We got a glimpse of some new information about Nintendo's Switch Online Service yesterday during the Direct, but most of what was shown there was already known. To help shed a little more light on just what a subscription entails, Nintendo put a FAQ up on their site. The details are as follows:

• As already stated before the Direct, all Switch users (used to be only launch users) can get a 7 day free trial. This gives you access to online, voice chat, cloud saves, and the NES games.
• Those two wireless NES controllers are only purchasable if you have a current paid Nintendo Switch Online sub.
• The full list of 20 playable NES games for subscribers was revealed: Soccer, Tennis, Donkey Kong, Mario Bros., Super Mario Bros. 1 and 3, Balloon Fight, Ice Climber, Dr. Mario, The Legend of Zelda, Double Dragon, River City Ransom, Ghost's N Goblins, Tecmo Bowl, Gradius, Pro Wrestling, Excitebike, Yoshi, Ice Hockey, and Baseball.
• Each month, a new set of games will be added to the group.
• October will add NES Open Golf, Solomon's Key, and Super Dodge Ball
• November additions are Mighty Bomb Jack, Twinbee, and Metroid.
• December brings Wario's Woods, Adventures of Lolo, and Ninja Gaiden.
• Additionally, if you ever lapse in your subscription, you will lose all cloud data. "Save data stored with Save Data Cloud cannot be kept outside of the duration of your Nintendo Switch Online membership." If you cancel or let it expire, you'll lose all data saved on the cloud.
• If you play the NES games, you need to check in every 7 days by going online to verify your account.

Source: Nintendo UK
Source: Nintendo of America

 

[Supster131]

https://en-americas-support.nintendo.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/22521/p/897



Confirms saves are at least stored for some time after you cancel. And even then, if you really wanted to keep your stuff backed up, why would you cancel membership anyway? Seems illogical to me.

Confirms nothing. That response is vague compared to Nintendo UK's answer.
"unable to guarantee that cloud save data will be retained after an extended period of time from when your membership is ended" vs "cannot be kept outside of the duration of your Nintendo Switch Online membership"
Unless save data backups will work differently depending on your region, but that'd be weird.

Also, what if someone doesn't want to resub for a while? Can they not have that choice? RIP my backups, amiright?

 

[Hanafuda]

Should update the article to reflect the fact it's stored for a period of time after cancellation.

It's probably come up somewhere in the thread already, but regardless of whether these cloud saves are retained or not, you still have the local save data too, yes? The online service feature of cloud saves is just backup, or is it actually that's where your only save goes? Cuz I'm kinda anti-cloud generally.

I know that question seems buffoonishly noober, but I'd like to know for sure because if this is just about having a backup of your local save data, the outrage and hyperbole I've seen, from a few, over it being cut off when you cancel is just stupid.

 

[Subtle Demise]

However, if you expect them to store it free of charge (even though I don't agree with us paying in the first place), you've got to be nuts

Xbox One saves are automatically backed up and restored from the cloud as needed, regardless of Xbox Live Gold subscription status.

 

[TheDarkGreninja]

It's probably come up somewhere in the thread already, but regardless of whether these cloud saves are retained or not, you still have the local save data too, yes? The online service feature of cloud saves is just backup, or is it actually that's where your only save goes? Cuz I'm kinda anti-cloud generally.

No it's not fully cloud stored like Steam or Battle.Net.

Confirms nothing. That response is vague compared to Nintendo UK's answer.
"unable to guarantee that cloud save data will be retained after an extended period of time from when your membership is ended" vs "cannot be kept outside of the duration of your Nintendo Switch Online membership"
Unless save data backups will work differently depending on your region, but that'd be weird.

Also, what if someone doesn't want to resub for a while? Can they not have that choice? RIP my backups, amiright?

It confirms that they aren't immediately deleted and I'd trust the US site more than the UK one, which I've often found to have inaccurate answers (Just read the description for the Torna physical edition, it's a mess)

If they don't want to resub for a while, they shouldn't expect their save data to be stored. And what's more perplexing about that argument is that save data will be outdated anyway, so any additional progress will be lost if you don't resub. You're making a huge issue out of nothing.

--------------------- MERGED ---------------------------

Xbox One saves are automatically backed up and restored from the cloud as needed, regardless of Xbox Live Gold subscription status.

I'm not saying what Nintendo is doing is consumer friendly, but it shouldn't be expected of a paid subscription to keep your stuff stored even after your status is no longer subscribed, it's like Netflix allowing you to keep your downloaded movies.
I'm not too familiar with XBONE, are cloud saves paid?

 

[kumikochan]

No it's not fully cloud stored like Steam or Battle.Net.



