Now is the time to be a Nintendo fan.

[PawnTakesKing]

From http://cube.ign.com/articles/611/611909p1.html :

May 11, 2005 - A recent interview with Square Enix president Youichi Wada at Japanese site Impress Game Watch suggests good things both for Nintendo's networking plans and the next generation Revolution system.

In response to Nintendo president Satoru Iwata's recent comments on the company's upcoming networking plans (Wada's comments seem to have been made prior to Nintendo's official announcement regarding its DS WiFi service), Wada offers up praise for the ideas featured in the plan, and even suggests that Nintendo could bring new users to the Online gaming world.
One area that Wada seems to be impressed with is a particularly controversial side of Nintendo's Online plan. In his comments posted at Impress Game Watch yesterday, Iwata states that Nintendo is going through with the idea of letting players connect only to players whom they've met in real life. While it's unclear how strict Nintendo plans to be with this idea (Animal Crossing DS is reported to allow for play amongst strangers), Wada applauds the move in his comments today, stating "It gives the image of taking the real world seamlessly into the virtual world." This new structure could lead to a number of changes in the current network gaming system, with Wada suggesting "the means of building a community will be completely different, and support and services will also change."

The stance Square Enix takes on the new networking plan in relation to Revolution is the most intriguing. "What increased our interest further," states Wada regarding the networking plan, "is that the next step is already being prepared for Revolution." Nintendo's networking plan is, according to Wada, "not just a portable, not just a console -- it's exactly what we wanted in that it's the birth of a completely new platform."

Wada finishes off on the note of support from Square Enix: "From here on, we'll have to challenge ourselves with content in response to what Nintendo offers. We would like to give strong support."

With these comments, Wada seems to be committing Square Enix to support of Nintendo's new networking plan, and this will almost certainly take early form on the DS. The mention of Revolution's role in the company's decision process suggests that future support for the console is a possibility as well.

Now, I'm not too wild about Nintendo only letting you connect with people you've met in real life (if that idea does indeed pan out), but from how Squenix is talking, it sounds as if they've nailed a decent online gaming plan.

I can't get enough of the Revolution/DS rumors...bring on E3!!!

[easy_g]

I'm starting to get confused with all of this new information. It's really cool that Square Enix seems to be supporting Nintendo, but this online deal seams wierd.

Playing against people you've met in real life is certainly cool, but what about when you want to play and nobody else wants to? I'd want to hop online and start blasting away (in an fps mindset right now). And would they really need gamespy to do this?

[CaseyRyback]

I'm starting to get confused with all of this new information. It's really cool that Square Enix seems to be supporting Nintendo, but this online deal seams wierd.

Playing against people you've met in real life is certainly cool, but what about when you want to play and nobody else wants to? I'd want to hop online and start blasting away (in an fps mindset right now). And would they really need gamespy to do this?

yea only playing with people you know is pretty lame, because almost all of my friends don't play online or do not have the capability to play online

[ryanbph]

IMO, that is horrible. In the first socom, I met, joined a clan with people I have never met, and still play online with them today several years after the fact. Granted it is in different games, but it was a good way to meet different people.

[CappyCobra]

I'm starting to get confused with all of this new information. It's really cool that Square Enix seems to be supporting Nintendo, but this online deal seams wierd.

Playing against people you've met in real life is certainly cool, but what about when you want to play and nobody else wants to? I'd want to hop online and start blasting away (in an fps mindset right now). And would they really need gamespy to do this?
Yes, socialization skills confuse Nintendo followers. This is natural. No cause for alarm. ;)

[Chris in Cali]

Being able to play against only people you know in real life eliminates 99.9% of the reason I started playing online games in the first place.

[Ikohn4ever]

people need to stop putting the cart before the horse. We have no idea on what is really goin on. For all we know it could be poor translation. I say wait till an official annoucement after they show off the new system before you start hatin on the big N

[Zer0X1999]

Either way, the mere fact that they have an online plan should be good news for any Nintendo fan.

[easy_g]

Apparently in other reports and translations, Iwata says you can choose to play against people you know or strangers. I hope this is true. Cause i seriously doubt Square Enix would rave about such a limited online plan when their last game was an MMORPG.

[drumbandit]

Apparently in other reports and translations, Iwata says you can choose to play against people you know or strangers. I hope this is true. Cause i seriously doubt Square Enix would rave about such a limited online plan when their last game was an MMORPG.


Exactly, Iwata's already mentioned playing against strangers. It seems to me Square is excited about some kind of online feature that's special between people you actually know. I have no idea what that might be... so I'll just be happy that Square is happy. ;)

[danny90044]

too much new info being thrown at me from diffrent sites, im gonna just wait for e3

[epobirs]

You've got to wonder why no one in editorial asked the question, "How could such a policy possibly be enforced?"

[PenguinMaster]

How does online play even make it a good time to be a Nintendo fan? If you're a Playstation, XBOX, or PC fan, you already have online play.

