Friend Codes? Again

[TBS Trojan]

i heard this from my friend who just joined the site(dropshot12) that the Wii will be using friend codes instead of like a screen name, PLZ someone tell me this isnt true, that is one of the worst ideas ever. i already had to deal with the BS of friend codes on Animal Crossing.

[AfroJoe]

Hmm, that would annoy me quite a bit, actually. Screen names are much better than rubbishy friend codes.

:(

[ArtG]

Here is a Kotaku article I found:

http://www.kotaku.com/gaming/nintendo/friend-codes-hit-nintendo-wii-188173.php

Apparently the Wii had this to say on its official website:

"Nintendo has your online safety in mind. Thanks to our unique Friend Code system, you can control whom you play with online. Playing online is a great way to connect and reconnect people you want to play games with!"

I really wouldn't be surprised by this. It'd be a huge leap for Nintendo to go right into an integrated Xbox Live like service. It's a pipe dream at this point, and you should expect to see the friend's code system in the Wii.

[linkofhyrule]

Meh, this isn't horrible news. Just because they're going to be called Friend Codes doesn't mean they'll be the DS all over again.

[AfroJoe]

The word "Codes" kind of hints that it will.

[phatmuther]

so this "codes" stuff, just number i take it then?
hi im 3425223 etc?

[Blaze Lord]

Pretty much. The idea is that you can only really play with people you already know somehow, as I understand it. Unlike Xbox Live matchmaking.

[phatmuther]

ooooooooh, bad move (N)

[Blaze Lord]

Bad move for hardcore gamers. Good move for parents with 8 year olds.

[linkofhyrule]

There could be a privacy option to use it like that or not you know :s

[Blaze Lord]

But now they're like.. tripling their investment in an online space in order to please what they see as a small minority of their (potential) gamers.

[linkofhyrule]

Well I guess they consider that most kids will be buying Wii's not PS3s or 360s, but they should still make it so you can use them restrictively or not

[RiLu@]

i dont think that will problem you acn always meet people on the net and stuff.

I think nitendo just wnats tyo be diffrent too!

[Blaze Lord]

Well I guess they consider that most kids will be buying Wii's not PS3s or 360s, but they should still make it so you can use them restrictively or not

My point is that managing and serving matchmaking is a lot more intensive than just facilitating simple direct connections on the fly. Restrictively or not means they have to build an Xbox Live equivalent for the 'or not', instead of just bloating up the DS-style. Since as I said they're probably expecting only a minority of their users to go online anyway, and then only a fraction of that fraction to use a Live style matchmaking.. Doesn't seem like a 'should' to me.

Nintendo's gonna focus on other things besides serving up matches.

[TBS Trojan]

it's just more a hassle to memorize number codes, when you could have screen names which are easier. and if they want security, what about voice activation.

[gashead]

If you get one friends code for the entire console, it won't be too bad. It'd be good to have a friends list which displays their username and what game they are playing so you don't have to keep guessing who's who!

[Blaze Lord]

Voice activation? It isn't about security per se, it's about what they think will bother and appeal to their audience, and if that means a serious investment is worth it. If they can convince that audience that a lack of a feature is actually a benefit, all the more reason.

[derekm91]

Meh, this isn't horrible news. Just because they're going to be called Friend Codes doesn't mean they'll be the DS all over again.

I agree....

[Blaze Lord]

It'll be much the same.

http://media.g4tv.com/downloads/aots/wiipage.jpg

Sounds like DS to me.

[linkofhyrule]

It hasn't been formally announced, so you can't trust that info

[Blaze Lord]

Trust it? No. But, it's not like I'm using this to gamble. If I were, even so, dollars to donuts it's very, very DS like.