Nintendo & Gamespy working on online features.

[Sky Blue]

Nintendo’s Wii to Leverage Multiplayer Technology from IGN Entertainment’s GameSpy

Leader in Multiplayer Technology Enables Exclusive Community Functionality for Nintendo’s Hit Console

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--GameSpy, a unit of Fox Interactive Media, announced today that it will provide multiplayer technology to game publishers developing titles for Nintendo’s Wii™ video game system. As part of an ongoing partnership with Nintendo, GameSpy has developed middleware technology to enable Wii titles to offer community features, such as friend rosters, advanced matchmaking capabilities and comprehensive rankings data.

“This partnership will expand our wireless community of players on Nintendo® Wi-Fi Connection,” said Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aime. “Millions of Nintendo DS users have already logged on using GameSpy’s technology, and now Wii owners will be able to do the same in a fun and easy-to-use environment.”

“Nintendo has been an invaluable partner and we look forward to expanding our relationship with them in the future,” said Jamie Berger, Senior Vice President of Consumer Products and Technology for IGN Entertainment. “Our goal is to extend our ground-breaking work on the Nintendo DS to provide Wii users with the social, community and multiplayer tools that we believe will expand the online gaming experience to the mass market.”

Pokémon® Battle Revolution, the first Wii game to utilize the technology, launches on June 25, with multiplayer features similar to those leveraging GameSpy technology in several Nintendo DS titles.

Prior to this development agreement for Wii, GameSpy and Nintendo brought gamers wireless community options for Nintendo DS™. The service provided an innovative network for portable video games, allowing people around the world to link easily and wirelessly to play games. The partnership represented GameSpy’s first foray into portable games.



OMG No online Wii Games in 07!! :rolleyes:

[MacRumorUser]

Nice :) Still gives me hope for an online metroid this year. ( Crosses fingers & toes and anything in-between)

[zero2dash]

GameSpy has developed middleware technology to enable Wii titles to offer community features, such as friend rosters, advanced matchmaking capabilities and comprehensive rankings data.

[Not trying to be devil's advocate, but] isn't rankings data technically the only thing that they can do? Unless they have a Wii system update or something that eliminates the console code idea, there will still be a handcuff in place (somewhere) tied into console codes. Anything Gamespy adds on after the fact could be nice, but the underlying issue is still there, isn't it? (Or am I too tired to understand this idea this morning? :D)

I wish Nintendo was doing this themselves, but...whatever. Beggars can't be choosers. :rolleyes: :p :D

[Sky Blue]

nm

[2nyRiggz]

Great...I wish this was sooner but none the less good. I hope they rip off live and do it the exact same way so I can read/answer messages ingame.

What about headsets?



Bless

[TheGimp]

I hope they release VC games with remote co-op in games that originally had local co-op. That way, those of us adults who don't leave near friends capable of faring well in games such as R-type III can co-op with our old friends and relatives living in different states and continents. A good example of remote co-op being successfully implemented in an arcade classic is Robotron 2084 in Xbox live arcade. I used to play that game co- using my IBM PC keyboard. Well sort of. I would control the movement using "qwe/asd/zxc" and my friend from next door would fire using "uio/jkl/m,."

[srobert]

Looks like an official press release. Could you post a like please?

Interesting new trend for Nintendo.

It looks like they're outsourcing parts of their offerings to outisde specialists more and more:

- Wii browser: Opera
- Online gameplay: GameSpy

[e²Studios]

Woo hoo online scoreboards, thats never been done before! :rolleyes:

Lets hope that GameSpy can convince them to get rid of the Wii Code system. The one thing they could do to make it easier is that if someone adds your wii console number to theirs, SEND ME A F'N MESSAGE so i know that someone added it. How hard could that be, both MS and Sony do it with their online systems. If i add someone on PSN they are grey out and say "waiting for authorization", once they authorize and add me then i can see them.

I hope Nintendo puts an actual online system in place, more than just scoreboards and trading levels (elebits). But quite honestly I wouldn't be surprised if they jsut let it blow up in their face again.. GCN ethernet adapter anyone?

[darkwing]

I don't understand why Nintendo fans can't understand the whole previous argument about online games in 2007 was for 3rd party titles. :rolleyes:

[srobert]

You guys all seem like very nice fellas, but really, the fighting is getting very old.

(I like all consoles so every time someone takes an unwarranted jab at any of them, I feel targetted. Play nice with me.)

[mkaake]

I don't understand why Nintendo fans can't understand the whole previous argument about online games in 2007 was for 3rd party titles. :rolleyes:

Now, it's possible that I just don't have the reading comprehension of some, but to me,

announced today that it will provide multiplayer technology to game publishers developing titles for Nintendo’s Wii™ video game system

doesn't read: "will be providing online technology to Nintendo to use in first party titles". It seems pretty obvious that this is being provided to *other* publishers.

