With the Wii U launch looming over us, it's rather worrying that we still know relatively little about the online side of the console - even developers are in the dark at present.
However, in an interview with IGN, Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime provided some assurances that the company is taking online very seriously, and that Miiverse - a crucial part of the Wii U experience - is going to be worth the wait.
Here's Reggie:
Our vision for this service [Miiverse] is unlike anything that's ever been before it… People put it in, maybe, current terms of things that it's most analogous to, and it's not really what this is going to be. It's going to be a very rich, robust part of the experience.
One of the things that we've found is that gamers want to talk about other gamers about the fun they have when they're playing games. And that's different from what you do on other social networks. We believe Miiverse will be a very compelling part of the Wii U proposition, just like Street Pass and the Street Pass Mii Plaza have become a very compelling part of the Nintendo 3DS proposition.
Still not much in the way of solid info then, but we have to admit, Miiverse does sound very exciting. If Nintendo can really make good on its promise to offer a different kind of online service to that seen on other consoles, then all of this secrecy will be worth it.
Comments 37
Hey, I've seen online forums before, Reggie.
I'm very interested to hear more about Miiverse, because if it's done well I think It'll probably steal away a lot of my time.
We can only hope that it's a good thing that we've never seen it before...
Unlike my experience with a certain lobster, but I won't go there.
I hope so. I am loving the ability to interact with others games in small ways like leaving notes in NSMB.U or ZombiU.
Miiverse has great potential. Looking forward to it.
Pretty much ditto @19Robb92.
Miiverse may be an online forum but it's intergrated into the very make-up of a game. No online forum at the moment is doing that, that not only allows you to access them during games and without looking away from the screen AND can then cross over to the other games you're mad about too! It'll be awesome!
Miiverse sounds like a very good idea. It happens often that I am in love with a game that might have been ignored at launch, so all game forums for that game are dead. I hope Miiverse will help games live a little longer, before players move on to the next big new game release.
Miiverse sounds so interesting, can't wait!
not sure if i really want this. not using any socialmedia stuff. hate facebook. hope this is better and more secure
Miiverse could be huge and it's something I am really looking forward to!
I'm really looking forward to what they do with this but as always I have my concerns.
Will it be ready at launch? (See 3DS)
Will it do as we hope? Swapnote sucks. It sucks b/c you can't "swap". It should have been called Billboard.
Will it do as they say? People are still waiting for a trophy room in PSN Home.
These things always seem to have great potential but then fall flat. I spent a lot of time doing Mii stuff 5 years ago, but grew bored. PS Home has gotten better but it took years. Mii verse should be fun and interactive and timely and continually growing and evolving. I just really hope Nintendo can do at least some of that.
Nintendo is onto something incredible here. Don't forget how revolutionary and how modern the wii interface was back in the day, before even the iPhone was released. Makes you wonder what they're cooking up now - miiverse is one of the things I am really looking forward to.
So rather than give us details, Nintendo is telling us "relax, it's going to be awesome."
If it was going to be awesome than, two months out from the console release, Nintendo would be showing off just how awesome with details.
None of this adds up. I suspect a repeat of the 3DS when almost all the online functionality needs to be firmware patched in after release.
So it's not like Facebook, then? Thank the good lord.
It suprised me that they mentioned Miiverse in Kirby's Dream Collection, as it feels to me that Nintendo might treat this as one of their biggest features on the Wii U and 3DS. Maybe future systems, too.
@Luigifan141
It's definitely going to be one of the major features of the WiiU, and Nintendo overall. This seems to be something they're developing for usage in the long run, not just 3DS & WiiU.
“We expect several generations of Nintendo hardware will be linked by the Nintendo network. In a similar way, the social element of Miiverse are also designed for Wii U, Nintendo 3DS and future Nintendo devices.”
-Satoru Iwata
Sounds good, can't wait for MiiVerse.
@waltz maybe they don't wanna give anything away so that the PS4/720 can be too far in development to copy it or "borrow it"
You haven't seen it before.
