More Wii U Answers. Friend Codes are Back, Achievements Not Forced.

System-Level Achievements

Some of Nintendo's top game designers don't want to put Achievements in their games, but Nintendo has put an Achievement-like system in the 3DS, mostly to reward people for feats involving the system's Street Pass networking system. In other words, the system itself has Achievements. "We will have that," Fils-Aime said. "Once you start getting into game-specific [Achievements] that's developer driven." Microsoft may require every game to have Achievements, but, Fils-Aime said, "That is not our philosophy."

Those Notorious Friend Codes

First the bad news? maybe. Nintendo has not chucked the idea of requiring people to have friend codes, which, on the Wii, were 16-digit codes that people had to exchange before being linked as friends on the system.

And now the better news? "There are friend codes, but it's not the existing friend code system," Fils-Aime said. "What do I mean by that? Here's what I mean: you will be able to identify people as friends and have a certain level of interaction vs. a different level of interaction for the more general population. The method by which you identify someone as a friend is a lot simpler than what's happening today with Friend Codes." (He declined to lay out the new Wii U friend code program just yet.)

The problem I believe people had with the Wii version, I told Fils-Aime, is that adults who owned the system felt like, hey, if I'm an adult, treat me like an adult and let me friend people I've met online without having to call a person and exchange a code or something like that. "Agreed," Fils-Aime said.

"You feel like those people will be happier?" I asked.

"Yes, they will be."

Wii Digital Content Survives

Fils-Aime confirmed that Wii owners will be able to transfer their game saves and any purchased content from the Wii to the Wii U.

Data Storage?

Still no big hard-drive for the Wii U, but, Fils-Aime said, "The main message we've communicated is that it's got USB ports so you can keep adding storage to your heart's content." It's not clear how Nintendo expects players to store lots of downloadable expansions and to games like, say, Mass Effect 3. That'll be a follow-up for another day.

Used Games

"We don't have a policy surrounding used games," Fils-Aime said. "We have not put in place any technology to go after the used game business."

Black and White Wii U's?

Fils-Aime: We are showing white and black [Wii U's] here [at E3]. We haven't said anything about launch."

http://kotaku.com/5917363/better-friend-codes-achievements-and-more-nintendo-answers-our-burning-wii-u-questions?utm_campaign=socialflow_kotaku_facebook&utm_source=kotaku_facebook&utm_medium=socialflow

That is awesome, the unforced achievement bullcrap alone makes it above psn and xbl.

That is awesome, the unforced achievement bullcrap alone makes it above psn and xbl.

mahmoudddd

Theres another thread on this :P I'll just post what i put there here: Yeah I know I may get some "lolz achievements suck" comments for this, but I personally enjoy collecting them. I don't obsess over them either but they're nice to have, but Reggie's quote makes it sound like it won't be a unified "achievement" system. I'm guessing kind of how some 3DS games and Wii games had "achievements" for certain games.Kaze_no_Mirai

theres no black and white, giving the choice for players to turn off the notification of trophies or turn off achievement altogether is something that should be present day one

a no brainer

[QUOTE="mahmoudddd"]

That is awesome, the unforced achievement bullcrap alone makes it above psn and xbl.

campzor

I think this is just fake. Nintendo said that friend codes are gone completely. And system-level achievements are still highly likely.

Take a look at this:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nintendo_Network

Used Games

"We don't have a policy surrounding used games," Fils-Aime said. "We have not put in place any technology to go after the used game business."

ShadowDeathX

Are these things actually confirmed or just rumors from an unreliable source? Friend codes? Are you serious? And why not make achievements universal then? It makes no sense not to do that.

The friend code thing is just stupid. The achievement thing is too, but not too bad as I don't care too much about them. Sure they are fun to chase after sometimes, but I don't play games for them, I can play games without trophies and I'm cool with that.

That is awesome, the unforced achievement bullcrap alone makes it above psn and xbl.

mahmoudddd

Not having a fully fleshed out achievement system is just doing things half ass. If you don't want to do it, don't do it. Just don't put a half baked system in your console and just leave it to die. what's the point of having it at all? They went about this the same way with their online and it turned out like sh!t.

