DS Daily: friend codes
by Alisha Karabinus 
{ Jan 12th 2007 at 9:00AM }
We figured we'd jump right in to the big subjects here with DS Daily, so we're gonna point out the elephant in the room: friend codes. We love Nintendo like ice cream and all, but even we rabid fans can admit that the whole friend code system may not exactly be the best execution of online play ever. Complaints we've heard include the chaos inherent in trying to get a big group of friends together at once, host and server issues, and just the general pain of keeping up with the codes in the first place. We had to compare our pristine selves to Microsoft, but as these things go, gamer tags are certainly easier to manage. Nintendo's overly complicated online system has definitely affected our Game Nights at times.
What's your take? Do you see benefits in friend codes, or obstacles? What changes would you like to see made?
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
DiahrreaMan @ Jan 12th 2007 9:52AM
I say do away with them altogether! Or have one master FC per DS, rather than one per game.
JBGUY2K @ Jan 12th 2007 9:43AM
IMO, they should've done the whole friend code thing like they just recently did with the wii if they wanted to do the friend code thing in the first place. THEN it would've been more like gamertags. That and you really wouldn't really have to worry about there being duplicate names. I seriously wish nintendo would just update something on the DS, or on new wifi games, to just use one code universally. I'm sure nintendo'll figure out something eventually.
Kefka @ Jan 12th 2007 10:08AM
Yeah, it's a real pain in the butt. I'm pretty sure the focus is on privacy/security/keeping the kiddies safe, but it's a very annoying system all round.
One of my biggest peeves is that 90% of the time, you need to exchange codes with people outside of the game - on the net or in person, etc. Some games allow you to add people after a random matchup, but not many. The whole system is slow and clumsy and annoying.
A single code per console and unified lobby system would make a ton of difference.
All that aside, this is Nintendo's first foray into online play, and the fact that they've been this successful is pretty impressive. I just hope the underlying infrastructure isnt too dependant on friend codes, or changing to another system will be less likely...
Don't expect a new system until the next handheld though.
Fox @ Jan 12th 2007 10:34AM
The system really is quite terrible. It is a pain in the butt to keep up with the large amount of codes, as well as the codes for your friends, so that you can pass them on to other friends, so that you can actually get a decent amount of friends together to use the otherwise restricted game features.
As it, I keep a sheet of paper on my door that has all my friend codes, and my friends as well. It makes it easier, but it would have just been so much better if it had only been necessary to swap one "DS" code and then have one very large friends list and then be done with it.
AS Kefka said, hopefully the system isn't too dependent on the codes, I will not be happy if the Wii is exactly the same...
With all due respect,
Fox
Chris @ Jan 12th 2007 10:56AM
Clearly, SOME sort of identification is necessary to make sure communication is as seamless as possible.
And yet, for the life of me I can't see why they didn't just use the MAC address or encrypted/garbled serial number or something. I mean, the DS is essentially a closed system, so a heroic homebrew effort would be required in order to "spoof" the system - and even then, to what end?
This combination of cartridge and DS puzzles and disappoints me.
fitz @ Jan 12th 2007 11:38AM
I think the whole system is silly. The system was conceived to protect children, which I don't think should be the job of Nintendo in the first place. I'm jealous of the PSPs lobby-based multi-player system.
20XX @ Jan 12th 2007 12:51PM
Friend codes are overkill in terms of protecting children. Nintendo already has a good system in place for keeping predators from making contact with children (which happens how often, anyway? My guess is not as often as the local news would like you to believe!) in that you can't really communicate with people much at all in DS games. What, is somebody going to spell out his address in Tetraminoes?
kianimus @ Jan 12th 2007 12:12PM
I really don't understand the purpose. Is it safety?
Friend Codes are the biggest problem with the DS and probably the WII when they go online. Xbox 360 gamer tags are great I wish nintendo would go with something similar.
