The Quickening: Nintendo's Online Service sucks... and we too.

Tomorrow, a glorious era ends: the free online and, with it, everything that it had: the virtual console, the retrocompatibility, the power to say that the games we bought were ours. Nintendo, I love you, but you fucked up this time... however, we also fucked up before.

In a nice and illustrative video, the company reviewed the different features to which the monthly payment will give access: enjoy online games, save games in the cloud, access to a retro video game catalog that will grow and the mobile application that allows use voice chat.

That Nintendo bet for an online payment service, following in the footsteps of Microsoft and Sony, is not a negative thing per se and, in fact, the announcement of Nintendo Switch Online suggested that, at last, the company had put the batteries and could look from one to you, in terms of options and infrastructure, to its main competitors. Now, a year and a half after the launch of the console, we can certify that Nintendo is still anchored in the past and that, on this occasion, aims to charge its users for a series of services that after analyzing and, being concise, they look like a bad joke. Let's go by parts.

Since its launch, Nintendo Switch doesn't allow making a local backup of our saved games, storing them in external hard drives, SD cards or pendrives. So, all our data would be lost if the console broke down. The solution that has come from the company is the saving of games in the cloud, complementary to the traditional platforms such as Steam, Xbox One or PS4, but here is our only option.

The problem? They affirm that "they can't guarantee that those stored in the cloud are accessible after a long period of time" after the end of the membership. Also, as if that wasn't enough, the company can't confirm that all video games are compatible with this feature and, in fact, there are several that have confirmed that won't be: Splatoon 2, Pokémon Let's Go Eevee and Pikachu, NBA 2K19, FIFA 19 or Dark Souls Remastered.

In summary: anyone who wants to keep their safe games must pay for it, knowing that not all video games will incorporate this feature and that, once unsubscribed from the subscription, the data could be deleted.

Perhaps the most striking advantage of the service is having access to a growing catalog of NES video games, some of which will incorporate online multiplayer. It's an appreciated aspect but that, of course, pales before services such as video games offered monthly on PlayStation Plus and Games With Gold. Also, we're talking about titles with more than 30 years behind them and that, in any way, aren't enough to replace the desired virtual console that, it seems, Nintendo doesn't intend to implement in Switch.

Plus, there are certain requirements and barriers: despite keeping our subscription active, we can't access video games if we spend more than seven days disconnected from the Internet. It's, by far, the least of the problems of Nintendo Switch Online but, in turn, the umpteenth proof that the service is far from what you would expect and, above all, what should be required of any company, more to one of the size and route of Nintendo, in full 2018.

It's strange, at least, that after a year and a half of free service (and very improvable, in many aspects) Nintendo will restrict access to this feature without promising or talking about a substantial improvement in infrastructure. It never ceases to amaze the way in which Nintendo has managed everything about the online console, giving the feeling at all times of being working against the clock and in a hurry.

From the company confirm that the payment subscription will be an essential requirement to enjoy Splatoon 2, ARMS, Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, Mario Tennis Aces or Sushi Striker: The Way of Sushido but, again, there is some small print and don't confirm that all video games with online modalities will require such a thing. Without going any further, we already know that free to play titles like Fortnite or Arena of Valor will not.

And do you know what the worst part is?

We deserve it.

We have to be self-critical with ourselves. Just as it's wrong to pay online, it's also wrong not to have played when it was free (Iwata would never have allowed this if he was still in charge of the company... as well as ignoring the third parties and more censorship in the games. To get a change, you need to trade something), as well as a limited virtual console that will only be accessible if you are connected, it's also wrong not to have taken advantage of it knowing that it had more quantity and quality than now (at this point I'm no longer interested in the NES catalogue, I want the Nintendo 64 or even the Gamecube one). In short, we deserve these horrible changes. Nintendo is copying everything that I hate from Sony (it treats the users badly and sees them as fools in order to discipline them).

Surely you'll ask what is the solution for this? My answer is: at the moment there's not. We presumed to others that our online was fre, but we barely use it. Sure, it wasn't the best, but we didn't have to spend a penny on it.

Right now, the company has a lot to prove and, for the moment, the sensations are far from positive. Worst of all is thinking that since Nintendo believe that, in full 2018, this is a service for which your users should want to pay and be satisfied for it.

The best thing I can come up with is to protest, to get in front of Nintendo's offices with big signs until we grow old, there people will place our graves and this will be written in our epitaph:

"In memory of all those who fought for the return of the free online to Nintendo consoles."

We can blame Nintendo for everything we want, but we're wrong too. ut what do you think?