Wii to use Friends Codes

Nintendo Wii will use the same "Friends Code" system that DS users are used to, according to a brief glimpse of since-pulled Nintendo website pages.

Speaking at E3, Nintendo's Takahashi Tezuka said as much anyway - when asked whether Wii's version of Wi-Fi Connection (Nintendo's online service) would also use a Friends Code system, he said "Yes".

But those of you hanging onto the belief that he was simply guessing, and Nintendo planned to go back to the drawing board (or, better yet, simply steal Microsoft's drawing board and re-badge it) are going to be disappointed.

As you'll know if you read this on the since-departed Wii site page that bore this: "Nintendo has your online safety in mind. Thanks to our unique Friend Code system, you can control whom you play with online. Playing online is a great way to connect and reconnect people you want to play games with!"

Friends Codes, 12-digit identifiers specific to your DS or, in this case, Wii, allow players to create lists of preferred opposing players. Except, obviously, it's a bit of a faff to type in a randomly generated 12-digit number for every one of your pals.

Elsewhere, Nintendo's online Wii service is a bit more contemporary, with a Virtual Console system for downloading old SNES, MegaDrive and TurboGrafx games, along with new, budget-priced games.

Thanks to a system called WiiConnect24, you'll also be able to leave your Wii on standby and have it download things and allow people to do things like visit your Animal Crossing village while you're somewhere else.

And while Nintendo hasn't ruled out the prospect of premium downloadable content add-ons for games, it has committed to a free online gaming service - just as it did on the DS.