Joystiq reader Joshua Marketis sent us this scan from an instruction manual for the European version of Wii Mario Strikers. The manual states that "you will be able to play only with people within Europe" unless you have shared friend codes with someone outside of the continent, citing lag concerns.
One of our favorite pleasures is playing Tetris DS online or various Xbox 360 titles over Live at odd hours against players in other regions. Without timezone constraints, we always had a large pool of players, regardless of the hours. Nintendo could have solved the problem with a latency test (assuming one doesn't already exist). Here in North America, there are times when we have less lag playing with South African correspondents than we do with someone just a few states away.
It is currently unknown if the same limitations apply to other regions. We've contacted Nintendo for a statement.
One of our favorite pleasures is playing Tetris DS online or various Xbox 360 titles over Live at odd hours against players in other regions. Without timezone constraints, we always had a large pool of players, regardless of the hours. Nintendo could have solved the problem with a latency test (assuming one doesn't already exist). Here in North America, there are times when we have less lag playing with South African correspondents than we do with someone just a few states away.
It is currently unknown if the same limitations apply to other regions. We've contacted Nintendo for a statement.
(Page 1) Reader Comments
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They go out of their way to make it annoying and unapproachable.
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You know whats a pain? Your stupid password system, let me put in my own password instead of some random numbers and letters.
Jeez, you guys are just instigating so much.
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Oh and Nintendo will be making millions off the browser for the people that didn't download it while it was free.
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Get Firefox and save your password. Or get an addon for IE7 and have it save your password. I don'think the password system is a problem. It use to be worst: check your email and confirm a comment. I think the biggest problem for me is the stupid next 50 comments thing all the way at the bottom of the page.
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Thats irrelevant about the browser. You could just download it over the internet and just put it on your SD card and not have to pay. Besides, if they wanted it they already would've downloaded it by now.
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Thats exactly my point. It USED to be horrible. But now people don't complain right? Friend Codes are a one time thing. I mean, i'm not going to be ignorant here. Friend Codes are the stupidest thing made ever. But, people need to stop complaining about it.
If Friend Codes were made so you have to input the codes EVERY time. Then screw it, but since its a one time deal for each friend. Its bearable.
I mean complaining about friend codes is like complaining about you and your friend switching cell phone numbers and saving it to your phone.
Its stupid.
Anyway, I digress. Mario Strikers not having worldwide matches is dumb, it should have worldwide matches at random.
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Inherent latency problems
I just hope not.
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I simply put my password into the name block and selected remember me. So every time I'm on the site its right there and I simply copy into the password block.
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Any on different computers? Oh yeah, you have to go search through your archives of your email to find the password and use it.
Really, it wouldn't be hard just to make us able to set our own password..
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As far as Ninty's WFC with Charged... They should have worked out the latency bug a long time ago. Or just go with region specific friend codes Coding. Like a US Wii cannot enter a European Wii Code.
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Your missing the point... the point is convenience. It would be easier just to allow someone to change their password. Or even better, not even require one.
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Maybe this is something specific to Strikers; because the program has to basically run 10 seperate characters at once
About the actual warning statement though, i honestly don't think international lag would be that bad, because a lot of things game companies tell us we shouldn't do usually work fine (like blowing on cartridges or modding)
Still, there will be enough North Americans playing, i think that's a pretty safe bet...
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I'm sure playing with people on your friend list will be no problem worldwide..im sure playing with people online anywhere would be no problem worldwide. Lord knows I VERY rarely have any lag on mario kart ds worldwide.
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But eh, that will never happen. Joystiq doesn't make their own sites. Almost none of these web blogs do anyway.
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I actually like it, it gave me a completely random password i was forced to memorize, but its randomness basically gave me a new default password for my life, as opposed to my old default, which was very short and contained no numbers, which online services seem to reject nowadays
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My sarcasm detector is beeping...
