'Nintendo Has Too Many Apps' (theverge.com) 18
The Verge's Ash Parrish writes: Nintendo has released a new store app on Android and iOS giving users the ability to purchase hardware, accessories, and games for the Switch and Switch 2. When I open my phone and scroll down to the N's, I get a neat, full row dedicated entirely to Nintendo. That's four apps: the Switch app, the music app, the Nintendo Today news app, and now the store. (The tally increases to five if you're a parent using the Switch Parental Controls app.) And it is entirely too much.
Nintendo has always been the one company of the big three publishers that does its own thing, and that's worked both for and against it. The company hasn't chased development trends with the same zeal as Microsoft and Sony. That insulates Nintendo when those trends don't pan out, like exorbitant spending on live-service games that fail. But also hurts it when it comes to performance and user experience. Console-native voice chat, for example, has been a standard on other platforms for a long time, but was only offered on a Nintendo console with the Switch 2 this year.
With the deployment of these apps, Nintendo is both trying to innovate and playing catch-up with results that feel confusing and overwhelming. Do we really need four distinct apps? That's not to say these apps shouldn't exist; they serve valuable and necessary purposes. But when I look at all the programs I have to manage in my Nintendo life, it just feels like it's too much... Further reading: Nintendo Won't Shy Away From Continuing To 'Try Anything'
Nintendo has always been the one company of the big three publishers that does its own thing, and that's worked both for and against it. The company hasn't chased development trends with the same zeal as Microsoft and Sony. That insulates Nintendo when those trends don't pan out, like exorbitant spending on live-service games that fail. But also hurts it when it comes to performance and user experience. Console-native voice chat, for example, has been a standard on other platforms for a long time, but was only offered on a Nintendo console with the Switch 2 this year.
With the deployment of these apps, Nintendo is both trying to innovate and playing catch-up with results that feel confusing and overwhelming. Do we really need four distinct apps? That's not to say these apps shouldn't exist; they serve valuable and necessary purposes. But when I look at all the programs I have to manage in my Nintendo life, it just feels like it's too much... Further reading: Nintendo Won't Shy Away From Continuing To 'Try Anything'
Overwhelmed by FOUR phone apps? (Score:3)
> "results that feel confusing and overwhelming. Do we really need four distinct apps?"
Not the case here and not applying this to the article's author.
Including this for informational purposes.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/... [wikipedia.org]
Learned helplessness is the behavior exhibited by a subject after enduring repeated aversive stimuli beyond their control. In humans, learned helplessness is related to the concept of self-efficacy, the individual's belief in their innate ability to achieve goals.
Learned helplessness theory is the view that clinical depression and related mental illnesses may result from a real or perceived absence of control over the outcome of a situation.[1]
Then...don't install the apps? (Score:4, Funny)
When I open my phone and scroll down to the N's, I get a neat, full row dedicated entirely to Nintendo. That's four apps: the Switch app, the music app, the Nintendo Today news app, and now the store.
"I installed four apps on my phone and now when I scroll down on my phone, I see the four apps I installed."
Slow news day? (Score:5, Insightful)
Re: (Score:1)
It's a verge article, no one said they are logical or smart.
Makes sense. (Score:4, Insightful)
Four simple apps that do four different things. Or one bloated app that tries to cram four apps’ worth of functions into one messy UI. Nintendo made the right decision.
Re: (Score:2)
The right decision would be for a news site and storefront to have platform-agnostic web sites, not applications you have to install.
For people who don't know how to create URL shortcuts and can't find anything that isn't on their home screen, you could offer an "app" that is a borderless browser window taking them to the corresponding site.
Not sure what the "Nintendo Music" and "Switch app" do exactly, but there's almost certainly a better way to listen to the Mario theme if that's what you're trying to do
Depends on what Apple lets PWAs do (Score:3)
The right decision would be for a news site and storefront to have platform-agnostic web sites, not applications you have to install.
And the right decision would be for phone operating system publishers to provide functionality in the included web browser to let a website act as a progressive web application. Safari for iOS has a history of lagging behind other platforms' browsers in PWA features.[1] This is particularly evident with respect to what the browser allows websites to do in the background. For example, Apple implemented Push API seven years after Mozilla did, and it requires the user to add the website to the home screen to e
"Too many fingers" next? (Score:3)
-Write programs that do one thing and do it well.
Sounds like different apps (Score:2)
Those apps all sound pretty distinct. Mobile apps aren't IDEs with all sorts of uses bundled together. They're usually suited for one purpose so that the interface doesn't get cluttered or confusing.
Make sure to blow in the app if it doesn't run (Score:1)
That's right kids. Back in the day, "apps" were disturbuted in ROM soldered onto a PCB inside a plastic case with an exposed card edge connector containing data and addess bus pins, that you would physically insert into your device.
If you wanted to change "apps" you would need to remove one and insert another in its place. Kids' rooms would have entire shelves full of these memory modules (a whopping 64kB each) for all their "apps."
Now git push off my lawn.
SEGA fanboy, BUT Nitdeno has to hit a triple play (Score:1)
I think they are the only player that could break in to the phone market in the US. They have a masive customer base and it starts as children. So yea get the app store moving work out the growing pains. make a phone that can do swtich games and has a stable viable App eco Market. Hell yea were to i sign up for that.
Plus they have 40 years of cred built in.
Re: (Score:1)
yea legend of zedal game boy edition. on my phone ya i know you can do that now. but.....
Luddites! (Score:3)
Nintendo app appers app apps! Only LUDDITES say four is too many! APPS
3 apps or less (Score:2)
This new app isn't required to use the switch. It's just a way to buy shit. There is already a way to buy shit.
The music app is also not required. Hell, I didn't even know they had a music app. What does it do? Not required.
Nintendo today news app. Never heard of it. Not required.
So only 1/4 of the apps article lists are required.
Looking at my own phone, I have:
Nintendo Switch app
Switch Parental Controls app. Only necessary if you have kids. Not required by all.
Nintendo.com. Bookmark to Nintendo Store.
So, w
Apple & Google playstores (Score:2)