Nintendo has confirmed that it will begin charging for online services for some games on the Wii.
A Nintendo representative told SPOnG, "Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection offers simple, comfortable and free enjoyment of games played over an internet connection, Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection Pay & Play offers paid for services whilst keeping the simple and comfortable elements we know people enjoy. Wi-Fi Connection Pay & Play allows for flexible adaptation to content and system costs and allows for even higher quality services."
Takashi Aoyama, Group Manager for the Network Administration Group at Nintendo said at the Game Developers Conference in San Francisco that certain titles would have paid-for subscription. These titles will be marked with a red sticker to distinguish them from games carrying regular online functionality. He also said that online services will be paid for using Wii Points (or... what we'd prefer to call "money").
No timeframe for when Pay & Play will be introduced has been given. Given that GDC is a developer's conference, however, it could be quite a way in the future.
So, many questions are begged: Will the service be a yearly payment deal that provides blanket coverage on all Pay & Play games, as happens with Xbox Live subscriptions? Will fees be paid per game? Will Pay & Play titles also carry a more modest, free service? Will we be seeing enhanced service on Pay & Play titles compared to those with a free online service, or will it be the same as the current service but with a fee? Will the service be for first-party titles only, or will third-party titles fall under the umbrella?
At this time, no one we approached at Nintendo was prepared - or able - to put answers to these questions.
A Nintendo representative told SPOnG, "Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection offers simple, comfortable and free enjoyment of games played over an internet connection, Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection Pay & Play offers paid for services whilst keeping the simple and comfortable elements we know people enjoy. Wi-Fi Connection Pay & Play allows for flexible adaptation to content and system costs and allows for even higher quality services."
Takashi Aoyama, Group Manager for the Network Administration Group at Nintendo said at the Game Developers Conference in San Francisco that certain titles would have paid-for subscription. These titles will be marked with a red sticker to distinguish them from games carrying regular online functionality. He also said that online services will be paid for using Wii Points (or... what we'd prefer to call "money").
No timeframe for when Pay & Play will be introduced has been given. Given that GDC is a developer's conference, however, it could be quite a way in the future.
So, many questions are begged: Will the service be a yearly payment deal that provides blanket coverage on all Pay & Play games, as happens with Xbox Live subscriptions? Will fees be paid per game? Will Pay & Play titles also carry a more modest, free service? Will we be seeing enhanced service on Pay & Play titles compared to those with a free online service, or will it be the same as the current service but with a fee? Will the service be for first-party titles only, or will third-party titles fall under the umbrella?
At this time, no one we approached at Nintendo was prepared - or able - to put answers to these questions.
Companies:
Nintendo
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Comments
irritant 25 Feb 2008 17:01
1/17
This is a HUGE mistake. I'm personally not to bothered about playing console games on-line, but now I will actively avoid any Wii game with a red sticker.
I would assume these games will have some sort of "Wii Connect 24" feature such as Animal Crossing where your village persists even when the game disc is not in the machine, but even so, I don't think many would be happy to pay additional.
Nintendo's on-line service isn't a patch on Microsoft's (don't have a PS3 or PSP so can't compare with Sony) and at least their setup is a single annual fee for all games. The wording from Nintendo definitely suggests that it's an additional fee per game which supports the feature. Not good news for Wii owners at all.
I would assume these games will have some sort of "Wii Connect 24" feature such as Animal Crossing where your village persists even when the game disc is not in the machine, but even so, I don't think many would be happy to pay additional.
Nintendo's on-line service isn't a patch on Microsoft's (don't have a PS3 or PSP so can't compare with Sony) and at least their setup is a single annual fee for all games. The wording from Nintendo definitely suggests that it's an additional fee per game which supports the feature. Not good news for Wii owners at all.
Absinthe-Review.net 25 Feb 2008 19:24
2/17
I completely agree. yes, it does sound like it will be a per game fee, which is just SO, SO, SO absurd!! Adding to the confusion and irritiation is the fact that it is only for certain games marked with...what? A red sticker? I can just see clueless parents mistaking it for a sale sticker and bringing it home for someone's b-day only to realize they'll have to shell out even more cash to get their kid online. I'm sure after an experience like that they'll steer clear, too.
