Miyamoto: Online Multiplayer Isn't Nintendo's Focus This Time Around

Kotaku - "The upcoming Wii U platformer Super Mario 3D World, like many other Nintendo games, won't have online multiplayer. If you want to play with other people, you'll have to do it in the same room.

Well, I guess one person could grab the Wii U GamePad and move to another room, but you see what I'm saying."

[Abash]

*sigh*. For a game like SM3DW, online should have been a focus. It's perfect for online play

[-Foxtrot]

I don't understand isn't that why devs usually add co-op these days or multiplayer in general so gamers can play with their friends online. Whats the point wasting resources on the feature, creating the world for this 4 player co-op play if your not going to have online play

If that's the case why bother having 4 players. I think they are just doing it to separate it from Super Mario 3D Land as much as they can

It's 2013 Nintendo please get with the times

[vakarian75]

Couch co-op does that ring a bell.

[-Foxtrot]

Oh for the love of god, it's nice to have couch co-op in a game which has online multiplayer aswell but what is the point of adding co-op/multiplayer JUST for couch co-op in these times.

Playing with friends have evolved, it's better now because what if your mate is at another uni, what if he's moved away, what if they don't have time to come all away over to your house and vice versa....you can't couch co-op all the time you know

Please lets not give Nintendo an excuse they should be getting with the time, especially if they want to attract third party devs.

[lodossrage]

I usually don't agree with Foxtrot

But he's right this time.

Look, there's nothing wrong with couch co op. But this isn't the 8bit or 16bit eras anymore. Back then couch co op was our only option. But the internet has came and evolved. And friends and family get split across the country and even the globe. Which makes online gaming a priority for most people

Nintendo is a great company, but there is no excuse for them to still be so lax about online gaming.

[PoSTedUP]

not a good look. shoulda kept the wii mote gimmick and called it the wii2. now they have to come out with some pretty epic revolutionary games and market them well. give a reason for someone to want the wiiUpad. mario galaxy3 should be in the works.

most of your console fans have grown up, online should have been a top priority. time to start buying some exclusive games, in their position it seems they have to literally drag people over to buy a WiiU.

[badz149]

smh

talk about being out of touch!

and typical Nintendo fanboys will still make excuses for them! Pathetic!

[Chrischi1988]

What are the times? People complain, but where is the actual problem? Having no real friends probably. Only WoW friends or something like that, thats whats sad nowadays. I only play local multiplayer, maybe online multiplayer, if you can do local, too, like in CoD. But I have absolutely no fun, playing against somebody unkown online, that is like playing alone.

[evilbart]

Why all the disagrees? I don't understand this game should be multiplayer online it's nearly 2014 nintendo!

[-Foxtrot]

Why?

Easy....it's Nintendo

People don't like it when you point out Nintendo's obvious flaws. I mean how can they improve as a company if your just going to give them a free pass all the time. Where going to get to a point in the future where Nintendo are so behind they'll start to become less and less relevant all because most of us cling to nostalgia to the Nintendo that was, not the Nintendo of now.

[evilbart]

You hit the nail on the head foxtrot and it's such a shame because I am a big nintendo fan but I don't know why the fans are accepting this? Nintendo games online is a no brainier they would be great,pity the fans don't want to go with the times sigh!

[LOL_WUT]

Well said Foxtrot +1 ;)

[-Foxtrot]

I don't think it's just fans who can't accept it to be honest, it's even non fanboys who still think of Nintendo as the company from the past when we had the NES/N64 etc, the old school days and feel like we should owe them something because of what they gave us....I mean they did jump start the video gaming industry with the NES.

I can see past that though, I love them, I appreciate them but when they do something wrong and are heading down the wrong path making stupid decisions I'll gladly call them out for it because I want them to get better...not end up like SEGA.

[AJBACK2FRAG]

I don't have very many video game friends at all so games like this I get stuck playing solo everytime. Pikmin 3 is an amazing game. Online co op or vs. would have made it a killer app in my opinion. This is the one thing I really disagree with Nintendo on. After all it's 2013!!

[zeal0us]

This should be the generation where you start building the foundation for you online service, Nintendo.

[TheFutureIsBlue]

Especially with all of the great multiplayer games they have. Smash, Mario Kart, etc. Multiplayer isn't a bad thing. It would help generate a lot of sales if they upgraded their online services. Compared to Xbox One and PS4 they will be waayyy behind when it comes to this.

[Misaka_x_Touma]

Only Smash, Mario Kart, Pokemon and Kid Icarus from Nintendo has Online.

