Why Nintendo Has Failed the Online “Revolution” (Again) with the Wii
Sure, Nintendo has had some tremendous successes over the years. Particularly those wins came in the form of the DS and the Wii. However, something has been seriously lacking in Nintendo products. That, namely is a cohesive online internet connectivity environment akin to Xbox LIVE and the PSN. One might argue that Nintendo has targeted a broader and less “gamer” demographic this generation - however it would be incorrect to assume those people do not appreciate nor even use a rich internet environment particularly considering that everything these days targeted broadly has rich internet connectivity and environments (i.e. the iPhone).
Here is another dreaded “list”. I believe it is a nicely structured and easily understood rather than block paragraphs. (this list will focus on the Wii)
1. Nintendo hyped to no end their WiiConnect24 feature as if it were something truly unique or interesting. In fact what we get is an auto-updater akin to automatically downloading firmware updates for the gimmicky “channels”.
2. The “channels”. These channels allow you to peruse the news, weather, your Miis, voting, etc. Nothing special at all. Where is the rich connectivity to other users? Not here. Might as well turn on my computer or pick up a newspaper for all these channels are worth.
3. The only games that currently support any sort of multiplayer for the Wii are Pokemon Battle Revolution, Mario Strikers Charged, and several unknown Japanese titles. Pardon me Nintendo? Are you still living in the 80’s? Not even games you would expect to have multiplayer have it (such as FPS).
4. The list of future compatible multiplayer/online games for the Wii is nearly as dismal. There are approximately 20 titles to be released for the Wii which “MAY” be multiplayer compatible or have some online ability. Most of them are junk titles.
5. The “Friend Code”. What the hell were you thinking Nintendo?? Someone high up actually thought it would be a good idea to use a 12 digit code as your online id rather than allowing for customization or something that even resembles easy memorization.
6. No cohesive, rich online environment. This is a direct comparison to LIVE and the PSN. Both of these services allow for voice chat, video chat, text chat, rich online stores, access to demos, video on demand, and more. What does Nintendo have? The Virtual Console - only one thousandth of what LIVE and the PSN offer.
7. No plans to create such a rich online environment or community. Nintendo has stressed that they want their users to have privacy, preferring the “friend code”. Nintendo has made no moves nor attempts to create anything more than a backend system with little community development. While the PSN and LIVE have continually developed their features and are actively competing for a better online environment.
8. Nintendo mistakenly believes that their customers do not want this rich online environment. Time and time again we have seen the successes of online networks and the related features. People actively use them and ask for more.
9. Nintendo has blatantly ignored the online movement. Once again, Nintendo is stuck in the 80’s. Do the Nintendo bigwigs not actively use the internet or related functionalities? Do they not see its penetration into society, the benefits to their products, and overall demand? Apparently not.
10. Nintendo had dubbed the Wii with the codename Revolution, which is heavily misleading. Sure the controller is revolutionary and this with the combination of games. But an overall revolutionary console would require a drastic change from their prior gaming models, a huge step forward. With the Wii, Nintendo has edged its toe forward one inch. I definitely would not call that a revolution.
Sure I like the Wii, but what Nintendo has done with the online functionality is just a shame. A damn dirty shame.
Via GamingMirror
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