I won't rehash the entire no online in 2007 argument, but the argument being made there was that it wasn't an official announcement, but rather the opinion of one person (who really didn't know).

I don't see why everyone feels the need to argue over little crap like this. Maybe we could all just agree that we'd like to see some really nice online features with the Wii, and leave it at that...

[darkwing]

Now, it's possible that I just don't have the reading comprehension of some, but to me,

doesn't read: "will be providing online technology to Nintendo to use in first party titles". It seems pretty obvious that this is being provided to *other* publishers.

You're right. You don't.

OMG No online Wii Games in 07!!

Nowhere does he mention "3rd party" and the article he posts cites Pokemon (1st party) as an example.

[monkeydo_jb]

Please let Super Smash Brothers Brawl have online multiplayer!!!!!

[michaelltd]

Nowhere does he mention "3rd party" and the article he posts cites Pokemon (1st party) as an example.

I think he was jabbing at Ed H's original title from another thread before it was then changed to be more correct. That's all.

[Sky Blue]

I think he was jabbing at Ed H's original title from another thread before it was then changed to be more correct. That's all.

You are correct, sir.

[darkwing]

I think he was jabbing at Ed H's original title from another thread before it was then changed to be more correct. That's all.

Except that we went over that and fixed it, and even after that many people kept posting in there about what BS it is that the Wii won't have any online games.

I still wonder why the Wii owners can so easily criticize Sony for leaving out rumble (which I also think was a bad move) while ignoring the fact there is no online Wii play at launch. (Oh I can trade scores/levels with you.. that shows great multiplayer tech.)

[michaelltd]

You are correct, sir.

Yay!
( Achievement Unlocked )

:D

[Fezwick]

Sounds great. I doubt it will rival anything that Xbox Live has, but I hope it's something functional with some cool options.

[darkwing]

You are correct, sir.

My apologies then for the misunderstanding.

[Sky Blue]

Looks like an official press release. Could you post a like please?



http://home.businesswire.com/portal/site/google/index.jsp?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20070313005397&newsLang=en

[evilgEEk]

I doubt it will rival anything that Xbox Live has...

I agree. It would be nice if it was that good, but it won't be. The friend code thing is absolutely ridiculous and very user un-friendly. Like Ed said, is it really that hard to let me know when someone has added me to their friend's list?? That's so aggravating! I would think it would be fairly easy to implement a notification system.

Oh well, I'm not a hard core online gamer as it is so I won't be too bothered by not having a good community. A VoIP system would be nice to have so when I do play some of my friends on Mario Kart we could talk without having to use a laptop and Skype. ;)

My expectations are rather low for Nintendo's online system, that way if they do come out with a halfway decent interface I'll be very pleasantly surprised! :)

[applekid]

Does this mean friend codes are abolished?

This better rival X-Box Live and hopefully eventually means online Virtual Console games.

[e²Studios]

Does this mean friend codes are abolished?

One can only hope they do away with them, or atleast get a notification system going so that you know when someone adds you and you can respond to it.



This better rival X-Box Live and hopefully eventually means online Virtual Console games.

Dream on... (Don't hold your breath)

[Dagless]

I like the Wii Code system. I don't like the codes, something shorter, or personalised would make it better but... I like loading my system up and not being clouded with requests from people who guessed my name/saw a screenshot/got my name any other way. It works as it says - friend code. not "stranger I met ingame" code.

There's probably going to be some Online Stats channel that lists Mii's and their rankings. or integrate it into the message board, or a new online ranking button next to the message board button? Tie in with your Nintendo account and view your DS rankings too (they're already displayed on Ninty's site).

[Sky Blue]

Does this mean friend codes are abolished?



No.


Gamespy run the DS online system too.

[JackAxe]

The best part about this, is that it will be FREE!!! :)

Kudos to Sony for also offering up a free serving of online gaming.

<]=)

[Dagless]

I hope Nintendo and Sony offer a great online service, folk will start questioning Xbox Live and either make it free or lower the price. I mean it's cheap as it is, but free is cheaper.

Windows Live makes me sick.

[Coded-Dude]

Well, thats wishful thinking....with 6 million users and my speculation that at least half of those are gold subscribers would equate to about $144,000,000/year.
They(MS gaming division) needs that money(at least right now).

[jdechko]

I think this is a good thing. It means that Nintendo is (however slowly) moving towards online gaming. If they need help getting there, who cares. I'd say give them time to get it together, but they've had the past 4 years to do so. So I'll revise that statement and say give them time to get it working as it should. If I recall correctly, XBL took some time to get working properly, as did the PSN. So it'll take time to get the Nintendo network up and running smoothly. And we need to be patient about it... at least they are doing something as far as online capabilities this generation. :)