News: No Unified System For Wii Online?

Posted by Fierce_Link - Mar 14th 2007 22:28

Looks like there may be no unified system after all...

According to Falafelkid over at Nintendo-Revolution, there will not be a unified friend code system or gamertag for the Wii after all.

Falafelkid recently spoke with Gamespy's PR people, and asked them to go into detail regarding the Wii's online service.

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.

Nintendo have kept very quiet regarding the online multiplayer features of the Wii, so we still need some kind of confirmation from them. We'll bring you more information on this as it happens.


Source: Nintendo-Revolution



Bookmark and Share

Comments

Teppo_Holmqvist Says:
March 14th, 2007 at 17:35 || Total Comments: 13
Notice that Gamespy's rep didn't say anything at all about friend codes. Just that friend lists are game specific.

The most important question here is how adding new buddies to game specific list is implemented? It could be just one click from the address book, meeting your friend in lobby and clicking his name, or inputting secret hebrew code that recites names of 10 members of angelic host. From information we have gathered so far, any of these options is possible.
MrMarioMan Says:
March 14th, 2007 at 17:35 || Total Comments: 23
That really is terrible, first Ninty deprive us of an easy to remember gamer-name system similar to that of Live and leave us with a much hander to remember number, and then they make us have to use a new one for each game. It seems Ninty will never be able to get online 100% right.
MrMarioMan Says:
March 14th, 2007 at 17:36 || Total Comments: 23
Good point Teppo_Holmqvist, hopefully you will prove right.
Korn Says:
March 14th, 2007 at 17:45 || Total Comments: 155
Are they still calling it Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection? I think it should be named Nintendo Wi-Fi Complication, as Nintendos target audience of n00b gamers are gonna get so confused with all of these codes and numbers. I mean, it's like being in the CIA or something, dealing with all of these codes.
Ghost_zero Says:
March 14th, 2007 at 17:53 || Total Comments: 125
Who did ever say they would use friend-codes again.. . it could be like for the PC you build your buddy list for every game specific but either just enter that persons gamertag (not code) ur just click on his name. If it is like this I have no problem with it. I don't need not game specific friend-lists BUT I don't want to use friend codes or something like this...
Zwarrior Says:
March 14th, 2007 at 18:55 || Total Comments: 95
Here's hoping Gamespy is wrong
Pod Says:
March 14th, 2007 at 19:16 || Total Comments: 1037
I really don't have a problem with this. I don't count on all my friends buying the same selection of games, and I probably would want to play everything I own with everyone I know anyway.

Even if it could be a little hassling sometimes, you can exchange information with your friends through the Wii itself.
Matias Says:
March 14th, 2007 at 20:18 || Total Comments: 26
If i've learned anything Since December its that the Wii is very versatile. Lets hope Nintendo use that versatility to make an online experience that's not frustrating to use.
Harribo Says:
March 14th, 2007 at 20:24 || Total Comments: 24
Don't you think that by creating a different code/name/friends list for every game that it feels like Nintendo have gone out of their way to make things harder for the user?
Darkflame Says:
March 14th, 2007 at 22:13 || Total Comments: 961
In some ways I can understanding haveing different lists per game...after all, I might not WANT to have the same list per game.

But everything should still be drawn and accessed from a single list :-/
Heck, we should be able to see which of our friends is online (if they have agreed to), and what games they have in common with us.

A central "multiplayer channel" would be much nicer, even if the games themselfs had specific lists.
Its still slightly a mountine out of a mole-hill issue, however. PC's dont have a unified system.
Switching from Worms, to Red Alert, to Heroes of Might and Magic, to NeverWinter Nights....each one has its own username/email and password.
====
"That really is terrible, first Ninty deprive us of an easy to remember gamer-name system similar to that of Live "

Hah!
You have to be very lucky to get an easy to remember live code.
With 15 million Wii's and counting, what chance do you have?
You think Id get "Darkflame" ?
No, Id end up being "TWDarkflameUK12" or something :p

Nothing wrong with given us a unique ID number, because then we can have proper names elsewhere.
The key is to have an easy to use, well intergrated system that lets friendcodes be imported.
Miharu Says:
March 15th, 2007 at 03:19 || Total Comments: 19
The problem here isn't these friend codes for every game IMHO but the thing about Nintendo not allowing people to communicate in games unless you have registered them as your friends. On Xbox Live or anything else that is online you can talk to other players and then register them as your friends if you want during play. On Wii or DS you can't do that, instead you can only register people you know.

The great thing about online playing is that you can meet new people and get new friends, but these restrictions make that impossible. I know that if you could talk on Wii games to people you don't know there would be all sorts of complaints about pedophiles using Wii to lure little gamers, just like with Pictochat, but the press seems to be completely unaware that you could do that same thing with every other online console or any internet chatroom/game too.

In any case, even if this friend code thing works better on Wii than on DS, it's still miles away from Live's ease of use and greatness.
Rummy Says:
March 15th, 2007 at 03:33 || Total Comments: 186
If it turns out to be friend codes per game like the DS, well, then Nintendo are a bunch of frikkin idiots.
I am fairly convinced that if their online is too much off a hassle, it will affect sales as people won't wanna buy a console with crappy online.
Eraser Says:
March 15th, 2007 at 03:49 || Total Comments: 505
I'm hoping they'll simply allow games to access your address book so it can be read by the game itself to function as a buddylist.
Ravenblade2006 Says:
March 15th, 2007 at 05:42 || Total Comments: 272
Teppo_Holmqvist makes a good point.

However if this indicates that it will work in the worst possible way, I cannot defend such a bone headed move. There is absolutely no reason for game specific codes. A universal one is all thats needed. Why be so stupid!?
Kurtle Says:
March 15th, 2007 at 07:07 || Total Comments: 268
NINTENDO SUCK!!!!
Kurtle Says:
March 15th, 2007 at 07:10 || Total Comments: 268
And at the PC gaming thing.
That's a PC!!...Not a games console where a certain company is in control of online gaming.

Login to leave a message

Username:Password:
N-Europe Search: