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Nintendo explains WiiU online, makes little sense, doesn't actually say anything

:bow Keighley :bow

keighleyw80u.png
 
From what they have talked about in the interview Nintendo hasn't fully created their online system yet, but are taking advice from 3rd parties to do so and will cater the online system to what the 3rd parties want.

Nintendo isn't saying there won't be a centralized online system. Great hearing, sounds odd not saying reading, comprehension as usual GAF.
 
BlazingDarkness said:
'There won't be a "centralized, one size fits all online gaming approach".'

And this is why Nintendo will fail to attract the hardcore.

Well done Nintendo, you done goofed.
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Always one step forward and two steps back with nintendo.
 
This is kind of confusing. Why would they regress backwards in this respect? I'm pretty positive there'll be a unifying account whether it's a friend code ala 3DS/Wii or a username. That's all it needs to compete with PSN/Live really.
 
It's pretty ambiguos. It doesn't sound like there won't be a single account to play all games, but I guess how 3rd parties want to be present on the plattform. Like in promotions.

At best, this uses user profiles that you can use on all games, but lets 3rd parties to get their own content and monetizing strategy (free2play games like Ghost REcon for example)

At worst this means that Nintendo is sticking it's thumbs up its collective ass and lets 3rd parties run the joint... now that would really be the worst case scenario. And even worse than the 3DS online system... I mean how would that be even possible...
 
But it is 1080p
Candidly speaking, isn't that what the people wanted?


As shocking as it may sound, I am honestly surprised because I thought this was the first thing that companies had learned this gen, people want a solid convenient online experience and with the always on mentality of Nintendo there are so many cool ways they could have gone with it
 
DeaconKnowledge said:
Uh, I think he's talking about philosophy, not actual implementation.

Sounds to me like he's saying Nintendo will listen to what 3rd parties want instead of saying "here it is, you're on your own."
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That interpretation actually makes sense, especially considering the Ubisoft comments, but I can't exactly blame people for not having faith in Nintendo on anything related to online. I'll wait for more concrete details before passing judgment - except on the absence of details, which is completely indefensible.
 
H_Prestige said:
Because Nintendo doesn't care what the competition does.
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That's not why. The actual reason is because Nintendo doesn't like to spend money. They invest as little as possible to make the maximum gain.

People will probably eat this shit up too and they'll rake in money and prove that their lack of effort was the "right" move to make.
 
Raide said:
Are 3rd Parties really going to port their heavily online MP games if they have to build their own setup just for Wii U? At least PS3 and 360 owners have all that under the hood, so Developers don't have to worry all that much.

Leaving it to Developers to sort their own separate stuff out is asking for trouble and more frustration for gamers.
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Don't the big 3rd parties have that already or are building them now? Not like they'd have to build something from nothing just for the Wii U.
 
So the "revolutionary new online structure" that's been buzzed about, that they hinted at, that they trotted Riccitiello out on stage to hype, is pretty much the PS2 online approach. There may be some basic Nintendo framework, primarily used for their own games, but it's going to be a playground for 3rd parties to do what they want.
 
Best case is probably something like Facebook connect. A single account that logs you in anywhere, coupled with some basic messaging and a unified friends list. Leave everything else to third parties. If they want voice chat, video chat, matchmaking, leaderboards, achievements and what not, let them do it.
 
I wasn't, and am still not terribly hopeful that Nintendo will ever fully embrace the online stuff. It's just not their thing, and it's incredibly frustrating. They have the type of games that I enjoy playing with my friends out of state, I still don't get the whole NSMBWii not having online play thing.

At least I'm not shocked by this. Saddened a bit, sure, but not shocked.
 
pseudocaesar said:
Thats actually really confusing, after seeing the success of live and to a lesser extent PSN, why on earth would they not try and emulate that strategy.
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The Nintendo Difference ™
 
Chemo said:
That's not why. The actual reason is because Nintendo doesn't like to spend money. They invest as little as possible to make the maximum gain.

People will probably eat this shit up too and they'll rake in money and prove that their lack of effort was the "right" move to make.
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Hopefully they DONT rake in the money from this model.
 
Wow so it's starting to seem that every rumor regarding Nintendo going back to cater to the "core" gamer were all a load of shit. Ugh, the disappointing news don't stop coming, I'm now starting to believe that the console will be a weak POS as well. I won't turn in my jacket just yet, but I'll hang it up in the back of the closet for now.
 
I don't like what I've seen thus far (admittedly, very little) regarding Nintendo's online implementation for the WiiU, but I'm going to wait until closer to launch before I pronounce them completely incompetent.
 
elrechazao said:
great job nintendo.

