Nintendo's Fils-Aime promises 'commitment' to improve online experience

by Andrew Yoon on Jun 23rd 2010 9:00PM

Nintendo enjoys breaking conventions. Disruptive ideas have been part of the company's heritage, and while some innovations set industry standards -- from the D-Pad to motion controls -- other ideas seem different for the sake of being unique. Case in point: Nintendo's implementation of online in both the Wii and DS. In an interview with IndustryGamers, Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime admitted that the company has shortcomings in that arena. "The online ... or let me state it more broadly, the digital area is an area where we can improve, and we've made a commitment to dramatically improve in that area."

It may be too early to celebrate the death of friend codes, though. In typical Nintendo fashion, the company won't be following the models created by Microsoft and Sony. "I can just about guarantee [our plan] is unlike anything that our competitors have done to date. The reason for that is it wouldn't be innovative, it wouldn't be distinctive, and therefore, it wouldn't be Nintendo ... Our approach will be to enable the consumer to discover our digital content much more easily."

It's hard to imagine a service that offers a drastically different experience from PSN, Xbox Live, or even Steam. Let's hope that Nintendo's desire to appear innovative in the online space results in something more akin to the 3DS and less like the Virtual Boy.

Source: IndustryGamers

Tags: ds, nintendo, Nintendo-WiFi-Connection, online, reggie-fils-aime, wii

Reader Comments (41)

Xbox Live launched in 2002.

@PantsParty Thanks for sharing shortbus! :O

it uses the vitality sensor to choose what you want based on your heart rate and oxygen saturation.

Four digit friend codes - now with letters? :o

100% gesture based online connectivity perhaps? Want to talk to your friend in Mario Kart, just waggle the wand in a perfect series of motions and "bam", like magic, you can communicate over WiiSpeak.

Why can't Nintendo just suck it up and emulate the (successful) models of their competitors. Sometimes conformity is for the best

@PiiSPii
Whatever they do, they need to do it quick, and before Goldeneye drops or they will reap it.

"LULZ"

Wii Connect 24 with less restrictions and more use (i.e. WiiConnect24 as they originally pitched it, and similar to what they claim they'll do with 3DS) would really be it. Real stealth downloading at low power consumption at all hours of the day is still something the competition doesn't offer, right?

Primarily all they need is an account system, and the rest of their problems will disappear. A central account would fix the major ills of their network.

You misquoted it here first folks! There new system "is unlike anything that our competitors have done to date." Colors, Rorshach Patters, impressionist paintings, and blood splatter analysis CONFIRMED!

Seeing is believing. Whilst they're making all these other changes on the 3DS they may as well just add a unified profile system at the very least. I don't wanna be "velocitystrike0035" on one game and "vstrike2005" on another.

Given that Nintendo is roughly 5 to 10 years behind Xbox Live, PSN, and Steam from a technological and feature standpoint, it's about damn time. Downvote me if you want, but the online infrastructure on the Wii and DS is piss poor. There's no denying that.

@kenny goo You're totally right though. I love Nintendo and will be getting a 3DS on launch but anyone will tell you their online system is broken. It's admirable that they're being innovative but they really need to just follow the other guys with their online model...at least as far as multi player/connectivity goes.

@kenny goo: Definitely it is piss poor - I upvoted you.

Personally I'm quite happy with that. Yeah for those once-in-a-blue-moon times when maybe it might have been possible to game online with a friend, it would be nice if they had a single system friend code instead of one for each game that nobody can ever be bothered to exchange. But in general my friends aren't gamers, and playing games online with people I don't know, who can talk at me, on my list of fun things to do... well it rates only just above getting brain surgery from a jackhammer operator. Keep bringing the single-player, Nintendo.

But obviously even though I'm not going to use it, they would still have a better system overall if they fixed their online. Clearly too late for Wii but maybe next system.

