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No 3rd Party Online Support for Wii Until Next Year?

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the non-optimal dept.

Via Joystiq, a preview for Tony Hawk's Downhill Jam at IGN. Such a thing isn't really news, of course, but down at the bottom of the article there is some distressing information. According to IGN, third party online support for the Wii will have to wait until next year. Joystiq points out that this could mean launch titles like Monkey Ball, Blazing Angels, and Call of Duty 3 may be offline-only.

10 of 85 comments (clear)

  1. IGN's accuracy by chrismcdirty · · Score: 3, Insightful

    IGN also reported that the release date and price would be revealed at the Leipzeig Games Convention. They also throw so much hype into untrue stories, I'd take this story with a grain of salt until it is confirmed by multiple sources.

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    1. Re:IGN's accuracy by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

      You can't spell ignorance without IGN!

  2. Re:That's okay. by RoadDoggFL · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Nintendo's just in no rush to take a bite of the shit sandwich MySpace has been eating recently thanks to pedophiles and the like. If they end up catching flak for their online system, it might as well be through their own actions rather than those of a third party. And hell, they're probably just taking some time to define what guidelines they'll give third parties when designing the online component of their games.

    Yea, it sucks. There should at least be LAN play on all of these games, but if Nintendo feels comfortable giving this fight up for more security then more power to them. Too bad nobody can just get this console thing right.

    --
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  3. Audience by Shadow+Wrought · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I think people overestimate how many people take advantage of online services to begin with. How many of the million Xbox live users are only there because they got it for free and are no longer active once they have to pay? And, having to wait until next year? That's what, four months away at this point with the console's release date not even announced yet? So you might have to wait 2 whole months for third party online games and that's supposed to be a deal breaker? No, a $600 price tag on a console not in production with only marginally better graphics for the next year or two is a deal breaker, this is not.

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    1. Re:Audience by brkello · · Score: 3, Interesting

      Wow. Something that could be perceived to be negative about the Wii is reported and the highly moderated posts are the ones who rush to defend their actions. Not a surprise but it still bugs the living heck out of me. What this is saying is that third party launch titles will not be online. Yeah, games in the future will have it...but still it sucks that the Wii will be limited for those initial games.

      Listen, companies you love can do bad things. Companies you hate can do good things. If what IGN is reporting is true (big if), then this is a dumb move by Nintendo. The only good thing you can say about it is that at least it isn't something they plan to be permanent.

      As far as the whole "myspace" comment goes...saying that Nintendo is doing this to avoid pedophiles...give me a break. If there is a post in here where the government is trying to protect children from adult content, everyone runs around in circles screaming how terrible that is and how parents should be responsible (and I agree). But as soon as Nintendo does it, it is a good thing? I don't think so. I sincerely hope they don't force a similar "friend code" system on the Wii. It just makes it a pain in the butt to maintain friends and set up games.

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  4. Re:Geez, it's a $200 system! by kryogen1x · · Score: 3, Informative

    It has nothing to do with the hardware, if you RTFA. It says that the online libraries aren't being made available to 3rd party developers.

  5. Re:Geez, it's a $200 system! by p0tat03 · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Nintendo fanboys can have it both ways: First it's "Wii is innovative, online is free, and cheap for developers!". After this much hype and justification of the Wii with online being a major bullet point, you can't turn around and claim that, because of the price point, lack of multiplayer (for 3rd parties) is somehow justifiable.

  6. Re:That's okay. by Kazzahdrane · · Score: 2, Funny

    And making sure we can't talk to anyone we don't already know.

    Wait....isn't that how you make friends irl?

  7. Re:Geez, it's a $200 system! by ShadowsHawk · · Score: 2, Insightful

    So the DS at $130 does not have online play?

  8. Re:Geez, it's a $200 system! by hal2814 · · Score: 2, Interesting

    I don't see how it can't be justifiable. X-Box live didn't launch with the X-Box but Microsoft kept plugging it as a major selling point. The 360 is gung ho HD-DVD even though it's not being offered right now and it made a big deal out its backwards compatibility that is still a work in progress. And one day, you'll be able to turn your Colecovision into a computer with a keyboard module. Ok, maybe the last one was a stretch but they were telling us that at launch and it did help sell units. Not every piece of hardware or piece of functionality in general is available at launch.