Legendary games designer Shigeru Miyamoto was recently asked by The New York Times what he was most excited about with regards to video game development. Miyamoto replied that online is something that he feels opens up a tremendous amount of possibilities. Despite the lack of online functionality for Nintendo Land and New Super Mario Bros U, it appears as though Nintendo might be ready to embrace online after all.
“For a long time at Nintendo we didn’t focus as much on online play because for many years doing so would have limited the size of the audience that could enjoy those features. But certainly now we see that so many people are connected to the Internet. It opens up a tremendous amount of possibilities.”
It’s about time.
It’s pretty funny reading comments like “welcome to 10 years ago” or whatever.
I just read that ‘The Next Big Thing that will kill Nintendo’, the Ouya, is launching without multiple online features.
Even Nintendo had basic things like friends lists on day 1, the Ouya does not.
You clearly do not understand what the Ouya actually is…
I’ve heard plenty about it on these comments sections, and elsewhere.
Specifically that it is the future, just like OnLive was before it, and that Nintendo are fucked f they don’t adapt that business model.
Indeed. It’s about time.
Hmmm. I don’t mean to be digging too deep into a simple statement, but perhaps Zelda U or the next 3D Mario will have some sort of online function?
Either way, it’ll be nice to see Nintendo fully embrace online. Mario Kart 7 was a good start, let’s only hope it continues.
The only online functionality that Zelda on the Wii U should have is MiiVerse chat. Video chat, and video post of epic moments. No assisted play like Mario Wii hard. Just no! Zelda is like monster hunter, you need to suffer yourself before asking for help. It’s the beautiful marvelous irony and enjoyment of the series. Games today are to easy and single mindely easy.
While I do agree, to an extant, maybe the could pull off what ZombiU did- you can leave vauge hints on the walls in dungeons or hide Rupee’s in chests for players to get. Online boss rush maybe? I’m not saying it should co-op, but online with Zelda could lead to interesting ideas. Just my opinion though.
I’ve always found the Zelda games to be too easy. I really hope they bump up the difficulty or add a hard mode
since wind waker all the zeldas got a second harder run, why you dont know, only god knows
Wind Waker’s second quest is the exact same thing, except for the different suit and the color pictobox you get from start. Twilight did not even have a 2nd quest, nor did Phantom Hourglass. And Skyward’s Hero Mode is just a bit harder cause you get double damage from foes and such.
So no, in general Zeldas have been a bit too easy lately.
Good too see him excited about online gaming.. Finally.
Can’t wait to play the next mario kart and smash bros online on my Wii U!!!
I duno.
Of course Mario Kart having a very broad online is good, and id like to see Fzero, and Star Fox have online (Star Fox needs a full reboot though), and MAYBE Metroid, if they can get it right.
As for Nintendo’s other games like Zelda, maybe not multiplayer, but it’ll interesting to see what they come up with.
Jus dont make have DRM….ever.
Im one of those very sad people that bought SimCity.. SO much regret!!
Yeah, i imagine it sucks.
I’ve heard its not even a bad game, its supposed to be really good but the DRM just kills it.
I couldn’t have agree with you more!
Yeah, DRM is the only bad thing about it.
“Im one of those very sad people that bought SimCity”
i’m sorry for your loss
Nintendo will try and protect their products but I still believe that Nintendo is one of the few companies that is still in the business for the gamers so I sincerely hope that they will not go the route of EA and do everything to screw their customers with unnecessary DRM.
I know, im just saying, its a very relevant topic right now.
A new first person Metroid game online like Metroid Prime Hunters for Wii U would be cool. If they do that, I hope they do it right!
I liked Hunters mutliplayer, it was very old school, collecting power ups, and lots of close-mid range levels with verticality, was cool, plus each character was unique.
Id like a multiplayer that let you make your own hunter, and you unlock different species, and beams, weapon, morph balls, customisations, and some exclusive to Galactic Fed and some for Space Pirates, that would be cool
I really hope there’s going to be a co-op mode in the new 3d Mario game.
