Wii 'acquaintances' made easy with Google Maps
by James Ransom-Wiley 
{ Dec 24th 2006 at 2:55PM }
MapWii.com is a Wii-inspired application of Google Maps that makes locating and making potential Wii friends manageable. Even better, MapWii has been designed for Wii's Opera browser. To join, you'll have to give up your friend code, nickname, city, country, and zip (all additional information is optional).The database is limited in its current state, both in number of registrants and scope. You may find yourself with a Wii full of friends, but it's impossible to know which ones will stick without much trial and error. In this case, real-world location isn't as important as play-style or genre preference. A few more fields of required data and MapWii could go a long way toward hastening the 'matchmaking' process.
See also: Web sites step up to connect Wii owners
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Boot @ Dec 24th 2006 3:40PM
I don't have Wii but I have some question about Wii Maps. How they can work? Shown snapshot from the programs shows that in Brazil there is only one Wii user . It's at least funny. Or there are options of search?
Shigeru Miyamoto @ Dec 24th 2006 3:41PM
This almost seems to defeat the purpose of Nintendo's kid safety-oriented friend code system. Most kids couldn't post all of their personal info on
Stephen @ Dec 24th 2006 3:48PM
Wow, that has a lot of potential!
Shigeru Miyamoto @ Dec 24th 2006 3:42PM
(whoops... cut off? Meant to continue...)
a strange website without the knowledge of their parents, could they?
BklynKid @ Dec 24th 2006 4:17PM
I still can't believe how poorly Nintendo designed the whole online component.
tack @ Dec 24th 2006 4:21PM
They had 5 years looking at xbox live and this is the lame online nintendo gives us? Hooray!! Now to wait a year for another good game and just maybe it'll be online.
ttr @ Dec 24th 2006 4:46PM
All this Nintendo online nonsense is so much more complicated than it should be. You don't see this kind of system setup for the 360, because Xbox Live is vastly superior to Nintendo's 16-digit number crap. It should be Nintendo's duty to create a way to actually come into contact with other players online, not people going to the trouble of setting up a map site like this. Shows that they'd rather create a site for the Wii than play it, which is understandable with it's current lack of games.
Brendon @ Dec 24th 2006 5:05PM
lol console warriors love throwing in an attack wherever they can.
chris @ Dec 24th 2006 7:05PM
If there were Wii games ready to play online then there would be a legitimate argument for an improved buddy system, but for now us Wii owners will have to grin and bear it.
It's a little unfair to compare Nintendo's online service to the XBox 360's. Remember that the XBox 360 and XBox Live inherited the online network and audience from the original XBox, and merely improved upon it with the current console. When Microsoft promised online gaming it didn't become available until at least 6 months after the console was launched. So I don't think it's fair to hate on the Wii.
I hate the fact that Pokemon Revolution wants to use a different ID No. for its games. I think it is unnecessary since you can just create a Mii and use that as a sort of Wii-ified "screen name". Then again, I don't know what Nintendo's policy is on Miis and screen names. I'd like them to come up with something before the REAL online games come into play.
Asok @ Dec 24th 2006 7:24PM
Doesn't Nintendo frown on this sort of thing? I seem to recall Nintendo saying something in the instruction booklet (maybe, I just read this on a web site) that this sort of thing is prohibited...
Max Howell @ Dec 24th 2006 8:47PM
As a Wii360 man, Nintendo did a shit job with the friend system, online presence, identity stuff.
I love the way I make a Mii and it's good for one game. Shouldn't that be my gamertag? Shouldn't I save my Zelda games associated with my Mii? Why do I have to create a profile under Rayman with the same name as what I called my Mii? What is this poor effort Nintendo?
Wii is great in many ways, but obviously Nintendo have no multiuser/networking experience like MS do. Sony the same apparently.
GUS @ Dec 25th 2006 7:15AM
There are more than 1 Wii user here in Brasil (I know 3 friends that have it and the one we use at the EGM Brasil office) and there are a lot more here, but none registered on that website, that's it.
And Wii online sucks
GUS
n3rrd @ Dec 24th 2006 11:07PM
Max, the Rayman complaint shouldn't be directed towards Nintendo. It's Ubisoft's fault for not integrating the Miis with the game... but it's obviously possible as shown through WiiSports
FSK405K @ Dec 25th 2006 10:35AM
Nintendo said you can't post your Wii Number on any of its websites or forums, but I don't think they can or said anything about the rest of the net.
Twinkie @ Dec 25th 2006 9:22PM
now all we need is IM