Friend Codes - why?

I've been struggling to find a reason as to why Nintendo chose to use the diabolical friend-code system on the DS and the Wii.

The system is fundamentally flawed, why can't you add friends automatically instead of searching high and low for people on the internet that you don't even know for a poxy friend code? I know it's intended for people you actually know, as friends, but again, why?

I hear some people saying it's child-friendly, why?? It's not as though you can even chat to people over the Wii and DS (MP excluded) so why is it child-friendly?

If anyone can come up with some plausible reason why this system was introduced I would love to hear it, but until that happens I can't help thinking they invented it just to be different...

They have friend codes to prevent **** from swearing at younger audience players. However, an EB Games store clerk told me that they are going to stop progression on Wii games by the end of the year that involve friend codes, which is a relief. I haven't looked into the facts yet, that's just what he said.

But even without the facts, do you honestly think Nintendo is going to keep them? Think logically.

They have friend codes to prevent **** from swearing at younger audience players. However, an EB Games store clerk told me that they are going to stop progression on Wii games by the end of the year that involve friend codes, which is a relief. I haven't looked into the facts yet, that's just what he said.

But even without the facts, do you honestly think Nintendo is going to keep them? Think logically.

Skullheart

Ugh, but how do you swear at someone without the ability to even chat to them....? 

There is no good reason why.  Nintendo's "reason" is to protect kids (or so i've heard, but i doubt that.

They just are too lazy and can't fulfill their promises like they said they would.  I was hoping, at least, one friend code per system, like they promised.  But they can't even do that when the PC and PS3 have been doing it.

It pisses me off so much. 

Friend codes aren't that bad of an idea, it's the fact that they're game-specific that ruins it.  All in all friend codes are no different from XBL aliases and what not.  Nintendo simply chose for a number to be able to have people chose an alias in-game, meaning that somebody like me wouldn't be stuck with 'SupremeAC138' because SupremeAC was already taken.

EDIT: the SupremeAC138 thing is actually why they chose codes.  As for why the Wii doesn't automatically transfer it to all online games...  Perhaps that will be possible once devkits and Wii's get another update?

I can oddly compare this to the PS2/PS3's online infrastructure, which is more or less the same thing, swapping numbers for names.

They both just need some moles to go into Microsoft's Game division and steal the Live gameplans and then it'd be great. :P 

I don't know about the Sony PSN network, but some of the stuff I hear on XBox Live would make a sailor blush. Nintendo, although a bit loosened up as of late, is considered a conservative company who likes to keeps as much control over their product as possible. Putting a game online takes away some of that control. I can picture the decision makers at Nintendo being a little apprehensive as they might imagine little Billy and his granpa playing Smash Brothers Brawl online one day when they suddenly get an earful of a racist, profanity laced rant, from some guy named "IOWNEDUR*Insert family member*187", about how he stole a knockout away from him. I think friend codes are Nintendo's way of trying to maintain control of the online gaming environment by minimizing the probablity that this would happen by directing people to play with others they know or are familiar with.

I'm not defending Nintendo's startegy, just trying to explain why they're doing it the way they are. There are ways of censoring and filtering out that sort of stuff, even though those controls are still not perfect.

Correct me if im wrong but nintendo sell a product, you buy their systems and games? if you dislike their online system you feel you can't just go else where?magrappy

:? I won't even bother

Because nowadays, Nintendo doesn't care about what the consumers think; they're only concerned about lawsuits. Which is really dumb anyway, considering that Microsoft and Sony aren't getting in trouble for allowing communication with strangers.