18 replies to this topic

[Tony Bradshaw]

During an interview one of the Nintendo execs said that the Wii U will have a ton of new internet features and admitted that the Wii lacked internet features. Any guesses to what the new content might be?

[Storm]

Messaging, no crappy Friend codes, game invites, you know: basic stuff that's been around for years that Nintendo has failed to implement because of their horrible approach at online gaming.

That's what I hope anyway. If not, no Wii U for me.

[Droenix]

Meh, I'd still buy a Wii U even if they had crappy internet features (which I doubt they will this generation). I'm in it for the console and the games that are for it. I loved growing up with Nintendo (and other consoles, but mostly Nintendo) and when the Wii released I was really excited for it, but you couldn't find it anywhere due to the lack of units in stores... So I had to wait until 2008 to get my hands on one and play with it, at first it was amazing, but then that amazement quickly died down. I didn't find the motion controls to be that great (some games utilized it nicely, while others... not so much) and it just didn't feel like a step-up to the Gamecube.

Hopefully the Wii U will be different and hopefully it offers better internet/multiplayer features compared to the Wii.

[Tony Bradshaw]

I'm trying to find the article but just can't manage to source it, I believe they said it will be a step beyond Xbox's Live network & the PSN.

Obviously they have that face-time feature which is kinda cool, just don't see myself using it though.

Edited by Tony Bradshaw, 14 June 2011 - 01:43 AM.

[Joshua]

Many developers (Ubisoft especially) and Nintendo have said the online functionality of the WiiU has improved dramatically. Hopefully they are telling the truth, but all I can do is hope.
Regardless, I'm still getting a WiiU whether it be the best console ever or the worst.

[rob_shadows]

I think I remember reading that they used Xbox live as the idea of what they wanted to reach with the online features. Makes sense sense Live is usually considered the top online experience for consoles.

[Mukkinese]

I have to admit, that the whole online multi-player thing has passed me by. I know it is very popular, I just don't see the attraction of being called "gay" a thousand times by some squeaky-voiced, twelve year old desperately waiting for his balls to drop. With apologies to any twelve year olds here who, I'm sure, are paragons of virtue in their online relationships. Not that I would want to deny others the pleasure of such encounters, but the online gaming "upgrade" isn't my thing. Maybe I'm just anti-social, but I grew up exploring Tombs solo and I like it that way.

Then again, I do use the Wii for party games, two or three times a month, but that isn't the same is it?

Edited by Mukkinese, 14 June 2011 - 03:27 AM.

[Jabob]

I think it will be improved on massively, they will make a really nice online experience I believe, I also think the browser will be updated heaps.
I think it'll support Flash, html5 and hopefully other stuff too.

[Caius Casshern Sins]

I honestly hope it can have a stronger online with better severs would be nice. It was such a pain to play online in brawl.

Edited by zxride64, 14 June 2011 - 03:40 AM.

[Jabob]

One of the main things I want is a central online hub, somewhere you can add people, have a game list, chat, message each other etc... It annoys me that I have nothing like that on the Wii.

[SonofMrPeanut]

For the benefit of everyone who didn't figure this out, Nintendo UK Marketing Manager Rob Lowe did not confirm friend codes for the Wii U. He was speaking about how they were improved on the 3DS.

Of course had he payed attention to Ubisoft's "Developer Roundtable" he'd have accounted for the possibility of no friend codes and straight-up accounts.

That is all.

[Jabob]

For the benefit of everyone who didn't figure this out, Nintendo UK Marketing Manager Rob Lowe did not confirm friend codes for the Wii U. He was speaking about how they were improved on the 3DS.

Of course had he payed attention to Ubisoft's "Developer Roundtable" he'd have accounted for the possibility of no friend codes and straight-up accounts.

That is all.

I think if Nintendo is really smart they will get rid of friend codes, most people dislike them, although if they wanted they could keep them as an alternative to people who didn't want to use the account system, but they'll definitely need an account system.

[SonofMrPeanut]

I think if Nintendo is really smart they will get rid of friend codes, most people dislike them, although if they wanted they could keep them as an alternative to people who didn't want to use the account system, but they'll definitely need an account system.

Here's what I believe would be the best way to still have friend codes around and leave people like us satisfied: Relocate it to Parental Controls.

The reason they were designed in the first place was as a measure of child security, so in this situation the parents/guardians could turn it on in the PC section. There is one point when people with a regular account would use a code, and that's when playing with a protected child. That sounds incredibly wrong, but just stay with me here. The person who wants to play a game with the protected child would need to exchange their friend code with them and have a parent/guardian enter the PC password in order to add each other to their friends lists. After that, codes would never have to be exchanged again.

I know it sounds a tad bit cumbersome, but it's the only viable way I can see FCs existing on a Nintendo console without annoying people. Well, without annoying anyone who isn't a protected child. It still sounds weird saying that. Protected child.

[abbe]

cant they just do a good online service without friend codes, but with parental settings. just place a big letter in the box saying blah blah blah blah parental settings, cuz a dont think a youngster do know how to set up a home console, and in that way, the parents will know about the parental settings.

anyway, if that fails. Do kids really get attacked by pedophiles on xbl and psn?

[SonofMrPeanut]

cant they just do a good online service without friend codes, but with parental settings. just place a big letter in the box saying blah blah blah blah parental settings, cuz a dont think a youngster do know how to set up a home console, and in that way, the parents will know about the parental settings.

anyway, if that fails. Do kids really get attacked by pedophiles on xbl and psn?

In the theoretical setting, the parents would take care of the process. That would be guaranteed by them needing to enter the PC password. If they told their kid the PC password, then they're the ones at fault. Nintendo would experience no liability for what goes wrong. Also, if the child figures out the password the parents are probably stupid.

Just FYI, kids would also have to do the same exchange with other kids. That way, questionable characters wouldn't be able to bypass the parent by posing as a child.

A hack for PC passwords might happen (highly unlikely, but it's possible), but then that's an entirely different kind of security breach Nintendo also isn't liable for.

I can't give you numbers as to how often crimes involving children happen with online gaming, but it can. It's specious reasoning, sure, but the extra layer of security would let codes serve their purpose without bothering us outside of playing with children. There's just no right way to say that.

Edited by SonofMrPeanut, 15 June 2011 - 12:55 AM.

[Caius Casshern Sins]

This was a similar plan i had thought the friend codes could have been use. I hope if friend codes are in the wii u they are implemented like this.

[Camcam281]

I think it will be improved on massively, they will make a really nice online experience I believe, I also think the browser will be updated heaps.
I think it'll support Flash, html5 and hopefully other stuff too.

I completely agree 100% if they don't add flash and HTML 5 than they are not right in the mind.though they didn't do it on the 3DS, they have to do it in Wii U especially since apple doesn't use flash on their tablets and iPods/iPhones. So that will differ the controller from regular tablets with buttons. Just imagine grabbing the controller and playing games like runescape or mine craft on the controller. That would be awesome

[Tony Bradshaw]

cant they just do a good online service without friend codes, but with parental settings. just place a big letter in the box saying blah blah blah blah parental settings, cuz a dont think a youngster do know how to set up a home console, and in that way, the parents will know about the parental settings.

This, I don't think friend codes appeal to 'hardcore' gamers

[AMAC]

I'd like to be able to browse the internet on the controller. The idea is that it can be used as a screen, so that should be possible. Youtube, iPlayer and 4OD channels would also be nice features.