Just recently, Nintendo announced that its $20-a-year Switch Online service will come with a so-called Classic Game Selection, comprised of retro titles that can be played anytime, anywhere, and as often as players like, provided they maintain their subscription. To put it simply, it would be akin to a Netflix of games.
Naturally, the announcement caused more confusion than clarity. Gamers wondered about the fate of Virtual Console, a library of classic games that can be purchased and played using the company's backward-compatible consoles.
There hasn't been any solid announcement about the Switch's virtual console. Past rumors have suggested backward-compatibility with GameCube titles, yet Nintendo has remained tight-lipped about the possibility thus far. Similarly, the so-called Classic Game Selection is not any clearer — will it replace Virtual Console? What games will be included? Will certain games be added or dropped from time to time?
Classic Game Selection Won't Replace Virtual Console
Fortunately, Nintendo has now confirmed that Classic Game Selection won't replace Virtual Console entirely.
"Classic Game Selection (tentative name) is different from the [Virtual Console]," a Nintendo spokesperson told Japanese publication Famitsu, as translated by Nintendo Everything. The spokesperson added that Nintendo is still undecided about the launch date for Virtual Console.
That means Virtual Console is happening, and will be a separate entity from the paid online subscription's Classic Game Selection. Nintendo differentiating the two says as much. Still, the announcement doesn't clear much of anything, especially since gamers clamor for more information about how Virtual Console will work on the Switch, or about transferring purchased titles from the Wii U's Virtual Console to the Switch, and so forth.
It's also not very difficult to imagine that plans could change down the road. Classic Game Selection itself was sprung from a change of plans, in fact. Previously, reports suggested that the Switch Online service would feature retro games that are only available for a month, meaning they'll expire after a certain period and be replaced with a new library.
Now, Nintendo is singing a different tune, saying that players will have "ongoing access to a library of games," and they can "play as many of the games as they want, as often as they like, as long as they have an active subscription."
Nintendo Switch Virtual Console
It's a bit odd and downright frustrating for some players that Nintendo hasn't said anything about the Switch Virtual Console three months into its lifespan. Virtual Console is an important selling point for many Nintendo consoles, starting with the Wii. For a company who often depends on its past laurels to appeal to the modern gaming era, choosing to be quiet about the service might strike one as a supremely odd move.
Currently, Virtual Console is available on the 3DS, Wii, and Wii U, and although they receive occasional updates, it would probably be best to hold off on purchasing titles for now, since Nintendo hasn't confirmed whether gamers will be able to transfer their purchases once the Switch Virtual Console launches.
Thoughts about the Switch Virtual Console or Classic Game Selection? What do you think should Nintendo do with both retro gaming services? Feel free to sound off in the comments section below!