[TheFutureIsBlue]

@Misaka_x_Touma

And? Those are some of their biggest franchies. Why wouldn't they upgrade the online service to better justify them? It would generate more sales and add to the gameplay.

[camel_toad]

Yeh I really don't understand Nintendo practically avoiding online this far into the technological world we live in. It's as if they're in denial of the Internet.

Nintendo does so many great things but they always seem to have the Grandpa factor when it comes to modern trends.

[AJBACK2FRAG]

Lol! I kinda' thought they were! Miiverse is really cool, a huge step in the right direction for Nintendo!

[V0LT]

It'll never be their focus.

[R00bot]

With Mario Kart it might be.

[deafdani]

All the Mario Kart games since the DS one have had good online play, and Mario Kart 8 will likely be no exception, but that doesn't mean that Nintendo, as a whole, focus on online.

[R00bot]

Why the disagrees, though? Mario Kart has had good online since the DS, as deafdani said, and there's no reason why Mario Kart 8 would be an exception to that.

[deafdani]

I guess the disagrees must be because one single game franchise with good online support doesn't mean Nintendo focus on online play. As I said, they have many franchises, and they only use Mario Kart for serious online play. So, they aren't really "online focused" now, are they?

[hazardman]

I hope it stays that way.

[Damd_Bowsr]

BOOOOO!!!!! I might have bought it if it had online

[SkippyPaccino]

When the F are characters in Nintendo games actually going to talk????? Whats with reading dialog in 2013???? I cant respect a game that forces you to read every little snippet, when the freaking characters can just say it out loud...especially a next gen HD version of a Mario game.....Game reviewers should get some balls and knock 2 points every time this is going to happen, that way maybe in the future they will actually put some effort in their games...Every reviewer has no spine when it comes to reviewing a Nintendo game and will probably give it a 9 or over every time. I don't see anything special about this game, could have been done on the wii, especially if they don't have to cast actors to read the damn dialog . Lol!

If Skyrim can have acted dialog, then a Zelda game can as well?

If a ratchet game can have acted dialog, then a Mario game can as well?

Thanks for listening :-)

[kneon]

But that would greatly increase their costs as you need to hire voice actors for all the different languages and then do all the recording, editing and post production, extra space on the disk etc.

It's a much bigger and more expensive task than you might think and Nintendo are all about doing things as cheaply as possible.

[TheDivine]

Does Sackboy talk? Megaman? Rayman? Certain genres like platformers don't need voices. Zelda is the only game that's not a platformer without voices which is a design decision. I like it in Zelda personally.

Kid Icarus, Xenoblade, Metroid and most others series have voice acting. Mario is one game that SHOULDN'T have voice acting along with Donkey Kong Country and Kirby. Sony has silent protagonists also but people only take issue with Nin.

The online thing is a huge oversight and misstep. This game was built around coop. It will hurt sales for sure. Imagine this with 4 player online coop, miiverse integration, voice chat exc. it would be a blast and one of the most fun online experiences.

[SkippyPaccino]

@kneon
The cost would definitely go up but every other developer seems to be able to do it for the same price they sell a Mario game for...I think the mint is running dry in japan...Mario games are the easiest games to make...No skills required...If they keep the same formula, then they shouldn't be getting perfect review scores...it makes review scores useless when they do this...Other games are scored on, Graphics,Sound,Story,game-play and what they bring new to the table...When you give a Mario game a 10 and turn around and give a other game a 8 because story and sound wasn't great, but a Mario game gets a 10 in story and sound when they don't even talk or follow a good story arc...

@TheDivine
Little big planet still has a narrator? Still counts. There's hasn't been a decent Megan-man game since the ps2...I'm sure they will go the full 9 yards when they remake a new one. ZELDA definitely needs some voice acting...especially a next gen hd version...You can't enjoy and lose yourself in a beautiful hd environment when a stupid dialog bubble keeps popping up? LOL! Maybe the lack of insight and change is why they are not getting new fans? The sheep's will buy anything they throw at them...It's the wolfs Nintendo needs to cater too...

[jakmckratos]

Or ever?

[MrCastle]

Survival should be Nintendo's focus. They need to get up to speed on what's happening in gaming.

[TheTwelve]

Sounds like a quote from a book called "Ways to Avoid Sounding as Lazy as You Are"

[chasegarcia]

Nintendo is not my focus jk

[Thepcz]

has it ever been nintendo's focus.

nintendo are losing the plot

[LOL_WUT]

Then they wonder why they underestimate certain things like the transition to HD if they never take the chance. If it has 4 player offline co-op how hard is it to implement online multiplayer it just sounds lazy as hell ;)

[PopRocks359]

Yet you defend Rayman Legends for doing the same thing troll.

