The Possibilities of Nintendo Network

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Hey all, this is Nick here. Since the rest of the staff has been hard at work writing content for the site, I thought I’d do something to help them out (without writing content per se). At last I decided that I wanted to write an article. The problem was, I had pretty much no idea what to write about. As I was skimming through other Nintendo sites and looking at their news posts, an idea finally came to me. Nintendo Network. Nintendo’s confirmed the thing, but what is it? We may know very little, but I want to explore the possibilities of Nintendo’s latest creation: Nintendo Network. At first, Nintendo Network was confirmed to be a rebranded Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection.  However, they then later denied the statement, confirming Nintendo Network as a new online network. Gamers got their first look at it on Mario Kart 7 on the 3DS – When playing online, a message would say ‘Connecting to Nintendo Network’. Though Nintendo Network may be in its early stages, it could be something much more than we originally expected. Now, let’s get down to business.  What kind of development will Nintendo Network provide for Nintendo? Well, first off, I’m going to straight up say that Nintendo is finally catching up to Microsoft and Sony and providing an online service that allows players to play together worldwide. Nintendo Network is Microsoft’s XBOX Live, Sony’s PlayStation Network. In the near future, it seems that Nintendo will start implementing Nintendo Network into the Nintendo 3DS. However, the upcoming Wii U will provide more experiences than the 3DS, for sure…but what kind? By releasing the Wii U early, Nintendo’s getting back on track with the current console competition. Unfortunately, Nintendo Network is a bit late to the party, and because of this, Nintendo will provide more than XBOX Live and PlayStation Network. The Wii U will also offer more experiences to utilize the new online network. For example, Super Smash Bros. will definitely use Nintendo Network. You’ll be able to fight against other gamers around the world, like with Brawl. The difference?  No more friend codes. No more lag. Nintendo has confirmed that with the Wii U, they would like to stop using friend codes. I can definitely understand their reasoning. It’s a pain to have to look at the code and enter it in number-by-number. Nintendo’s, once again, getting back on par with Microsoft and Sony, and will most likely use “Gamer tags”, or rather, whatever Nintendo decides to call them.  Point is, instead of 3891-3872-9389, you’ll use NaviHeyListen.  (Not that exact name, but you know what I mean.) Anyway, Nintendo will also use Nintendo Network for other things that we have no clue about. Perhaps using the network will unlock new content for your games (E.g. playing Mario Kart online will unlock new characters or karts). Maybe Nintendo will use Nintendo Network to hold tournaments. You could possibly start tournaments yourself.  (E.g. SSBB, but online) The possibilities of Nintendo Network are endless. It could possibly be a complete failure, it might be bigger than XBOX Live and PlayStation Network combined.  We just have to stick it out and see. I’ve gone over what direction I think Nintendo will go with Nintendo Network on both the 3DS and Wii U, but I want to hear what you have to say about it. Nevertheless, I have faith in Nintendo. I know that whatever they do, it will be something that all Nintendo fans will come to love for years to come.  

About the Author: Rial Johnson

Rial Johnson founded Nintendo Castle in 2011 with hopes to build the largest collection of Nintendo walkthroughs, guides, and content on the web. He is an avid gamer with a special place in his heart for Nintendo, but often finds himself writing about games more than actually playing them. You'll likely see him around Nintendo Castle and on social media, mostly managing the front-end content of the site.

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