And why in the hell is this being announced now? The only killer-app online title is SSBB...
And why in the hell is this being announced now? The only killer-app online title is SSBB...
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kant-predict 25 Feb 2008 19:47
3/17
I'm on unlimited-download broadband and it's a blessing. One blanket fee, as many downloads as I like. It's a similar situation here. If it's a single, blanket fee for ALL Wii Online features, then it wouldn't be so bad. I'm sure Nintendo would still be raking in the cash simply by selling the games without having to charge it's users to use the Wi-Fi features. I mean, come on, they don't charge people with Pokemon Diamond or Pearl to use it to have online matches or trade pokemon! How many copies have they now sold? 19 million?
Stefen 25 Feb 2008 20:15
4/17
Another relatively misleading title from this site...
ANY WAY
I think this is a horrible move by Nintendo. One of the benefits it has is the ability to claim a fee-free online gaming experience. The ONLY way I can see this as an ok Idea is if its some sort of subscription necessary game, like MMOs, and this would just be the vehicle by which developers could charge for the service.
I know I will not be buying games that require payment online
ANY WAY
I think this is a horrible move by Nintendo. One of the benefits it has is the ability to claim a fee-free online gaming experience. The ONLY way I can see this as an ok Idea is if its some sort of subscription necessary game, like MMOs, and this would just be the vehicle by which developers could charge for the service.
I know I will not be buying games that require payment online
realvictory 25 Feb 2008 22:52
5/17
Even if it's your favourite game, with added online play? ;)
No, I think the original post sums it up. Where are the online games in the first place?
If Sony do turn out to be the ones who are left providing a free service, then they're going to get a lot of success out of it. Including from me.
No, I think the original post sums it up. Where are the online games in the first place?
If Sony do turn out to be the ones who are left providing a free service, then they're going to get a lot of success out of it. Including from me.
TimSpong 25 Feb 2008 23:41
6/17
Stefen wrote:
Another relatively misleading title from this site...
Please explain.
Cheers
Tim
Stefen 26 Feb 2008 03:43
7/17
Relatively speaking, the titles for news posts are poor and kind of misleading. This one for example, before reading, makes it seem like Nintendo will charge for all Internet play (ala XBL)
Here are title for the same topic from some different site:
Pay to Play Your Wii, Nintendo announces a mysterious new service.
Nintendo Announces Wii Pay & Play
Nintendo Launching Pay-to-Play Program for Online Gaming
Nintendo To Begin Charging Money For Some Online Gaming
Compare that to "Nintendo to charge for wii online play" and you get the idea of what I am driving at.
Its like if a website said "Mc Donalds no longer putting ketchup on burgers," but were only talking about one type of burger. You would read that and think "Huh, MDs is not putting ketchup on any of its burgers," as opposed to "McDonalds cutting ketchup from one of its burgers."
This is by no means an isolated incident on this site.
Here are title for the same topic from some different site:
Pay to Play Your Wii, Nintendo announces a mysterious new service.
Nintendo Announces Wii Pay & Play
Nintendo Launching Pay-to-Play Program for Online Gaming
Nintendo To Begin Charging Money For Some Online Gaming
Compare that to "Nintendo to charge for wii online play" and you get the idea of what I am driving at.
Its like if a website said "Mc Donalds no longer putting ketchup on burgers," but were only talking about one type of burger. You would read that and think "Huh, MDs is not putting ketchup on any of its burgers," as opposed to "McDonalds cutting ketchup from one of its burgers."
This is by no means an isolated incident on this site.
TimSpong 26 Feb 2008 09:57
8/17
Stefen wrote:
This is by no means an isolated incident on this site.
We can always improve on what we do - that's without doubt.
However, what you're doing is accusing me of actually misleading people. I can assure you that this is not my intention.
Had I run "Nintendo to charge for All Online Play" - that would have wrong.
For a very unscientific comparison, I've just nipped over to the BBC news site and have come up with:
'Anti-depressants 'of little use' ' - not all anti-depressants, just SSRIs.
