Preview: The Nintendo 3DS Online System

http://nintendo3dsblog.com Preview: The Nintendo 3DS Online System

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Transcript:

Hey guys, David here from nintendo 3ds blog dot com with a quick preview of the Nintendo 3DS online system.

Nintendo has never really been seen as a company that handles online gaming particularly well, and we're not going to be getting an incredibly deep online experience like Xbox Live or anything. But Nintendo's offering is free and they have made the changes that fans have been asking for.

The biggest change is the introduction of universal friend codes, which is a much-needed departure from the game-specific friend codes found in the previous generation.

This means that, instead of needing to remember and exchange friend codes for each and every game you have, there is a single twelve-digit code for your entire 3DS. This will also make it easier for developers to integrate friend codes properly into their games as its Nintendo's own software handling a lot of the work.

And seeing as friend codes aren't the most convenient form of identification, Nintendo is finally allowing gamers to manage a friends list for up to 100 friends or so. This list can be found via the HOME menu in the 3DS and can be opened at pretty much any time due to the 3DS's ability to multi-task.

The friends list itself displays friends that are currently online, their Mii, and their friend code. Through this list you're able to both join and invite your friends to online-enabled games.

Adding friends codes to your friends list is easy enough too. You just have to type out the code once, and then your friend does the same. But, if you and your friend are within a short range of each other you can simply click a button and your 3DS's will make the exchange automatically. So you'll only be typing out friend codes for friends who don't live near you.

PictoChat has been removed from the 3DS, and there's no direct confirmation from Nintendo that there will be a messaging system, but according to some sites there is a feature that will allow you to send short messages to friends. At the very least, Nintendo is looking into adding messaging functionality.

But the 3DS does have a basic form of non-interactive messaging, which is the notifications feature. Once again, you can access this via the HOME menu, and this is basically a list of all sorts of notifications that relate to StreetPass, SpotPass, and most importantly in the context of this preview, notifications about when friends have come online, and that sort of thing.

And just in case some people are concerned that Nintendo has enforced some weird region-locked online system type of thing, there's no need to worry. Worldwide multiplayer is confirmed, and aside from the always present issue of lag, there shouldn't be any issues. Street Fighter is proof of this.

So basically, the Nintendo 3DS has universal friend codes, a friends list and a decent chance of a messaging system. This is probably stuff that Nintendo should have put into their systems already, but based on what we've seen it's quite nicely integrated with the operating system, so it may just be worth the wait.

Anyways, click the "Like" button below and subscribe to the channel for more videos relating to the 3DS, including previews of the Nintendo 3DS eShop and an unboxing once the Nintendo 3DS launches in Japan on February 26th.

Category:

Gaming

Tags:

• nintendo 3ds
• nintendo 3ds online
• universal friend codes
• friends list
• picto chat
• 3ds online
• nintendo 3ds multiplayer
• nintendo 3ds wifi

[RudyfourthReturns]

Thumbs up if you miss the good old days of the DS such as the Pictochat. I hope Nintendo will make an improved Pictochat for the 3DS which has more colors to use instead of just black and rainbow, more rooms, speak with microphone (Online only), and can be online (but only friends).

[MrChuchiss]

the new messaging system is swap note its pretty cool

[TheBlueeyes12345678]

what if a 3ds can hurt children's eyes

[dgymnasticsgirl]

ok seriously nintendo needs to stop making more ds' parents are just wasting their money on newer more expensive things. even children are starting to save money. but seriously

[Curtispardisfan]

@MR8603 Im not sure. but you should get googling

[Nishal97]

@MR8603 you can with some games eg. pokemon black and white becuase they were made after the dsi was released since the dsi release it has been illegal to make games only compatible with wep so you can with some games now

[TheMrminimario]

@RudyfourthReturns swap note

[TurtleDrake789]

@MR8603 Yes but only 3DS games, no old DS games

[MR8603]

I haven't got a 3DS yet but can someone tell me if you can play online with a WPA2 key???

[coollegoworks]

@MrChuchiss i have a 3ds and ds lite and swapnote doesnt connect with ds lite... which sucks. but ur right... it is pretty cool. :)

[glish101]

name:TheXboxman code:343733313092 post yours in my inbox!!!

[TheSeanlan]

there is a messaging thing letter box