Survey says: Nintendo setting sights on Xbox Live

It really is a great credit to Microsoft's online Xbox Live network that its competitors are pausing to observe and take notes in their quest to provide a similarly seamless multiplayer experience. With Sony's forthcoming PS3 network (no really, they actually have an online strategy now) boasting similar features to that of Live, it would seem less surprising then that a recent survey sent out by Nintendo pokes and prods with regards to how they may adapt their Wi-Fi service in the future. If the information is accurate, it would appear that Nintendo is looking to trounce the current online king with a few interesting features.

According to the information received by Joystiq, the following topics were tapped by the Nintendo Wi-Fi survey:

• Comparing game stats with your friends, enemies and loved ones.
• Uploading screenshots, including those proving that you got all the shines.
  
• Posting user-made content, such as art and videos, and rating the content of others.
  
• See what your friends are currently playing (and subsequently berate them for playing Barbie's Orchestra Conductor)
  
• Creating or reading blogs linked to the Nintendo Wi-Fi site.
• Scheduling specific times to play against friends.
  
• Submitting strategies and tips to a central to help those in need.
• Personalizing the WiFi.com homepage.
  

The survey also enquires about Nintendo's current DS online service and the use of friend codes. Though it's just a survey, one can still take away some positive things from this. It not only shows that Nintendo cares about what gamers want (or that they're doing a stellar job of pretending they do), but that they are actively trying to improve their online service. While the DS Wi-Fi service is remarkable for bringing handhelds together online (for free, natch), its general use and feature set could definitely use some refinement before being shifted over to the Revolution. And by "refinement", we mean "dump the game-specific friend codes already."

Though you may have your feelings on the Xbox 360 as gaming platform to contend with, there's no denying that the Xbox Live service has done the console world a great service by spurring on connectivity and highlighting the importance of multiplayer gaming across the globe.

[Via Joystiq, thanks Sloopydrew!]