Topic: Wii pages up, friend code(s?) confirmed

[Aussiedude]

Wifi page, Friend codes confirmed . Still at least its free.

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Nintendo has your online safety in mind. Thanks to our unique Friend Code system, you can control whom you play with online. Playing online is a great way to connect and reconnect people you want to play games with!

WiiFi

Games page

Specs (DVD playback NOT mentioned)
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Controls: Intuitive control for anyone using the physical motion of the main Wii Remote, which resembles a television remote control. Up to four Wii Remotes can be connected at once using wireless Bluetooth technology. The wireless signal can be detected within 10 meters of the console. Both the Wii Remote and Nunchuk controllers include a three-axis motion sensor. The Wii Remote also includes a speaker, rumble feature and expansion port, and can be used as a pointer within 5 meters of the screen. The Wii Remote has a power switch, plus pad, A, B, Minus, Home, 1 and 2 buttons. The Nunchuk controller includes an analog control stick and C and Z buttons.

The Look: Wii features a compact design that will make it a natural addition to any television setup. It can be displayed either vertically or horizontally.

Media: A single self-loading media bay will play single- or double-layered 12-centimeter optical discs for Wii, as well as 8-centimeter Nintendo GameCube discs.

Communication: Wii can communicate with the Internet even when the power is turned off. This WiiConnect24 service delivers a new surprise or game update, even if users do not play with Wii. Users can connect wirelessly using IEEE 802.11b/g, or with a USB 2.0 LAN adaptor. Wii also can communicate wirelessly with Nintendo DS.

Virtual Console: Wii will have downloadable access to 20 years of fan-favorite titles originally released for Nintendo 64, the Super Nintendo Entertainment System (SNES) and even the Nintendo Entertainment System (NES). The Virtual Console also will feature a "best of" selection from Sega Genesis titles and games from the TurboGrafx console (a system jointly developed by NEC and Hudson). It also will be home to new games conceived by indie developers whose creativity is larger than their budgets.

The Specs: Wii boasts 512 megabytes of internal flash memory, two USB 2.0 ports and built-in Wi-Fi capability. A bay for an SD memory card will let players expand the internal flash memory. Design was optimized with state-of-the-art processing technologies that minimize power consumption, keep the console compact and enable the "sleepless" WiiConnect24 mode.

CPU: PowerPC CPU (code-named "Broadway"). Made with a 90 nm SOI CMOS process, jointly developed with and manufactured by IBM.

Graphics Processing Unit: Being developed with ATI.

Other Features: Four ports for classic Nintendo GameCube controllers. Two slots for Nintendo GameCube Memory Cards. An AV Multi-output port for component, composite or S-video.

 

[Ceric]

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An AV Multi-output port for component, composite or S-video.

Best part of the quote and the only sort of new information.

[Spak-Spang]

I know many people don't enjoy the friend system...but personally I think it is an important element to Nintendo's strategy.  And I think it is a great idea.  

I just hope Nintendo moves from friend codes for each game, and creates friend codes for profiles instead.  

[31 Flavas]

I'd be surpised if they didn't move to a profile, but its not like they put ketchup on my hotdog if they don't.

[Athrun Zala]

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Originally posted by: Ceric

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An AV Multi-output port for component, composite or S-video.

Best part of the quote and the only sort of new information.

not really new, as they've said that (at least Nintendo's) games will run at 480p....

the news from that is that they dropped monitor support....

[31 Flavas]

Monitor support? When was that ever announced?

[Athrun Zala]

like in 2004, said by Iwata

[Requiem]

Ya that's some bull-ish

I was really looking forward to using that feature.....

[Donutt007]

and of course that site's down already!!!

But I found someone that had screencaps

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[nemo_83]

Let us imagine for a moment planetgamecube with friend codes...there wouldn't be any activity in the forums; how would anyone know anyone else's friend code to be able to read their messages on the forums?  Friend codes suck as an online model.  It's hard enough to make friends with strangers during a match when you're trying to kill each other; how exactly are you going to get up a large enough friends list on a multiplayer deathmatch game like Quake?  

