Talking Point: Are You Excited At All For Switch 2 GameChat?

Almost one-and-a-half months have elapsed since Switch 2 Direct, and we’re approximately three-and-a-half more away from its official unveiling. We are fairly satisfied with the hour-long exhibition that Nintendo conducted to form the official introduction at the beginning of April. Granted, some contradictory statements and unresolved queries could and should have been avoided, but the initial show was jam-packed with excellent games and a comprehensive view of the hardware. An impressive start, following much anticipation.

With some hindsight, we might have reduced the emphasis on a voice and video chat feature as if it were a groundbreaking innovation in the gaming communication world. But perhaps with more distance from the announcement, its merits will be better appreciated! Weeks later though, we remain somewhat indifferent and unenthusiastic about GameChat.

The year is 2025, and in the realm of in-game chat, Discord commands the scene. Nintendo had the opportunity to streamline this process at the beginning of the Switch generation, but their voice chat app was their ‘solution’. Don’t forget the laughably tedious spaghetti-like set up needed for a Splatoon 2 voice chat with a headset

We expressed our disappointment at that time, which became a contentious topic for a while. However, over the years, people moved on. Many players abandoned the idea of a conveniently integrated voice chat solution not simply due to Nintendo’s puzzling strategy, but because, most people prefer to enjoy their online gaming in silence.

Avoiding random interaction has been a preference since the late 2000s, spurred on by the constant stream of abuse from immature users pushing most sane gamers to seek refuge in the ‘Mute All’ settings.

As expected, Nintendo will be adhering to its ‘walled garden’ approach with GameChat, even though voice chat seems outdated. To many, the prominent showcase of voice chat in the Switch 2 launch made Nintendo seem two decades out of touch, attempting yet again to garner excitement over the system-level integration of Wii Speak. Do you recall Wii Speak? Despite compatibility with some Wii games like Animal Crossing: City Folk, it didn’t generate much enthusiasm.

Fast-forward from 2008.

16-and-a-half years later.

Everyone has evolved. In a time when Skype was just recently retired, the announcement of a ‘brand-new cutting edge chat feature’ feels more like a diversion than anything else, especially from a company that has wisely kept to the fundamentals of their previous console template. The video functionality could be construed as a throwback to Kinect and EyeToy, but at this stage, it just feels like a long overdue take on a concept that peaked long ago. The low frame rate of the gameplay feeds didn’t do much to appeal to the hardcore gaming crowd, either.

However, there’s a certain simplicity in promoting GameChat as a game-changer, making you question, ‘Could I be overlooking something? Have they stumbled upon a hidden gem here?’ And perhaps for some segments of the market, they have.

For those who’ve been with Nintendo for a while, gaining some perspective can be challenging. It’s important to remember that not every Nintendo consumer is a fervent devotee awaiting the next F-Zero. There are regular folks who don’t gauge console generations by the stitch-count on Mario’s overalls. With Switch owners entering online gaming for the first time for various reasons, this straightforward incorporation of audio and video chat may be an exciting novelty.

Young children seeking to connect with friends may find this a fun and secure alternative. Being able to ditch your phone on the side whilst you play is a convenience I can get behind as someone who dislikes splitting attention over multiple devices (making the Zelda Notes app for the forthcoming NS2 Editions of BOTW and TOTK a slight nuisance, but we can discuss that later).

Who knows, perhaps older gamers who never participated in the voice chat era may find connecting a camera directly to the console by a conspicuous cable intriguing? Regardless of how awkward it looks (despite Nintendo’s efforts to tidy up the cables in their promotional material), it reassures users that they’re not being recorded unawares whilst playing Zelda in their underwear- as one does.

“…we aspired to create an environment that naturally encouraged people to gather, whether to play the same game, different games, or even just observe. Our team believe that such a setting could cultivate an entirely new approach to voice chat, unlike anything that Nintendo has previously offered.”

In part two, another interesting point suggests the potential interest from younger audiences. “It’s simply a video chat among friends,” states Ono, “but it’s packaged in a way that it emulates YouTubers streaming their gameplay. I think it could be a blast for friends to play in a manner similar to performing a livestream.”

Enabling children to fulfill their dream of becoming YouTubers together appears to be a conscious design decision, though Ono contradicts himself in part three. He said: “We earlier made reference to the fact that GameChat can simulate a gaming live broadcast, however, it’s not a tool for live streaming, so we’ve purposefully evaded creating that impression.”

Nintendo, with a clear emphasis on social interaction likely driven by lockdown limitations, positions GameChat as primarily a place for connection. Based on the team’s discourse, the ‘Game’ component seems secondary. The moniker, as a result, could have been brainstormed further?

This rationale could also be applied to many of the latest Nintendo offerings. Desiring to loan your games to friends and relatives? GameShare isn’t what you need – Virtual Game Cards would be more suitable. GameShare is tailor-made for situations where you wish to enjoy multiplayer with friends using a single game copy. You can also GameShare through GameChat, it seems.

The system isn’t overly convoluted, but there’s unnecessary confusion in the nomenclature, especially for a corporation that prioritizes user-friendliness. Users shouldn’t need to reference a FAQ for such matters.

Nevertheless, despite our hesitations and dampened enthusiasm up to this point, we’re still eager to experience GameChat’s operation in a realistic environment. Could it evolve into a subtle but significant utility that fluidly integrates into our gaming routines as effortlessly as the Switch did in 2017? Maybe using Discord will suddenly appear cumbersome when compared to Nintendo’s built-in solution. It’s feasible!

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