Official hidden Wii pages revealed [update 1]

Maybe I'm just crazy, but I prefer Xbox Live's openness to Nintendo's friend code system. I just think it's a real pain that in order to add anyone to my friends list and thereby be able to merely talk to them (and no, I don't randomly cuss people out) you have to enter a 12-digit code. Add in the fact that you have to do it for every single game you own and I officially dislike the friend code system more than whatever problems Xbox Live is plagued with.

I know Nintendo is trying to keep online play civil and family friendly, but the friend code system is a bit too extreme. Methinks Nintendo should find a happy medium, like having each player have a singular username and friend code, so that when you input said friend code it works across all your games without having to enter it in each time.

I can't believe they will keep the stupid friends code non-sense.... that's disapointing.

BTW, it's seems like they already deleted the page on the first link, I'm receiving a 404 error on it.

"Wii will use controversial (non-friendly) friend-code system for online play."

It doesn't say if Wii will have individual friend codes for each game, which is where the main problem is. Hopefully, they'll make it more universal.

Brian? That's f-ed up...

If that friend code tidbit is true, that's horrible. At least metroid prime hunters started to correct some of the poor design by allowing you to add rival at the end of a match.

Smash Brothers has to be online! I think I might abandon Nintendo if they didnt.

Smash Brothers... Online... Free WiFi...

*geek-gasm*

no!!!!!!! those stupid f*cking friend codes!!!!

They have to use the friend codes unfortunately or some sort of similar system or else parents will roast them the first time their kid hears some sort of profanity from someone they're playing Smash Bros against online. (If voice chat is available...)

If the same thing happened on PS3 or Xbox360, I think it would be more expected and you wouldn't hear as much of an uproar, but Nintendo has built up an image that benefits itself in selling games to kids, and as such has to protect it.

Friend codes are okay, as long as it's ONE universal friend code for every player. Don't make every player input a different friend code for every game. Please.

And call me greedy, but not only do I want (and expect) free WiFi, but I want it to use the exact same software as the DS WiFi - that is, I can still use my Nintendo USB adaptor thingy for the Wii as well as the DS. Makes sense for the WiiConnect24, right?

I hope.

Nintendo uses the friend code system to increase the level of anonymity and to make it more difficult to, say, get in a conversation with a stranger. It's for the parents.

Right now I'd just be happy if finding a game didn't take for...eh...ver. Something is terribly broken in their matchmaking service.

I'm not sure I understand why people think friend codes are so much "teh sucXX0r!!11!"... You can still get whipped by some random 11-year-old in Wichita in Mario Kart, it's not like you HAVE to play ONLY with people you know and have exchanged codes with.

I agree with Probot's post though, a "profile" system similar to what the 360 has established would be ideal- with one friend code per user.

Friend codes... , despite the convuluted, there are actually some good things about this. You just have to think what would happen if they just everything go all willy-nilly.

For example, being the Animal Crossing: Wild World addict that I am, I feel a lot safer when I open the gateway to other people, for I know only my friends will march into my town, and not some random clown whose name consists of "xXx", random numbers and a word of perverse nature who's just showing up with a Golden Axe and starts chopping down every tree and trampling the flowers and frightening the hyper-rare fish and insects and burying pitfalls and replacing your lovingly-crafted patterns in the tailors' that you don't have in your inventory with crude and vulgar imagery you should never show in public and AGGGGGGGGGGGHHH *goes into a fit of rage

A-hem. My second point would be on profanity and protecting the virgin ears of children and the amish, but Nick seems to have hit the nail on the head with subject. Well spoken, good chap.

As for Smash Bros. online, THANK YOU NINTENDO AND HAL LABS. Now, if only there's a way that a ranking system would count how many times they used a character and how many times they beat a certain character and lose against a character and possibly display this information to the opponents. I think they did this with Melee, but I could be mistaken. We can only hope that the community doesn't overuse one character that basically overpowers everybody. *glares at Mario Kart DS and Metroid Prime: Hunters

It's exactly that image that is hurting them the most. The fact that they do seem to cater to children means that many hardcore or at least self designated hardcore gamers regard them as second fiddle to the "real" consoles.

I really wish they would use gamertags... I'll still hope until an official word is released.

Question - will I not be able to play anyone online without their friendcode? Or is it just the talk, messages, etc? I'm fine with needing a gamertag for talking, as I'm disgusted by the dialog that takes place on Live, but I NEED to be able to play SSBB online out of the box!

And I agree, having a single code for each friend would be ok, but having one for everygame would be ridiculous. It's a bad idea, very cumbersome I imagine.

Nintendo just screwed itself and all of us over with the use of Friend Codes.

I dont mind when they use them, but when they disallow people to fully enjoy the game without friend codes, as in Metroid Prime Hunters where you can only play 1 mode online without friend codes, which is extremely dissapointing.

Im positive thats what will happen for Brawl, it should be lobby based not random crap piece of **** matching so people can disconnect and ruin the game. If ALL MODES in Brawl are not playable online without the use of friend codes, then the game and Nintendo failed in online.