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no, seriously. In this new age of "hacker safety" all websites/services seem to require passwords that are at least 8 characters long, and contain a mix of letters and numbers, my old default was all letters, and only 4 characters long
I needed something new, weblogs inc just happened to come along and provide
Otherwise i would've had to have THINK of a new password, with my brain, and why would anyone want to do that?
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You destroyed my sarcasm detector...
Seriously though. Why not just LET us make our own password -_-
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Online multiplayer in Europe is perfect. And a great deal of fun, and perhaps if both parties have a decent internet connection then the lag may not be so bad. Better to wait and find out methinks.
On a side note, this game is probably worth buying a Wii for if you haven't already got one. Haven't had so much fun in ages!
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It's not that people like myself hate friend codes only because you have to enter a code for your friends.
It's because I can't just dive into a game and enter a lobby and play people who are also online and want to play.
I can only play with my friends who I know and have traded codes with before hand.
Or, I have to go out of my way to trade friend codes with people on the internet, and hope they add me while I add them, and do this for many strangers in order to have a high amount of friends that I can just log on and be able to find someone online already.
Wii has no lobbies. You have to trade with everyone. So it's harder to find people to play with online. You have to plan play dates. Even with strangers.
And that is why I hate friend codes.
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do you know whats funner than punching in friend codes for each one of you friends? Having a metal wire rammed up you urethra to check for gohnnarea
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"that stuff was appropriate when Nintendo was making stupid decisions and was 3 place. but now Nintendo is still making stupid decisions but are making tons of money."
Nintendo+3rd Place = stupid
Nintendo+1st Place = stupid
The opinions of Nintendo Fanboys are as resiliant to change as much as logical gamers [i.e. yourself] are. ;)
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You do NOT need friend codes to play this game online!
Jonathan is full of crap and doesn't know this but dislikes Nintendo!
You do not need a pool of 50,000 friends. You can play this game online for free within minutes of turning it on for the first time without entering a single friend code!
The only games that absolutely require friend codes are the games that let you communicate, like Animal Crossing or Pokemon (with the voice chat). Even Metroid Prime Hunters lets you have 2 groups of friends: "friends" confirmed via friend codes and capable of voice chat, and "rivals" which do not need friend codes and do not allow voice chat. But neither of these are necessary as you can play randomized matches for free!
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I've played online once since getting it, now I can't get online at all probably because the whole of Europe is playing it. Imagine if the rest of the world was on the same server, it would be a nightmare.
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But sure, I hate Nintendo. That's an easy thing to say to discredit someone's opinion you disagree with.
Friend codes suck, buddy. No matter what.
Playing people online in Pokemon is a lot more annoying than it has to be.
Nitendo's online system is horrible, bottom line.
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have any of you ever tried to play a game like quake or call of duty or battlefield on a PC in the US on a server that is based in europe? or vice versa? the ping is over 150 and the lag is unbearable because things dont happen when you want them to....now im not saying mario strikers is a pc FPS (hopefully they drop the bomb that metroid has online tho!) but there are alot of players on the field to keep track of and im sure the latency issues are similar......everyone is making much ado over nothing here
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Haha. Sure would if I could get past all the error messages it gives me. ;)
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*nyuk nyuk nyuk*
Nintendo fans are waaaay too forgiving. If MS or Sony were doing this half assed job with online people would be planning a class action lawsuits against them.
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I'm sure they'll give the server a kick up the bum in the next few days lol
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for the moment, i'm with you, we just had to refresh my Verizon DSL connection to get it to work again, but in doing so i lost all compatibility for Nintendo WiFi/Wii Connect 24
How well do those WiFi USB connectors work?
cuz that's where i'm headed...
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My connection is fine. Shop, forcast, news channel all work. It logs in and and its a problem, giving me "Error getting stats."
Btw, random bit of information, Nintendo wont let me use my Hitler Mii online. :(
@ snowdog
Bank holiday weekend? I dout it.
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I wonder how they pick which Miis to allow then. I was expecting a sea of Hitlers, Cheneys, and Michael Jacksons, just like my Mii Parade.
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Why are people complaining? I can't wait to get this game.
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