Anyone who thought, after all that nintendo has done and tried, that they'd magically get this right for wii u, is nuts.
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That's what I was saying before E3. Every year some people seem to think Nintendo is going to behave out of the ordinary.
 
CoffeeJanitor said:
Exact same as the Wii, just as expected.

Where are all the Valve and EA theorizers now?
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I guess they're technically right.

EA will be providing the Wii U's online service...

...for EA's games.
 
Utterly clueless.

Absolutely incredible. How, after a DECADE, Nintendo still doesn't understand even the simplest fundamentals of online gaming is still utterly, incomprehensibly bizarre to me.

Not surprising, of course, but still truly amazing.
 
With the Wii, I could *maybe* see their guarded approach. This is Nintendo, after all.

Now, with the proven success of XBLA/PSN, their willingness to re-embrace the "core" market, and an audience crying out for a centralized system, they fuck it up.

This is Nintendo...

...after all.
 
This announcement does not surprise me in the slightest.

I have not yet watched the video as I am at work but I knew this was coming.

That checkbox is ticked off...Nintendo style

And the hacking lately with corporate networks probably didn't help lately
 
Mama Robotnik said:
Ring up Gabe, ask him if he'd like to port Steamworks to WiiU as its online service. They're eager to get on the PS3, they might be eager to get on the WiiU too.
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Third post nails it. GAF is a little slow today....
 
Father_Brain said:
That interpretation actually makes sense, especially considering the Ubisoft comments, but I can't exactly blame people for not having faith in Nintendo on anything related to online. I'll wait for more concrete details before passing judgment - except on the absence of details, which is completely indefensible.
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Yeah, it's Nintendo's fault for not striking this down instantly. All of the regular confusion really isn't helping people.

I think frankly that they don't have any online service set in stone yet so they don't want to comment on it, but they should at least say what their intention is, even if it's something like "We'll be building off of what we're doing on the 3DS". Something concrete for people to hold on to.

As for this thread, people's assumptions here, while understandable, make no sense, because the online system they're assuming is in place on the Wii U is already in place on the Wii. It just doesn't make sense for third parties to all of a sudden be excited and commit online support to the exact same wild west system that they shied away from previously.
 
I know that this is disappointing/upsetting to many, but I kind of like it.

I think the more open the system is could leave some wiggle room to have some unique crap on there. I mean the 360 is locked down tight right? Stuff like steam support or some MMO's or something could be pretty spiffy and welcome assuming that they're just leaving everything wide open.
 
Watching the video again, I'm still torn between whether he means "3rd parties do it on their own" or "We'll listen to 3rd parties and build it around their desires."
"So we're going to be more flexible with gaming this time when it comes to online...we're going to work with our 3rd party partners. We're not going to have a centralized, one-size fits all type of online gaming approach. It's going to be more of the publishers figuring out what they want to do and then we'll try and work to bring that to life and make sure our platform can support that vision."
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I have no clue what that's supposed to mean.
 
I really don't see what's so hard about this? I mean you've got Sony and Microsoft's online model right there. It works. Copy it, Nintendo.
 
Effect said:
Don't the big 3rd parties have that already or are building them now? Not like they'd have to build something from nothing just for the Wii U.
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Sony and MS provide that infrastructure for them, Nintendo seem to be suggesting 3rd Parties suggest what they want and it will be built. Do they really need to ask what is needed? Just use PSN and XBL for a while and they will have all the information they need. :D

With Nintendo's focus on this whole "Old school gaming" where people all sit in the same room, they keep forgetting that gaming has moved on way past that now, and it has been way past that for years.
 
Father_Brain said:
That interpretation actually makes sense, especially considering the Ubisoft comments, but I can't exactly blame people for not having faith in Nintendo on anything related to online. I'll wait for more concrete details before passing judgment - except on the absence of details, which is completely indefensible.
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I absolutely agree. From the interview it really sounds like there is no fixed online strategy that every 3rd party will have to abide, but that Nintendo is actively asking 3rd parties to how they want to be part of the online system.

Not making a central profile and account system that is universal across all games, is just downright stupid, not just from an convenience standpoint, but it would kill all chances for community right from the start, let alone present a nightmare to administrate.

I guess we're putting way too much weight into some phrases, but then again, after being burned with the abysmal DS, Wii and 3DS online it only seems normal to be very pessimistic about Nintendos online plans.
 
I still believe you'll have a central Nintendo account, so you can do your standard Mii sending and whatnot. But in addition to that, you'll be able to link them to your Steam, UPlay, Origin, etc accounts on a developer basis. There could be some positive side to that, but only if you can somehow centralize the stuff we as gamers really want centralized, like notifications and friends lists and whatnot.
 
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