Am I the only one who thinks Wii friend codes are absurd?

I just found out the second online game, Mario Strikers Charged, will have friend codes. I am surprised Nintendo brought this dated internet gaming system to their Wii. I cannot turn on the Wii and just see who is online because the internet predators might catch me. I am 24 and I think I can protect myself from internet predators. The best part of Diablo II LoD, Guild Wars or World of Warcraft is the interaction of thousands of people online. I think a great game like Diablo II LoD would be ruined if Blizzard attempted this idea. The Wii could be a great system, please do not ruin it with friend codes. AAAAAHHHHH!!!!

 

most people, including gaming magazines and the such have a huge problem with the friend codes - i dont own a wii myself but i can see how stupid the concept is

 

It is "absurd" but be happy that Nintendo is even implementing online play into some of their games. They have always been far behind the competition when it comes to this aspect. Also, whether you like it or not, Nintendo is largely advertising and catering to the casual audience. This mainly encompasses the "non-gamers" and kids, which have little need or care for the ability to play with people they don't even know. The use of friend codes is an annoyance but I don't really see it as such a huge deal breaker. See you on Brawl if they do implement online play... even with friend codes.

Also, is this system "dated?" It seems "new" to me unless we're comparing the passing of server IPs to friend codes or something...

 

I think casual gamers appreciate the ability to play online games. I started as a casual gamer with Team Fortress and Diablo II LoD. It did not bother me not knowing who the other people were. I think parents should keep an eye on their children when they go on the internet or online games. I do not think it is Nintendo's job to parent when the real parents cannot do their job.

 

It really ISN'T Nintendo's job, and I would not have faulted them for leaving out friend codes, but I'm sure some parent would decide against buying a Wii simply because of the 'unprotected' online play.

People these days see a Dateline special on sexual predators and gaming and the like and instantly decide that the internet and all forms of gaming are evil. Nintendo is protecting itself against the rashness of excessive parents and the lawsuits of those who are irresponsible enough to let their kids meet pedophiles online. It's a smart move.

If you want more unadulterated online play stick to the Computer, Xbox, Playstation, etc.

 

Yea the friend code thing sounds pretty lame, this is actually the first I have heard of it for the Wii. To be honest though after having my Wii for about 3 or 4 months now and after beating Zelda and playing the crap out of Wii tennis I am pretty disappointed with the system. There are no titles out there that catch my attention and that I am willing to pay $40 or $50 for.

Does anyone know of a current game out there that is worth paying that much??

 

I understand, but the Wii is such a good system. I want to see a good online RPG or first person shooter game for the Wii that takes advantage of the Wii remote.

 

Aren't friend codes decided by individual games? Do all Wii games require it? If they do, DOH! If they don't, I'd assume a strong multi-rpg/fps wouldn't require such a stringent system.

 

I doubt any good FPS/RPG games will come out for Wii. Look at the history of Nintendo: SNES: Mario, Metroid, Ninja Turtles, etc. N64: Duke Nukem, Doom, Carmageddon, etc. Wii is a combination of both, kinda. Nintendo has always been pointed towards children. If you're 24, the only possibly acceptable "mature" game would be Far Cry (which isn't even that great on the Wii per reviews).

And the friend codes aren't really that bad, to be honest. Again, Nintendo is geared more for children. A person I know has a 5 year old kid who loves his Wii. And 5 year old kids are idiots. They need that form of protection. I believe Wii should have a "parental controls option" when you first start up your system. Turn privacy on/off, input a password, etc.

Meh.

 

I think most college students would disagree with that statement. Nintendo never designed systems for children. The Wii's popularity is strong with all age groups, which is why its sales are several times that of the PS3 and quickly approaching XBOX 360 sales.

 

Yes, friend codes are very lame. One of the ongoing reasons why I am not to happy to purchase a Wii. This E3 Nintendo announced a Medal of Honor FPS game with 32 players (Online, I assume, because you can pull that many offline) so there's one thing to look forward too. A game that I heard was great was Super Paper Mario. Although I have not played it myself I've heard positive things about it.

Oh, I forgot to mention that EA would bring some of their games online on the Wii by implementing their ea system (Medal of Honor is an EA game right?). I'm not sure but it will be something similar to PS2's online EA games, where you create an account with EA (for every game) and there will be lobby systems, friend's lists, etc.

So yeah, in some sense, Nintendo is one generaton behind in the Online game.

 

Well, the games I find most enjoyable is Excite Truck and Mario Stikers Charged Football (take off the 'Football' at the end if you don't live in the UK. (Europe got it before the rest of the world! Mwahahahaa! . ANYWAY, online is great, regardless if you know who you're playing or not). There is always Super Paper Mario, Super Smash Bros. Brawl and a load of other good stuff coming out soon aswell!

Metroid Prime 3: Corruption is an FPS coming to the Wii (and it looks really good too).