Friend Codes. We all hate them. For years, this system has made it a nuisance to play Nintendo games online. Sure, some of these games have enjoyable online play, but before we can even experience it, we have to enter lengthy digit codes just to add people to our friends lists. This issue has been remedied somewhat with the 3DS and its new universal Friend Code model, but Nintendo is looking to provide an even more accessible online experience with the Wii U.
Several sources are reporting that Nintendo will rework their traditional Friend Code system, allowing gamers to play with and against others a lot faster and with a lot less hassle. According to 1UP, the core Friend Code component will be tweaked to work similarly to Xbox Live and PlayStation Network. "The Friend Code system has also been refined," said Nintendo Marketing Manager Rob Lowe. "It still exists but in the same way that you'd need to pair up with friends on PSN or Xbox Live. Now it's much closer to that kind of online gaming experience than what it was before."
Adrian Blunt, producer at Ubisoft, made a contrasting statement, saying that the Wii U would do away with Friend Codes completely. While demoing Ghost Recon Online at E3, Blunt told MTV Multiplayer that the online component for the Wii U would be close to Xbox Live. He then went on to say, "Rather than using Friend Codes, which we've had in the past, we're able to connect players in a much easier way, which allows us to have a community that's playing together in the game." Of course, Blunt could just as easily be talking about the online component for Ghost Recon Online as opposed to the Friend Code system and the Wii U's online capabilities as a whole.
Nintendo's online service has been an issue for years. From what I can gather, it definitely seems as though the company wants to provide a user-friendly component for players.