Friends codes for each ds game is due to a limitation on the system. It's stored in the game data rather then the ds system.

There is no such limitation on the wii so a universal code could easily be done.

Odds are for random matches no code will be necessary. Voice chat, messages will likely have to be done by friends codes.

Heck if idiots in congress had heard about the pedos recruiting on xbox live then you would find MSoft in hot water.

Nintendo wants to limit the damage if the voice chat ever got used for such a thing.

Ok thanks guys. I'm happy with this method, then. I'll get to play online for free and will only be talking/messaging my friends, rather than receiving unsolicited messages and getting yelled at all through my games.

Thanks, idioteraser. If the Wii gets rid of that limitation with it's internal memory, only one code will be needed per friend. I like it!

Nintendo's friend code system is playing it safe. I would prefer to open it up like Xbox Live but Nintendo really is against the complaints of cursing and an unfriendly community like Live can be.

I don't mind the Friend Codes thing personally.

For anyone who missed these pages...
Controller: http://allyoucanupload.webshots.com/viewimage?imageID=1866922239430681166
Wifi: http://aycu36.webshots.com/image/155/1452142591737196821_rs.jpg
Games: http://aycu33.webshots.com/image/2552/1126381391588555394_rs.jpg

Well, for everyone worried about needing friend codes for every game, I think they're thinking more towards a general console friend-code, so that you only need one friend code for each person.

And really, what's so bad about the friend code system? I mean, all you have to do is add 12 digit codes for people you want to talk to, I mean, I think that more than well makes up for having to pay for online service.

BTW I hope you guys no it's all in how the developers choose to incorporate it individually. Nintendo chooses to make their thing FC ran. Developers can open it up if they want..

I guess we'll hear their overall plans soon but I honestly don't expect (or want) much more than the DS as that has jumped off faster than even Xbox Live and really in the end it's the software that counts. To me too, FC is like IM in a way.

HAL Labs isn't developing Brawl, Sakurai's own new studio is (the name of which escapes me at the moment).

I can't wait to look like that retard whilst playing with my Wii. Maybe I'll score some skanky escort girl to watch me do it too.

"Oooooh.... It hurts so good baby!"

Oh, and "Friend Codes" == AWESOME!

MewMewtwo45: Sora.

"If the same thing happened on PS3 or Xbox360, I think it would be more expected and you wouldn't hear as much of an uproar, but Nintendo has built up an image that benefits itself in selling games to kids, and as such has to protect it."

Nick, you have got to be kidding. You don't think all of the Xbox Live subscribers would be very ticked off?

Would it be reasonable to expect that M-rated games with online play won't require friend codes?

Here we go again, more complaints due to laziness. You input your friend code for a game only once. Is it really that much work? It takes less than a minute. I mean, c'mon, people. It's a great way to promote online safely and keep the game civilized. Currently, while I can scream as many expletives at my DS while losing a Mario Kart race, the nine-year old who's kicking my arse doesn't have to hear it.

I love that the Nintendo Wifi remains free. It really is great, even now, just getting online for a game not having to pay anything extra.

Hopefully the Wii will be compatible with more wireless routers than the DS, my Belkin isn't compatible with my DS. Is there an ethernet port on the Wii giving us the option of wired internet?

Friend codes?

And here I thought the Wii was going to be worth buying.

"Nick, you have got to be kidding. You don't think all of the Xbox Live subscribers would be very ticked off?"

What I meant was, that if parents heard swearing going on Xbox Live, they wouldn't have as negative a reaction as if they heard it on their Nintendo system. I've never tried Xbox Live, per se, but in my internet gaming time the people with voice chat are quite often being obnoxious/vulgar.

And there's a place for that among friends, but Smash Bros is a relatively tame fighting game that I could see kids playing (though the gamecube was rated Teen), and by default I don't think voice chat should work with strangers.

All I want is to play Super smash bros online and it's done. The rest is meh.

I don't care about the Friends Code. I really think it will be a unique Friends code not like the DS. 1 Universal FC will be ok.

Bring the old games on the VC with the online compatibility and I'll kick your a$$es at Mario Kart 64.

The problem I have with Nintendo's online solution isn't specifically the friend codes, it's the complete lack of online presence. If I wish to play a friend on the DS, I have to somehow communicate that fact to him outside of the entire online infrastructure (IM, phone call, etc.) and then we have to agree to meet online at the exact same time and try to connect. With my Xbox, I can see he's online and sent him an invite. That's the real beauty of Xbox Live. It makes it easy to see when a friend of mine is online and either join them or send them an invite for another game. The Nintendo system is so far from that, it makes it near impossible to actually get a game setup.

I don't mind the input of weird friend codes. It's the lack of online presence and cross-game awareness that makes it really difficult to play online games with friends.

#M.C Hampster,

The problem with that is you're comparing a console to a handheld. Most Xbox 360s are connect to the internet, even when you're not doing anything online. The DS requires a wireless network nearby.

Plus, your DS playing Tetris can't tell you your friend is playing Mario Kart. You'd have to disconnect from the network and turn the system off and change games.

