Reuters has tossed their hat into the online argument arena, citing concerns many of us share in regards to the Wii and online gameplay. Mainly, the concern of when are we going to get to play our Wii online? And, in attempting to tackle the subject, they instead fall face first into the mud. What we found interesting about the piece was a little factoid that the article's author Kemp Powers tossed in.
He says that "more than 50 percent of Wii consoles in the United States are connected online." Of course, that means near 50 percent (as in just over) of these consoles are connected online, but can that be correct? That's a pretty big chunk of Wii owners out there and, frankly, it makes us that much more angry that Nintendo has yet to get us online and playing each other. It's really kind of embarrassing, if you think about it. But then again, that's not Nintendo's main focus, and we knew that going in.
Still stings though, doesn't it?
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
4-06-2007 @ 1:35PM
Mousercize said...
I know that Nintendo confirmed over 500,000 people voted on the first World Wide Vote on the Everybody Votes Channel. So that means at least that many people are hooked up online, but also this doesn't include the amount of people this channel just annoys so we don't use it. Nintendo needs to get on the ball and get us some online gameplay. Please Nintendo Please, and not just Pokemon!
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4-06-2007 @ 1:39PM
Jonxman said...
"But then again, that's not Nintendo's main focus, and we knew that going in."
I didn't know this going in. I expect(ed) that Nintendo move along with technology and market demand. What would be the point of doing what they've done so far (jump'n run with yourself), all over again?
I want an online community via Wii and I want to play games - all different kinds of games - online. If possible without having to enter stupid codes..
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4-06-2007 @ 2:32PM
Moogle said...
Nintendo is going with the demands of the market. Their market is simply made up of a larger group than random net goons and blog monkeys.
Very few people want an "online community". Anyone who tells you that's what people really want is trying to sell you repackaged sci-fi pipe dreams. Most people don't have much interesting in developing a lasting friendship with Killa523 on Halo 2. People want to play with their real friends, and for now, that's sufficiently done in the same room and is cheaper to boot.
Ninty will get online eventually. As far as friend codes go, yeah they're a pain, but if your market is ages 5 to 75, 85% of your market is a kid or has one, and most good parents are at least mildly concerned with what their kids hear online.
Why play online? For the challenge of real people. Can you do that on DS online games without friend codes? Yes. Why else? To chat and keep up with friends. Can you do that on current DS games? Yeah, you just have to have another way to talk with them that Nintendo's not responsible for.
The only real problem with the DS friend codes is not having a friends list between games, which is probably for technical reasons. We're all hoping Nintendo fixes that one on the Wii, yes. I think they'd be fools not to have that by 2008.
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4-06-2007 @ 4:01PM
Jackson Pritt said...
"Nintendo is going with the demands of the market. Their market is simply made up of a larger group than random net goons and blog monkeys."
Really? Because I could swear that the market is pissed off that there isn't online play yet. You know, based on the fact that even REUTERS is criticising the lack of online play.
"Very few people want an "online community". Anyone who tells you that's what people really want is trying to sell you repackaged sci-fi pipe dreams. Most people don't have much interesting in developing a lasting friendship with Killa523 on Halo 2. People want to play with their real friends, and for now, that's sufficiently done in the same room and is cheaper to boot."
An "online community" isn't the same thing as "e-mail pen pals." Sure, my main interest is playing against friends and people I don't know, but guess what? That isn't "sufficiently done in the same room" since not all my friends live in the same STATE as me, let alone CITY or APARTMENT BUILDING.
"Ninty will get online eventually. As far as friend codes go, yeah they're a pain, but if your market is ages 5 to 75, 85% of your market is a kid or has one, and most good parents are at least mildly concerned with what their kids hear online."
I got no problem with the way friend codes are done in games like Metroid Prime: Hunters. It's a good solution to a very real concern (but not real threat) that many parents have.
"Why play online? For the challenge of real people. Can you do that on DS online games without friend codes? Yes. Why else? To chat and keep up with friends. Can you do that on current DS games? Yeah, you just have to have another way to talk with them that Nintendo's not responsible for."
Chat? On the DS? Not unless you're in the same room you can't.
"The only real problem with the DS friend codes is not having a friends list between games, which is probably for technical reasons. We're all hoping Nintendo fixes that one on the Wii, yes. I think they'd be fools not to have that by 2008."
They should have had it by 2007. The Wii should have shipped with at least ONE online game, and several online channels in place. That they're trickling out content like this just shows that they didn't do their work in advance and are just being LAZY.
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4-06-2007 @ 4:23PM
Mr Khan said...
I still think Nintendo is trying to deter people from the Online experience, first by refusing to embrace it, now by minimizing the experience
I don't think they're being lazy, i think the guys higher up (Shiggy, Satoru) honestly don't give a damn, and thus outsource online gameplay (to GameSpy no less) just so they can say they have it
The games themselves are fun, and the service is smooth, and its growing fast because it's completely hassle free (no registering an account/username, no payments, no nothing), but i think that that's all Nintendo thinks Online gaming should be, an extension of a locally played game, not an entity in and of itself
I mean there's no way Nintendo actually thinks that they're delivering the best online experience they possibly could, they're not stupid
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4-08-2007 @ 3:01AM
TibrisXVII said...
It coming just shut up you damn whiners.
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