Topic: 3DS Friend Codes: One Per System, Works for All Games

[Jonnyboy117]

Also, the system is aware of which friends are online and what they're playing.

http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/news/24772

At the Nintendo Europe 3DS event in Amsterdam, details of the system's online connectivity were finally revealed. Based on a brief comment on stage at the event, we now know that there will be a single, unified Friend Code per 3DS system. Once players trade their codes, they will be able to connect in all online-enabled games -- there are no game-specific codes as on Wii and DS. 

Also, there is a system-level feature allowing you to monitor which of your friends are online with their 3DS systems, and which games they are playing. This will help you to coordinate online matches and build a sense of community. We don't yet know if this feature will also be available within games, or if it is only available on the system's home menu.

UPDATE: Users will also be able to swap Friend Codes with the push of a button if they're connected via local wireless.

[Caliban]

Awesome.

[Spak-Spang]

And, its a start...Nintendo is learning.  But note, no mention of in game chat, in game voice...just like I said, Nintendo will do some things right, but still won't go all the way.

[MaryJane]

I think those things would be up to the developer. SSFIV let's you deliver a single message (or chat if you will) before each match.

I suppose Nintendo could (should) have implemented a sytem so you can send messages to your friends regardless of what game they are playing, but that could come in a later update, and if not, I still applaud Nintendo revamping their online system.

[TheFleece]

This needed to happen and I know that this will make playing online more accessible. Now it'll be up to developers to make online more than just trading items. This is the best news for me, hands down.

[TJ Spyke]

This is great news, I am glad they did it and think it's a good sign their next console will do it too.

Nintendo also confirmed that when you interact with other people in person, your friend codes will automatically be swapped.

[BlackNMild2k1]

OMG, how did I skip over this thread.

There was exciting news.

Universal Friend Code, a Local instant swap at the push of a button & online friends list!
That's 3 major improvements so far.

Any word on other online improvements? how about online chat? new online Pictochat program?

And, its a start...Nintendo is learning.  But note, no mention of in game chat, in game voice...just like I said, Nintendo will do some things right, but still won't go all the way.

Maybe Online Chat is only available during Local Wifi sessions bandwidth reason :

[Seacor]

A good step in the right direction, but I would have liked to see two steps.
 
 I was hoping Nintendo would have implemented a more unified system where the friend code is tied to an actual Nintendo account (An email address registered with Nintendo or a Club Nintendo account name/email), not a device.

[Caterkiller]

This has me more excited than anything else so far! When we trade a code guys... it will only be once! Instead of running to the computer and back to the wii again and so on and so forth things will just be so much more simple. The ball and chain is being unlocked. Or at least the heavy ball got hacked off.
 
I hate getting into the message boards every single time to see if someone is up for online play. Now if i'm playing Mario Kart and you guys are playing DOA, i'll just cut off Mario Kart for a while and see if someone will let me join their battle.

[BlackNMild2k1]

A good step in the right direction, but I would have liked to see two steps.
 
 I was hoping Nintendo would have implemented a more unified system where the friend code is tied to an actual Nintendo account (An email address registered with Nintendo or a Club Nintendo account name/email), not a device.

^True, but Nintendo will take babysteps. That would have been expecting too much and I think Nintendo wants to encourage everyone to own their own 3DS, not share it, so in a way it makes sense to do it that way.

[Jonnyboy117]

There's no such thing as "local WiFi sessions". WiFi is Internet. Local voice chat is useless in most situations, as the other person has to be near you anyway.

Several DS games have online voice chat that works around the world, the Pokemon series being a prime example. Metroid Prime Hunters also has online voice chat between rounds.

[TJ Spyke]

Local voice chat is useless in most situations, as the other person has to be near you anyway.

Remember that Nintendo put local video chat in Pokemon Black and White. What is the point in having video chat when it is only used for people who have to be within ~30 feet of you? That reminds me of people who talk on cell phones with people in the same room.

[Ian Sane]

Ideally we shouldn't have to have a code.  We should have a gamer tag that the individual picks for himself.

But this is still a VAST improvement to what we had before.  It resembles something normal and conventional.  It seems less like Nintendo thinking they know best and re-inventing the wheel for no reason.

You know what has been nice so far?  This new group of 3DS info has not been that bad.  I'm not cool with the battery life but aside from that we're not getting a lot of "what the **** is Nintendo thinking?" stuff.  So far the stuff that should be routine and conventional and does not need a wacky-ass Nintendo solution has been routine and conventional.

They didn't gimp the hardware.  They didn't switch to goof-ass controls.  They aren't relying a gimmick to be the sole justification for new hardware.  They aren't sticking with the old friend code model.  They have demos.  They're using money instead of Wii Points.  There isn't some obvious feature they're giving us flimsy excuses for not providing.