Would be incredible.
Welcome to 6 years ago Shigeru.
Seriously tho, hope they actually deliver on this and its not just random talk.
I agree. Make it happen and make it exceed our expectations.
But not all games need online, if it doesn’t need it don’t use it.
True this.
Very odd 180 degree turn from Nintendo, well it’s not the whole of Nintendo, but i’d like to believe Miyamoto is a pretty serious part of it!
In any case, it’s nice to see Nintendo embrace it. I have always loved Nintendo for their single-player games, which to me are the ultimate gameplay experiences most of the time, but Mario Kart and Smash Bros. are the most fun i have ever had with multiplayer, and i know they had online features on the Wii, but if they can actually do that with other franchises, or new ones, count me as excited!
FPSs like COD, Crysis and battle field are the NASCAR of video games today. Over advertised but having one thing in common. Same directional dynamics, reharshed onrails maps for game play, and left turns for NASCAR.
Have you even played Crysis? It’s one of the least on-rails, directional shooters out. The environments are massive and there are multiple ways to get to any 1 point, and multiple tactics (stealth, direct confrontation, tactical sabotaging, etc.) to do it.
It’s clear you’ve never played them and like to speak about things based on conjecture and other fanboy comments you’ve heard on this site.
Can I quote you on this? This comment is the best I’ve seen on this website in a long while
While I like playing games like Nintendo Land with actual people around me I do think that Nintendo dropped the ball a bit by not making games like that online capable. Same with Super Mario U.
Pikmin 3 online multi confirmed!? Cmon Miyamoto I know that’s why you delayed. Don’t let me down here.
That would be fun and since the screen shots showed many people in space suits I hope so.
4 captains… Maybe that’s why they delayed the game?? :D
Pikmin online would be awesome!
Online got big 10 years ago. NSMB did not have online. Wii sports did not have online. And they made the same mistake with Wii U and the motiion play isn’t enough anymore neither is the tablet controller people want online. There is no excuse for not having it on those games they could have even charged for online but they chose not too.
They should NEVER charge for online. That’s a really stupid suggestion.
blah blah shut up troll
online didn’t get big 10 years ago thats only in your head.
the first xbox had live and ps2 had online functionality but it was hardly used it only started with last generation.
it’s the same as HD ps360 were using it but nobody at that time had a HD tv only the past 3 years it’s normal to have one or multiple HD tv’s and thats why nintendo is launching an HD console just now
and yeah they should never charge for online.
thats one of the few things i respect sony for and calling people a troll for having a valid argument just shows who the troll is
I didn’t know calling someone stupid was a valid argument
I didn’t call you stupid, I called your suggestion stupid.
Hardly used? Halo 2 had more than a million users online at any given time.
Yeah… “hardly used”.
Although I do support online weaponry for Nintendo, I will however not support online multiplayer team death match type of features in either Zelda or Metroid…
I can support 2 player co-op online or local though if it’s done right while keeping everything that made these weapons suberb…
There should be no rules. Just make the online fun and addictive and i’ll buy the game and wii u.
This should have happened 6 years ago. Welcome to 6 years ago Nintendo.
Meh. To be honest I don’t like online because my internet is super laggy. And I also hate how certain games (HOW’S IT GOING MICROSOFT) only depend on the online, so when the server is down, the game becomes obsolete.
Name one game that can’t be played offline for 360.
I’ll wait…
I simply heard rumors that games on the next Xbox might use this formula. I didn’t mean to say ”all of the games on 360 do that”, but that those rumors better not be true.
Titanfall?
