After having read this IGN article, it got me thinking as to why Nintendo constantly backs away from online gaming. Their philosphy is that online games aren't profitable, and that they don't want to charge gamers for such a service. Which to me is a lot os BS!
If gamers want it, they'll pay for it right? And in return, wouldn't that make them a profit?(at least I think so ;))

Anyway, how many of you think Nintendo should start looking at getting some of their games online? Or at least have them ready for GCNext. And like that article, I think a lot of their current games would benefit from online play. MK-DD is one without question. As is Animal Crossing, which could have been an MMORPG.
Personally I think there are great possibilities with online modes for games, yet Nintendo who come up with innovative ideas just shy away from it.

So post your thoughts. :D

I voted yes, because frankly, I believe that's where a good portion of the future of gaming will head. Massively Multiplayer games (not just RPGs) are really the direction we seem to be going in. Xbox I think have got it right with Live providing a decent and user-friendly system to get online.

I think Nintendo are just fooling themselves if they don't think online gaming isn't a profitable venture, I mean look how much Sony get from players hooked on Everquest, and inevitably, Everquest 2 :P

I voted the last option. Online play is nice I guess, but I prefer the social aspect of having other players in the same room. For the moment, single player is fine for me. I'm just as happy playing with myself as I am playing with others. :P

Nintendo's ignorance towards online gaming continues to astound me. They are so adamant that it will not be profitable, yet are doing nothing, not even attempting, to ensure it can be.

Nintendo were determinded with 'connectivity' to make it succeed, but it failed miserably. Imagine what they could have achieved had they set their minds at work on creating a viable online alternative. Double Dash would have sold millions more if it had the ability to go online.

Nintendo is renowned for having the best multiplayer games, so why not give us a true online component to complement the established multiplayer franchises?

The possibilities would be endless, and Nintendo would certainly find itself recieveing alot more interest with the prospect of Mario Kart, Animal Crossing 2, Metroid Prime 2, etc, online.

I chose the last option.
While having the GCN go online would be great (F-Zero online...), I don't actually mind whether it does go online or not. GCN 2 or whatever the system will be called, well then yes, I think it should have the option of online gaming, as it is a part of the future of gaming.
Why am I so mutual about the GCN being online though? Because if (and when) I get Broadband, I'll already be taking my Ps2 online, and quite possibly my cousin's Xbox too (or even my own for that matter), so having 3 consoles online, while would be awesome, would take a lot of my time too....

Meh, either way. I haven't had the chance to play my X-Box online but if lucky i'll be buying Live in a couple of weeks.

hello chose either way, but I really don't go for on-line gaming. I'd much rather play with me mates than some weirdo fat-arse in Berlin.

I dont really care if Nintendo go online.

If they dont, Ill just have to stick with Live. :D

It doesn't worry me too much, but I think they should because online gaming is becoming more popular as each day goes by and it would be a good market for them to tap.

Voted yes, I predict that the next generation will be headed that way, and Nintendo will be left behind. Better to get the teething problems/testing out of the way as soon as possible.

Online gaming is not a massive system seller. It may extend the life of a console, that has yet to be shown. But it is clear, that for this generation at least, the vast majority of console owners are unable to get, or simply don't want to get, online services.

I don't think that online gaming could ever compare with playing with actual people, but I'm sure there are people who disagree.

I voted yes, simply because Nintendo even have the Broadband adaptor, and online games, and yet they dont doing anything about, To think online could help the company out, and receive more games for the console.

I voted yes because I want t see what Nintendo could do with online games. I think Shiggy could come up with something strange and beautiful as he has so commonly done with all his games. We all know how well Animal Crossing would lend itself to online play. Their are many other games that could too, like the Metriod Prime 2 and others in a more normal way but it's the new and strange things that might happen I want to see.

notice no one has chosen the second option.....that says more than the other two options ever could :(

I think Nintendo should become a part of the online gaming market, but only if it doesn't affect the way they produce quality games.