It confirms that they aren't immediately deleted and I'd trust the US site more than the UK one, which I've often found to have inaccurate answers (Just read the description for the Torna physical edition, it's a mess)

If they don't want to resub for a while, they shouldn't expect their save data to be stored. And what's more perplexing about that argument is that save data will be outdated anyway, so any additional progress will be lost if you don't resub. You're making a huge issue out of nothing.

where does it confirm that ? It doesn't confirm whatsoever what you're saying. If it does confirm then please provide some information where it does state that because as long as it doesn't state that well then that means no confirmation.

 

[mituzora]

No it's not fully cloud stored like Steam or Battle.Net.



It confirms that they aren't immediately deleted and I'd trust the US site more than the UK one, which I've often found to have inaccurate answers (Just read the description for the Torna physical edition, it's a mess)

If they don't want to resub for a while, they shouldn't expect their save data to be stored. And what's more perplexing about that argument is that save data will be outdated anyway, so any additional progress will be lost if you don't resub. You're making a huge issue out of nothing.

--------------------- MERGED ---------------------------


I'm not saying what Nintendo is doing is consumer friendly, but it shouldn't be expected of a paid subscription to keep your stuff stored even after your status is no longer subscribed, it's like Netflix allowing you to keep your downloaded movies.
I'm not too familiar with XBONE, are cloud saves paid?

"Regardless of Xbox Live Gold Status" so no

 

[the_randomizer]

Ooh cloud saves, so reliable Have fun when servers shut down and/or get DDOSed.

 

[Supster131]

It confirms that they aren't immediately deleted and I'd trust the US site more than the UK one, which I've often found to have inaccurate answers (Just read the description for the Torna physical edition, it's a mess)

I guess we'll see next week.

I'm not saying what Nintendo is doing is consumer friendly, but it shouldn't be expected of a paid subscription to keep your stuff stored even after your status is no longer subscribed, it's like Netflix allowing you to keep your downloaded movies.
I'm not too familiar with XBONE, are cloud saves paid?

Cloud saves are 100% free on Xbox One (and games for Windows 10)

Anyways, then let's look at PS+ (as you only get local save backups for free, cloud backups are not free). If you decide not to resub, your backups are not lost.

--------------------- MERGED ---------------------------

Ooh cloud saves, so reliable Have fun when servers shut down and/or get DDOSed.

This is why we need local save backups, something other platforms offer.

 

[TheDarkGreninja]

I guess we'll see next week.

Cloud saves are 100% free on Xbox One (and games for Windows 10)

Anyways, then let's look at PS+ (as you only get local save backups for free, cloud backups are not free). If you decide not to resub, your backups are not lost.

--------------------- MERGED ---------------------------


This is why we need local save backups, something other platforms offer.

Don't get me wrong, I don't think they should be paid at all.
Also, with PS+ it's a 6 month period before they're deleted, so not forever, and as said last time that data will be outdated anyway.
https://community.eu.playstation.co...o-PlayStation-Plus-Members-From/td-p/12558216

 

[Yepi69]

People complain about the shit Apple does but if you look closer, Nintendo is pretty much the same.
Apple does ''insert shitty feature here'' this, everyone complains and Apple keeps ignoring.
Nintendo does ''insert shitty feature here'' this, everyone complains and Nintendo keeps ignoring.

 

[Sonic Angel Knight]

Anyways without going out on a tangent, their cloud management stuff is ridiculous. I hope we can agree on that one at least

I know it's ridiculous but my point was that perhaps their way of handling this was seen as a response to remove save modding as a possible homebrew is a potential reason for what they are doing. Not that it was a good excuse or a good idea. It wasn't about much else. Yes I would like to back up my save data without paying for it, yes it would be nice to keep the save data alive as long as possible cause there isn't anything worst than losing progress and having to start a long process of a game from square one no matter how much you enjoy the game and think it's worth playing again.

Still I don't understand why a sudden break in the streak means losing save data. It's very daunting with such a thing. also that access to playing a bunch of nes classic games. Was buying them for $5 like we been doing for the last three systems not enough to play them, now we have to have sub to play them and then 7 day checkpoint for using it? This sounds way worst than Xbox one E3 announcement with their DRM policies. What's the chances of people connecting online for a system that is both console and portable, it's not a cellphone, internet is not easily accessible on the go.

 

[Oschara]

what about 3rd party games? does that require a sub?

