Wii Warm Up: The Wii and online play
Apparently, the latest issue of EGM has some harsh words for the future of Nintendo's online play. Now, we understand some level of frustration with friend codes, as every Tuesday, we go through the pain of entering several at one time. What we don't get is damning something before it even sees the light of day. Regarding the coming WiFi support, they said, "the Wii's unified friend code system initially seemed like an upgrade to the DS's daft online plan, but it's actually just more of the same nonsense. Once again, each game requires its own separate friend code list...so get ready to input lots of 14-digit codes. Seriously, designing your entire online strategy around preventing child predators simply isn't a good idea."Sure, okay, there could be a better system for hooking up with your online pals. But unless you're at some sort of scheduled event -- like our Game Nights -- is this that much of an issue? How often do you need to enter more than one code at a time, unless it's one of those occasions? More often gamers simply go online for a random game; if you want to play with your friends, it's more likely that everyone congregates in someone's living room. Further still, it's safe to say that DS WiFi isn't dead -- in fact, what we more often see is people wanting more games to have online functionality! So "could be improved" is one thing, but doomed? We think that's a little melodramatic. What's your take?









Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Kris @ Jan 20th 2007 11:40AM
"Seriously, designing your entire online strategy around preventing child predators simply isn't a good idea"
A you a F***ING DICK that sir, is a very good idea.
iNZoW @ Jan 20th 2007 11:21AM
I only play with my friends online, thats what i do in my xbox 360.
Because i live in kuwait and joining a game that is outside the middle east gets so laggy that i cant even move.
However, only MMORPGs and Board/Card games dont get affected by that.
Pikachelsea @ Jan 20th 2007 11:25AM
Everybody moaned and complained about the DS friend codes, and they were right! The DS is a total flop. *rolls eyes*
Sure, it's a bit of a pain, but you enter your friends' codes once and you're done. It's not that hard. People just want to complain about everything (zomg, a console named Wii? No one will EVER want that!!!!!). And considering how lawsuit-happy America has become, I really don't blame Nintendo for trying to do all they can to cover their butts. Not that this will prevent any idiot soccer moms from suing Nintendo if their stupid child sees a Mario Kart decal online with a penis (somehow the ESRB ratings all over GTA didn't prevent people from flipping out over the mature content), but at least they're trying.
Steve @ Jan 20th 2007 11:31AM
I really am trying to like what Nintendo's doing here but honestly, get real: It's 2007! I can't even play Tetris on the computer without being on like 300 leader boards, having 40 random people friend request me, and etc.
I know there's a huge base of kid users and then it makes sense for the friend code. But for everyone one else, who can ironically watch pornography and friend request as many people as they want ON Nintendo's browser thing, it just makes no sense.
Still, considering I love my wii... oh yeah, and the Nintendo Wii too, I'll loathsomely continue entering all those darn friend codes.
Waffl3z @ Jan 20th 2007 12:08PM
"ore often gamers simply go online for a random game; if you want to play with your friends, it's more likely that everyone congregates in someone's living room."
Are you stoned, or just stupid?
the real mii @ Jan 20th 2007 12:23PM
i keep seeing this quote - what is the source of this: "Once again, each game requires its own separate friend code list...so get ready to input lots of 14-digit codes."
i have one game which supports a bit of online interaction (while not full online play), but i did not have to re-input any of my friend codes. the game read in the friends list and i could use it instantly.
is "online play" supposed to work any differently?
Mr. Bob @ Jan 20th 2007 12:27PM
No one here has any idea what nintendo has plned for the wii online!! It could SUCK or it could kick xbox live off the charts!! Nintendo is not just some big stupid kid selling lemonaid off the street corner, they are a BIG corpiration that knows what they are doing and they know what WE want!! They WILL dilevier awsomeness!!!
Keith @ Jan 20th 2007 12:28PM
Typically when I go online to play a video game, I want to play with my friends around the country and world. Either I jump on and hope they show up later, or I check to see who is online playing what using the multitude of XBox Live friends list tools. I have a couple dozen friends that seem to rotate on every day, and expect another dozen or so when Forza 2 comes out. This is all handled splendidly by XBox Live, and no one can argue it is one of the many reasons it has been so succesful.
I was under the impression that the only friend code for Wii online games would be the one for the system itself, but if it's on a per game basis like on the DS, Nintendo is flattening its own tires. Think about it: how many XBox Live games have been sold simply because a gamer has seen a dozen of his friends playing it every night? I would not have purchased Rainbow Six Vegas if not for that, and it's turned out to be my favorite game for the 360.
