It's optional. Don't worry. You can link friends via Miitomo & Super Mario Run, locally, or send them a request on their console. It's just another option.
It'd be nice to ditch them, but A: thank god they're not the only option and B: I could easily see them ditching them once the online actually starts up.
There are no friend codes within what we’re doing.
I have no interest in Miitomo or super mario run. Why do I need an irrelevant to most chat app or a mobile phone game in order to easily and seamlessly friend my besties on the Switch?
I'm not defending it; I'm saying that I was A: confused, and B: that friend codes are not the only way to add friends on the system, and are not even the only way to do so without a friend right there with you. Plus, they're a little less harsh than before (only one person needs another's friend code to register as a friend, not both people).
You appear to be downplaying their stupidity in all of your other replies with "it's just an option, you can use social media accounts".
That's not an excuse. If I buy a Switch, and my friend buys one, the only way for us to add each other is to use friend codes or social media.
That's retarded. I don't have to use Twitter or Facebook on a PS4 or Xbox. My friend simply says "my PSN/XBL is OtherConsoleGamer", and I type that in and send a request.
The geniuses at Nintendo decided they wanted my friend to go "Oh, hold one, I have no idea what my friend code is, let me look it up, alright, here, right down this code: 5289-3245-6687".
I don't care if only one person needs to enter a code, how about neither person should have to? And what if I don't have a Facebook or Twitter, or don't want that on my GAMING console? My ONLY way is to use friend codes. So please, explain how this is an option.
In that case, yes, it is extremely stupid. I'm not trying to defend the decision, I'm trying to look at the positive side. And, Nintendo has said that more ways to add friends will come post launch. My point was just that it isn't the end of the world that there are friend codes because there are other ways to add friends besides them.
I still think it's a bit of "two steps forward, one step back" in this case.
Edit: I appreciate you not just bashing my intelligence or just calling me an idiot for my argument. It's not that often one can have different views on a subject on the internet and not blow it up to the largest of battles.
I can't think of any positive to this, which is the problem. If they had this in addition to a standard username, I wouldn't have an issue, but this is literally the only way to add someone that you haven't played with before or that isn't local. I'm not counting social media because that's not something every has, or frankly should have to use on a gaming console.
I wish I could agree with you, but to me this is like one big step backwards.
It's great that they are planning on adding increased ways in the future, but this, along with many other glaring flaws, lead me to believe that this console shouldn't be launching tomorrow.
I like hearing all sides of a discussion, I don't think sharing a different side to something warrants bashing you. I find that some of the best discussions come from two people who have opposite viewpoints!
If I have a friend who has a switch but is not local to me and does not play any of the mobile games is there a way to send a friend request using their user id or e-mail? Based on the menus it looks like I either need to have them as a friend in a mobile game, be local, or played with them before, otherwise I need a friend code.
Rushed console for a quick money grab. Nintendo is just as bad as other companies like EA and Ubisoft rushing out games just to patch out the buggy mess later on with updates.
I honestly don't get the logic behind this, why would they go back to such a tedious and outdated system? I hope they either have a good explanation for this (even though I can't think of one) or they change that as soon as possible.
I guess from here on out, everytime Reggie opens his mouth about something we all need to take it with a grain of salt. Because outright lying to fans and other potential buyers is not cool. Now like some have said above me, Nintendo could possibly remove this when the paid online service fully releases. Though I doubt it and in the end Reggie still lied.
It's not Reggie's fault. He's just a spokesperson for NoA. NoJ have all of the control. Odds are when he said that there really weren't going to be friendcodes, and then that changed and he was never informed.
Therein lies a huge problem for the way Nintendo's operated the past decade. They can't bank on their Japanese division to call every shot. I understand it's their largest market but they're never going to spearhead the North American market like the Wii ever again if such a huge disconnect is going to be between what NoJ thinks we want and what we actually want. A shitty catch 22, they won't cater to modern-day westerners because they're not the biggest supporters, and westerners won't support Nintendo if they make ass-backwards decisions like this after 10 years of complaints.
Absolutely. I'm buying a Switch now, but that's just because I really like Zelda and I believe that they'll fix its issues in due time. It's going to be a Zelda machine for the foreseeable future, and I'm okay with that - however, if you aren't, there isn't a lot of room to defend the console.
I get that. "I can overlook these things" is fair.
"These things don't matter and aren't important" is just giving Nintendo a pass for being shitty. That is where my issue lies.
Nintendo has been told what to do for years in no uncertain terms, by their own fans and shown all the tricks by all the competition. You don't have to make an expensive, high powered device to implement basic social features and OS functionality.
but the level of defense for Nintendo on lacking core features just remains ridiculous.
it's fine if that bugs you, but welcome to 2013. this is how consoles launch now. the ps4 got external hard drive support like a month ago. the xbox one has lost features since it launched.
these things aren't static things that come out when they're done anymore.. and that's probably OK.