Some people never learn.

Umm that doesn't necessarily say achievements wont be forced on the user, it looks like it's saying that they wont be forced on the developers to put them into their games. Big difference. Besides achievements are not really forced for the most part. You don't really have to do them. The only thing that is forced(at least on the PS3, is that you have to put up with the trophy pop up message no matter what. I just don't know why they haven't made an option to turn off trophy notifications. Or have they? Because turning off message notifications doesn't do jack.

Good lord their online will still be absolutely horrific. What's truly horrible is not the fact that they still force friend codes on us, but that they think friend codes make us HAPPY. They are so out of touch with the rest of the world, I'm surprised they're not running for office.UCF_Knight

Not that different from a username tbh

As long as the FC system will be similar to the 3DS one or even improve from it then it will be fine. I know the system was crappy on the Wii and DS, but the 3DS one works a lot better.

[QUOTE="UCF_Knight"]Good lord their online will still be absolutely horrific. What's truly horrible is not the fact that they still force friend codes on us, but that they think friend codes make us HAPPY. They are so out of touch with the rest of the world, I'm surprised they're not running for office.Shinobishyguy

Not that different from a username tbh

[QUOTE="UCF_Knight"]Good lord their online will still be absolutely horrific. What's truly horrible is not the fact that they still force friend codes on us, but that they think friend codes make us HAPPY. They are so out of touch with the rest of the world, I'm surprised they're not running for office.Shinobishyguy

Not that different from a username tbh

They should either do the achievements system fully or don't do it at all

[QUOTE="Shinobishyguy"]

[QUOTE="UCF_Knight"]Good lord their online will still be absolutely horrific. What's truly horrible is not the fact that they still force friend codes on us, but that they think friend codes make us HAPPY. They are so out of touch with the rest of the world, I'm surprised they're not running for office.UCF_Knight

Not that different from a username tbh

Is anybody willing to make a petition for Nintendo to replace Friend Codes with Gamertags and a petition to add system-level achievements to Nintendo Network for ALL Wii U games?

I don't get the hate for achievements. Can anybody even name one bad thing with achievements?

I haven't, but I find it hard to believe the 3DS has a more intuitive online service than the Vita does utilizing gamertags. And how short are these new friend codes that you can remember any of them? lolUCF_Knight

You say it still horribly inconvenient and yet you haven't seen what the 3DS FC system is like.:roll: And once you and your friend add each other FCs you don't have to worry about remembering them.

I MUCH prefer the 3DS system. With gamertags everyone is named sOm3thing291 because their nick is already taken. With the friend code you can be called whatever you wish and then just give a simple code to persons you know. No trouble at all.T3H_1337_N1NJ4

[QUOTE="T3H_1337_N1NJ4"]I MUCH prefer the 3DS system. With gamertags everyone is named sOm3thing291 because their nick is already taken. With the friend code you can be called whatever you wish and then just give a simple code to persons you know. No trouble at all.UCF_Knight

because you could put the friend code in which is shorter then the wiis and still have a gamertag. they have leaderboards and stuff its jus like psn and etc

Oh well.

Would've preferred Gamertags.
And the achievement thing sounds moronic too. Don't bother if you're not gonna fully commit.

Oh well.

Would've preferred Gamertags.
And the achievement thing sounds moronic too. Don't bother if you're not gonna fully commit.

freedomfreak

I don't have an opinion about GamerTags/FriendCodes, never used 'em, but it sounds like they do have an achievement system in place they just aren't going to make developers use it.

Not trying to troll, Wii U online sounds like a joke. If I were a sheep, I'd switch sides. Do you really want to be a generation behind in graphics and online play? Nothing innovating about that.

[QUOTE="T3H_1337_N1NJ4"]I MUCH prefer the 3DS system. With gamertags everyone is named sOm3thing291 because their nick is already taken. With the friend code you can be called whatever you wish and then just give a simple code to persons you know. No trouble at all.UCF_Knight

I don't have an opinion about GamerTags/FriendCodes, never used 'em, but it sounds like they do have an achievement system in place they just aren't going to make developers use it.