Glenn @ Jan 20th 2007 1:21PM
Well, I am a nintendo fan, I've always been, and I've had every singele console (including gameboys and DS) that they ever published except nes and gb advance SP...
(what im trying to say here is that I actually AM a fan...)
But I also have a x360, and compared to the 360's online (& fiends system) I MUST say that the friendcodes, how much I love nintendo, is the WORST online gaming experience (when it comes to adding friends) ever...
Eventhough you are right with the face that you highly need to add one at the time anyway, it just doesn't work... you both have to add eachothers codes, not just one, that the other gets an accept or decline message... not even a message that you have been included to someones friend list... so when you want to add someone, you will have to go call eachother, both tell eachothers friendscodes and both add, because if you wont call, the other won't know you added that person!
Even HOW, HOW would anyone be able to abuse a kid or something over nintendo networks? you can only send messages... no speaking, no webcam, no nothing...
So when I come to the point, I DO think that the whole nintendo friends system sucks (REALLY REALLY SUCKS), but that doesn't make it doomed for me...
It makes it annoying: yes, doomed: no, why? because I still love to play nintendo games, and love it even more to play ONLINE nintendo games... so it wont hold me from using it...
But it IS annoying...
Now sorry everyone for this long post of repeatment...
Ciao
Bob799 @ Jan 20th 2007 2:23PM
Yeha I am alost 100% sure the friend codes are system based not game based, it would actually take them more work to make it game based since they all use the same memory, why would they put more work into something to make it worse with no benefits?
batmyke @ Jan 20th 2007 5:07PM
Am I just nuts, or didn't this issue get put to rest about a month or more ago? People got all freaked out when they learned that Pokemon Battle Revolution would require a game-specific friend-code, but about a week later, it was confirmed that this was an exception, not the rule.
Only Wii games that use DS WiFi interaction will require game-specific friend-codes, because the DS games use them! EGM has clearly failed to research the issue, and is now causing panic (sort of) that is totally unnecessary.
steve @ Jan 20th 2007 10:33PM
it makes me wonder. the ds kindof needed them because it had a mic that would endanger a child (probably not tho) what does the wii have? MAYBE IT WILL HAVE A MIC
Mr. Khan @ Jan 20th 2007 3:15PM
Ok, here is how it is
1. Nintendo Online does exactly what it sets out to do, adequate random matchmaking coupled with mostly lag-free Online play, its free, so you can't really complain
2. The reason why everyone assumes that individual friend codes will return is because they are in effect in the Japanese version of Pokemon Battle Revolution, but there is hope that, given the fact that Nintendo is waiting until April to unveil their Online model, they have time to at least set up a system whereby any new Online enabled game you get will automatically send your friend code to all your Wii Connect 24 friends, leaving you room to still be able to set up game-specific friends
3. If Nintendo fails to Integrate the system, you can do it yourself by doing the following
A: Use Opera Browser to get in contact with your real life friends and your Online buddies, exchange Wii System Numbers
B: Everytime you get a new Online enabled game, send your friend code to all your friends, and make sure they know to send thiers
C: As to WHEN to play together, you can also use Wii Connect 24 to contact those friends and say "Hey, you, me, Kirby v. Fox; Pokemon Stadium, 8:00, SSBB"
Mr. Khan @ Jan 20th 2007 3:38PM
Oh, and i think, while i'm still on my soapbox, that this would be a good time to propose that you all at Nintendo Wii Fanboy.com provide an oppurtunity for everyone who wishes to exchange friend codes as soon as the model launches...
Alisha Karabinus @ Jan 20th 2007 3:53PM
When it becomes an issue, Kris, that's definitely something we'll look into.
I definitely think that the way the friends system works in XBL is a great model. I'm NOT a huge fan of Microsoft in any way, for anything they do, but I definitely acknowledge the ease of Xbox Live. And I think that for people who don't have a lot of friends hanging around within driving distance for multiplayer games, Nintendo's system on the DS can be a little unwieldy, at least at first (but as has been said, once you enter 'em, you're done).
