Gaming Nintendo and the Current Online Infrastructure

Mario92 · Jan 10, 2014

Ashtonx said:
One argument i don't get "they keept it free"
You know what else keeps online gaming free ? PC, subscription for multiplayer and online gaming is an money milking idea of ms and current console generations not a standard.

And don't talka bout costs, Diablo 1 has free online access and infrastructure for 18 years and Blizzard ain't exactly making money through store, movies, nor does it spit out a lot of games

It's not all money milking. Just think about it for second:
- With PC almost everything is digital nowdays so you usually put your code to origin, steam, uplay, etc. and start to play. This quarantees that game is new and certain precent goes to service and for dev. Most online based games also use dedicated servers which reduce costs from service and/or dev. We even already had that "always online DRM" nonsense years ago thanks to ubisoft.
- With consoles game can be sold again and again and keeping online alive costs money which they won't get from used copies. Earlier this was solved with network passes but everybody hated them. Now all newer games work without network passes as payments go automatically.
This is also why there's so much -75% sales and regular prices are cheaper on PC.

Nintendos online may be free for now for couple reasons - mainly for that "kid friendly" thing they are going as kids don't have credit cards but they wouldn't have anything to offer where Sony and Microsoft are throwing free games at their customers. Nintendo has also figured how bad used games are for them and that's why they seem to sell bundles with digital download codes instead of physical copies (which is actually dumb as we saw after xmas), they have credit program for Wii U premium owners (which is also dumb to leave regular Wii U out) and discounts.

questccg · Jan 10, 2014

Ryukouki said:
I am going to leave you guys with that. If you are just tuning in, what do you find is weak about the Nintendo online infrastructure? Do you see any ways that you can improve on it? How do you feel regarding censorship on the infrastructure? Do you like or dislike the lack of overall organization on the eShop system, and do you wish for a friendlier alternative to the Friend Code system? Chime off in the comments below!

I agree with most of what you have said... That being said, Nintendo could do well by creating "MULTIPLAYER ONLINE-ONLY" games. So basically create a Server and have the DS/DSi/3DS connect as a client. That's what makes all the PC multiplayer game *fun* to play... I think Nintendo is too focused on *single player* games... When have you seen a Nintendo title that ONLY works for *multiplayer/online*???

I just recently bought a DS game (World Poker Tour) and the AI in the game is pretty good. But focusing on a title that has BOTH single-player and a networked game is asking probably too much... That's what many DS games have, a single-player mode and a multiplayer mode. But as you said, not many DS users are connecting to the multiplayer version of the game. As I have said, the solution lies in selling mulitplayer online games ONLY.

The eShop is TERRIBLE. And as I have said, it's not part of Nintendo's strategy to offer *updates/patches* for their Cartridge games... I see homebrew solutions with their micro SD cards and the possiblity of downloading newers ROMs of a game more REASONABLE.

The other thing is the DSi (I don't know about the 3DS) has little to NO applications. Homebrew has a Calculator, Organizer, etc. It would be nice if these types of apps would be donwloaded for FREE from Nintendo... My cellular phone has MORE apps than my DSi (and probably 3DS)!

trumpet-205 · Jan 10, 2014

Mario92 said:
they have credit program for Wii U premium owners (which is also dumb to leave regular Wii U out) and discounts.

Nintendo by far runs the worst reward program I ever seen, Both Nintendo Network Premium and Club Nintendo.

NNP leaves many Wii U basic and 3DS users out of the loop. Club Nintendo's reward selection is too few and not practical.

They should combine both NNP and Club Nintendo together.

VMM · Jan 10, 2014

You want to know what's ridiculous, paying again for every VC console you have to upgrade them to WiiU.
I can play PSX titles on PS3, PSP, PSVita and probably PS4, and they're cross-buy, purchase once, play forever.
Not only that, biut if I want to play Super Mario Bros on WiiU and 3DS I'll have to pay twice.
Nintendo Network IDs could be a start for an unified account system, but surprisingly that didn't happen.
Nintendo was the first videogame manufacturer of the three bigs, but it struggle with stuff their concurrents have done almost a decade ago,
that's why I say that it's time for a new CEO in Nintendo, with a more modern vision for the enterprise, someone who can understand the market needs and cope with it..

Mario92 · Jan 10, 2014

trumpet-205 said:
They should combine both NNP and Club Nintendo together.

...and actually get Nintendo Club to all the countries they are selling their system in the first place.

salnaruto2 · Jan 10, 2014

This article reminded me of another one that I read not long ago.

http://www.dromble.com/2014/01/07/dolphin-tale-story-of-gamecube/

I think this article could explain why nintendo does not know how to approach the use of network content while sony and microsoft can.

trumpet-205 · Jan 11, 2014

Mario92 said:
...and actually get Nintendo Club to all the countries they are selling their system in the first place.