'Music to ease US, N Korea ties' - not all music, just the New York Philharmonic Orchestra.
'Striker bailed over wife 'attack' - Andy Cole not Arthur Scargill.
A look at a couple of competitor sites gives me:
'The Game Is... GoldenEye!' - about GoldenEye appearing on XBLA (it's not).
'Every Studio EA's Bought and Closed' - about studios that EA has bought, then closed... not every studio that EA's bought has been closed.
'Do anything with PlayTV recordings' - erm, no, you can't.
I'll be 100% up-front here. It's my intention, of course, try to make snappy headlines that invite readers in to the stories. This is a competitive market. However, it's self-defeating for me to run headlines that are not reflected in the stories themselves. That's just going to piss people off and send them to the competition - getting those readers back is nigh-on impossible.
All that said, I still welcome any and all reasonable criticism into the Forum - and I'll do my best to respond.
Cheers
Tim
Sora 26 Feb 2008 10:27
9/17
Stefen wrote:
Pay to Play Your Wii, Nintendo announces a mysterious new service.
Nintendo Announces Wii Pay & Play
Nintendo Launching Pay-to-Play Program for Online Gaming
Nintendo To Begin Charging Money For Some Online Gaming
OMG! Chill out! If your so wound up about it why dont u just create ur own dam site.....Oh and bad move Nintendo.
Sora
HyperTails 26 Feb 2008 11:54
10/17
This move from Nintendo has to rank as a really, REALLY stupid move. From what i've read from Wii owners across the Internet, they won't pay for a crap online service that's full of lag, takes ages to find an opponent and won't allow you to chat to people (Wii owners words, not mine). Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection is still in the stone age compared to Xbox Live and PlayStation Network, so if they do charge per game I suspect people playing online games on the Wii will decrease dramaticaly. You never know, it could fall so much that Nintendo goes back 4 years and tells everyone 'We told you online was not the future, the future is connectivity with the DS!'
YenRug 26 Feb 2008 14:22
11/17
Whilst everyone is bashing away at Nintendo, has anyone considered the likely reason for this announcement?
To me, this is probably being pushed by developers/publishers who want to be able to run subscription based online games, as an example, there have been rumours that there are plans to create a Wii specific version of Runescape. At present, there is no structure for these financial transactions, so Nintendo has likely been put in the position of creating a common framework within which charges can be made; all they're doing is announcing that this functionality is coming, not that their games will require a subscription and this is especially so as they've announced their intention that all of their online games will be free.
To me, this is probably being pushed by developers/publishers who want to be able to run subscription based online games, as an example, there have been rumours that there are plans to create a Wii specific version of Runescape. At present, there is no structure for these financial transactions, so Nintendo has likely been put in the position of creating a common framework within which charges can be made; all they're doing is announcing that this functionality is coming, not that their games will require a subscription and this is especially so as they've announced their intention that all of their online games will be free.
Rutabaga 26 Feb 2008 21:38
12/17
YenRug wrote:
Whilst everyone is bashing away at Nintendo, has anyone considered the likely reason for this announcement?
To me, this is probably being pushed by developers/publishers who want to be able to run subscription based online games, as an example, there have been rumours that there are plans to create a Wii specific version of Runescape. At present, there is no structure for these financial transactions, so Nintendo has likely been put in the position of creating a common framework within which charges can be made; all they're doing is announcing that this functionality is coming, not that their games will require a subscription and this is especially so as they've announced their intention that all of their online games will be free.
To me, this is probably being pushed by developers/publishers who want to be able to run subscription based online games, as an example, there have been rumours that there are plans to create a Wii specific version of Runescape. At present, there is no structure for these financial transactions, so Nintendo has likely been put in the position of creating a common framework within which charges can be made; all they're doing is announcing that this functionality is coming, not that their games will require a subscription and this is especially so as they've announced their intention that all of their online games will be free.
