Miyamoto On Online Gaming

#1 Edited by Linkyshinks (9884 posts) - 3 years, 17 days ago

Nintendo's Shigeru Miyamoto was recently asked whether Nintendo would continue to offer free online play in an interview with Edge Magazine. At present, games are free to play online using Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection, although some services are subject to charge using the "Pay & Play" service which is used on a small selection of games currently. Miyamoto-san revealed that Nintendo are contemplating whether to switch to a subscription based scheme, or stick with the "Free, but pay for extras" approach.

Miyamoto openly admits that Nintendo have been less active than they should be, but disputes claims that the console maker isn't - "proactive when it comes to online content".

It is true, though, that Nintendo hasn’t been very proactive in developing such online activities as an MMOG. But when it comes to our endeavours that try to take advantage of internet technology, where we can provide our customers with more fun and entertainment, then I think we can say we have been very, very proactive and well-received. And that attitude won’t be changed at all in the future.

- Shigeru Miyamoto

#2 Posted by OmegaPirate (5443 posts) - 3 years, 17 days ago

I must say i have no experiance with the Nintendo online service - but i rarely hear good things about it.
A subscription based solution would only appeal if it was deemed 'good value' which to all extents it doesn't sound like the wii has an amazing online setup.
That being said, if the money was used to update and bring nintendo 'up to speed' with the other online services, hell it might be worth it!

#3 Edited by oldschool (7265 posts) - 3 years, 17 days ago

@Linkyshinks said:

" @OmegaPirate said:
" I must say i have no experiance with the Nintendo online service - but i rarely hear good things about it. A subscription based solution would only appeal if it was deemed 'good value' which to all extents it doesn't sound like the wii has an amazing online setup. That being said, if the money was used to update and bring nintendo 'up to speed' with the other online services, hell it might be worth it! "
Agreed, I'd be happy to pay also, if it resulted in something slick. "

For a start, it would have to work with satellite broadband (it currently doesn't, but Live does). I am upfront in saying that online doesn't really do anything for me. I prefer to play games with people beside me. However, I want to be able to connect so I can at least consider downloading games. If the fee was minimal and the service improved, I would at least consider it, despite the fact that Live has not interested me in the slightest.

#4 Edited by Willy105 (4663 posts) - 3 years, 16 days ago

I am NOT going to pay to play with some one else. I don't care how awesome you somehow make your online service to be, I am not going to pay for multiplayer.

@Tarsier said:

" miyamoto fails worse than george lucas. "

Isn't he the opposite of him? Actually doing what he wants without making his fans hate him?

#5 Posted by frankfartmouth (907 posts) - 3 years, 16 days ago

I don't see how they'd possibly be able to get away with a pay service. They've been branded the Internet slouches since games started going online. Microsoft and Blizzard have that market pretty well sewn up. I think Nintendo's executives have started smoking the money they've made off the Wii if they think people are going to switch horses that easily. Most hardcore Xbox-livers don't even like the Wii anyway. This is just a bad move from every direction. I mean, I love Nintendo. I even love the Wii, not everything about it, but I love what it does right. Nintendo's made their name pulling ballsy, quirky moves, so this isn't much of a surprise, but I think it's too far out of their comfort zone. They should stick to what they do best. A jack of all trades is a master of nothing, after all.

#6 Posted by Wicked_Wumpus (158 posts) - 3 years, 16 days ago

I say Nintendo should stick with what they're doing. Attempting to steal the online/hardcore market from Xbox and Playstation would fail miserably. Nintendo has their niche making casual and fun games and should just stick with that as it has been going pretty well for them so far.

#7 Posted by Godwind (2597 posts) - 3 years, 16 days ago

@Wicked_Wumpus said:

" I say Nintendo should stick with what they're doing. Attempting to steal the online/hardcore market from Xbox and Playstation would fail miserably. Nintendo has their niche making casual and fun games and should just stick with that as it has been going pretty well for them so far. "

I don't think they are trying to steal an online market. They are merely looking at the value of the service they provide and see whether it would be worth an investment to improve it. After all, games like Call of Duty do sell well on the Wii, just not to the extent that it does on the Xbox360 or PS3. Perhaps if they provided a better service, a game like that would sell better, and each copy sold is a licensing fee to Nintendo.

#8 Posted by ryanwho (12083 posts) - 3 years, 16 days ago

@Willy105 said:

" I am NOT going to pay to play with some one else. I don't care how awesome you somehow make your online service to be, I am not going to pay for multiplayer. "

XBL Gold, MMOs.

#9 Posted by Willy105 (4663 posts) - 3 years, 16 days ago

@ryanwho said:

" @Willy105 said:
" I am NOT going to pay to play with some one else. I don't care how awesome you somehow make your online service to be, I am not going to pay for multiplayer. "
XBL Gold, MMOs. "

I don't use Gold, and I don't play MMO's that require subscriptions, like many others.

