02-08-2007, 09:01 PM
SIDEPOCKET of the Nintendo forums posted this:
Something that will always leave an impression on me is when I went to GDC. One of the hilights for me at GDC was a man named Mr. Ohara. He is one of the hardware people who helped designed the DS + Wii, iQue and his last project was the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection. He had alot of things to say, most that I took to heart. Was a very nice and very knowlageable man.
Now, do not think that I suport the current Friends Code system. I think it could be a heck of alot better. Then again, I hate seeing how people are saying "Nintendo is creating a sucky online service", "they are stupid", "its not live" and the like.
Its all wrong. They know how to create an amazing online service. However, this servies was not for us.
Friends Codes. No Lobbys. No chat. All amounts to one thing, the real reason why we Americans hate the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection.....
Its Japanese.
Don't believe me? Let me explain how and why to you Gijan minds out there.
1) In Japan: Gaming and Talking Do Not Mix!
If you ever get a chance to go to Japan, watch two people play each other in an Arcade or localy on a Console.
Two guys that have never met walk up to the imput device. They play. Then they walk off.
Note, these guys never talk to each other. Sure they might scream "Darn it" or "Yes!", but there is no communication at all. The closest you will get is some tactical speak if the game requires a group effort. "Move here!" "Fire!" "Jump".
This is the extent of the lingo. There is no buddy development or socal talks. This dose not exsist.
Infact, Ohara had a story on this. When first thinking about online, he looked to the most popular one in the industry: XBOX LIVE. This made him curious, because he knew that Live is very popular in the US but the Japanese hate it. Why is this?
So, he bought a 360. He created an account and had Mr. Iwata audit this experiment. He created a user name, then logged into a game.
He said: "Hello".
A few seconds later, he ripped of his earpeice. Turns out everyone in the room were screaming at each other including him. He said that he was amazed since while he was still learning English, he understood all that was comming out of it was 1337 speak and profanities. It was not even sentences eather. Every game he played was like this.
He thought the same thing I did: What Japanese person would want to play a game were all people do is scream in your ear?
Bingo. There is no voice in public games, its only with friends that you know and trust.
We Americans love to scream PWND and NOOB! Japan, not so much.
2.) Japan is a small country.
Wow, that sounds like a no brainer right? However, its a very overlooked feature that once you know, you understand why Friends Codes work in Japan and not here.
The longest point in time between two places in Japan is around a Hour and A Half. Add to the fact that most of Japan is connected by very fast bullet trains means that people can see each other across the country within minutes. Everyone in Japan knows each other, if a kid from Tokyo wants to see his Dad in Kyoto, in 15 minutes he is right there.
Therefore, sharing codes with someone in real life is not a hassle.
Now, this obviously, will never work in the US.
Japan would be like the size of just the East Cost of the US. We have no bullet trains, and the longest point between NYC and San Jose would be 5 hours on our fastes Jet.
We have a huge country. Just getting from one state to another is a long ways to go, and we have many many people in between. We are so big, that most Americans vacation in there own country because there is still much about America that most people have not seen!
Therefore, sharing a code with someone from Ohio when you live in Florida is a near impossiblity.
3) Japan likes Free Online!
Here is a complaint I hear from Americans all the time. "Wi-Fi is bare bones! I am willing to pay like Live for better features!"
True true, but now lets look at the Japanese target market, the one this service is designed for.
Broadband, or any kind of internet service, is expensive as heck. Think about this, how would you like spending $60 a week just to look at Yahoo. Ok, those are not exact figures, but your reaction would be the same. "WTH, that is waaaaay too much!'
This is why in Japan, if they want the internet they just pay for a public terminal at the local Computer Cafe.
However, and this is near, Wi-Fi access is everywere. You can walk into any shop in Japan and through Bluetooth or the Cellular network access the internet from there. All you need to do is pay for the device.
So, look at this. You payed for the game....why would you want to pay MORE for something that in most electronic devices is free.
Why pay $4 a month to play FEAR on LIVE when you can get the same exact feature for FREE on the PC?
See?
So here it is, as long as you can get good gameplay online and its free, Japan will eat this stuff up. Another reason why in the Land of the Sun, Live with its pricy programs are falling like a stone. Even Sony got it right in Japan to make the online service free with full features.
4) Japan is from the Arcades, Americans are from the PC
We like tatical games were you run around shooting people from your clan while screaming PWND NOOB! Most people from LIVE are converted PC users who would never play a console. The reason why they are on LIVE now is because the XBox is basicaly a Windows PC with a Game Pad.
Japan is from the arcades. Were you are with strangers who never talk, playing repedative gameplay to show visualy who is the master. You walk around, try a few games, and walk away. Very diffrent experience from that of Americans who like to hand medals and shout at each other.
IN CONCLUSION
Nintendo Wi-Fi is selling in Japan. Its the #1 online gaming network ever. If you ask them about Live they will say, "Yea I saw Gaket live once. He is so hot." They have no idea what XBox Live is nor do they care. The hate it just like how we hate the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection....its to Gijan.
If Nintendo of America wants to truly succeed, they need to get NOA off there buts and redesign a seprate online system for the US/UK audience. This I do not see them doing, since there would be time and money gaps, not to mention no matter what they would do LIVE would always be the king here.
Or will it.
Another stratigy they might do, is a very common Japanese one. They might be waiting for Live to eventualy lose steam and fail. Once that happens, maby Sony and Nintendo will jump on to fill the void, just like Playstation did to the N64 and Wii has done to the PS3.
Maby.
In short, while I do not like the Wi-Fi service, I just want to restate why it is instead of us being immature and just complaining with no true reason or understanding the why.