Nima @ Jan 12th 2007 4:15PM
Friend codes really limit the play in some games, particularly when getting them becomes a prerequisite for progress. I'm thinking primarily of Animal Crossing: WW here; I'm 25 and I don't really know anyone with a DS, much less one that has WW, so how online play would seem the logical multiplayer option. However, since I don't know anyone who has a DS, much less... and so on. I think there should be some kind of lobby at the very least. only thing the PSP does better that matters, as far as I'm concerned.
Nik @ Jan 12th 2007 8:32PM
The problems with friend codes have been fussed over time and time again. The simple fact is that the one reasons Nintendo implements them (to keep young kids away from gangly old men) is absolutely bogus. If a child has access to internet in the first place then he's got access to myspace. If they've got that then we better just sign them up for rape counseling right the hell [b] now [/b].
Kefka @ Jan 12th 2007 7:43PM
A lot of people have suggested a single code per DS... First up, MAC adresses of wireless devices are almost always exrtemely easy to modify, and I expect the DS wouldn't be much harder. That said, I'm sure Ninty could come up with something relatively hard, and that if the list of codes was stored locally on your DS, spoofing someone elses address wouldn't be much use.
Now lets look at the bad sides of having one code per DS.
Limited number of friends. The current system lets you have a decent (usually around 60?) amount of friends *per game*. How many of your AC:WW friends do you also play Tetris and MPH against? Storing codes on the DS itself would require it to have more writable memory. Not all that much, but still needs to be considered.
Secondly, you'll still have to add every person you want to play. It would make Game Nights here easier as the same lot of people tend to turn up for various games, but in most circumstances you'll still be adding people before each different game.
Thirdly, it doesn't solve the issue of exchanging codes or seeing who is online very much. A proper, persistant, lobby and communication system would be needed for that. And more options to share codes after random matches.
So in the end, it's a decent idea and would help to eliminate or alleviate some of the annoyances with friend codes, but it wouldn't be a magic bullet.
Chris @ Jan 17th 2007 1:49PM
Spoofing a MAC address on a computer isn't especially difficult with specialized software and a little knowhow.
Spoofing a MAC address on a DS would be 1337. You'd have to be pretty skilled. Not to mention - no one's saying storing the friend codes on the DS (although that wouldn't be much of a problem - it could just be a hash) would be perfect.
Combining a single code with a better lobby system would be ideal. In any case, EITHER ONE would be more acceptable than the current system.
jms @ Jan 13th 2007 5:21PM
The current setup is awful. The DS has so much potential, as shown by homebrewers making wifi games/applications, yet nintendo seems to have just said "meh" and came up with this stupid convoluted friend-code system. It feels like I'm stuck in the nineties playing modem-modem games on pc. And the worst part is, judging by how WFC seems to work, they _COULD_ update it so new games used the DS's MAC address or hash for all games. The new games could also update the firmware (didn't MKDS update older consoles to work with wifi?) to add a sort of online-lobby/pictochat application. But they don't :(
And no, if the DS's used a 1-code-per-DS system, friend codes wouldn't necessarily be stored locally, they could be stored on wfc server, like all instant messaging services do. But, nope that won't happen.
Nintendo really messed up online play, something that should be SIMPLE AND ENJOYABLE (hey tim, jill, sarah and me are going to play MKDS, come join partyinhur in the lobby, password is pancakes) yet they make it stupidly complex (....friend codes need to be entered 12 times for 4 people to play.) Something that should be fun and enjoyable and easy, is difficult, frustrating and really lacking in functionality.
Thanks a lot nintendo, please change things :)
Jimmy @ Jan 18th 2007 9:17PM
I'm no expert here, but I like what Chris (post #13) put out there. Since the DS doesn't have a browser (at least not in the U.S.) nor is there a large amount of memory, couldn't you just hash it? I'm interested because I not only want to store my friend codes, but other useful info when I'm playing the DS on WiFi. Does anyone have experience with this?