The problems thus far are battery life, regional lockout, no GBA games in the eShop and maybe the price is a little high.  I think the battery is pretty important but the rest sure are not show-stoppers.  None of these are the sort of incredibly obvious and stupid oversights that Nintendo is known for.  Typically Nintendo screws something up that is so idiotic and completely avoidable that I wonder how those in charge are capable of functioning as human beings.  So far this has not been the case with the 3DS.

[BlackNMild2k1]

There's no such thing as "local WiFi sessions". WiFi is Internet. Local voice chat is useless in most situations, as the other person has to be near you anyway.

Ideally we shouldn't have to have a code.  We should have a gamer tag that the individual picks for himself.

With this system we should be able to change out Username whenever we want since they systems identify us by usercode. Downside is that everyone could have the same username and that  could get confusing real quick.

[MaryJane]

@Johnny
Actually, Wifi is not just internet, it is simply the protocol that became standardized to broadcast internet signals. Wifi can be used for more local things; look up Wifi Direct.

[ShyGuy]

One code to rule them all and in the local, swap them.

[Caterkiller]

There's no such thing as "local WiFi sessions". WiFi is Internet. Local voice chat is useless in most situations, as the other person has to be near you anyway.

Ideally we shouldn't have to have a code.  We should have a gamer tag that the individual picks for himself.

With this system we should be able to change out Username whenever we want since they systems identify us by usercode. Downside is that everyone could have the same username and that  could get confusing real quick.

Hahaha! I can't hear McBain, but I know he's saying "thats the joke..." Sorry for ruining it for everyone else.

If Ian likes it whats being thrown at us by Nintendo then something must be right, right? As far as battery life goes we don't know if there is a charging cord yet right? Thats how I usually play at home or at work, could we even play while it's docked and charging?

[BlackNMild2k1]

There is a reason that Nintendo let that bit of info about the battery get out a week or so before the event and only on the internet. Now they didn't have to talk about it publicly infront of the world and press peoples.

[Ian Sane]

As far as battery life goes we don't know if there is a charging cord yet right? Thats how I usually play at home or at work, could we even play while it's docked and charging?

The GBA and DS worked like that so I would hope they go with the same design for the 3DS.
 
How does it work for the DSi?  I never really paid attention to it since it seemed like a useless stop-gap product.  Does it work the same as the GBA and DS?  If so I figure the 3DS would also work like that.

[BlackNMild2k1]

there is a docking station and a charging cord.

I think the charging cord plugs into the docking station, but I'm not 100% sure.
I'm also not sure if you would want to actually hold the docking station while playing. The charging cord should be detachable from the dock.


edit: http://www.nintendo.co.uk/NOE/en_GB/systems/out_of_the_box_30854.html

[sambskn]

That's pretty sweet that there's only one friend code, but it's still a bit depressing that it is a code. Everyone knows their Gamertag, but who is going to go through the trouble of memorizing a code? It is nice that you can just trade codes locally, but that seems like Nintendo is just admitting that nobody will go to the trouble of memorizing their code. Will it be possible to link your freind codes for NDS games? Will you still be able to see if your friend is playing a NDS game?

[ShyGuy]

you mean link in a browser?

[Killer_Man_Jaro]

Very nice upgrade. Perhaps a code is not the most graceful resolution, but once you climb the initial step of filling out your friends list, you're set.

By the way, do we know specifically whether the 'What are your friends playing?' feature tells you only when they are playing an online game or any game, as long as they're connected to Nintendo WFC? It might be interesting to know what single player games everyone is on as well.

[NinGurl69 *huggles]

That's pretty sweet that there's only one friend code, but it's still a bit depressing that it is a code. Everyone knows their Gamertag, but who is going to go through the trouble of memorizing a code? It is nice that you can just trade codes locally, but that seems like Nintendo is just admitting that nobody will go to the trouble of memorizing their code. Will it be possible to link your freind codes for NDS games? Will you still be able to see if your friend is playing a NDS game?

People should be depressed that phone numbers still have numbers.

Where are all those whiners hiding?

How hard is it to send codes?  Everyone has Twitter on their dual-screened voice-enabled Tom Tom tablet.  Read the numbers off your mobile handset and punch them in the 3DGizmo.

[Ian Sane]

People should be depressed that phone numbers still have numbers.

If there was an alternative to phone numbers then people probably would bitch about them.  Phone numbers are an ancient concept and we're used to them.  Nintendo introduced friend codes after the much more convenient gamer tags had already become standard.  Would you be cool with phone numbers if they were first introduced in the here and now when we're already used to personal email addresses?  Imagine email came first.  This new phone invention comes out and we're supposed to use assigned numbers for it?  It wouldn't fly.  It's only because phone numbers came first and we were already used to it when email came out that we're okay with it.
 
You could easily say "how hard is it to light a candle?"  It's not that hard but flicking a light switch is easier and readily available so why settle for less?