Nintendo’s new Switch Concierge Service has one particularly useful feature that should be on all platforms and consoles in the future.
Nintendo recently announced its new Switch Concierge service, which will help new Switch owners get to know the console and, in particular, what games to try. It is also not only a step-by-step guide, but also a virtual one-on-one meeting with a Nintendo representative. It’s a great touch and a great way to really learn more about the console by asking questions. The representatives can even recommend what to play next, based on what you play and what accessories you own. This is a concept that other companies should use for their gaming platforms.
Clearly, this is a big question. Even Nintendo does not have unlimited resources to reach everyone, and there are waiting lists to participate. But it does not have to be done the same way everywhere. A simple helpline or a chat specifically used to use a platform like the PlayStation 5 will help a lot with the customers to set it up. However, this is not the most important feature; these would be the personal recommendations.
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Many gamers today have large libraries to play through, and while some have organized their backlogs into lists, others struggle to choose which ones to play next. Undoubtedly, they will end up flipping through their library rather than playing something. Nintendo gives players personalized recommendations based on what they play, which is the favorite, most genres, and even the accessories they own are a much-needed feature for any gaming platform.
It’s not possible for every business to offer this level of personal service, but even Steam has something like this in the form of AI. Each Steam user’s main library page contains sections called shelves, one of which is called Play Next. This is a fairly new feature that just came out from Steam Labs last year, compiling a recommended list in your library. It works similarly to the Discovery Queue of the Steam Store, except that it’s learned from the types of games you’ve played recently and the number of hours each game has. Like the Discovery Queue, Play Next takes a bit of tweaking and learning to be really useful, and often wins games with the lowest playing times, which can be a problem.
Other consoles need a feature like this, and an AI approach like Steam’s is just one solution – and there are ways to improve it. Adding an option to ignore certain recommendations based on a game you did not enjoy may improve the recommendations. Being able to get suggestions for a genre you have not played recently may also help gamers looking for something different.
A combination of AI and a quiz can also be implemented in platforms. These questions can limit games based on their level of action or length. Then combining the information with an AI looking at past playing times, favorites and more can result in personalized recommendations. Between Steam’s underrated Play Next and the Nintendo Switch Concierge service, other companies may take notice and create similar features for their audiences.
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