The way I would set it up is I would offer a forum style of public meeting, clubs, and blogs like 1up.  They offer all of those services for free in addition to news, reviews, previews, videos, podcasts, web shows, and lots more.  Can't Nintendo at least get a universal friends list up for god's sakes?

Nintendo was once known for being at the forefront of multiplayer gaming; as far as online is concerned, they're still trying to design their engine while MS took off three years ago.  Furthermore, wifi is unreliable.

[Neodymium]

I'm very upset by friend codes, but what makes it more of a kick in the nuts if Nintendo's "COMMITMENT TO ONLINE SAFETY LOL." They could just admit they don't want to shell out for good online structure. Who even wants to play with someone who's so insanely insecure that they can't even have their voice heard? If Nintendo wanted to keep little kids from communicating, they could simply work in a parental control system like XBL. Admit it guys. You don't want to pay. I would be willing to pay a subscription fee for an amazing online service. In fact, I would pay top dollar to see "friend codes" and "online safety" put in the casket.

But that's not all. What's this "best of" crap for Genesis and Turbo? That's exactly what we DON'T need. We've all played through Bonk's Adventure a dozen times, okay Nintendo? We know every repeitive, boring level of "Awtewed Beast." We've been there, done that. Offer us untranslated Japanese games and homebrew stuff. Offer us games that recieved limited production. Not the same levels of Legendary Axe and Sonic 2 that we've been playing and playing for years.

[Spak-Spang]

Nemo:  Lets imagine that Planetgamecube was trying to create a online gaming system with voice chat that protected children from predators and also protected people from being bombarded from annoying and immature chatter.

How would they go about it?

Would they just make it free for all, until the user decides to take action verse a violator banning them?  If they did that, then the child would have to be exposed to vugarity or worse.  It would mean that the adult not wanting to deal with hearing a immature child use the F-word every time he is shot would have to constantly actively ban people (or ignore people) from his list.

Sounds frustrating to me.  And it is one reason I hate playing online games is the annoying players.

So Planetgamecube decides to provide a game environment with limitations, for open online games.  No voice chat, just games.  This provides a means for people to play the game and not be offended.

Then, the individual has the choice to add people to his personal exclusive list to gain other features.  

It is a great compromise.  The only downside to the Wifi Friends System right now is it works for individual games only.  I think this will be changed for the Wii system.

And it is pretty easy to find and add friends to your list...all you have to do is hit the messageboards devoted to Nintendo and find the codes.  I have never felt inconvienced by the system.

It protects everyone...including Nintendo.

[Spak-Spang]

Neodymium:  I explained why the friends code is needed at works well.  And the friends code has nothing to do with enabling voice chat or not.  Metroid Prime: Hunters has voice chat enabled.  Nintendo is not skimping out on technology because it is free.  They are trying to build a unique and safe online community period.

And why do you say we don't need the virtual console.  That is one of the greatest ideas of the Wii.  The fact is we haven't all played all these greatest games from the past systems.  There is a whole new generation of gamers that haven't touched a SNES, Genesis, and more...and the Wii is going to introduce those games to that generation.  As well, several gamers stopped playing AFTER those generations, because they did not enjoy the direction 3D gaming was heading.  It became complicated and less enjoyable to them.  They now have a system to play their favorite games all over again...and begin to try new games again.  This is very good.  Finally, for the collector the Wii is a blessing because again they can purchase their favorite games and play them all on one system hooked to their television instead of trying to manage 4-5 systems hooked to one television...and deal with backup memory failing and more.  

Nintendo is doing several things right when it comes to the Wii online structure, and I think people are not giving Nintendo credit because they expect them to drop the ball as they did with the Gamecube.  

Well, for the most part the Wifi connection for the DS is an amazing success and achievement, with very few hiccups and complaints.  Those complaints are most likely being addressed for the Wii launch.  After all, they have surveyed several Nintendo product owners asking for their personal opinions and advance on the manner.