There's no useful analogy between Xbox Live and DS Wifi.

I do hope Wii works similar to Xbox Live though, with a single friend code for every game. And games like Animal Crossing can be programmed so that no one can communicate with you unless they know your friend code. That decison should be left up to the individual developer, and if there are problems as those described above, those individual developers have to take responsibility for their games.

I love my DS and I'm a firm supporter of Nintendo, but M.C. Hampster makes an excellent point with the online setup right now. That is exactly what I have to do every time I want to play Tetris or Mario Kart online with friends (IM, text message, etc). If Nintendo made an even quasi-unified online component with their WiFi network (at the bare minimum, use one friend code for every game and show your friends' online/offline status), it would make things so much easier. Considering Nintendo WiFi is completely free, I'm not expecting or asking for something equal to Xbox Live, but Nintendo is a smart company, and in certain ways they could innovate and make things better than Xbox Live I bet. I just hope they at least listen to the fans and do the changes they've been asking for (as illustrated in this set of comments alone).

The picture used for in the entry has the Mexican? guy holding the Wiimote in his left hand and the Nunchuck in his right.
Could this be because Nintendo reversed the picture or because the controller is ambidextrous?

To Forse: huh?

Hey, sorry for the shameless plug, but we have the image of the wireless page up on our website if anyone wants to check it out:

http://www.g4tv.com/thefeed/blog/TheFeed/post/618959/Secret_Wii_Details_Revealed.html

I wouldn't be surprised if Nintendo uses the Wii as a matchmaking service for your DS as well. Through Wii Connect you could have your friend codes all in the system, and they'd have their DS-es linked up to their Wii. That way you can message your friend's Wii, when you see they're playing Mario Kart and ask to join in.

The friend code makes sense for the younger demographic that Nintendo feeds off of. Depends if you want your son/daughter talking and playing with strangers over the internet or one of their friends from school. It's still pretty easy to put in the codes from people on the net, anyway. While it will take longer to actually play with someone if no one you know is on, it's much safer.

@Forse,

Of course the controller can be used in either hand. How does it know/why does it care which hand you have the remote in? Pointing left is pointing left, pulling back is pulling back, etc, regardless of the hand.

@topic:
I'm sure that the Wii will have an improved WiFi service... I don't see why it couldn't do all the things the 360 service does. So the only thing that is confirmed is that you'll have to input a code rather than a gamer tag. Gamertags are much more user friendly, but I don't see a real problem. I'm more excited about FREE ONLINE PLAY!

I'm not a huge friend codes fan, but like some guy above already said, I prefer it there than a universal friend ticket - I don't want some people i constantly beat on Hunters and Mario Kart to enter my Animal Crossing village.

Personally I think the perfect system would be an universal friend code that had a graph of games and players, and if you didn't want to play a certain friend in, say Smash Bros, then you tick his name and you'll never play him (until you remove the tick of course). I'd like that. I see the benefits of individual codes and universal codes, theres a happy medium inbetween.

Did ne1 notice that on the Wifi website, they referred to SSB Brawl as "Dojo"?

Just wondering...

@ vidGuy
The Nunchuck looks left-hand and left-hand only though.

I'd just like to point out that it was me who discovered this and pointed it out on the Nintendo Nsider Forums.Here's the link: http://forums.nintendo.com/nintendo/board/message?board.id=revolution&message.id=1480755&jump=true Also, it was KASOSPRIME, also of the Nsider Forums, who discovered the alternate games and controller pages. His thread is linked to in this one.

Maybe in the Wii System menu....

---PARENTAL CONTROLS------------------------------------------------------------

[X] Require Friend Codes for Online Gameplay
----> [X] Use a different Friend Code for each Online-enabled Game.
[ ] Do NOT require Friend Codes

-----------------------[Ok]-----[Cancel]-----------------------------------------------------

@Tom

Yeah, what I was thinking.

But there would be the problem of parents not knowing about this feature. It wouldn't work.

I really wished it worked that way though.

Universal friend codes would be good.

The thing is, in online games, I like to repeatedly play with people I do not personally know. Get together because we work together good, or because we started a clan or something.

I'd have trouble coordinating with them, because they'd probably be "rivals"

It would be nice to get a message like "Pun15her has added you to his friends list, accept?" or something.

I hate to say it, but follow myspace's example profile and friend wise. But include parents more.

M.C Hampster

I agree that's the only prob. but with Nintendo already talking about Wii IM or should I say (!!M) They seem to be going that route and I think Tom is the one with the perfect solution.

@John
RE: "But there would be the problem of parents not knowing about this feature. It wouldn't work."

So? Just put a warning on the box. Put a flier IN the box... on bright pink paper and big bold letters. Then put a warning in every game manual, right next the the epilepsy risk warnings. Parents are responsible for what their children are playing, not Nintendo.

Your doing everything right with the Wii but one thing the online system...stray away from the not so friendly friend codes its like a child lock...we don't need a mother system nintendo we need a fun system full force online play like XBL PLEASE!