 

[Supster131]

Don't get me wrong, I don't think they should be paid at all.
Also, with PS+ it's a 6 month period before they're deleted, so not forever, and as said last time that data will be outdated anyway.
https://community.eu.playstation.co...o-PlayStation-Plus-Members-From/td-p/12558216

Yeah, I feel like if Nintendo offered a free alternative, this kind of stuff wouldn't matter.
Also, I'd like a more up-to-date source on that 6 month grace period for PS+ saves. I'm not saying it's wrong, but potentially outdated. I once went a bit over a year without PS+ (as I don't really play online much) and my saves were still intact when I resubbed. This was around 2015-2016 though.

Also, while you're right about the online saves being outdated, while it's very unlikely, shit can happen. Your console breaks or something. At least you'll have something to rely on rather than starting all over.

 

[Tumoche]

I play competitive mk8. Now even worse i have to pay for a shitty p2p service instead of being free and also not a real server

 

[TheDarkGreninja]

Yeah, I feel like if Nintendo offered a free alternative, this kind of stuff wouldn't matter.
Also, I'd like a more up-to-date source on that 6 month grace period for PS+ saves. I'm not saying it's wrong, but potentially outdated. I once went a bit over a year without PS+ (as I don't really play online much) and my saves were still intact when I resubbed. This was around 2015-2016 though.

Also, while you're right about the online saves being outdated, while it's very unlikely, shit can happen. Your console breaks or something. At least you'll have something to rely on rather than starting all over.

Couldn't find a much more recent source, I'll probably have to contact sony for a more up to date answer.
But yeah, I understand wanting to have at least something, but keeping subbed continuously isn't too difficult, (£20 a year is nothing in comparison to most of other subscription services)

 

[Supster131]

Couldn't find a much more recent source, I'll probably have to contact sony for a more up to date answer.
But yeah, I understand wanting to have at least something, but keeping subbed continuously isn't too difficult, (£20 a year is nothing in comparison to most of other subscription services)

I found this link from Polygon, probably the closest thing we have for an answer: https://support.us.playstation.com/articles/en_US/KC_Article/PS-Plus-Information
Going by this plus my anecdote, it seems like it stays in the cloud forever.

I get that it's not expensive compared to the competition (which realistically you can get for $40. I never pay MSRP for PS+ or XBL), but life can happen. I talked about this with some friends earlier today. God forbid your credit card expires when it's about to renew or you just can't afford $20 when your sub is about to end due to some real life stuff.

 

[godreborn]

I'm edging towards not supporting their online service. way to give the finger to your fans, Nintendo.

 

[V-Temp]

No service auto deletes data, these things happen in routine intervals. Like PokeBank it will have some grace window before data deletion and reallocation which hhappensin batches.

Probably weeks+ unless you get really unlucky and unsubscribe right at the trash window.

 

[Treeko]

Worst online paid service confirmed, reasons-:

1. Worst paid multiplayer service, still utilises p2p connection in this day and age, you're literally paying to use your own internet, compared to other services that use dedicated servers for their games.

2. Classic free games we've all played 100 times already on previous nintendo consoles compared to competing paid services that offer triple AAA and exclusive titles for free.

3. Worst cloud save implementation, pay or you're shit out of luck if you missed out on your renewal date, no manual save backup aswell compared to the competition.

4. Only a few games will support clould saves, huge titles missing from cloud save support pokemon and splatoon 2.

5. Still using friend codes to add people to your friend list in this day and age, no voice or text chat on console.

6. You need to have a smartphone to have any kind of voice chat support, if you don't have one, that's one less feature you're getting out of the 20$ yearly subscription.

This is probably the most atrocious and malicious business decision nintendo has ever made as a company, and if you're supporting them on this venture then you're a problem to the gaming industry, one which is as big as microtransactions and dlc season passes.

 

[Kioku]

Worst online paid service confirmed, reasons-:

1. Worst paid multiplayer service, still utilises p2p connection in this day and age, you're literally paying to use your own internet, compared to other services that use dedicated servers for their games.

2. Classic free games we've all played 100 times already on previous nintendo consoles compared to competing paid services that offer triple AAA and exclusive titles for free.

3. Worst cloud save implementation, pay or you're shit out of luck if you missed out on your renewal date, no manual save backup aswell compared to the competition.

4. Only a few games will support clould saves, huge titles missing from cloud save support pokemon and splatoon 2.

5. Still using friend codes to add people to your friend list in this day and age, no voice or text chat on console.

6. You need to have a smartphone to have any kind of voice chat support, if you don't have one, that's one less feature you're getting out of the 20$ yearly subscription.

This is probably the most atrocious and malicious business decision nintendo has ever made as a company, and if you're supporting them on this venture then you're a problem to the gaming industry, one which is as big as microtransactions and dlc season passes.

I agree with all but 1... Nintendo aren't the only ones using P2P for multiplayer. Xbox does this as well. They're only recently moving toward dedicated servers. Unsure about Playstation.