All good things must come to an end, and the age of free-to-play online multiplayer console gaming will soon be a thing of the past.

Nintendo will be joining the likes of Sony and Microsoft in creating their own paid subscription service, which will debut after the launch with the upcoming Nintendo Switch console.

According to Nintendo’s website, Nintendo will be debuting the Nintendo Switch Online Service, a paid subscription program that will now be required in order to play online multiplayer  co-op or competitive titles like the newly announced Splatoon 2, or Mario Kart 8: Deluxe – things you were previously able to do for free – when the service goes fully live in the fall.

Want to play the new Mario Kart 8: Deluxe online? Better pony up that money, son.

As a consolation, Nintendo will offer a free NES or SNES title that subscribers can download and play each month. Intriguingly, these games will also offer an online component, which wouldn’t have been available in their original incarnations.

Nintendo has not given any details on what the monthly fee will be for their Nintendo Switch Online Service, or whether or not those classic titles are yours to keep, or go away after a time or the end of your subscription.

In any event, get ready to say goodbye to more of your money.

Are you willing to pay for online game play when Nintendo Switch Online Service launches? Let us know in the comments section below.

Written by The Watchman

The Watchman is a journeyman gamer who has seen and played a good chunk of gaming history.
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