# Nintendo and online.



## VGAddict31 (Jan 8, 2014)

Why do people say Nintendo is behind the times when it comes to online? Other than no account system, there's nothing wrong with the Wii U's online.


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## TransformerRobot (Jan 8, 2014)

It's because Nintendo hasn't done anything like a subscription service for older games (Essentially Virtual Console meets Netflix), or streaming their games onto mobile devices.


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## Digitalpotato (Jan 8, 2014)

It's also because to most people, a "proper" online system is "I can voice chat and trash-talk my friends" or "it's like XBL or PSN so I don't need my friend's friend code so I'd rather add my friend's username rather than a number".


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## lupinealchemist (Jan 8, 2014)

Didn't Nintendo set up an account system with the recent update?


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## TransformerRobot (Jan 8, 2014)

Digitalpotato said:


> It's also because to most people, a "proper" online system is "I can voice chat and trash-talk my friends" or "it's like XBL or PSN so I don't need my friend's friend code so I'd rather add my friend's username rather than a number".



Then why am I able to see Miiverse-related stuff in Sonic Lost World or Super Mario 3D World?


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## Alexxx-Returns (Jan 8, 2014)

Digitalpotato said:


> It's also because to most people, a "proper" online system is "I can voice chat and trash-talk my friends" or "it's like XBL or PSN so I don't need my friend's friend code so I'd rather add my friend's username rather than a number".



Yeah, pretty much this. It's hard to put into words really, but... those two online systems are much more of a 'hub', where someone can spend a lot more time if they wish, and it's not all about gaming. And personally, I'd associate games with a larger online component with these two.

Nintendo, on the other hand, it kind of feels like it lacks substance. It seems to be, for the most part, a place to dip in transiently for a single bout of online play, to quickly isolate yourself in single player again straight after. Or maybe this is just me and the questionable internet connection to my Wii and DS.


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## TransformerRobot (Jan 8, 2014)

AlexxxLupo said:


> Yeah, pretty much this. It's hard to put into words really, but... those two online systems are much more of a 'hub', where someone can spend a lot more time if they wish, and it's not all about gaming. And personally, I'd associate games with a larger online component with these two.
> 
> Nintendo, on the other hand, it kind of feels like it lacks substance. It seems to be, for the most part, a place to dip in transiently for a single bout of online play, to quickly isolate yourself in single player again straight after. Or maybe this is just me and the questionable internet connection to my Wii and DS.



No, it's your questionable internet connection.

But maybe if Nintendo made a sort of gaming online hub like Xbox Live it would regain their credibility.


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## Stratelier (Jan 9, 2014)

Digitalpotato said:


> It's also because to most people, a "proper" online system is "I can voice chat and trash-talk my friends"...


Speaking of which, Sony and Microsoft doesn't have a kid-friendly image like Nintendo does.  And part of the kid-friendliness is NOT being constantly exposed to whatever ... _kibitzing_ goes on during XB or PS multiplayer chat.


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## TransformerRobot (Jan 9, 2014)

Stratadrake said:


> Speaking of which, Sony and Microsoft doesn't have a kid-friendly image like Nintendo does.  And part of the kid-friendliness is NOT being constantly exposed to whatever ... _kibitzing_ goes on during XB or PS multiplayer chat.



Are you saying that Nintendo is better off without an online hub for their games?


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## Neybulot (Jan 9, 2014)

One of the biggest issues is that if you buy, say The Legend of Zelda: A Link To The Past on your 3DS, you do not automatically own the Wii U Virtual Console version. When you have stuff like Sony is starting with PlayStation Now where you have a subscription to older games or Steam with SteamPlay where you can play games across Windows, OSX, and Linux, it makes Nintendo look idiotic that you can't just buy one game and play it across your two consoles.


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## TransformerRobot (Jan 9, 2014)

Neybulot said:


> One of the biggest issues is that if you buy, say The Legend of Zelda: A Link To The Past on your 3DS, you do not automatically own the Wii U Virtual Console version. When you have stuff like Sony is starting with PlayStation Now where you have a subscription to older games or Steam with SteamPlay where you can play games across Windows, OSX, and Linux, it makes Nintendo look idiotic that you can't just buy one game and play it across your two consoles.



Well yeah, Nintendo should do that. Isn't that what integrating Nintendo accounts should've done?


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## Taralack (Jan 9, 2014)

TransformerRobot said:


> Well yeah, Nintendo should do that. Isn't that what integrating Nintendo accounts should've done?



lol, you wish.


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## TransformerRobot (Jan 9, 2014)

Taralack said:


> lol, you wish.



I kind of do now. Just so that people will take Nintendo seriously.


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## Stratelier (Jan 9, 2014)

TransformerRobot said:


> Are you saying that Nintendo is better off without an online hub for their games?


No, but I have heard it argued that Nintendo's kid-friendly image is quite important to their financial success....


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## TransformerRobot (Jan 9, 2014)

Stratadrake said:


> No, but I have heard it argued that Nintendo's kid-friendly image is quite important to their financial success....



