Nintendo Outlines Miiverse, Nintendo Network ID and more

Nintendo ran one of their Nintendo Direct sessions last night and they unveiled some rather disconcerting news for the robots out there... they're abandoning Friend Codes in favour of a system that makes sense. The Nintendo Network ID - a user account which manages all your network activity on the WiiU - is 'just like the Friend Code' according to Nintendo Direct, but instead of having to share a four billion digit long number to become acquainted with someone you simply head to the Miiverse and add their Mii as a friend.



The Miiverse, meanwhile, is an extension of the parade system from the Wii - it now closer resembles a Social Network system by allowing you to ask for tips and share screenshots and stuff. If you don't want to add them as a friend you can simply follow them - similar to Twitter I guess, and a necessity for making sure games populated by Miis from your Miiverse have as many Ackbars as possible. You can have up to 100 friends and you can follow as many as 1000 people - though if my Origin and XBL accounts are anything to go by, 100 is a very low limit.

The Nintendo Network ID system will be rolling out across mobile phones and other Nintendo devices as time goes on, but it's not immediately apparent how your current Nintendo eShop transactions will transfer to the new system - hopefully we'll have more information for you when it comes through. It's positive momentum for the WiiU system, which is now just three weeks out.