, at least in the near to medium term, Nintendo will continue with its current approach of occasional one-off releases of retro games on the eShop – like the bizarre limited-time releases Fire Emblem: Shadow Dragon and Blade of Light – with others appearing as part of Nintendo Switch Online subscriptions. As most of those reading these pages will know it’s been a very slow release transfer on certain platforms, with the Expansion Pack currently a big focus for Nintendo upon confirmation, it will also include the upcoming Mario Kart 8 Deluxe Booster Course Pass. Between both NSO options we have a series of games (various sizes) for NES, SNES, Nintendo 64 and SEGA Genesis / Mega Drive.
The logic of pushing the growth of the number of subscribers is undeniable. As Kate Gray points out in this article on the subject, businesses value the reliability and consistency of revenue from popular subscription services. The basic NSO package is required for cloud saves and online play, appealing to some Switch owners with little or no interest in the NES and SNES libraries. Meanwhile, the Expansion Pack is definitely worth it for Animal Crossing: New Horizons – Happy Home Paradise and the upcoming MK8 Deluxe DLC alone, whether or not you want the N64 or SEGA genesis titles. On the other hand, some subscribers will primarily sign up for retro games, so the strategy is easy to see.
While that’s true, that old social media meme of ‘why not both?’ comes to mind. Why not have subscription options and eShop virtual consoles? Since NSO is a multiple offering, it seems unlikely that anyone would ditch that subscription in a heartbeat to buy Super Mario Bros. for 5 dollars.
Remembering the Wii / 3DS / Wii U Virtual Console era, there must have been an element of VC fatigue after a while among dedicated fans. Perhaps sales figures were low by the time we got to the 3DS and Wii U iterations, though retro Pokémon games dominated the 3DS eShop charts for a long time a long time time. There have also been complaints over the years about emulation – in Europe we endured 50Hz refresh in the Wii years, and any addition to the VC platform would trigger arguments about resolution, filters and so on.
I can’t help but feel that a fully loaded Virtual Console eShop (minus the drip releases from previous iterations) would be a hit.
These were loud arguments among the minority, I’d say, and the reality is that for me and others, the Virtual Console was a wonderful entry point into gaming history. Despite being old enough to theoretically own an NES, Game Boy and SNES, my first Nintendo system was the N64. When I got the Wii, I spent a lot of money on classics I never played, appreciating the chance to catch up. Then the 3DS Virtual Console came along and I bought a bunch of Game Boy and Game Boy Color titles. Even on the Wii, the UI was there for a handful of key Game Boy Advance titles. I first thought whenever redownload availability is compromised – which hasn’t happened yet – is to jump at the chance and download my collections on each system.
In terms of models, while subscription platforms like Netflix deal exclusively with streaming, other major entertainment services allow you to subscribe and buy. Microsoft’s Game Pass does not prevent you from becoming a subscriber and purchase download games that are also on the service. On PlayStation, a lot of content on PlayStation Now is also available for purchase. On TV, platforms like Amazon Prime and various services let you stream and buy the same content, often with streaming and purchase stores that exist side by side.
The other side of the argument could be that Nintendo doesn’t have the resources or desire to update and produce the necessary game page text and other aspects we’re used to on NSO, like control screens and so on. It’s not just a matter of throwing a few hundred ROMs into the store and watching them sell, there’s going to be a lot of backend work to produce the ‘product’ and it’s probably not going to be a simple reuse case to store assets from previous Virtual Console platforms. It would be a relatively significant project, and perhaps Nintendo has the research and data to suggest that the effort wouldn’t be worth it.
That said, I can’t help but feel that a fully loaded Virtual Console eShop (minus the drip releases from previous iterations) would be a hit, especially at this stage in the Switch’s lifecycle when it has a large and engaged user base. Add in systems that Switch owners haven’t experienced — such as the Game Boy, Game Boy Advance — and there’s bound to be renewed interest. For some of these experiences, we rely on third-party compilations such as Konami and Capcom.
I understand why Nintendo tried an alternative to Virtual Console with Switch Online. What I don’t understand is why the VC was kicked out completely – for a company with such a history and unrivaled power of nostalgia, it’s oddly shy about sharing that retro content with as many people as possible.
Let us know what you think about this, as always, in the comments!
