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Nintendo Network ID - Friend codes no more [Maybe? Maybe not? Not clarified, yay]

EatChildren

Currently polling second in Australia's federal election (first in the Gold Coast), this feral may one day be your Bogan King.
We've known it for awhile, and it's been detailed in the latest Nintendo Direct, but I feel it warrants its own thread to let those not browsing the former know. Translations courtesy of Cheesemeister.

Yes, Nintendo has finally stepped into the twenty first century and is removing friend codes. This system will be replaced with a universal Nintendo Network ID.

The registration process involves email, password, birthdate, gender, and location. This identification will be required for the Wii U's video chat, e-store, and other networking services. Similar to the PlayStation 3, purchases made by one NiNID on a Wii U will be playable by other accounts on the same system.

Connecting with other users and adding friends will be done via your NiNID, not friend codes.

nin1knj9j.jpg


Your NiNID will not be limited to Nintendo hardware, but will be manageable on PC and smartphones too. It can also be tied to third party networking services. I assume by this they're referring to stuff like EA and uPlay accounts.

nin2jpjls.jpg


So there's that.
 

nickcv

Member
great thread Eat!

@test_account
well they said that they were going to give access to miiverse from the 3DS, so they better replace the friends code as well...
 

EatChildren

Currently polling second in Australia's federal election (first in the Gold Coast), this feral may one day be your Bogan King.
The first picture of the of system account selection screen, not the Nintendo Network ID.

Yeah, I know, but I figured the little Nintendo Network logo should give an idea of how the service is tied to accounts. Plus...I wanted pictures :p.
 

Erethian

Member
Also worth noting (the incredibly obvious point, I admit) that the Nintendo Network ID will be what they use for all future hardware as well.

Iwata has also talked about them increasing the integration of the 3DS with the Nintendo Network, but we've no idea what that will mean. But considering we're meant to see access to the 3DS eShop via web browser sometime (hopefully the same time the Wii U gets it), it wouldn't surprise me to see them use your NNID for that too.
 

Xater

Member
Oh wow, this relives some of my fears. Now I have to see if I pick one up after all. Lets decide after the US launch is over.
 

nickcv

Member
So the Nintendo Network ID is a unique username that you choose?

for what i did understand about it it's still a number, but you can display whatever nick you like... kinda like steam.

people can add you to their friend list via miiverse without needing your actual ID number, or you can give it to them like you did with friend codes.
 

Hobby

Member
Here's what user profiles look like.

Follow and friend request buttons.

Will
ID: willwill
Country: Japan
Number of times people empathized with him: 0
Birthday: not publically displayed
Game experience: advanced user

Number of comments: 9 (can be viewed)
Friends: - / 100 (can be viewed presumably)
Following: - / 1000 (can be viewed presumably)
Followers: - (can be viewed presumably)


- People you are friends with and are following's activity will be displayed under the "Everyone's activity" button on the left side panel.
- Friend requests sent privately via messages.
 

weeman_com

Neo Member
Well apparently the NNID is a string of numbers LIKE a Friend Code. Its just when connected you will view that persons name et al.
 

CuboidFX

Banned
The Miiverse Iwata Asks says there's still some numbers aspect to it, but i'm assuming that it'll just be a secondary method now and you'll be able to add usernames.
 
Here's what user profiles look like.

Follow and friend request buttons.

Will
ID: willwill
Country: Japan
Number of times people empathized with him: 0
Birthday: not publically displayed
Game experience: advanced user

Number of comments: 9 (can be viewed)
Friends: - / 100 (can be viewed presumably)
Following: - / 1000 (can be viewed presumably)
Followers: - (can be viewed presumably)



People you are friends with and following's activity will be displayed under the "Everyone's activity" button on the left side panel.

Oh so that's how it is? I stand corrected then.
 

Chopper

Member
for what i did understand about it it's still a number, but you can display whatever nick you like... kinda like steam.

people can add you to their friend list via miiverse without needing your actual ID number, or you can give it to them like you did with friend codes.
Assuming this is correct, it means Gaffers will still have to share numbered codes, unless they chance upon them in Miiverse (which isn't very likely), right?
 
Well apparently the NNID is a string of numbers LIKE a Friend Code. Its just when connected you will view that persons name et al.

In the photo immediately above your post, it shows a user profile's ID as a string of alpha(numerical?) characters. In this case, user "Will"'s (or "Uiru") is "willwill."
 

nickcv

Member
Assuming this is correct, it means Gaffers will still have to share numbered codes, unless they chance upon them in Miiverse (which isn't very likely), right?

well, just like with PSN and XBL.
the only difference is that this is a number a not a choosen word.

as long as i can add people to my friend list with just one click on miiverse i'm fine.
 

EatChildren

Currently polling second in Australia's federal election (first in the Gold Coast), this feral may one day be your Bogan King.
Assuming this is correct, it means Gaffers will still have to share numbered codes, unless they chance upon them in Miiverse (which isn't very likely), right?