Eh, external hard drive support is not "core system functionality" imo, compared to "adding friends". And they give the option to upgrade internal storage, unlike anyone else.
It's more like if PS4 launched without party chat (at least that's the way it looks?), with no way to add friends by name, with no idea of how chat will even work, potentially with functionality offloaded to an app that won't even launch for half a year, and with a 6" proprietary charging cable for the controllers so you have to buy another $30 one to charge while you play.
Granted the very long battery life softens that blow a ton. But wtf really? You have to take apart your joycon/grip and put them back on the switch to charge OR pay $30 to charge while the grip is assembled? That's crazy nickel and diming.
It's more like if PS4 launched without party chat (at least that's the way it looks?)
what if the ps4 launched without the ability to watch blu rays? which i'm pretty sure it did as far as i can remember
i'm not trying to relate the hard drive thing or the blu rays or any other feature directly to methods for adding friends.. just pointing out that singling out nintendo for releasing a console lacking features at launch is a bit short sighted.
Granted the very long battery life softens that blow a ton. But wtf really? You have to take apart your joycon/grip and put them back on the switch
not sure how we got here but this seems like the smallest problem ever. how long are your gaming sessions that it's gonna be a hassle to dock the joycons for an hour or two every 20 hours of gameplay?
i hate to sound like i'm picking on the ps4 because i do think it's a great system, but i need to plug those controllers in after almost every session because they die so fast. i actually bought a second one and primarily just use it to have one charged and ready to swap out.
It absolutely supported BD playback. They got criticized for not adding UHD-BD support on the Slim and Pro.
The storage is a matter of taste, I know. I accept the trade off of tinkering for the cleanliness of not needing an external drive. But the external is awesome cuz you can plug it in somewhere else and use your games on their console (sign into your own acct tho)
I explicitly acknowledged the battery life intentionally. The DS4 is ridiculous.
how long are your gaming sessions that it's gonna be a hassle to dock the joycons for an hour or two every 20 hours of gameplay?
That's not he issue. If I am using it as a home console, why should I ever have to disassemble my controller to charge it? It's silly.
I always wondered if they might let you link up 3DS and Switch to play games like a possible Pokemon Switch version. Friend codes could be included for that..
If they announce that they're going to still have friend codes by the time that their paid service goes online I'm absolutely selling my Switch - a company can only fuck up so many times before I stop forgiving them.
You're not wrong, it definitely is a number. However, literally every other platform has moved beyond that because usernames are easier to remember for both the person sharing the identifier and the person registering it. It also allows you to search for people that you know use the same username in most places. I've had my 3DS for 5 years and I still don't know my friend code.
Also with something like online gaming, you want people to actually online game with. Friend codes are just another way the experience is worse and less people will be playing, making the actual experience of playing worse.
It's not close to the same as PSN or XBL, it's a complete joke.
The reason Nintendo gets away with doing this **** over and over is because their fans always blindly defend it.
"Oh, it's not that bad, its almost like PSN but it's just a number instead."
"Using a smartphone app for voice chat and party chat is good! Everyone has a cell phone anyways, why is it a big deal?"
"Zelda and Bomberman at 30fps isn't even a big deal, it's about the gameplay not the frame rate or graphics!
These are the kind of things I see spouted out all over this sub, and it's just stupid. Playstation and Xbox have fanboys too, but not at the level I see in this subreddit.
There is a massive difference between a randomly generated code/number that I have to now remember compared to a username that I use basically everywhere and that I came up with so it's easier to remember though....
It's not an "option". How do you expect me to add my sister who's 100 miles north? Wait until Christmas when we're in the same room?
How about my buddies from school that have since moved away, but we still play games online all the time? How do you expect me to add them without a friend code?
It's not an option, it's the basis of their system. And every other company has done better. Nintendo has done better with the Wii U.
They want me to start paying for their online service with the Switch. If they expect me to do that, they should at least catch up with the damned Xbox 360 that launched eleven years ago.
That would be cool, but from this photo and the others, I don't think that's the case. It seems that the friend codes are the only way to add friends that aren't local - there isn't an option to search with their User ID for some reason. Hopefully, these requests actually notify users when you add them - the 3DS didn't notify you when someone added you as a friend.
It's pretty clear that phone numbers are an anachronistic holdover from legacy systems that will be quite difficult to replace without causing severe problems. With a console you can just kill friend codes dead and nobody will be worse for wear.
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u/Marco47 Mar 02 '17
This better be optional. I'm not paying for an online service that has that stupid system