Also I'd appreciate online improvements that aren't about gaming, for example, maybe if their next system is powerful enough to actually have an operating system that keeps running while you're playing games. That way it could do background downloads from Wii Shop etc.

My guess as to the improvements he's talking about (if they are anything other than a figment of his imagination) - on the Wii 2, the home screen will have a banner ad for the latest thing from Wii Shop! Innovative. :)

""I can just about guarantee [our plan] is unlike anything that our competitors have done to date. The reason for that is it wouldn't be innovative, it wouldn't be distinctive, and therefore, it wouldn't be Nintendo ..."

Cut that crap and give us easy to use, reliable online.

he can pat himself on the back all he wants, but friend codes WERE NOT 'innovative'.

they were a total pain in the ass, completely nonintuitive or user friendly.

@Hawaii Jeff

thanks to friend codes I have gone online in nintendo games less than what I could count on one hand.

..with the exception of exchanging my friendcode a thousand times for pokemon, gotta catch em all!

Being different just for the sake of being different isn't innovative.

"The online ... or let me state it more broadly, the digital area is an area where we can improve, and we've made a commitment to dramatically improve in that area."

To me it sounds as though he's making a point to shy away from saying they're focusing on multiplayer/online/friend code type things. Instead, seems like there will be an overhaul of the shopping for content model, along with demoes, videos, etc. I think it'll be closer integration of a handful of Wii channels...

@MarkezJM

Yeah, that's what I thought also.

The hesitation to adapt a modern online community, sounds a lot like what happened with CD Rom all those years ago.

@MarkezJM That's exactly how I read it. He appears to be talking retail, not multiplayer improvements. We'll all know when Ninty actually makes their online multi usable because the cubs will win the series just before the universe implodes.

day late, dollar short. good luck with that Reggie-nator.

@(Unverified)

Dollar Short.... yeah right.

The lack of a decent online service by a Nintendo is why I'm hesitant on getting a 3DS in the future (that and only one analog nub). I like transfer Ps1 classics between my ps3/psp, and while I don't own a wii, having something similar, and also not having my games linked to a specific device would be really nice, Nintendo, just make a copy of PSN/XBL, I don't really see any way to do it different other than U.I differences,

@Loucetios

Also it's times like these I wish I could have an interview with Reggie and be like, whhyyyyyyy

Nintendo release an online model based on Super Mario Galaxy where you have a hub, and Mario walks around, and you have to get up to a platform floating in mid-air using Yoshi to reach the virtual console, and with the fire flower, destroy a stack of crates, revealing a pipe that transports you to another area where you access WiiWare.

@mrmobius

Actually That Would be Pretty Cool, however I would prefer something where you pick your avatars. I'l be Link of course, I don't see any other Nintendo character that I love more.

"Innovate"? Seriously? As an owner of all three consoles I believe I can fairly criticize Nintendo's half-baked, practically useless online experience as perhaps the weakest link in their system. Yes, the graphics aren't as good, but there's no arguing that their AAA titles equal or best anything that Sony or Microsoft has to offer. That said, everything they do is instantly downgraded because I cannot easily play with and talk to my friends while playing. I have literally spent HUNDREDS of hours on Xbox Live playing multiplayer games of all stripes, hours that i sure have shit could have spent playing New Super Mario Bros or any one of number of multiplayer games on the Wii with my friends had they not gimped and crippled the experience. Oftentimes I think that "innovation" is merely an excuse for spending time and money to give us what we want. As long as Miyamoto and EAD keep making awesome first party titles I will always be a Nintendo consumer, but the just don't understand that they could have had so much more of my time and money had they even made their system as usable as even PSN.

@RyanLN

We all know Wii Online Sucks, we know PSN is better, and we know Xbox Live is better than that. The thing is and from what I have seen, the Wii was created by Nintendo, a Japanese company, typically Japanese companies and as with any companies tend to focus more on their origin territory. Japanese on norm don't need much online play or etc.. They are more in love with single player, a good plot of a story, etc. Same argument can be used for PSN. Sony of America or of Europe doesn't control the PSN Updates, Sony of Japan does.