[Dirk Temporo]

*cough*

http://wii.ign.com/articles/707/707865p1.html

"May 11, 2006 IGN Wii: Will Wi-Fi Connection on Wii also use a Friends Code system?

Tezuka: Yes."

Also, friend codes are made of fail. I mean, without friend codes, we can kiss any sort of strategic shooter goodbye.

[31 Flavas]

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Originally posted by: nemo_83
Let us imagine for a moment planetgamecube with friend codes...there wouldn't be any activity in the forums; how would anyone know anyone else's friend code to be able to read their messages on the forums?

Oh give it a rest. The Friends/Rivals system is fine. You get to play with random strangers as rivals, you just can't talk to each other or scream obsenities. Dear god, Nintendo is forcing you to just play the game... What a horrible thing for them to do.

If you want to talk make some friends. Plenty of websites have been set up to facilitate this.

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how exactly are you going to get up a large enough friends list on a multiplayer deathmatch game like Quake?

You do know that Nintendo will find random strangers to fill up your game for you, right? You just turn on your game, select the mode you want to play and Nintendo will plop people in your game. No need for friend codes. You only need to trade friend codes if you want to play with a specific person or specific group of people.

[Neodymium]

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Originally posted by: Spak-Spang
Neodymium:  I explained why the friends code is needed at works well.  And the friends code has nothing to do with enabling voice chat or not.  Metroid Prime: Hunters has voice chat enabled.  Nintendo is not skimping out on technology because it is free.  They are trying to build a unique and safe online community period.

Maybe I don't want a kid-friendly online community. Maybe I want to be able to make new friends who don't live in my neighborhood, and talk to them to boot. Maybe I want to be able to send messages and not have to deal with cumbersome, long codes for each new game I get. Maybe I want features and functionality instead of what some Christian Parents' organization deems "safe." I know how to protect my own safety online, and if little kids don't then maybe their parents should turn off communication for them.

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And why do you say we don't need the virtual console.  That is one of the greatest ideas of the Wii.  The fact is we haven't all played all these greatest games from the past systems.  There is a whole new generation of gamers that haven't touched a SNES, Genesis, and more...and the Wii is going to introduce those games to that generation.

This is great for those few kids, once again. But I believe these people are few and far between. The fact is that what I want is new homebrew games. There are so many JRPGs that never made it out of Japan.. forgive me if I'm wrong in assuming English isn't your native language, but it is mine. It'd be a lot easier to charge a download fee for Wii VC and play some game that never reached North American shores than learn Japanese. Games not only for Genesis and Turbo, but also Saturn, Master System, CD-based systems and handhelds. Homebrew software designed to take advantage of the old hardware.

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As well, several gamers stopped playing AFTER those generations, because they did not enjoy the direction 3D gaming was heading.  It became complicated and less enjoyable to them.  They now have a system to play their favorite games all over again...and begin to try new games again.  This is very good.

I'm an old-school elitist. Yes, I enjoy Gamecube and all that, but I assure you, more time is spent with old stuff (and DS!) than any modern things. In the last month I've played my TurboDuo for hours and hours and haven't touched my Xbox 360. And let me tell you, to me playing the same games I already have many, many times is no thrill. What is a thrill is playing new games on the old hardware. This is why a homebrew scene thrives on Vectrex, Jaguar, and many other consoles that the mainstream has little love for.

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Finally, for the collector the Wii is a blessing because again they can purchase their favorite games and play them all on one system hooked to their television instead of trying to manage 4-5 systems hooked to one television...and deal with backup memory failing and more.  

I'm an avid collector and denizen of the collection scene. I've got every console you know and more. I can tell you plainly that I speak for myself and the vast majority of collectors when I say that I don't want to play games I can already get. I don't want to pay 6 bucks to download Sonic the Hedgehog when I can go get it at a flea market for a nickel. I want new content, translation, and issue of games with a small production run. Not only that, playing classics on Wii that I already own has anti-appeal; I want to play games on their original hardware if I can, and I am not alone.

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Nintendo is doing several things right when it comes to the Wii online structure, and I think people are not giving Nintendo credit because they expect them to drop the ball as they did with the Gamecube.

