Whilst Nintendo have been continually successful in their attempts to innovate and bring gaming to a wider audience, they still remain to lag behind their competitors in terms of offering a reliable online service.
Legendary designer and key figure at Nintendo, Shigeru Miyamoto, has touched upon the importance of internet connectivity with their forthcoming Wii U console, stating that it is a necessity for the “types of experiences our consumers like to play.”
“We’re not going to sit here and say that our goal is to become the number one online gaming company, because that’s not our goal,” Miyamoto began to explain. “But, understanding that the types of experiences our consumers like to play do often contain elements to them that can be improved or may even require an online connection and also knowing that the system is going to have a browser I think suggests that obviously internet and internet connectivity is going to be very important for the system.”
He continued, “For example, there are opportunities to take advantage of online to expand a local, same-room multiplayer experience by connecting that to the internet and making new types of play that way. Also by having the smaller screen, being able to go online and perhaps see what game your friend is playing or see what TV they’re watching, I think there’s a lot of possibilities for how you could use that. Certainly internet functionality is something that will be important for the system.”
A fundamental failing with the Wii was the need for unique Friend Codes to be used for each game, rather than having an individual account that isn’t tied to the console. Whilst Ubisoft producer Adrian Blunt may have teased that Friend Codes are a thing of the past, Miyamoto was unwilling to confirm such a statement.
He did, however, discuss how user accounts may be implemented: “We have introduced Miis to the world and everyone will hopefully have their own Mii, so obviously I think there’s possibilities along those lines there. And I will say that this is a system that will have a great deal of appeal for its online connectivity.”
A family-friendly online environment is also a fundamental objective for the company, with Miyamoto explaining: “A key word for Nintendo in the online sphere has been creating an experience that’s comfortable for all players, so we’ll still look at that and stick to our idea of trying to create an online experience that’s welcoming to everyone.”
[Thanks, MTV]
Miyamoto: Wii U “will have a great deal of appeal for its online connectivity”