What financial success? Sony's crushing them. Again. -_-

Sony and Microsoft didn't get to be such big players by using sunshine cupcakes made by bunnies.


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## Stratelier (Jan 10, 2014)

TransformerRobot said:


> Sony and Microsoft didn't get to be such big players by using sunshine cupcakes made by bunnies.


Sony and Microsoft aren't even in the bunny cupcake industry to begin with.


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## TransformerRobot (Jan 10, 2014)

Stratadrake said:


> Sony and Microsoft aren't even in the bunny cupcake industry to begin with.



The point is that THEIR success didn't come from kid-friendly games, and I doubt that's how it works for Nintendo now.


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## BRN (Jan 10, 2014)

TransformerRobot said:


> The point is that THEIR success didn't come from kid-friendly games, and I doubt that's how it works for Nintendo now.


Check it from another perspective. Sony and Microsoft and Nintendo don't make games - their consoles play them.

There are developers looking to make visceral and bloody and realistic games, and there are developers looking to make softer and safer games. This is always gonna be true; there are game developers out there who make stuff not caked in gore, you know?

While Sony and Microsoft compete for the chance to get the adult games on their console so that they can take commission off the sales, Nintendo gets to sit back and ambiently soak in 100% of all the sales from the less visceral side of the industry.

Call of Duty 4 sold about 13million copies, and you know how popular that was. Wii Fit sold 23million.


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## TransformerRobot (Jan 10, 2014)

BRN said:


> Check it from another perspective. Sony and Microsoft and Nintendo don't make games - their consoles play them.
> 
> There are developers looking to make visceral and bloody and realistic games, and there are developers looking to make softer and safer games. This is always gonna be true; there are game developers out there who make stuff not caked in gore, you know?
> 
> ...



Well now most of that success with less visceral gaming is escaping Nintendo. That's why bigger and better online stuff would help them now.


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## BRN (Jan 10, 2014)

TransformerRobot said:


> Well now most of that success with less visceral gaming is escaping Nintendo. That's why bigger and better online stuff would help them now.



Why do you think that those two things are linked? "Bigger and better online stuff" and "success", I mean.


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## TransformerRobot (Jan 10, 2014)

BRN said:


> Why do you think that those two things are linked? "Bigger and better online stuff" and "success", I mean.



*points at record-breaking PS4 sales* That's why.


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## Antronach (Jan 11, 2014)

Maybe PS4 sales are good because they are in more countries and have had a huge PR success in the wake of Microsoft's recent blunders. And the Wii and DS didn't have much in the way of online content and those consoles kicked the competetion's asses. Your point?


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## TransformerRobot (Jan 11, 2014)

Then why isn't Nintendo releasing in those countries too?


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## Digitalpotato (Jan 13, 2014)

TransformerRobot said:


> Are you saying that Nintendo is better off without an online hub for their games?



I kind of like playing games without having a bunch of reminders about the "Social features" I don't care for.


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## Antronach (Jan 13, 2014)

Hey, you beat a boss, POST ABOUT IT ON FACEBOOKÂ©, TWITTERÂ© AND GOOGLE+Â©.


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## chesse20 (Jan 13, 2014)

Thumbs up if you thought this was going to be another transformerrobot thread


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## Icky (Jan 13, 2014)

chesse20 said:


> Thumbs up if you thought this was going to be another transformerrobot thread



...I only just now realized that it wasn't.


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## TransformerRobot (Jan 13, 2014)

This doesn't surprise me.


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## Digitalpotato (Jan 14, 2014)

Antronach said:


> Hey, you beat a boss, POST ABOUT IT ON FACEBOOKÂ©, TWITTERÂ© AND GOOGLE+Â©.




*every ten seconds* Chungus St McChungus has caught a Xerneas! xXxXBanditXx has caught a FlabÃ©bÃ©! LÃ¼kÃ© SkywÃ¥lkÃ«r has just won a battle against Darth Nader! ICanHazCheez has just fainted! Chungus St. McChungus has just beaten Lysandre!xXxXBanditXx has caught a FlabÃ©bÃ©! Darth Nader has just won a battle against LÃ¸la! rinaldi would like to trade with you. xXxXBanditXx has just caught a FlabÃ©bÃ©!"

Thank goodness you can at least turn the wi-fi off in PokÃ©mon X and Y.


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## Stratelier (Jan 14, 2014)

TransformerRobot said:


> This doesn't surprise me.



So how many Sony devs have firsthand experience with Microsoft's XBL or vice versa?



Antronach said:


> Hey, you beat a boss, POST ABOUT IT ON FACEBOOKÂ©, TWITTERÂ© AND GOOGLE+Â©.



(R), not (C).


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## TransformerRobot (Jan 15, 2014)

Stratadrake said:


> So how many Sony devs have firsthand experience with Microsoft's XBL or vice versa?
> 
> 
> 
> (R), not (C).



A lot, I imagine, since they're the developers.


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