No Universal Friends Code for Wii Confirmed. WTF?!?

[agbulls]

I can't even believe this is now confirmed. Absolute total insanity. Can anyone in their right mind please show me the positive side of this decision?
:frustrated:
Confirmed Via the Nintendo Revolution Blog:

There will not be unified gamer tags or codes for Wii online games. Users will have to register with each title separately, as is already the case with the DS and the Wii´s first online title, ´Pokemon Battle Revolution´.

This exclusive information comes from GameSpy´s PR people after I asked them to go into the details of them providing the Wii´s online service. Here is the correspondence:


Falafelkid: I would like to know if I am right in assuming that the features mentioned (friend rosters, advanced matchmaking capabilities and comprehensive rankings data) suggest a single, unified online platform for each console, rather than one which is dependent on individual games (as is the case with the DS).

GameSpy: GameSpy’s technology does allow for features that could span multiple games. With the Nintendo Wii, however, the multiplayer features are title-specific.

Falafelkid: But is that the case for all Wii online titles across the board?

GameSpy: Yes, that is the case for Wii titles.

Falafelkid: Just one last question to make absolutely sure I have got this right, please. If I have a friend roster in one game, that roster will not be available to me in any other game. I have to build up an entirely new list for each title, right?

GameSpy: The answer to your question is yes, for the Wii friend lists are game specific.

[atari_overlord]

Man I was hoping this was not going to be the case. What a terrible setup. In my opinion playing DS games online was like pulling teeth simply because of this setup. Maybe its supposed to be only aimed at people who have just a few friends to play online with. Regardless of who its AIMED at I am pissed about this.

[heybtbm]

In four years we'll be referring to this as "The second nail in the coffin" for the Wii (the first being Nintendo's choice to step out of the graphics race).

Big mistake, IMO...totally short sighted. Nintendo could crush the competition with a few of their upcoming titles if they weren't so busy shooting themselves in the foot like this. Super Smash Brothers has the potential to be the "Halo" of Nintendo online play. I have a bad feeling about this.

[Poofta!]

In four years we'll be referring to this as "The second nail in the coffin" for the Wii (the first being Nintendo's choice to step out of the graphics race).

Big mistake, IMO...totally short sighted. Nintendo could crush the competition with a few of their upcoming titles if they weren't so busy shooting themselves in the foot like this. Super Smash Brothers has the potential to be the "Halo" of Nintendo online play. I have a bad feeling about this.

ditto.

[udisi]

As much as I like the wii, this is terrible. 2nd, I knew this was gonna happen. Nintendo really doesn't want to get into online gaming. If they did they could have with the GC. They had the BB Adaptor and chose not to use it. Nintendo has repeatedly stated it wasn't going to compete with things like xboxlive. Nintendo is focusing more on pick-up and play casual gaming.

You knew this was gonna happen by the way the wii codes were similar to the DS codes.

[xfrumx]

Just remember if Nintendo sees people don't like this it can easily be fixed in a firmware update and the game programming


I like the DS wifi style

the only thing I don't like is if I accidentally put the game in my girlfriends ds the code changes and I am screwed

[agbulls]

the only thing I don't like is if I accidentally put the game in my girlfriends ds the code changes and I am screwed

Congrats on being the only person yet to say "one thing" they liked about Nintendo's online setup. The problem you mention is only one a few hundred simple issues that could have been easily resolved with a universal DS and Wii friend code system. I don't know if this is going to kill the Wii--but its sure going to limit the amount of purchases I make on it. This is sounding more and more like this past generation of consoles.

Didn't the Gamecube have stellar hype at launch too?

[xfrumx]

Wii has a friend code for Miis, Hopefully they will fix everything so we can just use that.

either way, I still am all about Wii until SEGA comes out with somthing else(which they never will) or once 360 drops to 200-250

[norkusa]

Just when I was starting to warm up to Nintendo again and forget all the stupid shit they've done in the past, they pull this now. Somehow I'm not surprised though. Same old Nintendo...they think they know what's best for gamers when they couldn't be more wrong.

[jajaja]

Anyone know why they do this? What advantages is it with friend codes?

[kaedesdisciple]

That's pretty bad for Wii gamers. I feel bad, it just looks like they're going to botch online multiplayer for the second console in a row. But for some reason I'm almost happy about it. Maybe because I see people everywhere saying how the Wii is like "T3H OMFG LOLZ bst cnsl evr cz it selz mr thn evry1!!!1!!! m$ sux sony sux Nintendo rulzzzzz!!!"

