Topic: Nintendo's Online Network [Armchair CEO Time]

[Chozo Ghost]

Even the Wii supported voice chat (albeit in a piss poor way), so I'm sure the Wii U will as well. As a matter of fact, that uTablet thing has a microphone built right into it, so its going to be something bundled with the console which every player is going to have from day one of purchase.

[bustin98]

The Wii chat support was per game, or you had to launch the channel. More than likely, you'll have to launch another similar app on WiiU to chat, or per game.

Now, if it's possible to update the OS to access features that weren't there before, then that would be fine, except the early adapters are usually the ones who want to use those features. This is why the 'emptying the fridge' of the Wii was so incredulous. The people waiting for the Wii to drop in price are the ones who don't give a **** about the limitations of the system. Meanwhile, everyone who had the system for three years prior is pulling their hair out.

[BlackNMild2k1]

I just wanted to revive this thread since it's dedicated to Nintendo's Online Network (aka Nintendo ON)

Peter Moore: Wii U Online is Extensive!
http://nintendoeverything.com/77499/moore-wii-u-is-a-very-exciting-machine-features-extensive-online-capabilities/

EA COO Peter Moore recently sat down with Famitsu to talk about all sorts of things, including the Wii U. Moore talked excitedly about the system and teased “extensive” online features for the console.

He said:

“It’s a very exciting machine and I’m glad to see it out there. I mean, a hi-def Nintendo platform! There’s nothing that could make me happier. Its online capabilities are really extensive, too, so we’ll be able to differentiate ourselves from the competition more easily with our sports lineup. We can’t announce anything yet, but what I can say is that Nintendo is a company that’s been producing new types of play culture for years. The 3DS and Wii U have taken on that DNA, so I really can’t wait to see what kind of new surprises are waiting for us.”

EA Pushing for Origin to be the Wii U Exclusive Online System?
http://wiiugo.com/exclusive-ea-origin-to-be-a-key-element-of-nintendos-online-strategy/
Trying beat out Valve from getting on the Wii U?

We received a tip from an EA intern with some very interesting information pertaining to the Wii U’s online system. Our source, who wishes to remain anonymous, claims that her information comes from a network engineer whom she is friends with. As with all news from anonymous sources, it’s difficult to determine its authenticity. But what we received sounds plausible and even explains Peter Moore’s relentless excitement for the Wii U.

It’s no secret that EA are helping Nintendo develop the Wii U’s online service. It will allegedly offer voice- and video-chatting support, leaderboards, and detailed friend lists that tell you who’s online and what they’re playing. The service aims to offer greater flexibility to publishers than Xbox Live, and EA . From our source:

Many publishers are happy with Xbox Live’s features, but they aren’t happy with how strict Microsoft’s guidelines are.  Nintendo went with an open flexible approach with online because when Nintendo asked developers/publishers what they wanted in an online service, that was the number one thing they asked for.

But interestingly, EA are supposedly in talks with Nintendo to try and make Origin, their digital games distribution platform, a key element of Nintendo’s online strategy, too. EA would have the chance to bring Origin to the console space and win many new users while Nintendo see it “as an opportunity to rebuild relationships with Western gamers because they feel that only a massive western company such as EA nderstands what is needed to make an online service attractive to western gamers.”

According to our source, EA isn’t the only company looking into bringing its digital distribution platform to the Wii U – Valve, too, are interested in getting Steam onto it. But EA are “aggressively persuading Nintendo to go Origins exclusive with Wii U’s online so they can gain a competitive advantage over Steam.”

Personally I would love to see Steamworks be the base of Nintendo's online, but if they can work out a blend of the 2 under some Nintendo branding that has deals just like Steam but also with full EA & Valve support, then that is perfectly fine with me.

Edit: But i'm sure the "wild west" use your own service approach will work out fine too. Lots of  devs will probably just use Steam once they port over the PC version anyway. EA will be free to use Origin, Ubisoft will probably use theirs and everyone will be happy.

I know that there has been discussion on these two stories in 2 different threads already, but I though we should consolidate all out thoughts into one thread on the subject.

So EA is loving the scope of Nintendo's online offerings at this point and now they also want to be the sole Digital Distributor as an attempt at beating out the forum favorite (Valve) from having any presence on the system.

We may have discusses our reasons why we don't want to see EA as the only one in charge, but I don't think anyone touched on the fact that Valve was indeed trying to be part of Wii U.


and I also want to add this since "Wild West" approach is a term that has been thrown around and I want to post my interpretation of what that may be like.

This is how I imagine Nintendo is setting up their Online Network.


You log in to an account attached to your My Nintendo that has a username and password.
Once logged in you will have access to the eShop, your friends list, chat, etc etc.