I'm wondering the sustainability of NPP in general. 10% rebate is a lot, considering that this isn't credit card reward program, where lenders use collected interest to fund the reward program.

Nintendo said this program will continued till 2014, somehow I doubt it will continue beyond that.

Orbiting234 · Jan 11, 2014

Besides just the infrastructure problem for online gaming and shopping, the biggest gripe I have with Nintendo is how they treat the NNID itself. The archaic and very non user-friendly limitations arbitrarily placed on the ID simply have to go. I'm talking about only being able to use the ID on the system it was created on. Seriously, who at Nintendo thought this was a good idea? I want to punch them in the face! Not knowing this I made the NNID I wanted on a friend's Wii U over a year ago. And it is still stuck on there as a result! Utterly retarded. With XBL, PSN, heck even Steam, I can log in with those credentials on any system on the planet! I'd be fine if Nintendo limited the number of systems my ID can be active on (just like PSN) just stop holding my ID hostage on systems I don't own!

trumpet-205 · Jan 11, 2014

Orbiting234 said:
And it is still stuck on there as a result! Utterly retarded. With XBL, PSN, heck even Steam, I can log in with those credentials on any system on the planet! I'd be fine if Nintendo limited the number of systems my ID can be active on (just like PSN) just stop holding my ID hostage on systems I don't own!

You can deactivate system by just log into Sony Entertainment Account with a web browser (can only be done once per 90 days), same cannot be done on Nintendo.

Pyrofyr · Jan 11, 2014

Sadly, not just Nintendo but I think that every single company is still doing multiplayer in itself completely wrong. They try very hard to implement either couch multplayer or online, but so few games do it correctly in allowing both and allowing them to work together.

Examples of them working well together but you'll see the same company not doing it right later down the line:
Super Smash Bros Brawl, Awesomenauts. They both allow you to play with both local and online players at the same time against both local and online players, and you can mix and match freely (SSBB seems to limit 2 local per wii though).

However you will find that almost every game wants to deal exclusively in online not allowing any form of couch multiplayer even though they should, or doesn't allow good integration between the online and couch options. (Almost every game lacks the couch game completely), a good example of how retarded this can get is Monster Hunter Tri, it was such a retarded system that they should have just scrapped the co-op altogether as it wasn't actually the game, just a minigame touted as one.

Nintendo has a great history with couch multiplayer other than a few hiccups (Gamecube zelda anyone, yes let us ALL get our GBAs), but they just seem to be completely incompetent with getting it to work right with the couch+internet.

Hoping that in the future Nintendo learns to embrace the new while keeping the old, the only reason I could see against having it this way in some games is if the netcode really just can't handle it for some reason.

I won't even get into how bad their structure is for the Wii/Nintendo saving (really, blocks?), and GUIs for half this crap in general, it's so 1990s you'd think they'd be checking for the millenium bug.

Ray Lewis · Jan 11, 2014

Many gamers tell me the Sony account system is what Nintendo is lacking. PSN was free and "crappy" people once said while "Xbox live costs $ but works very well." Nintendo does not have many multiplayer type of games. Only my opinion. No need for foxi4 to chime in. Mii is a trip with Mario 3d, and Windwaker hd. Nintendo seems to only use online features supplement games and not define them. They could have smash brothers and Mario kart online. All game stuff aside, the central account feature seems to be what most people want.

Pokemon and a few others need online play. I forgot this as I don't play them. Lol, maybe I should try it some time.

ProtoKun7 · Jan 11, 2014

Nintendo's online is indeed somewhat lacklustre. Most of the salient points have been brought up already; MiiVerse doesn't appeal to me in the slightest, by all accounts their infrastructure is backwards and the only reason I carry my 3DS around is to eventually finish the StreetPass puzzles. I dislike that they introduced the purple tiles that force you to pick them up rather than use coins. I prefer the systems of Sony and VALVe.

And hey, not that I used it anyway, but Nintendo shut down the entire Swapnote system because of some stupid little kids that suffer from underdeveloped brains and poor parenting.

