Nintendo’s decision to release a more expensive Expansion Pack tier for theNintendo Switch Online(NSO) service has been controversial, to say the least. Many fans already took issue with the quality of NSO’s Internet and the drip-feed of NES and SNES games meant to act as exclusive benefits. Increasing the price to around $50 USD for individuals in exchange for access to limitedN64 and Sega Genesis libraries, as well asAnimal Crossing: New Horizons’Happy Home ParadiseDLC, was not enough to appease them.
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Attracting New Customers to Nintendo Switch Online
What games get a demo on the Nintendo Switch has varied over the years. Some first-party titles likePikmin 3 Deluxeand third-party titles likeMonster Hunter Stories 2: Wings of RuinorHyrule Warriors: Age of Calamityhave released demos that offer material benefits. These benefits include things like a new game mode inPikmin 3, or progress carrying over to the main game if players decide to buy it - which they are probably more apt to do after enjoying the demo.
By making some demos exclusively available through NSO, one could argue Nintendo is adding a price tag to what should be free giveaways. However, Nintendo needs more ways to promote its service, and extra goodies for specific games is certainly one avenue it could take. Given the company already makes odd marketing decisions such asreleasing aMetroid Dreaddemoweeks after the game came out, using some demos as fodder to attract customers to NSO wouldn’t be farfetched.
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Promoting Nintendo Switch Games with More Demos
When picking which games should get demos throughNSOand which should be open to the public, the clear answer would be to make Nintendo’s first-party games be exclusives. Third-party developers would no doubt prefer to get their games in front of as many eyes as possible ahead of launch to increase word-of-mouth marketing. Meanwhile, it would make sense for Nintendo to use demos for anticipated console sellers likeMetroid Dreadto attract people to its own paid online service.
IfNintendo and Square Enixpivoted from having a completely open free trial to something like a limited demo forThe World Ends With You, it could easily be slotted into NSO’s permanent offerings alongside NES, SNES, N64, and Genesis games. Extending this idea to other partnerships, it seems an obvious way to both increase the value ofNintendo Switch Onlineand expand the marketing channel without including an end date like in a free trial. If Nintendo’s strategy for justifying the Expansion Pack is “just add more,” exclusive demos is one path to consider.
