Nintendo has clarified their position on the Nintendo Switch and the new Classic Game Selection for the upcoming premium Nintendo Network service due to go live in 2018. According to a representative who talked to Famitsu, the Classic Game Selection won’t be replacing the current Virtual Console service.
According to a Nintendo representative…
“The Classic Game Collection, compared to the [Virtual Console], differs insofar that the purpose is to add new feature(s) for the software.
“The Nintendo Switch’s [Virtual Console] status does not yet have a fixed time in which the software will be scheduled to be made available.”
They do note that they also haven’t ironed out if it’s possible to play cooperative on a single console using the Classic Game Collection and being able to play online against someone as well, similar to how you can play various Nintendo Switch games locally with a friend or family member and then take that experience online against others.
A number of the other questions mostly end with the Nintendo rep saying that they can’t talk about the details of the service yet, or divulge too much information at this time, especially in regards to things such as cloud saves and the distribution of digital items through cash shop services.
The rep simply stated that at this time they didn’t have anything to share.
Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime mentioned a similar thing a while back when other outlets asked him about whether or not the Nintendo Network would offer cloud saves and other services similar to what’s offered by Steam, Xbox Live and the PlayStation Network. Reggie was coy at the time and mentioned that they would talk about it at a later time.
We at least know that the Classic Game Selection and Virtual Console aren’t the same thing on the Nintendo Switch. The former will be made available in 2018 with the launch of Nintendo’s premium service, which will carry a $20 annual subscription fee.
The big difference between the two services is that the Classic Game Selection allows players to play old-school Nintendo games but with added features from new-school platforms, such as being able to play co-op games online with friends or family using the Nintendo Network.