Wii online can be salvaged, especially if the friend code is simple, universal, and easily remembered so it can be passed around between friends. I'm much more upset by the lack of muscle on VC.. I'm a Nintendo fanboy and always will be, make no mistake, but I think they could do us better. God knows they're doing a better job than Sony.
 

[Spak-Spang]

Nintendo can't just create an open system, when they are known as the LAST VESTAGE OF SAFE GAMING FOR ALL AGES!!!

You are asking Nintendo to give up that image which is one of their greatest strengths for you.  I think that is pretty selfish or self-centered.

You want to make friends outside your city and what not.  Go to the message boards, find as many friend codes are you want and just fill your system with them.  You know the people that desire to do this will be doing the same, and soon you will have a large enough friend collection that you can play with several 100 people online with all that service.

Do you have to do extra work for that ability.  Yes, but you can also play the random matches with less options, or you can just play with the local friends you have.

It is more important for Nintendo appealing to non-gamers, family friendly system, and traditional gamers to create a system like the friends code.  

You may not like, and a majority of traditional gamers may not like the system.  But, it is the best system out there to achieve the goals Nintendo must achieve.

And we don't know all the details yet, perhaps Nintendo is creating new ways to meet friends and exchange codes as we speak for the online service.

You are speaking definatively that Wii online is not a great experience because of flaws that you perceive that may or may not be there.

Finally, again about the download service, I was merely presenting 3 types of gamers that will be excited about the download service.  And you may not fit in those categories, you might.  But, this service will have huge support and will be one of the biggest selling points of the Wii.  Period.

[MaryJane]

I don't mind the friend system since there are places like this to trade friend codes.

Way off-topic but have there been any Wii pics to show its size? Like I saw one of the sensor bar next to a pen, but I haven't seen anything for the console itself.  

[The Omen]

 If the friend codes are able to be worked around with proof of age, I would have no problem with them.  The fact that a 30 year old will have to use a friend code for each game is ludicrous.  If it's just one friend code, or a profile, then that's okay too.  But if Nintendo goes the DS way with the Wii, I just don't see how it makes any sense.

[Nephilim]

" Monitor support? When was that ever announced?"

Game Cube D-Terminal Video Cable
Is a offical cable released in Japan, why wouldnt the wii also have the support?  

[Ceric]

If memory server the D-Terminal cable was the Japanese equivalence to the Component cable.

[NinGurl69 *huggles]

Not the equivalent: the alternative.  Component and D-Terminal are co-existing standards in Japan.

[kirby_killer_dedede]

...how is a Rivals system any safer than the server system that most online games use?  This is bullshit.

[Bloodworth]

The rivals system pretty much is the same as traditional online play with one distinction: communication.  You can't talk to rivals, only friends.  So, that keeps some guy from getting a kid's address while playing a Nintendo game.  It may sound silly and overprotective, but when TV news has already proclaimed the evils of PictoChat, Nintendo has to do more to keep that element away from online.  And it's not really the kids that care, it's the 40+ crowd.  The older generations are far more worried about that kind of thing (my grandparents refuse to get an Internet connection), so Nintendo has to do more to assure them - this is even more of an issue in Japan.  Also, aside from stalking, people you don't know screaming on and on and cursing up a storm, simply make online play unpleasant and irritating.  Better to have those idiots turned off by default if you ask me.  

As for Virtual Console, don't get your panties in a bunch over the "best of" label.  The only reason Nintendo is saying that is to keep people from thinking that every one of those old games will be available (which is impossible).  There will likely be some more of the obscure games, and there will DEFINITELY be new titles from small developers for download.  Nintendo has stated over and over again that they want to even the playing field for small developers and the Virtual Console is a major part of that strategy.  The classic games are just a primer.

And finally - we know next to nothing.  Save your bellyaching for when Nintendo really blows the lid off the online structure.

[ThePerm]

im still tripping over the telephone thing....you dial your friend code like a telephone(actually select the name from your list) and it calls a wii!