[Celes]

I think that with Nintendo Revolution's online plan, Square might rerelease Final Fantasy Online. And since games would be free, I wouldn't mind trying it out.

[easy_g]

I think that with Nintendo Revolution's online plan, Square might rerelease Final Fantasy Online. And since games would be free, I wouldn't mind trying it out.

Nintendo's online service will be free, but developers (or publishers i guess) are free to charge monthly fees for their games. Which is common for online RPG's.

[David85]

Believe it when I see it.

[epobirs]

I think that with Nintendo Revolution's online plan, Square might rerelease Final Fantasy Online. And since games would be free, I wouldn't mind trying it out.

I wouldn't hold my breath waiting for that day. Do the words 'class action suit brought by PS2 HDD owners' mean anything to you?

[javeryh]

Maybe it will be something like you need to know someone else's username to play online against them sort of like instant messenger. We could still post our user names here and I could kick everyone's ass even though I've never met any of you in "real life"

[FrankTheFrowner]

I wouldn't hold my breath waiting for that day. Do the words 'class action suit brought by PS2 HDD owners' mean anything to you?

All they would have to do is add one more element to make it a totally new game. Besides that, how does owning a PS2 HDD equal a contract for exclusivity? I'm pretty sure that SquareEnix can re-release anything they please -- remember, even most "exclusive" deals are only so for a specified period of time. Although, you did say class action lawsuit -- and there's a lot of frivolous ones...

[supadupacheap]

Im still not seeing how Nintendo semi catching up to the big 2 should make us all converts.

If you liked N before, you ll get off on any bit of positive spin they put on everything. Marketing never makes a console the "best" (most sold, yes, best no) Its the the games and the experences they provide that do.

[uberzone]

How does online play even make it a good time to be a Nintendo fan? If you're a Playstation, XBOX, or PC fan, you already have online play.

They've been deprived all this time, at this point any scrap will make it "Now is the time to be a Nintendo fan."

[adamsappel]

I wouldn't hold my breath waiting for that day. Do the words 'class action suit brought by PS2 HDD owners' mean anything to you?

FFXI is a PC title as well. Can't it also be played across platforms? I doubt there's anything in the user agreement for the PS2 version that says the game will never appear on another console, much less a later-generation one. Perhaps Sony would have a case against Squeenix, but not PS2ers.

I also doubt FFXI would be a ported game.

[Quackzilla]

I hate to be nitpicky, but didn't Nintendo also say the Gamecube would be online?

[jkam]

It is exciting news that Nintendo is FINALLY going online but they still have a lot to prove to a lot of people. Hopefully e3 will bring that news.

[adamsappel]

I hate to be nitpicky, but didn't Nintendo also say the Gamecube would be online?
The GameCube IS online, both for broadband and modem. The trouble is there's only the Phantasy Star Online 1&2 and C.A.R.D. Revolution games to play. There is a MMORPG coming out (Homeland (http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=ja&u=http://www.chunsoft.co.jp/game/homeland/&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dchunsoft%2Bhomeland%26hl%3Den%26lr%3D %26safe%3Doff%26sa%3DG)), but it's a Japan-only release. You can also play LAN-enabled games like Mario Kart and 1080 Avalanche online using Warppipe. I don't know why more developers didn't offer online titles for the GameCube.

Oh, and I was certainly wrong about FFXI not being a ported title. It's coming to Xbox 360.

[Reality's Fringe]

Online gaming has proven to be nothing but annoying to me. I can't go one game of Splinter cell or the like without hearing some string of homophobic exclamations or Movie/Tv Show references. Not to mention people who cheat, complain, and just generally do anything they can to make your experience as painful and lame as possible. I'm glad Nintendo added the option, but I frankly don't care.

[neocisco]

At this point, this is all so far away from happening that this is really nothing but conjecture and speculation. It's going to be awhile before the dust settles from E3 and the hype machine slows down from MACH 4. Patience will be rewarded w/hard facts soon enough.

[techstar25]

As far as only being able to play against people you know "in real life", it sounds like a good strategy to protect the very young gamers. Basically, just as a parent would not want their very young child chatting online unsupervised with strangers, they would not want the child playing games online against strangers (especially where chatting might be available). When I say very young, I mean 1st grade, kindergarten or younger. It sounds like paranoia, but lots of very yound kids play Nintendo games, so if online is a major component of the game, it would require some kind of supervision. It's a difficult issue and I bet it has factored into Nintendo's hesitance to jump online.

My speculation...Maybe when you sign up for a "Nintendo online" account you have to input your DOB or some other way to prove you are the proper age. If not, parents could have the option to set it up so that children can only play online against a specified group of other children in their class, or on their soccer team.

If you've played Animal Crossing for instance, you can imagine what a multi-player online version of that might evolve into, especially if conversations involve free text chatting between players. We probably wouldn't want very young children in the same town as adults.

[scarred soul]

hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm i like lemons