I don't believe that for a second, why arn't these same publishers pushing Sony? BTW most third party games for Wii are rubbish and don't sell any way. It's mainly Nintendo titles that sell. I bet 100% that it is all to do with Mario Kart. The great savior/visionary of video games Nintendo, have worked out that they can make a killing using "pay per play" on it's most popular milked to death franchise.
Ahem 27 Feb 2008 11:59
13/17
well the title is kind of misleading.
It should be more like
Nintendo is going to offer ADVANCED online services for wii points.
(which is not always money.)
Wii points can also be acquired by stars you get from buying certain games.
DS Wii or older GC purchases.
Cheers!!!
It should be more like
Nintendo is going to offer ADVANCED online services for wii points.
(which is not always money.)
Wii points can also be acquired by stars you get from buying certain games.
DS Wii or older GC purchases.
Cheers!!!
Nesseight 4 Mar 2008 16:57
14/17
Unacceptable! One of the deciding factors when I chose Wii over it's technologically superior competitors was that I believed it would have free online play, and Nintendo disappointed by releasing no good online games (eg. games that don't involve Pokemon in some way).
Multiplayer Zelda or Metroid would have been great, maybe even legendary, something to look back on with fond memories, but it didn't happen and never will, and I'm not looking forward to long-term Brawl play.
Sorry Nintendo, but if I have to pay to play now, I'll be selling my Wii (and if I had VC games, I would sell them right along with it as they can't enforce their imaginary license in any way, shape, or form, but lucky for me I'm not stupid enough to buy those.) and getting an XBox instead. At least that has highly replyable games that appeal to people well over the age of 12.
Nintendo just doesn't have the quality that it used to. Come to think of it, I might sell my DS as they might start charging to play that, too.
Don't take it too hard, Nintendo, my Wii was collecting dust anyway from your lack of a decent library of replayable games, this "greed" just reminded me that I intended to sell it as well as assure me that I would have no regrets doing so.
If I wanted to pay to play other people, I would go to an arcade.
I can't believe I'm speaking negatively about the company who made the consoles that I "grew up" on... but it truly is a sad day in video land.
Multiplayer Zelda or Metroid would have been great, maybe even legendary, something to look back on with fond memories, but it didn't happen and never will, and I'm not looking forward to long-term Brawl play.
Sorry Nintendo, but if I have to pay to play now, I'll be selling my Wii (and if I had VC games, I would sell them right along with it as they can't enforce their imaginary license in any way, shape, or form, but lucky for me I'm not stupid enough to buy those.) and getting an XBox instead. At least that has highly replyable games that appeal to people well over the age of 12.
Nintendo just doesn't have the quality that it used to. Come to think of it, I might sell my DS as they might start charging to play that, too.
Don't take it too hard, Nintendo, my Wii was collecting dust anyway from your lack of a decent library of replayable games, this "greed" just reminded me that I intended to sell it as well as assure me that I would have no regrets doing so.
If I wanted to pay to play other people, I would go to an arcade.
I can't believe I'm speaking negatively about the company who made the consoles that I "grew up" on... but it truly is a sad day in video land.
Paul 11 Mar 2008 21:39
15/17
i dont think its a mistake, im actually excited for it. For all nintendo fanboys, open your mind for 5 mins and go to a friends house who has xbox live. I did and was blown away. If Wii charged me 50 bucks a year and provided the same service Xbox live does...i would gladly shell out the money. Think about it if they are charging to play....that will pretty much ensure it actually works...unlike the nightmare which is going on for SSBB right now...where you want to play random people...but you very rarley can connect with anyone...and if you occasionally do get a random match going on...if the other person disconnects...you dont know and end up fighting the computer...not to mention no ranking system...which is fine, but personally id like if there was at least one when your playing with friends.
Thats my input...and im off!
Thats my input...and im off!
daz 8 Nov 2009 21:29
16/17
i just got the wii because you able to play onnline for FREE if you change this you will loose out in the end i used to have xbox 360 but got pissed becuase i had to renew my subscription so i thought id get a wii because i get free online play welll if i have to pay i might as well have stuck with the 360 and get hd pictures too
Dumbass 28 Dec 2010 20:44
17/17
We are almost on 2011 and we are still playing for free!! F**king liar