[Wii] "Major online game" skipping Friend Codes

[Aladdin Sane]

According to N-Europe and IGN's Matt Casamassina, one of the Wii's major online games for 2009 will avoid using Nintendo's Friend Code system, which his been widely criticised by both gamers and developers. It will join other games available for the Wii, including EA's sports range and Medal of Honor Heroes 2 (outside of Australia) which feature online systems that sidestep Friend Codes.

No word on which game, but the Wii has a handful of high-profile online titles hitting this year, including High Voltage's The Conduit and and Capcom's Monster Hunter 3.

[Kabal]

It could also be that TMNT fighter. Apparently they were boasting a better online service than Brawl.......or maybe I just imagined that...

[Smoko]

Why wasn't this news when EA done it with Medal Of Honor: Heroes 2?

Originally Posted by Kabal Scorpion

Apparently they were boasting a better online service than Brawl.

That's like saying turds are better than shit.

[fat_white_jamaican]

turds are better than shit...
on topic, i hope it's the conduit. they've been making rather bold steps in wii functionality (decent graphics, big online, wii speak etc) and such so i would think it would be them

what happens if they do it, and it's a success? will nintendo stop the friend codes on their own games?
i hope so... (won't hold my breath though)

[Aladdin Sane]

Originally Posted by fat_white_jamaican

what happens if they do it, and it's a success? will nintendo stop the friend codes on their own games?

Doubtful, as EA already ignore Friend Codes and use their own EANation system. Nintendo feel that Friend Codes are the best option for their games, and I can't see that changing just because a few developers do things differently.

[Mario maniac]

I'll never understand what all the fuss is about friend codes. I mean, it takes less than a minute to put a code into your game: what's the problem?

[Aladdin Sane]

Originally Posted by Mario maniac

I'll never understand what all the fuss is about friend codes. I mean, it takes less than a minute to put a code into your game: what's the problem?

There's a couple of problems, but the major one is in having a code for each game; with XboxLive or PSN, I just add your GamerTag or ID and there we go, we're done, and it doesn't matter what game we're playing, we're still friends. Whereas I need to add your FC for every game we want to play. If it just used the Wii system code as a universal Friend Code I doubt there'd be nearly as many complaints.

[Adios]

The problem is that you shouldn't have to do that. You should simply have one core username or number which remains universal across different games that is easy to remember. It's not a freaking social security number, it's a number that lets you play with your friends and it's frankly ridiculous that it has so many digits when a credit card is perfectly safe with 4.

[Smoko]

Originally Posted by fat_white_jamaican

turds are better than shit...

Turds are shit. Which means you're saying shit is better than shit. Please, stop posting.

Originally Posted by Mario maniac

I'll never understand what all the fuss is about friend codes. I mean, it takes less than a minute to put a code into your game: what's the problem?

The problem is you have a different 12 or so digit code for games. Sure that might not sound bad if it's only one 12 number, but it's not. There's just way too many numbers for each game which means you have to re-add your friend each time there is a game you both wish to play. I wrote an article a few years back about why friend codes were bad with some math but it's no longer available on the internet. If you can't see the problem then there's something wrong with your intelligence.

[WiiFuelee]

bet its The Conduit

[Mario maniac]

Ah, a typical post from Smoko -- I guess it's not in you to post something intelligent without coming off as an arse. ;) I still don't really see what the issue is, but each to their own, I suppose. (Then again, I guess one friend code per person would be a lot better in comparison to five or six, as Aladdin put it...)

[azsxdc]

My dad plays the latest tiger woods game on Wii, and from what I've seen it's one of the best online systems on the wii to date. I barely even noticed that there's no exchange of friend codes, hell it practically encourages you to befriend strangers. But it works really well.

My bets are that the conduit will get the treatment.

In my opinion, I think games generally targetted at the younger audience (ie. mario games) should use friend codes for safety measures (and to keep from having parents sue), but games mainly targetted at the older demographic (ie. THE CONDUIT) shouldn't use the friend code system. It's only natural that mothers would want their young ones protected online, but teenagers and adults? No need for that demographic.

[Gookanheimer]

So if it's not the FC system... then what is it, and is it even better at all?

[k0r3]

A few different games have "skipped" out on friend codes now.

I'm leaning more towards Monster Hunter 3 rather than The Conduit, based mainly on the fact that Monster Hunter G (for Wii) has a fee for online and if Monster Hunter 3 has a fee also you would expect the online to be A+++ and FC free.

[Gookanheimer]

I'd rather go with FC then if the only alternative is to pay. Assuming I'd be interested in MH3. And playing it online.

But then I am pretty cheap ^_^