Scorpiopt · Jan 12, 2014

their infrastructure is 10 years behind the competition , in usability and reliability . reminds me wen Won was replaced with Steam .and that was a long time ago
Hell even Won worked better than current nintendo network
The swapnote fiasco is another example how nintendo does not know how to deal with current generations and the laziness to administrate their own games ( not to mention their retarded censorship practices )7
Also the Eshop uses blocks has size mesure ,last time i had to count blocks for storing data was a wen i still had a ps1 and had to use memory cards

TripleSMoon · Jan 14, 2014

VMM said:
You want to know what's ridiculous, paying again for every VC console you have to upgrade them to WiiU.
I can play PSX titles on PS3, PSP, PSVita and probably PS4, and they're cross-buy, purchase once, play forever.
Not only that, biut if I want to play Super Mario Bros on WiiU and 3DS I'll have to pay twice.
Nintendo Network IDs could be a start for an unified account system, but surprisingly that didn't happen.
Nintendo was the first videogame manufacturer of the three bigs, but it struggle with stuff their concurrents have done almost a decade ago,
that's why I say that it's time for a new CEO in Nintendo, with a more modern vision for the enterprise, someone who can understand the market needs and cope with it..

I agree with you, except for one small bit... The NSMB games on Wii U and 3DS were two entirely separate games. Of course you had to pay for them separately. It's not like PSASBR or Rayman Legends, where it's the same game on both console and handheld.

***EDIT***

Never mind, I totally misread your post. Sorry.

gamefan5 · Jan 14, 2014

xwatchmanx said:
I agree with you, except for one small bit... The NSMB games on Wii U and 3DS were two entirely separate games. Of course you had to pay for them separately. It's not like PSASBR or Rayman Legends, where it's the same game on both console and handheld.

I'm pretty sure he meant Super Mario Bros, as in the NES game.

DJPlace · Jan 14, 2014

i agree FC's suck and it should of only existed for the DS and Wii... also on PS3 and XBOX360 you can get messages and stuff from random people... nintendo did not like that cause of there keep kids safe crap.

also i agree with this also

A third issue that could be discussed is the police state feeling that Nintendo wants its players to feel. While this could elicit responses such as "This system is kid friendly, it needs to be," I think Nintendo is losing players in its older age group with such measures. A lot of the core Nintendo audience has grown up and it is sad to see that Nintendo is not growing up with them. When using the MiiVerse community or just the online in general, there lies censorship, but what makes things laughable is that the censors are relatively easily bypassed by adding in accent marks to terms, or using derivations of letters to make the point. The online infrastructure, to an older player such as myself, feels old and dated and so restrictive that it is not a surprise that people are flooding into other systems.

And on a last point, does anyone else feel that the Nintendo 3DS online in general is just not up to par as it was on the DS systems? Online games are sparse to find as of late, relying more on StreetPass and SpotPass, aspects that are downright weak for those who live in sheltered communities with little interaction. Games that should have had online are limited to local multiplayer, such as Fire Emblem: Awakening, or Star Fox 64 3D. It feels that with each generation Nintendo gets lazier and lazier and fails to meet the demands of its audiences.

star fox 64 3D has almost the same mutilplayer mode has the DS version of the game (get a star for the kill) so yeah... i would of loved to see SF 64 remake mutiplayer with the tank and ground people playable... but that's missing... anything newer then 3ds is done for me. glad i did not sell my ps3 vita and psp for something else other wise i would of killed me self....

going post something i found about online but this comic is 11 years old just replace it with new gen systems or whatever... (sorry for not spoiler the comic i could not find the spoiler button)

TripleSMoon · Jan 14, 2014

gamefan5 said:
I'm pretty sure he meant Super Mario Bros, as in the NES game.

Shoot... I totally hallucinated and thought there was a "New" in his post. Never mind, then. XD

Chocolina · Jan 14, 2014

Not going to complain about the service itself because it's free. But their ignorant, or more accurately stubborn ideology, it's eeping many dedicated Nintendo fans away who want a piece of what Microsoft and pan is doing. Despite Nintendo's arguments, my personal feelings to anything local network, with the absence of online equivalent are very bitter

ShadowNeko003 · Jan 14, 2014

This is the reason why I'm hesitant to purchase anything on Nintendo any more. I bricked my first Wii and lost Megaman 9 and about 2000 points. Never again. Unless they discount AA5 to like under $20, I probably won't be buying anything on the eshop. Although I really really want to play AA5...

The FC is a bit of a hassle, but nonetheless, it's an OK system. What Nintendo needs to add, aside fixing the stupid account system, is add like a chat service to Pokemon. It's not fun playing the guessing game when trading.

RodrigoDavy · Jan 14, 2014

ShadowNeko003 said:
This is the reason why I'm hesitant to purchase anything on Nintendo any more. I bricked my first Wii and lost Megaman 9 and about 2000 points. Never again. Unless they discount AA5 to like under $20, I probably won't be buying anything on the eshop. Although I really really want to play AA5...

This problem should be fixed by linking a Nintendo Network ID to your 3DS. This way the digital games will be linked to your NN account, not your 3DS.

And AA5 is a great game

Gaming Nintendo and the Current Online Infrastructure

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