But with the Wii... so much of Nintendo's strategy here has been toward encouraging people to play together, live and in person. Every time I kick up Wii Sports, I think, WOW! This game should be online. And then I stop to consider all the tools who drop online games when they're losing or who "disconnect" at pivotal moments and I wonder if it would really benefit from being online. Now, when it comes to something like a shooter? Yeah, competition is where it's at. But the games like Wario Ware and Wii Sports, I don't know. I think a lot of the fulfillment from those comes from playing them with people right next to you, and I think that's also part of the reason that they're designing them to be so pick-up-and-play friendly.
ab @ Jan 20th 2007 4:09PM
k can someone tell me is the wii going to have online play or not!?!?!
AzaMcWazza @ Jan 20th 2007 11:51PM
I see what you're saying re game night - never had one though so haven't had that pain. I feel the single machine friend code is a perfectly fine idea. Reasonable balance between openness and protection. To make it even better and more flexible they should just build in overrides into the Parental Controls - wham, problem solved.
Combined with a way to have your own Avatar and profiles with multiple per Wii (I assume they'll do this through the Mii's) then you're away laughing.
Mike @ Jan 20th 2007 7:06PM
The only real problem I have is that you do not know when exactly your friends are on or off on the Wii.
So setting up a game with them is going to be very difficult.
BUT.. I really do not care for online play on the Wii. I actually rather just play it with my friends when they are next to me. That includes the next Smash Brothers game.
Steve @ Jan 20th 2007 8:18PM
I read their comments and I agree. Nintendo's online gameplan is so f***'ed up its not even funny. As they said, stop making their online system around a 8 y/o player! Most online gaming is done by teens, Nintendo needs to get a clue and wise up.
I may be a HUGE DS fan, but im the first to admit the DS's online is limited in large part because the walls Nintendo puts up to let gamers connect and play.
Dane @ Jan 21st 2007 12:24AM
Anyone else getting a Wii on Sunday? Anyways, I'm looking forward to Nintendo's attempt at online. They have been making small strides to improve what they had...not much. The friend codes are archaic but they could change that in a future update. The one thing I must agree with is that the online component is the worst of the "big three" currently. I also remember the Nintendo Prez telling the press that people don't want online gaming; anyone remember that? Heres hoping for the best:)
thebes @ Jan 21st 2007 5:48AM
well metroid ds online required no frined codes to play online. i think its a per game basis. do you want random people entering your animal crossing home? they need to ask permission. but shooters, fighting, and racing games should allow for random games.
the only thing Live will have that WiiFi wont is probably the Ranking system. big whooop.
bug @ Jan 21st 2007 9:33AM
Has anyone actually been able to edit levels in Elebits? I've tried, but I can only create Elebits. Regular objects don't seem to be available. Also, if I try to put Elebits into a drawer, they float outside of the drawer when I close it. The manual doesn't help at all...
Thomas @ Jan 21st 2007 11:18AM
To bug:
For Elebits you have to beat several levels before different objects become available for you to use when making levels in Elebits.
Everyone else:
It's been said a few times above but the only reason the Pokemon game for the Wii has it's own Friend Code is because it also connects with the DS. It's a good question why couldn't Pokemon and the DS still just use the Wii's Friend Code but then who knows.
With Elebits (the first real online Wii game) automatically shows all of the Wii's you've registered in your Address book inside the game. So if you want to send them a screen shot of Elebits or a level you simply have to click on whatever nickname you gave your friends the first time you registered them.
Also, though I admit it's unlikely, Nintendo could create a "Friend Channel" where you could search for people with Wii's that have the same games as you or skill level. Of course if all we get is the same thing that Mario Kart DS is setup for that would be fine with me. Plus there are a ton of sites that are making up for what Nintendo isn't currently doing so whatever Nintendo doesn't do the fans will find a way to get what they want.
oni-link @ Jan 21st 2007 3:48PM
It's typical EGM bullshitting once again!!! This rag thinks that it runs the industry or have better direction than any console maker or developer out there (they frequently butt heads with developers most recently Jaffe). The mags quality and subscibers is going downhill so it's no wonder why Ziff Davis is trying to unload the mag filled with obnoxious wannabee editors as soon as possible!!!!
thebigL @ Jan 21st 2007 5:43PM
I would rather pay a monthly fee anyday than have to transfer friend codes. A lot of the fun of playing online games is meeing new people you can play with. I just don't see what Nintendo is thinking unless they are going to release somehow a version of their online system with a monthly fee.
physcogamer @ Jan 21st 2007 6:01PM
lol
Tom @ Jan 21st 2007 10:40PM
They should make it so M-rated games:
1) don't require their own codes.
2) feature voice and text communication (if needed).
If you're old enough to play an M-rated game, then you're too old for the sickos out there.