If we still have to share numbered codes to add people, even a once off, then we've still got friend codes.

Did Iwata clarify exactly how to add new people? Can it be done with a user name? Because if it's still a fucking number I swear to god this company...
 
i have a feeling they will add communities to the miiverse, a bit like in Mario Kart 7, so the need for typing codes will be greatly reduced.
 
If we still have to share numbered codes to add people, even a once off, then we've still got friend codes.

Did Iwata clarify exactly how to add new people? Can it be done with a user name? Because if it's still a fucking number I swear to god this company...

PHopefully you can search by ID - willwill in Hobby's photo. Top right hasa friend request button. Maybe ID has to be unique, but your name doesn't?
 

Erethian

Member
In the photo immediately above your post, it shows a user profile's ID as a string of alpha(numerical?) characters. In this case, user "Will"'s (or "Uiru") is "willwill."

Oh hey, didn't notice that. Thought 'willwill' was his user name for some reason, not his account id.
 

nickcv

Member
If we still have to share numbered codes to add people, even a once off, then we've still got friend codes.

Did Iwata clarify exactly how to add new people? Can it be done with a user name? Because if it's still a fucking number I swear to god this company...

maybe they'll use email addresses as a unique identifier?
we need more details...
 

Nosgoroth

Member
If we still have to share numbered codes to add people, even a once off, then we've still got friend codes.

Did Iwata clarify exactly how to add new people? Can it be done with a user name? Because if it's still a fucking number I swear to god this company...

It's very unclear, but if you look at that interface photo up there, it says that the name (next to the Mii) is Will (ウィル) and then that the ID is "willwill".
 

Chopper

Member
well, just like with PSN and XBL.
the only difference is that this is a number a not a choosen word.

as long as i can add people to my friend list with just one click on miiverse i'm fine.
I think you can, but then that is a more than likely a person you do not know in real life. Less likely a member of Gaf.

If we still have to share numbered codes to add people, even a once off, then we've still got friend codes.

Did Iwata clarify exactly how to add new people? Can it be done with a user name? Because if it's still a fucking number I swear to god this company...
Hmmm. I'm furiously flicking between the three seperate threads that should house this information, and yet...

Seriously dude. I think we're gonna have to swap numers.

I don't really have a problem with friend codes as they exist on 3DS, but to have "refined" the service to allow you only to invite strangers to be your friends? This ND didn't actually give us enough information!
 

nickcv

Member
It's very unclear, but if you look at that interface photo up there, it says that the name (next to the Mii) is Will (ウィル) and then that the ID is "willwill".

maybe we'll have an hybrid system:

add friends via unique ID
add friends via friendcode
add friends via miiverse

maybe that's dependent on some parent control
 
for what i did understand about it it's still a number, but you can display whatever nick you like... kinda like steam.

people can add you to their friend list via miiverse without needing your actual ID number, or you can give it to them like you did with friend codes.

But is there a Steam-like system where you can easily search and add people based on their email, real name, or nickname?
 

Nosgoroth

Member
maybe we'll have an hybrid system:

add friends via unique ID
add friends via friendcode
add friends via miiverse

maybe that's dependent on some parent control

If the ID is unique I see absolutely no reason for friend codes to exist at all.
 

Ydahs

Member
Hobby's post makes it appear that there actually is a unique ID, just like a standard username, attached to an account. I assume this is what will be used to add other users? Which goes against the English Iwata Asks.

Does any know Japanese? Maybe you can have a shot at reading the Japanese Iwata Asks and seeing if it mentions numbers or not. Might be a mistranslation.

Congrats Nintendo you're up to 2005 standards!

But seriously good job.

2006 standards, since they basically made their own Twitter! Seriously though, Miiverse looks so ambitious and innovative that I'm actually surprised Nintendo is the first of the big three to attempt it. It's basically a Nintendo SNS.
 

honorless

We don't have "get out of jail free" cards, but if we did, she'd have one.
Mentioned other nintendo hardware and third party support not till next year. :(

3DS should have been getting this the same time as Wii U.
Ugh. As a 3DS owner, I originally suspected early to mid 2013 and was very pleasantly surprised to see this announcement pop up in 2012. Guess I should have remained pessimistic. :|
 

nickcv

Member
If the ID is unique I see absolutely no reason for friend codes to exist at all.

Backward compatibility with the 3DS.

if they keep the friend codes they can implement NNID on the 3DS without having to mess around with people current friend lists
 
I know Nintendo isn't always great at communicating stuff (in this case its fair enough, its Japanese) BUT if this were Sony/Xbox we'd be putting all the statements over the last few months and concluding that ID's are the new friends codes and friends codes are out.

Might be proved wrong; but in the end people running about and jumping up and down are just doing it because for some reason its spiritually impossible for Nintendo to both match and have some benefits over the competition.

For now - there is a letter based Network ID and then an account name that shows up for you.
 
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