I adore Nintendo. But post-GameCube Nintendo has been 10 years behind when it comes to embracing what’s relevant in the industry
Well animal crossing and luigis mansion all have some kind of online implemented in there, I mean if there doing it for 3ds then there’s no reason to do it on Wii, I hope pikmin has some online but I’m afraid it would lose it charm online
And people that want metroid to have online co op is crazy and has probably never played the game, ur suppose to feel closed in isolated roaming and hunting on desolent planet or spaceship, samus is a lone wolf, I don’t want no halo or cod, I want metroid, don’t want no 10 year old screaming at me with a voice changer, saying hey I was going to kill thaat enemy. Fucken retard now I have no achievement, I don’t even wanna thing about it…
Nobody is asking for Metroid co-op, only competitive multiplayer. Remember back to Metroid Prime 3 where you saw these big battles between the Galactic Fed and Space Pirates. You don’t want that to be a multiplayer, playing as just a regular troop, or a bounty hunter like Rundas? Co-op sounds awful though xD
Although I want both of those games to stay single player only, it wouldn’t surprise me if they have some sort of partial co-op in any future game…
Like the second player can control Samus’ ship when calls it and the other player could go destroy the target or pick up something after the first player issued the order…
Then the second player can get some overworld view at the same time…
And Y U NO PUT ONLINE ON PIKMIN 3 BEFORE IT’S RELEASE??? :S
so where is the online in Nintendo games? This is like EA saying online DRM and micro transactions are the worst thing about games right now
DLC for Nintendo Land that adds online. Do it Nintendo.
Yeah why can’t they do that?!?
I don’t understand how the online features would limit anything… its just an additional feature..
When Miyamoto says online excites him, what’s exciting him is the potential for uses of online outside of what’s been the standard definition of online, playing competitively or co-op in-game.
While it’s neat to see these things, despite that competitive/co-op online play is now universally considered the most basic form of “online” play, it’s the first thing most people will think the word “online” means in accordance to video games and will want, and their minds will never be changed about that. It’s for his and Nintendo’s sake, then, that I hope they’ve got some key examples of competitive/co-op play to show off at either a Nintendo Direct or E3 (which is likely to come sooner, save a Pre-E3 Direct).
/ExcusesForNintendoBeingBehindTheTimes
Welcome to 2004, Nintendo…
I’m glad they realize this. Nintendoland + Online capabilities = 10/10. Nintendoland alone = 8.5/10
And MrRetroJunkie is getting closer and closer to giving up video games for good. (- _ -)
Good. People like you hold the industry back.
And people like you are the douches of the world who cause me to hate games more and more. Go choke on your jelly beans.
Yeah. Keep on being stuck in the past. Gaming has moved on, you and Nintendo have not.
Metroid Prime Hunters Online, Zelda Four Swords Online, and Pokemon MMO. You know you would want it. Please make it Nintendo!
Hurry up nintendo. I want it now. Ill buy your wii u if you actually deliver a good authentic dynamic online experience.
All of your games have so much potential online. Hurry up. You’re 10 years too late.
Give me pokemon online, a more dynamic mario kart online, co-op starfox N64 style online. The possibilities are endless.
Everyone is complete as****** for loving online gaming and downloadable content etc. You all SUCK!
If I ever quit playing games, I’d be thrilled if I heard that Nintendo went bankrupt and no longer made games. Because if I don’t play games, NOBODY deserves to!
Do you even realise online gaming isn’t ALL about DLC? Oh wait, you were stuck with Nintendo, the one company that’s too stupid to embrace gaming. Of course you wouldn’t understand
Perhaps Nintendo is making an FPS (not Metroid Prime) for the Wii U after all.
I would love to see a nintendo style FPS.
Glad to see Mr. Miyamoto finally admitting this. I recall some years back when he wasn’t really sold on the online aspect of gaming. With the amount of party and multiplayer games Nintendo is known for (Mario party, smash bros., Mario Kart, etc…), they kind of dropped the ball on some good online content. There’s a lot of first party software that could have easily benefited in the last decade had he directed the team for better online connectivity with the Wii. Let’s hope they’ve corrected this with the Wii U. Hell, I might actually buy one in the next year when they finally release the stuff we really want on it. :)
Im excited.
I like online gameplay. It is fun to play with others when I do not have local people to invite to play. It should always be an option for those who want it.