TilxWLOC

because you could put the friend code in which is shorter then the wiis and still have a gamertag. they have leaderboards and stuff its jus like psn and etcMario1331

Not trying to troll, Wii U online sounds like a joke. If I were a sheep, I'd switch sides. Do you really want to be a generation behind in graphics and online play? Nothing innovating about that.

SkyRaid

I don't care about the graphics. Not only do I hardly ever use online, this doesn't seem like it will be a problem, I think it is being taken way out of proportion. I'm interested in the Gamepads uses, and I know there will be games I want, already announced. Why would I not get it?

[QUOTE="Mario1331"]because you could put the friend code in which is shorter then the wiis and still have a gamertag. they have leaderboards and stuff its jus like psn and etcUCF_Knight

its a code attached to each system, thats all you can use the name of your friend you trying to message to reach them from there, there is messaging on the 3ds but it is a free app called swapnote

*Petition deleted due to lack of signatures*

Nope, you just need the code to friend people over boards or things like that. You can also become friends during games and there's no need to use the friend code for that.T3H_1337_N1NJ4

[QUOTE="TilxWLOC"]

I don't have an opinion about GamerTags/FriendCodes, never used 'em, but it sounds like they do have an achievement system in place they just aren't going to make developers use it.

freedomfreak

Really? Why? From what I've seen developers half-ass achievements most of the time, doesn't seem like they all want to make them. "Achievement for beating the first level? Sweet, I got serious skill."

[QUOTE="freedomfreak"]

[QUOTE="TilxWLOC"]

I don't have an opinion about GamerTags/FriendCodes, never used 'em, but it sounds like they do have an achievement system in place they just aren't going to make developers use it.

TilxWLOC

Really? Why? From what I've seen developers half-ass achievements most of the time, doesn't seem like they all want to make them. "Achievement for beating the first level? Sweet, I got serious skill."

[QUOTE="TilxWLOC"]

From what I've seen developers half-ass achievements most of the time, doesn't seem like they all want to make them. "Achievement for beating the first level? Sweet, I got serious skill."

freedomfreak

You'll always get level-based achievements.Finish this chapter/act,stuff like that. Games released at the beginning of this gen were usually half-assed,as far as achievements go. That I agree with,but not anymore. We always get a nice list of achievements.

It just seems something they need to pull through with or just drop all together.

Oh, well, I wouldn't say drop it if it doesn't come to fruition because some might want to take advantage of it. I really hope developers do try though, I liked achievements, knew a guy with a 360. Not to collect them all, but like someone said earlier, I like to be just playing a game and then out of nowhere I achieve something that the game never told me I could. It gives off that sequence breaking vibe, like getting the Wave Beam early in Super Metroid is easy, but I achieved something outside of the game's goals. You know?

So.. I should be able to transfer my virtual console games over? If so then I will be pleasantly surprised by Nintendo.

[QUOTE="freedomfreak"]

[QUOTE="TilxWLOC"]

From what I've seen developers half-ass achievements most of the time, doesn't seem like they all want to make them. "Achievement for beating the first level? Sweet, I got serious skill."

TilxWLOC

You'll always get level-based achievements.Finish this chapter/act,stuff like that. Games released at the beginning of this gen were usually half-assed,as far as achievements go. That I agree with,but not anymore. We always get a nice list of achievements.

It just seems something they need to pull through with or just drop all together.

Oh, well, I wouldn't say drop it if it doesn't come to fruition because some might want to take advantage of it. I really hope developers do try though, I liked achievements, knew a guy with a 360. Not to collect them all, but like someone said earlier, I like to be just playing a game and then out of nowhere I achieve something that the game never told me I could. It gives off that sequence breaking vibe, like getting the Wave Beam early in Super Metroid is easy, but I achieved something outside of the game's goals. You know?

So.. I should be able to transfer my virtual console games over? If so then I will be pleasantly surprised by Nintendo.

GIJames248

The achievement system will be similar to the Steam achievement system. Many games have achievements and many don't. Valve doesn't force developers into making achievements for their games but has the system already in place to make them.

I prefer this to the system Microsoft and Sony have, in where achievements are required.