As I’ve expressed many times on the Nintendo Entertainment Podcast, the Nintendo Switch Online service is something you either invest in fully, or you just use it for the online functionality because you often play games with online multiplayer. Even with the Expansion Pack options, the number of players actually on the service may not be as high as you think. With the Switch 2 launch imminent, and Mario Kart World being its launch title, it’s important that as many Nintendo gamers as possible have the online service.
To that end, during the financial briefing released last week, Nintendo President Shuntaro Furukawa outlined what the company aimed for with the online service going forward, including its user numbers:
“The number of Nintendo Switch Online members varies depending on the sales situation of the hardware and the trends in the release of titles that utilize online play, but since the number of members was disclosed at the last management policy briefing, the number of subscribers has remained stable without any significant increase or decrease. Looking ahead, we will release titles that utilize online play, such as Mario Kart World, for Nintendo Switch 2. In addition to releasing these new titles, we aim to maintain and increase the number of members in the mid- to long-term by further expanding the service.”
Part of the way they’re doing that is by adding GameCube titles to the Switch 2 version of the service. Plus, they’re adding GameChat, which will allow players to truly talk to one another via the console itself instead of an external platform.
However, Shuntaro Furukawa admits that this can’t be the online place where they innovate:
“We want to grow Nintendo Switch Online in the medium to long term as a service that consumers can enjoy and subscribe to for a long time. To achieve this, we need to continue to create attractive elements that will make people really want to join this service.”
Only time will tell if they’re able to bring more gamers to the online platform this time around.