Microsoft on the other hand, is one a software company and an American company. Culture-wise, we tend to care more about social networking and online features over single player, typically. So yea. =p That is my point of view.

Nintendo can be a slow as the government sometimes. It can be frustrating, though usually N's results are far more enjoyable and tolerable than what the government comes up with.

I mean it'sa two-thousand-ten Mario. We're not running on Netware 3.0 anymore.

Nintendo are real boneheads when it comes to keeping up with current technology. N64's cartridges. Gamecube's mini DVDs. Wii's weak hardware. Pathetic online setup. They need to quit trying to invent some magical new online experience and just do something that's good, works, and competes with the other guys.

@SolidSnakeEyes You make some good points but I still think their mentality is alright. If they were just trying to be like everyone else, we'd still be dealing with stuff like gameboy micro. I think they should find a balance between continuing innovation and accepting what is proven to work in the business...like microsoft's/sony's online system...and keep it free.

@Tab I can agree with that. It just seems like they so often go out of their way to do something differently just to be different, and not necessarily to be better.

@SolidSnakeEyes Which wouldn't have to be a bad thing, but those choices often seem to result in inferior technology like I was listing above.

You're making your own stuff yet you want it to be easy? That's unpossible.
You might as well throw in the towel and give up on online because as of this moment, your company is so far behind the curve it's not even funny. If you were a school student, you'd be getting ready to go into kindergarten for the 35th time. You guys lost the opportunity to have a competitive online presence years ago.

I bought a Gamecube BBA on clearance at Best Buy for $10 and I would have been better off buying $10 worth of candy and records. You guys have passed me by (or rather, I've grown up beyond your reach). A lot of people are in the same boat. Nothing to be ashamed of, but making blanket statements about something you utterly fail at so far like online play....yeah, not such a smart idea. That's like Joe Barton apologizing to BP for getting water in their oil.

@zero2dash
if you cant find use out of your gamecube, try buying wind waker, twilight princess, metroid prime, smash bros, custom robo, and f-zero.

@gevenstaines

You forgot RE4. =)
But yeah I sold my GC a long time ago, I'm just mentioning it to prove the point (as if there's any doubt) that Nintendo hasn't given two bits about online gaming, ever, and why should anyone believe they will start to care about it now? It's too late anyway.

Less big words, more action pls.

so they'd rather be innovative than make a successful system?

What? It's like saying you have to innovate the basic standard of living. Just give us a good online please.

"They're the only company that is pretty much solely focused on pure gaming."

While I could care less about all the integration that MS and Sony are keen on doing, some people find it useful.

You may think that Nintendo is focused on "pure gaming", but if the Wii is your definition of "pure gaming" (ie motion controlled = pure gaming), then I'd rather play with a halfass console with integration out the ying yang and be able to use a regular controller while doing it.

"Imo, they represent what was great about the industry because MS came in and turned it into circus."

What's great about the industry is being able to play a game online with your friends, with party chat, in 1080p on a 46" flat screen.

You (and anyone else) can knock MS or Sony for "turning gaming into a circus", well that's your opinion, however there's no denying that without MS and Sony, online gaming would not be where it is today and neither would HD gaming. For those 2 reasons alone, I thank God that MS and Sony are still putting out consoles and giving people who are bored with Nintendo (like me) a choice.

@Nintari
When the other companies are announcing facebook integration as a "feature" I kinda feel like agreeing with you but damn, wouldn't it be awesome if SSMB had Live quality online?

No social crap, dlc costumes or avatars, just, online gaming that doesn't suck.

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Nintendo's Fils-Aime promises 'commitment' to improve online experience

Reader Comments (41)

Posted: Jun 23rd 2010 9:05PM PantsParty said

Posted: Jun 23rd 2010 9:16PM The Wicker Man said

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