Something that will always leave an impression on me is when I went to GDC. One of the hilights for me at GDC was a man named Mr. Ohara. He is one of the hardware people who helped designed the DS + Wii, iQue and his last project was the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection. He had alot of things to say, most that I took to heart. Was a very nice and very knowlageable man.
Now, do not think that I suport the current Friends Code system. I think it could be a heck of alot better. Then again, I hate seeing how people are saying "Nintendo is creating a sucky online service", "they are stupid", "its not live" and the like.
Its all wrong. They know how to create an amazing online service. However, this servies was not for us.
Friends Codes. No Lobbys. No chat. All amounts to one thing, the real reason why we Americans hate the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection.....
Its Japanese.
Don't believe me? Let me explain how and why to you Gijan minds out there.
1) In Japan: Gaming and Talking Do Not Mix!
If you ever get a chance to go to Japan, watch two people play each other in an Arcade or localy on a Console.
Two guys that have never met walk up to the imput device. They play. Then they walk off.
Note, these guys never talk to each other. Sure they might scream "Darn it" or "Yes!", but there is no communication at all. The closest you will get is some tactical speak if the game requires a group effort. "Move here!" "Fire!" "Jump".
This is the extent of the lingo. There is no buddy development or socal talks. This dose not exsist.
Infact, Ohara had a story on this. When first thinking about online, he looked to the most popular one in the industry: XBOX LIVE. This made him curious, because he knew that Live is very popular in the US but the Japanese hate it. Why is this?
So, he bought a 360. He created an account and had Mr. Iwata audit this experiment. He created a user name, then logged into a game.
He said: "Hello".
A few seconds later, he ripped of his earpeice. Turns out everyone in the room were screaming at each other including him. He said that he was amazed since while he was still learning English, he understood all that was comming out of it was 1337 speak and profanities. It was not even sentences eather. Every game he played was like this.
He thought the same thing I did: What Japanese person would want to play a game were all people do is scream in your ear?
Bingo. There is no voice in public games, its only with friends that you know and trust.
We Americans love to scream PWND and NOOB! Japan, not so much.
2.) Japan is a small country.
Wow, that sounds like a no brainer right? However, its a very overlooked feature that once you know, you understand why Friends Codes work in Japan and not here.
The longest point in time between two places in Japan is around a Hour and A Half. Add to the fact that most of Japan is connected by very fast bullet trains means that people can see each other across the country within minutes. Everyone in Japan knows each other, if a kid from Tokyo wants to see his Dad in Kyoto, in 15 minutes he is right there.
Therefore, sharing codes with someone in real life is not a hassle.
Now, this obviously, will never work in the US.
Japan would be like the size of just the East Cost of the US. We have no bullet trains, and the longest point between NYC and San Jose would be 5 hours on our fastes Jet.
We have a huge country. Just getting from one state to another is a long ways to go, and we have many many people in between. We are so big, that most Americans vacation in there own country because there is still much about America that most people have not seen!
Therefore, sharing a code with someone from Ohio when you live in Florida is a near impossiblity.
3) Japan likes Free Online!
Here is a complaint I hear from Americans all the time. "Wi-Fi is bare bones! I am willing to pay like Live for better features!"
True true, but now lets look at the Japanese target market, the one this service is designed for.
Broadband, or any kind of internet service, is expensive as heck. Think about this, how would you like spending $60 a week just to look at Yahoo. Ok, those are not exact figures, but your reaction would be the same. "WTH, that is waaaaay too much!'
This is why in Japan, if they want the internet they just pay for a public terminal at the local Computer Cafe.
However, and this is near, Wi-Fi access is everywere. You can walk into any shop in Japan and through Bluetooth or the Cellular network access the internet from there. All you need to do is pay for the device.
So, look at this. You payed for the game....why would you want to pay MORE for something that in most electronic devices is free.
Why pay $4 a month to play FEAR on LIVE when you can get the same exact feature for FREE on the PC?
See?
So here it is, as long as you can get good gameplay online and its free, Japan will eat this stuff up. Another reason why in the Land of the Sun, Live with its pricy programs are falling like a stone. Even Sony got it right in Japan to make the online service free with full features.
4) Japan is from the Arcades, Americans are from the PC
We like tatical games were you run around shooting people from your clan while screaming PWND NOOB! Most people from LIVE are converted PC users who would never play a console. The reason why they are on LIVE now is because the XBox is basicaly a Windows PC with a Game Pad.
Japan is from the arcades. Were you are with strangers who never talk, playing repedative gameplay to show visualy who is the master. You walk around, try a few games, and walk away. Very diffrent experience from that of Americans who like to hand medals and shout at each other.
IN CONCLUSION
Nintendo Wi-Fi is selling in Japan. Its the #1 online gaming network ever. If you ask them about Live they will say, "Yea I saw Gaket live once. He is so hot." They have no idea what XBox Live is nor do they care. The hate it just like how we hate the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection....its to Gijan.
If Nintendo of America wants to truly succeed, they need to get NOA off there buts and redesign a seprate online system for the US/UK audience. This I do not see them doing, since there would be time and money gaps, not to mention no matter what they would do LIVE would always be the king here.
Or will it.
Another stratigy they might do, is a very common Japanese one. They might be waiting for Live to eventualy lose steam and fail. Once that happens, maby Sony and Nintendo will jump on to fill the void, just like Playstation did to the N64 and Wii has done to the PS3.
Maby.
In short, while I do not like the Wi-Fi service, I just want to restate why it is instead of us being immature and just complaining with no true reason or understanding the why.
