Users have complained about the Switch's lack of any cloud-saving mechanism ever since the console launched early March, and Nintendo of America's president, Reggie Fils-Aimé, says that's a concern the company has been working on.
In all fairness, those players do have something to be up in arms about. Suppose a player accidentally breaks the Switch or some ill person steals it, all that 70 hours spent in Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is gone. Poof. Users can say that for any type of game, too.
Nintendo Switch: Where's Cloud Saving?
Fortunately, Nintendo could use a saving grace, one which its competitors Sony and Microsoft have been using for some time now — Cloud saving. If someone steals or break the console, saved files are securely stored up in the cloud and ready to be accessed once the user gets a new Switch. However, this is Nintendo, and its decisions are often baffling. A flagship console that can't push save files to the cloud in 2017 is one of those baffling decisions.
At the end of March, a disappointed Switch owner fumed via Twitter when Nintendo sent back his Switch after repairs. Not only had Nintendo wiped his Breath of the Wild progress, the company had not included an apology whatsoever.
We Need To Do This In A Way That Makes Sense: Reggie Fils-Aimé
Why hasn't Nintendo designed the Switch in a way that players' game progress won't simply go down the drain when the device somehow breaks?
In an interview with Mashable, Fils-Aimé said that Nintendo's primary focus is to make a "stellar game-playing device."
"In driving that focus there were elements that we knew needed to come later. Like Nintendo Switch Online. Like other services — the Netflix and Amazon Primes of the world. With that as background, we are keenly aware of all of the things that consumers are asking for."
From a gamer's perspective, Fils-Aimé said he understands the concerns over losing precious save data. But the company is still deciding how it can implement a file management system that "makes sense" for both Nintendo and consumers.
When asked if this notional file management system involves the ability to store save files in the cloud, Nintendo appears to be most concerned about how that mechanic could open up the Switch to piracy.
"It's everything from not only how is it going to work but it's also how we do this in a way that doesn't lend itself to piracy or systems or our core software infrastructure that can be modded or hacked," he said.
So, there you have it. Basically, Nintendo has been listening to the outcry over the Switch's lack of cloud saving, or any firm file management system that'll assure players can have access to their progress on certain games should their Switch be damaged or stolen. But it doesn't quite know yet how to do it in a way that won't leave the Switch vulnerable to piracy hacks.
As the Switch becomes more and more popular, Nintendo certainly needs to sort out the console's shortcomings, including cloud saves, the lack of any information regarding virtual console, and whether it'll ever support Bluetooth headsets in the future. Sure, at the end of the day, it's all about the games. But a console that just works surely wouldn't hurt, too.
Nintendo E3 2017
Nintendo recently revealed a number of titles headed to the Switch, including a new Yoshi platformer, a new Kirby game, a core RPG Pokémon title, and Metroid Prime 4. A Destructoid poll suggests Nintendo won E3, surpassing presentations by Sony, Microsoft, Ubisoft, and more.