Meh, maybe Nintendo just doesn't care. There are so many casual gamers buying the system, maybe they won't care about online gaming either. In which case, people who are looking for it will be teh screwed. They'll be told to go to Microsoft or Sony because Nintendo refuses to compete with them. They did this in the last console generation, too. They wanted to be different and damn the torpedoes. They'll do what they want and most people will decide what's best for them, that is unless game store sales people get to them first to push whichever preferred vendor they have that month.

end rant

[agbulls]

That's pretty bad for Wii gamers. I feel bad, it just looks like they're going to botch online multiplayer for the second console in a row. But for some reason I'm almost happy about it. Maybe because I see people everywhere saying how the Wii is like "T3H OMFG LOLZ bst cnsl evr cz it selz mr thn evry1!!!1!!! m$ sux sony sux Nintendo rulzzzzz!!!"

Meh, maybe Nintendo just doesn't care. There are so many casual gamers buying the system, maybe they won't care about online gaming either. In which case, people who are looking for it will be teh screwed. They'll be told to go to Microsoft or Sony because Nintendo refuses to compete with them. They did this in the last console generation, too. They wanted to be different and damn the torpedoes. They'll do what they want and most people will decide what's best for them, that is unless game store sales people get to them first to push whichever preferred vendor they have that month.

end rant

I have absolutely no idea what any of that was about. Properly structured sentences with reasonable and cohesive thoughts are always welcomed. :D

[udisi]

believe it or not as much as I don't like this idea it may work out for nintendo.

First, as much as we'd all like to think that online games are where its at. Online gaming, that is not a mmorpg, are not a big money maker. If people get hooked on a game with free online play, they're not out buying new games. It also costs Developers, Microsoft,NIntendo, Sony, money to host these games. It essentually eats into their profits.

Microsoft has made online gaming profitable with downloadable games/video, etc. Developers have made more money by selling content on XBL. Sony is gonna follow suit with it's Home program. Now, if you look at nintendo, they too have the virtual console, and could do downloadable content easy through the wii store. They are essentually adding all the profitable part of having an online console and not adding the unprofitabe part of online consoles.

Nintendo is first and formost gonna play to the casual gamer this generation and try out new styles of games. so far it's been working, we'll have to see how it ends up. 2nd, they've added the lucrative part of internet connectablity to it's console, by using the codes they limit the amount of traffic they actually have to host and support.

I personally don't like this buisness model as a gamer, but money wise it does make sense as long as they have support for their console.

[ubersaurus]

I never had any problems with the DS online system. For one, it eliminates that most annoying feature of xbox live. When someone requests you to play a game with them when you're either in the middle of another game, or don't own the game they want you to play with them entirely. Annoys the shit out of me. If I wanted to play Halo, I'd be on Halo!

So it isn't a big deal for me. And really this is old news...Pokemon Battle Revolution came out in Japan back in December. We've known about this for months. Why bitch about it now?

[TurboGenesis]

If online play with random people is a major factor then stick with Microsoft hardware and 360 games. I could honestly care less about online play. I hate playing games with ass holes who I don't know and get all cocky and arrogant. My online play is pretty limited to a handful of longtime friends.

If the Nintendo method of online gaming isn't working for you than move past it. There is a choice of consoles out there that offer different things in playing games. 360 offers the most diverse online network of all consoles hands down. PS3 online interface is crap too.

[Anthony1]

Child Molesters FTW!!!

[kaedesdisciple]

I have absolutely no idea what any of that was about. Properly structured sentences with reasonable and cohesive thoughts are always welcomed. :D

You know what? I was going to make a nice long post trashing this comment, but then I remembered what arguing with idiots over the Internet is like. That's when I stopped caring.

[FantasiaWHT]

I'm in the "not convinced it's a bad thing" camp. I honestly can't think why I would want to have a single online persona trackable across all games on a system. Just like my normal online usage, I'd like to be able to choose to use my stock user name (FantasiaWHT) or something different.

[norkusa]

I'd really like to be able to say "who cares, it's not a big deal" like some of the others here, but the fact is this will be a major inconvenience for anyone that gives half a shit about playing Wii games online. The PS2 tried going without the universal gamertags and it's a complete mess to navigate and set-up. The Wii won't be any different.

Sure, it's not a big deal if you don't care about playing online but hell, Nintendo could have at least added the feature for those that do. Just leaving it out is plain stupid.

[TurboGenesis]

I've said it before (as well as others ahem Anthony1) and I say it again, what Nintendo need to do is get VC games online. Come on think about the greatness that is 2 player Contra! Playing Battletoads with your old friends who have moved far away!

[slip81]

wait, you guys are surprised that Nintendo fucked up yet another golden online opportunity?