T-rated and E-rated games shouldn't require friend codes, but shouldn't feature communication between players either, or if they need to feature communication, then the codes should be required.
All games, regardless of ESRB rating, should use the Wii's built-in friendcode.
Graham @ Jan 22nd 2007 6:46AM
if parental controls are on then friend codes should activate....or something. Here's my pain in the ass story with the DS and it's friend codes.
Clubhouse games. Yes....that game.
I was playing with 3 other people...MY FRIENDS
Some of MY FRIENDS..lets say...A B and C arent friends with eachother like A doesnt know C . Clubhouse games features picto chat ONLY WITH FRIENDS THO (WATCH OUT FOR SOME PREDATORS DRAWING A PENZ0RZ!) So we were drawing what is usually drawn on picto chat and nagging at eachother about sucking at some games when I realized.....friend A and C could not see eachothers messages! WHY IS THIS?! THEY ALL CONNECTED TO MY GAME THAT I HOSTED AND I TRADED FRIEND CODES TO ALL OF THEM!!! (took 10 minutes for all that)... Well aparently all my friends had to trade with eachother. Yes even A and C which led to a disconnection of the game and then more trading nonesense.
Bah. I hate friend codes SOOOOOOOO much.
If there are friend codes EVER on the wii then there are going to be massive restrictions. Think about it....friend codes means with friends we may get voice chat.....but for strangers NEVERRRRRR! just one example.
And at #11, it sounds simple on paper to exchange...but really the wii24 isnt too fast and super when it comes to sending messages to eachother. Sometimes adding friends on the wii took many hours. Say we both bought brawl and wanted to play but werent wii friends..then shazbot we may have to wait an hour.
Sigh....oh well its free.
WillTheSecond @ Jan 22nd 2007 8:07AM
Well, I hope they add voice chat, after all, how is online co-op in Battalion Wars going to work without it?
I really think online features tied to parental controls should be how it's done: if the console is set below a certain age limit, voice chat etc. should only work with friend codes.
In any case, if Nintendo wants a service that actually gets anywhere near the popularity of Xbox Live they must do voice chat, there are some games I can't imagine playing without having a laugh with all the other players (SSBB will just become stale online). I hope we hear an announcement about a USB headset soon.
Duscrom @ Jan 22nd 2007 5:42PM
Nintendo still believes that Online Gaming is just a fad. So i think they want to sabotage the experince.
James @ Jan 22nd 2007 2:09PM
I think the point is that Nintendo's stated plan *sounds like* it will not permit gamers to drop into random online games. In some games (Animal Crossing, as cited above), this is good -- they're "personal", and you aren't likely to want to play with random strangers. In some games (Call of Duty, etc.) this is terrible, since online multiplayer is a major feature of e.g. modern shooters, and most people are not likely to have a full game worth of friends that just happen to be online and in the mood for that particular game at any given moment. I think the firestorm of criticism is being seen because people don't want Nintendo to allow games to be published that suffer from this flaw. If no Wii games can ever have a "lobby" for online multiplayer, Nintendo will be cutting themselves off from a huge segment of the gamer market.
Joe @ Jan 22nd 2007 2:54PM
I don't get the big deal over friend codes. No, the big issue with Nintendo's Wi-Fi service is the lack of a lobby system. Honestly, for most games this doesn't matter, but then try putting in Clubhouse Games, and you'll see what I mean. Basically, you have no idea what anyone else is playing- you could sit waiting for a partner for a game forever without it telling you nobody is trying to play. I don't even care about chatting to others, but it should at least show you the number of people playing each game, so that you know if its worth your time to join and wait for players.
Logan T. @ Jan 22nd 2007 10:06PM
This a big issue with me. I love my Nintendo Wii, but until I get a good online system (I don't even care if it's a blatant copy of XBL), the Xbox 360 will be where I do most of my gaming. Even if not everyone feels this way, you can really meet some great people to play with online; and having an intuitive, unified online system is the only way to make this work. Even if the Wii online is a unified version of it's DS counterpart it won't be good enough. Unfortunately, I don't see Nintendo coming up with anything much different, so my Wii will just sit gathering dust in between AAA releases.
Stuart Grimshaw @ Jan 24th 2007 5:25AM
I wrote something similar in my blog a few days ago.
http://stubblog.wordpress.com/2007/01/13/wii-first-impressions/
Basically, I see the whole friend code/Mii plaza as "a good start, but could do better"