Re:Steam Deck’s Greatness Makes It Hard to Go Back to the Sw...
by giraffe_lady on Monday November 28, 2022 @09:24PM
(#33782905)
Nintendo's online stuff is pretty bad but I don't think the friend code thing is a good example of that.
The lower the friction of in-game interaction, the easier you make griefing, harassment, predatory interactions with minors, etc. Most platforms are trying to balance this out and find a "sweet spot" where it doesn't get in your way too much and you don't get too much bullshit. But importantly not zero bullshit.
Nintendo has just pushed that lever as far as it can go in the other direction. You can't do much, and it's not easy, but you're essentially never going to interact with strangers without going out of your way to. Which almost completely eliminates those negative interactions.
The jank of online play, dropped connections, the godawful performance of the e-shop, all valid targets. Friend codes are an intentional choice though and one very clearly aligned with how they see themselves.
The lower the friction of in-game interaction, the easier you make griefing, harassment, predatory interactions with minors, etc. Most platforms are trying to balance this out and find a "sweet spot" where it doesn't get in your way too much and you don't get too much bullshit. But importantly not zero bullshit.
Nintendo has just pushed that lever as far as it can go in the other direction. You can't do much, and it's not easy, but you're essentially never going to interact with strangers without going out of your way to. Which almost completely eliminates those negative interactions.
The jank of online play, dropped connections, the godawful performance of the e-shop, all valid targets. Friend codes are an intentional choice though and one very clearly aligned with how they see themselves.