If getting games online is going to decrease the quality of what they put out to play, then they should just stick to the consoles.

However, I fear if they don't go online, it could be the final nail in the coffin. :(

It's true. I agree 100% with what you say.
Online isn't the only thing that will put a nail in the coffin... there will be several final nails in the coffin if they're not careful.
(... eh?!?!)

I think they should, even if it's only for the rare title such as mario kart and f-zero and even some 3rd party games (if they had any support).

I have.

Aside from any money-related point....

I don't like online games.

If I want multiplayer.. I like to have my friends right there next to me.
If Nintendo did go online... I wouldnt be using the online option at all.

My main reason for my choice here is that...
I think that if they DO go online.. the offline portions of the games may be lessened in quality.

For example: I love Mario Kart.
If they made it a predominantly online game, with all these cool online features... where does that leave the offline player? They are stuck with a game that is potentially lesser than it would have been without online play.

However that all is just my opinion... Nintendo may need to extend into that market for profit reasons or something.. i don't know.

Hope that made sense.

Bah! I think you'd find that many games would simply make their mulitplayer features accessable online, rather than having to have the other player in the same room. Take Animal Crossing for example. If I have a friend in Queensland with the game and we wanted to visit each other's towns, I'd hafta somehow get my memory card up to her and she'd have to get hers down to me. :blink: On the other hand, if the game was online you could easily send the town's data between consoles and do it like that. Much easier. :)

*drools at the idea of Super Smash Bros. Online*

I'd expect Nintendo to provide an online service with their next console. It seems that Nintendo like to sit back and allow other companies to test features before implementing them themselves. A fine example of this is their choice to stick with cartridges for the N64.

You're fairly safe in that expectation there Natrak. It seems people dont realise that the cube is online ready, even if its only got one online game (three if you use warp pipe technology.) The gamecube was never planned to be Nintendos entrance to the online gaming market, however they have been able to test the water and trial hardware and services with it. Its reasonably safe to expect the next iteration of Nintendo home consoles to be online, provided Nintendo havent found any major problems in their system.

I'm expecting that Nintendo will start to support Online gaming more very shortly and I am expecting that some of the new GCN add-ons that will be shown at E3 will be for online gaming. I agree with what Tribaldemon said the GCN is online and is really only being used to test the water for a full blown implementation next gen. You just have to look at the partnership with AOL in the USA. You don't make deals like that unless your going to make a real go at it.

I know its not from a very reliable source and is very short and not very detailed... But it would be interesting to see how it would work or even if its true. Could this be the Nintendo Net that Nintendo have been dreaming of since the last days of the SNES!?!

Link to the source

What I'm really worried is that, if Nintendo do implement a full-blown online service with the next console, Nintendo Australia will probably find some way to stuff things up. :angry:

If they did go online I don't think I'd sign up for it, unless there was a game I absolutely had to play. That's the one thing that an online service has to have, games people want to play over it. That's the one reason I'm not taking my PS2 online, there's no games that take advantage of it that interest me. Also the reason that I don't play any PC games over the net (except Gunbound) I just don't see any that I like.

Just out of interest, What games would interest you Ghazrat?

Hell, I'd play PSO online and fail my Year 12 studies if Nintendo made it a little easier for me. As it stands, I have no credit card. :|

And yet, they've gone 3 GCN Mario Parties without a single hint of an online version. Criminal!

LOL Yeah that is a little wired how that has happened as I believe it would be the perfect game for them to kick their online efforts off. It would turn it into a true Party game. Imagine having 4 mates over Vs 4 other wiredos down the street or around the world. That would be sweet.

Well, if they were down the street, nothing would stop you from getting them over to your place. It's good to play together...apparently.

Got boardband now and was thinking about Warppipe as just gettin the network adapter would be dumb for me as I know hardly anyone with a GCN.

So the question is has anyone used it? Is it good? should I bother? and a bit of experince recounting wouldn't go astary as well?