Next week on September 18th, Nintendo will launch its paid online service for the Nintendo Switch console. Which means that if you don't purchase this service, you won't be able to play online. But that's only the tip of the iceberg...

If you don't pay your subscription, you won't have any options to create backup save files of your games. To put it simple: if your Nintendo Switch console breaks or gets stolen and you buy a new one, you'll lose all your data. Nintendo wants to "help" us by using the cloud saving feature included in its pay service. But that is just a rip off. Wii, Wii U, Nintendo DSi and Nintendo 3DS systems were capable of making backup copies of your save files on an SD card. The Nintendo Switch has indeed a Micro SD card slot, so it has the ability to do this very function. But Nintendo is blocking this function since the launch of the console in order for us to only have one option to keep our save files safe: pay their online service.

But let's go back to online play. Nintendo has recently uploaded a video explaining its new paid online service. And in said video, it presents (paid) online play as something new and innovative. It wants to make us believe that we're paying for something that is worth it. But that's simply not true. Nintendo DS, Wii, Nintendo 3DS and Wii U systems have supported online play for free since their inception. Now, Nintendo want us to pay from 5 dollars per month to 20 a year in order to be able to do something that for the past 15 years has been free to consumers. Not only is this an abuse to the consumer, it's also disrespectful to all the people that have bought Nintendo systems and used their online service for free since 2004.

Don't get me wrong, I understand that Nintendo Switch Online Service offers other things that makes its price reasonable. For your subscription, you'll get exclusive deals on eShop games and other articles and you'll be able to play a library of classic NES and (coming soon) SNES titles. Maybe even other platforms like N64 and Gamecube. And for those things I might understand the existence of this paid service. However, I don't think that make people pay for something that has always been free is the right thing to do.

I think that if Nintendo wants to offer a premium online service that gives you acces to the features mentioned in the previous paragraph, they are in their right. BUT, they should also allow consumers to continue using the features they have always enjoyed for free (online play). And also allow them to do with their systems what they have always been able to do without restrictions (creating backup save files on external devices).

For all this, I'm making this petition. And I'm not asking Nintendo, because they will probably won't listen. I'm asking YOU. The Nintendo Switch owners. The consumers. I'm asking you that, when September 18th arrives, you DON'T purchase the Nintendo online system. I'm asking you to send a message. I'm asking you to let Nintendo know that we won't allow our rights as consumers to be taken. I'm asking you to help others and yourself to get back what it has always been ours. I'm asking to you, Nintendo fan, to make Nintendo Switch a better place to play. A system like the ones we have enjoyed since the old NES days. A system for the gamers.

Together, I strongly believe that we can make Nintendo reconsider its decisions. Together, we can make them understand that online play has always been free and it has to continue to be free. Together, we can make them understand that we have the right to keep our save files safe.

Together, we'll make it happen. Don't pay on September 18th, and we will be able to change things for the better.