02-26-2022, 02:11 PM
There have been so many Nintendo rumours over the years that it is absolutely silly, unless it comes from them directly never trust an outside source (or those called insiders who claim to know stuff, they are lucky at best). The rare exception is data mining but even then it could easily be for plans that got scrapped.
Will Nintendo have their "Game Pass" like system? I don't know... Microsoft has done it and seems to be successful (despite some are going for the cheap workaround of a $1 or so), enough for Sony to do something similar as there is that strong rumour of merging PS Now and PS Plus together. Yet Nintendo are sort of different, they would only do it if they believe in making a good return. Nintendo does have a large back catalogue of IP, that is known but they are also a company who doesn't like to undervalue their games and are reluctant regarding some of their older games. Sony have done the same in recent times though hence the $70/£60 games and no Classics (their Virtual Console for the PS1/2/PSP like the PS3 and Vita had). Plus the game selection, Microsoft can afford to put Forza Horizon 5 as a game because to them it would mean more people playing the game (and the game would only last up to 5 years until the servers switch off anyway). Nintendo wouldn't put Mario Kart 8 Deluxe or Breath of the Wild on their service as both games still make money full price to literally this day so it would be their much smaller titles. Kind of like the games that they used to put on the 3DS/early Switch, no full price game that's for sure. Let's put it this way, would you subscribe to a Nintendo Game Pass if they offered you 1-2 Switch, Sushi Striker or ARMS?
Even if Nintendo did have this, who is to say how long that it lasts for. What Nintendo believes is the here and now in terms of their online operation (why the 3DS and the Wii U eShop are closing, Miiverse that closed, the mobile experiments, stuff like Nintendo Badge Arcade, even going as far back as the Satelliview). They don't have the infrastructure to have a fully functional online service, adding on top that Nintendo doesn't officially support some countries like Sony (nearly all of Europe, the Middle East, South America, South East Asia on top of Japan and the US) and Microsoft. Also the other two gaming companies are more willing to go to 3rd parties for deals. Nintendo by comparison is only close to a few selected outside companies (e.g. Bandai Namco, Koei Tecmo) and strangely enough Microsoft themselves due to past IP/Minecraft.
If Nintendo did do this, then it would be pretty hard for it to be on the Switch due to storage issues. Game Pass has worked on the Xbox (and believe to be on PC) is due to the larger storage while the Switch is 32GB onboard (apparently 64GB in the OLED models), many games are beyond even their own physical cartridge releases. So I can't see Nintendo doing something that only microSD card owners would benefit from. While they have been a few cloud based games, most of them have been stuck in Japan due to latency/connection issues and why that Kingdom Hearts Collection is a bit of a disaster. Would be possible for their next console though that we'll be hearing in a few years time.
Will Nintendo have their "Game Pass" like system? I don't know... Microsoft has done it and seems to be successful (despite some are going for the cheap workaround of a $1 or so), enough for Sony to do something similar as there is that strong rumour of merging PS Now and PS Plus together. Yet Nintendo are sort of different, they would only do it if they believe in making a good return. Nintendo does have a large back catalogue of IP, that is known but they are also a company who doesn't like to undervalue their games and are reluctant regarding some of their older games. Sony have done the same in recent times though hence the $70/£60 games and no Classics (their Virtual Console for the PS1/2/PSP like the PS3 and Vita had). Plus the game selection, Microsoft can afford to put Forza Horizon 5 as a game because to them it would mean more people playing the game (and the game would only last up to 5 years until the servers switch off anyway). Nintendo wouldn't put Mario Kart 8 Deluxe or Breath of the Wild on their service as both games still make money full price to literally this day so it would be their much smaller titles. Kind of like the games that they used to put on the 3DS/early Switch, no full price game that's for sure. Let's put it this way, would you subscribe to a Nintendo Game Pass if they offered you 1-2 Switch, Sushi Striker or ARMS?
Even if Nintendo did have this, who is to say how long that it lasts for. What Nintendo believes is the here and now in terms of their online operation (why the 3DS and the Wii U eShop are closing, Miiverse that closed, the mobile experiments, stuff like Nintendo Badge Arcade, even going as far back as the Satelliview). They don't have the infrastructure to have a fully functional online service, adding on top that Nintendo doesn't officially support some countries like Sony (nearly all of Europe, the Middle East, South America, South East Asia on top of Japan and the US) and Microsoft. Also the other two gaming companies are more willing to go to 3rd parties for deals. Nintendo by comparison is only close to a few selected outside companies (e.g. Bandai Namco, Koei Tecmo) and strangely enough Microsoft themselves due to past IP/Minecraft.
If Nintendo did do this, then it would be pretty hard for it to be on the Switch due to storage issues. Game Pass has worked on the Xbox (and believe to be on PC) is due to the larger storage while the Switch is 32GB onboard (apparently 64GB in the OLED models), many games are beyond even their own physical cartridge releases. So I can't see Nintendo doing something that only microSD card owners would benefit from. While they have been a few cloud based games, most of them have been stuck in Japan due to latency/connection issues and why that Kingdom Hearts Collection is a bit of a disaster. Would be possible for their next console though that we'll be hearing in a few years time.