Nintendo has finally announced some plans for online gameplay on the Wii. On Tuesday afternoon the company finally detailed that it would be bringing out a partnership with GameSpy.
Ok, I promise, the caption is the only other Wii joke in this article. Now, on to the story at hand - how many of you have been waiting for a little Wii action online? Have you been hoping to take on a tennis match halfway around the world, or maybe bowling a few frames the next city over?
Nintendo has previously been pretty hush-hush about online plans, eschewing the constant companionship required for so many games on the PS3 or XBox 360. Instead, it focused on releasing quality solo and group entertainment, selling the "Wii experience" as a social event rather than an all-night geeky frag-fest.
The partnership with GameSpy isn't all that surprising, as the company was also Ninty's chosen son for the Nintendo DS. "This partnership will expand our wireless community of players on Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection,” Reggie Fils-Aime said. “Millions of Nintendo DS users have already logged on using GameSpy’s technology, and now Wii owners will be able to do the same in a fun and easy-to-use environment.”
The GameSpy middleware will function much like the XBox Live service, providing community features and matchmaking for titles. It won't be too long before we see it, either - Pokémon Battle Revolution will be first up to use the new setup. That game debutes on the 25th of June over in the States.
Do you have a thought on the online revolution? Is it about time Wii got online, or is it a little bit of a sell-out from the concept of actually bringing back social gaming? Tell us your thoughts in our forums.
Ok, I promise, the caption is the only other Wii joke in this article. Now, on to the story at hand - how many of you have been waiting for a little Wii action online? Have you been hoping to take on a tennis match halfway around the world, or maybe bowling a few frames the next city over?
Nintendo has previously been pretty hush-hush about online plans, eschewing the constant companionship required for so many games on the PS3 or XBox 360. Instead, it focused on releasing quality solo and group entertainment, selling the "Wii experience" as a social event rather than an all-night geeky frag-fest.
The partnership with GameSpy isn't all that surprising, as the company was also Ninty's chosen son for the Nintendo DS. "This partnership will expand our wireless community of players on Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection,” Reggie Fils-Aime said. “Millions of Nintendo DS users have already logged on using GameSpy’s technology, and now Wii owners will be able to do the same in a fun and easy-to-use environment.”
The GameSpy middleware will function much like the XBox Live service, providing community features and matchmaking for titles. It won't be too long before we see it, either - Pokémon Battle Revolution will be first up to use the new setup. That game debutes on the 25th of June over in the States.
Do you have a thought on the online revolution? Is it about time Wii got online, or is it a little bit of a sell-out from the concept of actually bringing back social gaming? Tell us your thoughts in our forums.
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