Nintendo Switch Online Blocked in China Probably Due to Use of Google Servers: Report

Nintendo Switch Online is Nintendo's paid subscription service for the Nintendo Switch that allows for cloud save data back ups and online multiplayer. It launched last week for the hybrid console. However it seems that gamers in China are unable to play Nintendo Switch games online since the service's launch. The reason for this, according to some gamers in China, is due to Nintendo's use of Google servers. Google is banned in China.

"After Nintendo Switch Online membership officially rolled out yesterday, many Chinese gamers have suffered with black screens and connection failures in Splatoon 2 and MK8D [Mario Kart 8 Deluxe]," a tweet from Chinese Nintendo - a group chronicling Nintendo's history in Chinese-speaking regions reads. 

"Tests have shown that it is probably due to the introduction of Google-based servers," the tweet continues.

Despite the Nintendo Switch not being available officially in China (much like India), gamers in the country have been able to get their hands on it thanks to it launching in Hong Kong.

"China has a huge population and I believe there are many people who want to enjoy the forms of play and games made by Nintendo, which is why we continue to study business opportunities even though our products are unavailable there at the present time," said then Nintendo President Tatsumi Kimishima in an investor relations session in February this year.

"We would like to see the people of China also experience Nintendo's forms of play and games that other countries enjoy now. How best to achieve this is a subject we are working through point by point, consulting with various other parties on aspects we cannot tackle alone. I would like to realise this as quickly as possible, but there is nothing I can say at this time about activities that will start within the year."

Last week, Twitch was been blocked in China according to multiple reports. It has been observed that the live streaming service had seen a surge of popularity in the nation during the 2018 Asian Games. It was the first time e-sports like League of Legends, PES, Arena of Valor, and Hearthstone were a part of an international sporting event and China even took home two gold medals. The 2018 Asian Games e-sports events weren't broadcasted by China's state broadcaster CCTV so many flocked to Twitch to watch the proceedings. It hit number three on all free apps on the App Store in the country last month. Now the Twitch app and website are no longer accessible within mainland China. 

No reason for Twitch being blocked has been given. And it now joins the ranks of Google, Facebook, YouTube, and Reddit in being unavailable in China.

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