We're still not going to show you.
Are people still butthurt over the fact that they think Nintendo are the kings of originality? Seriously. If someone makes a fighting game that has character from multiple games, THEY COPIED SMASH BROTHERS. If there is a go-kart game, THEY COPIED MARIO KART.
Competition is better for everyone. With Nintendo giving nothing away, they're not going to go anywhere with it. They will stay in their little bubble.
Probably something I'll check out at some point (if I get a WiiU) but then never look at again.
Seems like a glorified internet forum to me. Except it's more cumbersome.
@WesCash
It's integrated in to the operating system. If you do get a WiiU, you'll look at and use Miiverse each time you turn the console on.
@19Robb92
Oh, I figured it would be something similar to a "channel" on the current Wii. If it really is an integrated part of the console and WiiU experience (I have done zero research on this by the way) then I can actually see it being a neat concept.
Good to know!
@WesCash
Oh, yeah if it'd be like that I'd agree. Thankfully it's not though.
From the looks of it, you'll be able to go on to the forums, look at news, check what friends are doing and sends personal messages all while still having a game in the background.
And the picture used in this article is what you'll see once you turn the WiiU on. Other peoples Mii's will gather around games you own and give their thoughts of it.
The WiiU has 2GB of RAM, one whole GB of that RAM is dedicated to the Operating System alone (In comparison, the PS3 has an OS that uses about 50MB of the PS3 RAM), so it's a lot.
Who knows what Nintendo has up their sleeves. I'm very curious.
New playing experience. Strong online system. Miiverse. Nintendo games in HD.
Come November 18th, my life is finally going to be 100% complete.
Why do I have the feeling that Miiverse has features we don't know about?
This has always been something that's been interesting to me ever since it was brought up.
@Koto That's what I'm thinking.
@Koto Probably true, I mean to just talk in a game isn't Ninendo innovative to me, I bet it's something huge and they just don't want to get it out until Sony or Microsoft say something like "our online is done for the next gen and we can add anymore" or something like that
I was all for Miiverse since the day they announced and explained it just before E3. This service alone is going to inspire great changes in the entire console world.
I hope it's not just an online version of Street Pass. Being able to Miiverse people you met via StreetPass could be amazing though. On a home console i'd love to directly communicate with people when i get the impression we've got something to talk about. Maybe i'd even want to stay in touch with 'em.
I'd also love it to go as deep into each and every game as possible.
This could really unite all Wii U owners in a very special way and make the feeling of playing a game more epic than ever before. Anything else would be slight disappointing.
I don't really interact with gamers I meet online, but it's a nice feature. At the least it will be easier to add friends.
@19Robb92: For the os of a game console to occupy 1g of ram, I think it should perform some semi-amazing feats, @ least.
@Star-Blaze: Yes, adding friends may very well be much easier, or not much, or so much, but just easier.
I hope it's not a mandatory thing, even I'd love the option to switch (any Miiverse) features off from w/in the os itself, hypothetically if I don't wanna use any of it's systems/features.
The problem w/ online social is that, like Weird Mr. Write, ppl can ignore what you've got to say, even when you say something important, or relevant to something, even that same something that they may be talking about; something that may be a topic of interest to them. I foresee a similar issue plaguing Miiverse. Edit: This of course, is vs. the concept of actually talking to them(people/your friends) face-to-face, then to ignore you, they must break common decency, & snub you. Or tell you shut-up, which is equally insulting.
@Capt_N
I agree. Hopefully we'll see some really neat features.
All i have to say is I hope soo...
@Koto Maybe it's because Nintendo hasn't told us that much about Miiverse & they're paying people too keep their mouths shut
Anyway, I'm really looking forward to Miiverse Miiverse is what has me really hyped up for Wii U , besides the awesome games that are coming out
this is one part im looking forward to but sadly i think it wont happen at launch i feel like it later will after everyone is settled in with there console and has explored some stuff on it
You gotta bring something new that complements the wii u , hope they took their time with this to show mass appeal day one.
Can't wait to try it out.
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