Nintendo Gamers Online, the site that was created in response to Nintendo's pig-headed refusal to design a decent online matchmaking system, is reporting that they have undisputed proof that the friend's code debacle is here to stay. In their latest article titled Sad: Individual Friend Codes Confirmed (how's that for original?), they give us the down and dirty ...
A friend match, as you would imagine, lets you play with up to 3 of your friends. In these matches you can voice chat with the other players(depending on the software). This is great fun, but it's unnecessarily difficult. In the interest of protecting children, Nintendo made it necessary for each friend to swap a 12-digit friend code. This wouldn't be SO bad, except for the fact that BOTH friends must enter the code, and there is no friend request system(think Myspace), which would have made things much easier.
It was because of this that we were much relieved to find a friend code embedded in our Wii's when we all started receiving them. Even though this is still a far cry from the Gamertag system used by Microsoft on XBox Live, it would at least allow us to have a unified buddy list without the hassle of repeatedly entering new friend codes for each game. However,.. images of Mario Strikers Charged posted on IGN a few days ago confirm that we were wrong, DEAD WRONG. It certainly appears now, that the Wii code is for nothing other than sending messages to your buddies and swapping Mii's. This means that you will STILL need to swap codes for each game you play online.
While you can file this under info that we already knew but just didn't want to believe in the first place, I give points to anyone who takes the time to point it out and throw it in Nintendo's face. The whole set up is laughable, and a major deterrent for those that are already enjoying the online thing the way it was meant to be played.
Some might say that Nintendo is bombing out in all fronts, but for me it's just the friend's code thing. If they would just be a bit more reasonable about that, most of us could overlook the the overpriced Virtual Console offerings, or the lack of "must have" games at the moment.
Contest:
11:19 AM on 05.03.2007
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Hopefully the on-line experience on the Wii will make up for the hassle of friend codes, but something tells me we'll end up disappointed.
Got the news last week. Still trying to wrap my head around the whole thing. Dream come true :-)
Everyone else- The whole thing just blows my mind. Surely Nintendo has "feelers" who scour web sites, forums, and actually ask customers what they want. Don't get me wrong, I like the Wii, but this code thing needs to die a painful death.
Not that this is an excuse, but I'm not expecting their first big venture into online to be spectacular. But when their next system comes out and it's the same way, count me out.
Is that your friend code Gameboi? :)
As a matter of fact, it is. Where did you get this info? Please don't let anyone know. I'd get Carpal Tunnel adding new friends to my list.
I'm actually ready to sell my Wii if it wasn't for Smash Brothers coming out eventually.
This friends codes system is beyond retarded. Nice job on the picture by the way. Very funny!
I don't need online, so friend codes don't matter.
My avatar is cuter than yours. Though puppies make me squeal
now i feel better. It just grinds my gears that nintendo does some things pretty well. Their games are fantastic, and their channels are pretty neat. Actually giving them money so that I could download stuff is FUCKIN' easy as shit. (actually, I take that back. pointing out your credit card number is a bitch. Every. Time.) It's like they contacted Disney to help make the most childish method of doing things. I feel like there is nothing in the control of the gamer in the wii interface, and everything is predetermined by some family safe shithead. NEVERFUCKIN MIND I'VE LOOKED AT PORN ON THE GODDAMN WII BROWSER THAT HAS NON EXISTANT PARENTAL CONTROLS. There isn't even a history to delete afterwards. It's like every ten year old boys dream. So why is it that I can't, you know, send messages to people in a game where five minutes later I could be looking at pictures of japanese styli poking and proding anime girls in the vagina on destructoid without geting off the couch, or even turning off the system? It makes absolutely no sense.
Wii is doomed because its online is gimped.
Apologists and haters are two sides of the same coin.
WELL DONE DUDE!
DOWN WITH INDIVIDUAL FRIEND CODES!
You couldn't smell the evil that close huh?
@ Summa: It's certainly a noticeable loss when looking at the oh-so-sweet Live interface my 360-blessed friends have. I just don't get it; it's not rocket science. Take Live, put it on Wii and PS3. We'll issue a special edict that states fanboys are not to talk about "ripping-off M$ OMGZORZ" and everything will be right in the world.
But I really dont know ANYONE who would gladfully type a 12 digit code each time they want to play, specially a kid or a casual, on second thought, I guess this really makes no sense. No matter how you slice it.
Congrats Gameboi on joining the destructoid family.
If the Wii's online is anything like the DS, you can still play against random people online, just that invite matches require the codes. That said, they should really fix the match-making system. Often times when I just started playing Mariokart online I wound up playing against a three star snaker probably from Korea, forcing everyone to dropout.
Or better yet, buy a 360 and never need a page like that!! and maybe sometime get a ps3 (when is worth it) and do the same for free!
I know that in the long run it'll hurt Nintendo, but they're not exactly launching a ton of competitive combat/fps games. Unless the urge to play Cooking Mama online is that overpowering, I just see this as a very crappy development, but not catastrophic.
Just a bit a wishful thinking that I'm sure won't happen.
"Does Nintendo's Friend Code system suck?
Option A: Yes
Option B: YES!"
Oddly enough, they never featured it...
-> Summa: I'd actually say the online is absolutely the weakest point of the wii going forward, but that's probably largely down to personal prioritisation.
God I hate friend codes and Nintendo's butchered attempt at online play.
(All references to pokemans are purposeful, due to the fact that I cannot bring myself to talk seriously about it anymore)
ps - the wii sucks anyway
I don't like the friend codes either but my understanding was that you only have to enter a persons friend code once for each game. Where did you read you have to enter it "each time you want to play". If that is true then friends codes are even worse than I thought.
If it's not true, then I'm not too worried. I just wish they had a "friends request" where if you added someone else to your list, it would notify them so they could add or deny you.
In any event, the mario strikers online looked very solid, with rankings for the day, stats, leader boards for the "season" and lots of matchmaking that doesn't require friends codes at all. If friends codes are the cost of free online gaming like whats provided with Strikers, I'll take it.
I agree that it's a huge loss for Nintendo in terms of the big picture. They are probably losing business as a result of the friends code system. I just mean that when I want to play a game online with my friends, it's usually Gears, Chrome Hounds or Tiger Woods. I love Warioware, but it just wouldn't be the same without everybody in the same room anyway. The Wii is great for some singleplayer stuff (Super Paper Mario, Twilight Princess RE4) and for parties (Warioware, Wii Sports, Tiger Woods). It just doesn't do casual multiplayer, at least the way I play it.
And I'm probably the one percent who doesn't like Smash or Mario Kart. I'm way more excited for Disaster or Umbrella Chronicles than Smash or MK.
Not yet they're not. The system is sold out so even if people are refusing to buy it because of friends codes, we'd never know. Once they get past the "sold out" signs, then we can see if it hurts them or not. One thing's for sure, I don't see it helping them, AT ALL. In any event, I really want to see some BWii online. Hook us up with a friends request feature and everything will be fine.
The reason why wii codes aren't friend codes is because then you would only have one user per console.
You're totally right. But honestly, wouldn't it be nice to at least be notified if someone added you, such that you could simply click, "accept" and boom you're done. Or better yet, have a check box when you add a friend code that says, "Automatically add this person to each game you have in common". That way, it would be a breeze in the future.