Everything will seem very unified behind Nintendo from the Users point of view.
You go into the shop, you see games listed, you can buy them, download them, play them.
You can insert a disc into the drive and choose the option to go online.


This is where the portal comes into play.


You chose to play BF3 so it routes you through Origin servers which handle all the cross talk, chat and online play.
If you chose Killer Freaks, it routes you through UbiPlay
....Valve's Black Box routes you through Steamworks
etc etc.


From the users standpoint, you won't really be able to tell the difference other than the logo that will pop up before you start playing.


You decide to download a game or some DLC
depending on who made the game, it will route you through which ever portal is hosting that particular game or DLC and you download it through there. Eitherway, you wouldn't even notice you are no longer on Nintendo's server except for a logo that would probably pop up while you are waiting for the download to start (think like a startup logo before a game).


This is why I think alot of software is gonna be running through the Steam portal (assuming it works anywhere near how I imagine) as I assume it will be multi-plat and will likely use the PC build as a port which will already be Steam enabled for the majority of games.

So if Activision had a game, they would probably run it through Steamworks
If Capcom had a game, they would probably run it through Origin
Nintendo would obviously run their own games through their own servers
Konami might also choose Origin, but iD might choose Steamworks


EA's play right now is to ensure that all these Publishers would run it through their portal (and only their portal since it would be the only option) and therefore have no excuse to not also release the game on the PC through Origin. There is no way that Nintendo is gonna allow EA that kind of power on Big N hardware. It would also really alienate Activision and Valve software.

any questions? thoughts?

[Lithium]

While that sounds awesome i'm just so disillusioned with nintendo's online strategy that i've pretty much given up on them. I'm sure they'll find a new way to screw things up.

[Adrock]

The "Wild West" approach might be the best choice as Nintendo should be weary of giving any company, be it EA or Valve, too much pull with the console. It promotes favoritism and that just looks bad. On the other hand, siding with one may yield some exclusives or preferential treatment in return which could help Nintendo in the long run. What if Nintendo got Half-Life 3 as a console exclusive (meaning also on PC but no other console version) for a few months or even forever? What if they got ALL of Valve's titles console exclusive? I don't know if Nintendo should say no to that. They're more likely to get such a deal from Valve than EA. It may alienate other 3rd party publishers but Nintendo would finally have games that non-Nintendo gamers would buy a Nintendo console for and they would be exclusive no less. At that point, Wii U could become so popular that jilted 3rd parties would begrudgingly support the console just for a piece of the pie.

Certainly, there are pros and cons to any approach. Nintendo shouldn't go all-in with any company unless they got something substantial in return. Exclusives might be worth it since they're much harder to come by these days. Nintendo has their own fans locked up but they need something to draw everyone else away from the competition.

[BlackNMild2k1]

Suggestions after playing some Mario Kart 7 Online

"Waiting room lobbies with text and voice chat, friendlist invites to join your room or game, ingame chat either text or voice. Something.
I need to be able to communitcate with the people I'm playing with in some manner, even if they just expand the pre-defined text list.
And they should drop you back into a lobby inbetween matches so you can wait for more people or change the game you're playing or adjust your options or something."

Nintendo has taken baby steps, but they need make a few leaps of faith too. So they better get Gabe in the lab and get to work on something better than what the 3DS is showing. It needs to all be ready on Day 1.... no it all needs to be ready (to show) by E3 and then accessable/functional on Day 1

[BlackNMild2k1]

More "improvements" inspired by Swapnote on 3DS

Sortable Friendslist

We need to be able to divide our contacts into Groups.
I want a Work Group, IRL Friends Group & an NWR group so that I can write a message that only goes to my NWR folks without having to individually select your names out of possibly hundred(s?) of names, especially when I can't even give your Mii's nicknames to keep them all straight.

i.e. Mii name is Carl.... WTF is your forum name!? How should I know? You are grouped into a large ass pool of other Miis 2 of which have the name Carl.... am I just supposed to recognize your Mii from the dozens of other Mii's that all look a little similar?

Which brings me to "Nicknames".

I should be able to name the contacts on my end even if the Mii they are using has a specific name that shows.

I add ShadowHeartX9 to my Friendslist and he names his Mii PeteyBoy because his real name is Peter....
well that's fine, but I know him by ShadowHeartX9, so that name should be at the top of their contact page with the name "PeteyBoy" at the bottom next to the Mii.
That would end alot of confusion as to who is who, especially when people share the same names for their Miis.

I go into my friendslist now and all I see are the names:
PeteyBoy, Carl, John, Sally, Susy, MikeXXX, Dub1 & SexxyCat

....who the **** are those people? I know who I added, but I don't know those names. Why does this even have to be suggested?

[Kairon]

Which brings me to "Nicknames".

Oddly enough, the Wii HAS supported this from the get go...