#10 Posted by ryanwho (12083 posts) - 3 years, 16 days ago

@Willy105:
Right. But most people who play MMOs pay for them, or at least the successful measure of an MMO is how many people are paying. And most people who use XBL have Gold. If this is a situation where most people are onboard, then it makes business sense. In Nintendo's case, most people don't use online at all, I think they're counting on the few that do being so frustrated with the current setup that they'll pay a small fee to deal with something more akin to XBL. Obviously they've crunched the numbers to get to this decision, and recent history has shown them to be generally spot on.

#11 Edited by Al3xand3r (7574 posts) - 3 years, 16 days ago

@ryanwho said:

Obviously they've crunched the numbers to get to this decision, and recent history has shown them to be generally spot on.

What decision? They're just vaguely discussing stuff, admitting they've not done much for online play and that there's a lot of things to try in that field, among which is the potential for a fee for such services. Or not.

#12 Posted by ArbitraryWater (8995 posts) - 3 years, 16 days ago

Would I pay a monthly fee for the Wii to have online that doesn't suck? Hypothetically, yes. But first I would need a game worth playing online.

#13 Posted by Thrae (50 posts) - 3 years, 15 days ago

I'd pay for a subscription based online service if it was actually worth while. Nintendo games coupled with a service similar in quality to XBL would be fantastic. I personally don't see them doing that at this stage in the game with the Wii however. Hopefully they'll get with the times a little more in terms of online capabilities with their next console.

#14 Posted by HandsomeDead (11863 posts) - 3 years, 15 days ago

Nintendo in luddism shocker.

#15 Posted by ThatFrood (3254 posts) - 3 years, 15 days ago

@Tarsier said:

" miyamoto fails worse than george lucas. "

I'm pretty sure that's not possible.

#16 Posted by Coombs (3436 posts) - 3 years, 15 days ago

@OmegaPirate said:

" I must say i have no experiance with the Nintendo online service - but i rarely hear good things about it. "

There's literally nothing good to be said, unless your impressed by the "But it's free" argument

#17 Posted by Godwind (2597 posts) - 3 years, 14 days ago

@Coombs said:

" @OmegaPirate said:

" I must say i have no experiance with the Nintendo online service - but i rarely hear good things about it. "
There's literally nothing good to be said, unless your impressed by the "But it's free" argument "

It's just archaic. It is certainly playable, but it is tedious.

#18 Edited by Willy105 (4663 posts) - 3 years, 14 days ago

@Godwind said:

" @Coombs said:

" @OmegaPirate said:

" I must say i have no experiance with the Nintendo online service - but i rarely hear good things about it. "
There's literally nothing good to be said, unless your impressed by the "But it's free" argument "
It's just archaic. It is certainly playable, but it is tedious. "

This.

@HandsomeDead said:

" Nintendo in luddism shocker. "

That's not really true, they just don't like doing what others have already done, because it's not 'theirs'

#19 Posted by Creamypies (3887 posts) - 3 years, 14 days ago

Miyamoto is so out of touch.

#20 Posted by Cube (4354 posts) - 3 years, 14 days ago

Miyamoto needs to retire.

#21 Posted by Diamond (8634 posts) - 3 years, 14 days ago

I don't think Nintendo has the resources in networking (on either the software or hardware side or human side) to provide a service that would be equivalent to MS's for a while, so charging right up front would be ridiculous. A gaming network like this isn't something you just decide to do and create overnight (or even in a year), if Nintendo wants to catch up to the other players they need to start investing the R&D and hiring networking people now, and they probably couldn't get away with charging anything for a while.

#22 Posted by LordXavierBritish (6237 posts) - 3 years, 14 days ago

@Tarsier said:

"miyamoto fails worse than george lucas. "

Except when Miyamoto tries to bring back an old series it doesn't suck.

#23 Posted by RJay_64 (632 posts) - 2 years, 10 months ago

If they could let people communicate with each other online, there would be no problem. As it stands now though, you are not even allowed to write text messages to people you play against, which is ridiculous. I would like to feel the emotion of the other person when I beat them or when they win even.

#24 Posted by RJay_64 (632 posts) - 2 years, 10 months ago

@Diamond said:

" I don't think Nintendo has the resources in networking (on either the software or hardware side or human side) to provide a service that would be equivalent to MS's for a while, so charging right up front would be ridiculous. A gaming network like this isn't something you just decide to do and create overnight (or even in a year), if Nintendo wants to catch up to the other players they need to start investing the R&D and hiring networking people now, and they probably couldn't get away with charging anything for a while. "

I believe they're gimping their online on purpose because they're being overprotective of the younger players.

#25 Posted by demontium (4698 posts) - 2 years, 10 months ago

Is it even possible to dislike the mind behind Mario Galaxy and the like?

Wii

The Nintendo Wii is a home video game console released on November 19, 2006. The Wii's main selling point was the innovative use of motion controls that its signature Wii Remote and Nunchuk controllers allowed for. It became the best selling home console of its respective generation of hardware.

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