Online, Mario Looks Like A Lemon

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Good things come to those who wait. Except, maybe, Nintendo gamers. The company that created the Super Mario Bros. and Legend of Zelda series premiered its first online subscription service on Sept. 18, charging $20 a year for users of its Switch console to play each other on the web. The move comes more than a decade after rivals Sony Corp. and Microsoft Corp. started similar services that today generate billions of dollars a year in subscriptions, digital downloads, and other fees. Switch Online seems unlikely to do the same for Nintendo Co. anytime soon.

Users have had 18 months to try the service for free, and they haven’t stopped complaining, even at that price. Built on the cheap, Switch Online lacks the must-have features for today’s multiplayer titles. Gamers also say it’s frustrating to use, prone to connectivity issues, and easy to hack, meaning it’s packed with cheaters. With the all- important holiday season riding on the success of Super Smash Bros. Ultimate, an online-driven fighting game, analysts say improving the network is more critical than ever. “It works, but it is the minimum you would expect from an online service,” says Piers HardingRolls, head of games research at analyst IHS Markit. Compared with Sony and Microsoft, “Nintendo is at least five years behind, probably more.”

The company declined to comment for this story, beyond saying it’s monitoring criticism of Switch Online. In June, U.S. chief Reggie Fils-Aimé said Nintendo was still “learning about the technical infrastructure” and gameplay design and promised the issues would be resolved by now. “When we launch the game, it’s going to perform,” he said.