[IronChefWong]

More like was never.

[Munnkyman]

He has been saying this for years. Im sorry its time for a change. I am still going to get it because it looks great .

[andrewer]

I wanted it, but if Miyamoto said so, it must be the best for Wii U...I mean, he isn't dumb, he must know what he is doing.

[FlyingFoxy]

They keep excluding online multiplayer from games that need it, like Mario Party for one.. i mean even if they let us set 15 minute games and make smaller boards for people who want short games, what's wrong with that?

I remember playing Worms open warfare 2 on DS online, some games lasted well over 30 minutes and most of the time the people stayed even when i kicked their ass.. So you can't use the excuse that it would take too long to play.

[XboxFun]

Nintendo refuses to acknowledge that online multiplayer is important.

They are still in that mind set that people come over to each others houses and play games together. While that may still be true for some it is not rue for others around the world.

This is just another reason why Nintendo keeps themselves out of relevancy among today's gamers.

[live2play]

Yes because new gamers aren't created every year. Everyone that plays games is 30 years with jobs and families.
when we were kids we used to go over and play. New kids do that today as well.

and funny how your name has Xbox when Microsoft is completely out of touch with what gamers want. Unless you want to be nickle and dimed for everything

[XboxFun]

"While that may still be true for some it is not true for others around the world."

Reading and comprehension goes a long ways too.

Imagine if Nintendo focused on their online element and made it a priority to put it in their games and imagine kids playing other kids around the world and not just having to wait for them to come over for a playdate.

"And funny" that Nintendo must be just as out of touch since the WiiU is failing to gain ground and is being overshadowed by two consoles that hasn't even been released yet.

But please by all means fail to understand any point I was trying to make and have nothing more to contribute except a slight fail dig at my name.

[live2play]

Reading and comprehension goes a long "ways" too
overshadowed by two consoles that "hasn't" been released yet.
...maybe my reading and comprehension would be better if what I was reading wasn't written by someone who clearly can't string a coherent sentence together

It wasn't a "dig" at your name, it was a "dig" at the fact you're a fan of a company who isn't aware that gamers that they had to riot to make them change up their ridiculous console.

I guess its your comprehension skills that need work.

aww look who's out of bubbles :(

[MegaLagann]

I don't get Nintendo sometimes. They put online multiplayer on games you'd never expect them to like Kid Icarus Uprising and Luigi's Mansion Dark Moon. But for games you'd think they put online in, like Pikmin 3, New Super Mario Bros U or Super Mario 3D World they don't.

[FlyingFoxy]

Or in that Starfox DS game that used awful stylus controls.. and NOT in the one that deserved it on 3DS.. makes a lot of sense.

[Misaka_x_Touma]

Platformers don't need online.

Sakurai added online in Kid Icarus not Miyamoto or Nintendo.

Same with Luigi's Mansion Dark Moon. Miyamoto was only watching over the project while Next Level Games developed it.

[deafdani]

Kid Icarus is a Nintendo IP, though. Same goes for Dark Moon.

And saying that platformers don't need online is just making excuses.

Dude, I like Nintendo as much as you do (and who knows, maybe even more), but come on, it's good to call them out when they do bullshit like this. Because on this day and age, making games that are awesome for multiplayer, and making them local only, is exactly that: bullshit.

[Misaka_x_Touma]

Just because Miyamoto says doesn't means the whole company says

[Reem]

Game Over Nintendo

[TripC50]

Good one.

[duducus]

Am I the only one around here who plays more local multiplayer than online?... I guess I just don't have any friends who own a console... lol

[thebudgetgamer]

Miyamoto: Online Multiplayer Isn't Nintendo's Focus, ever.

Yup.

[colonel179]

They will wait until next generation because they love to be one generation behind

[Kalebninja]

when was it there focus? why can't they give what other companies are? they give us the same ip's over and over and expect us to stay satisfied....

[Moncole]

People on this site want more online in games because they have no friend so they can play with stranger.

[AWBrawler]

Why does a mario platformer need online? Galaxy wasn't online. Yes they need more online games, but mario isn't one in need of it. Its one of those games that you want your friends in the room with you for multiplayer. Online mario platformer would feel empty to me. I like seeing the reaction on my friends face when i toss them in lava just to be a jerk, or when they dive across the couch or bed to punch me playfully cos i did something wrong or just better than they could. You can't have that online.

Now monster hunter, pokemon, that kind of game, hell yeah give me online.

[ChickeyCantor]

Nonsense. It's not much of a "need", it's just convenient to have. I can't always call friends over. We are not 10 ~ 20 anymore. We all have busy schedules and inviting people over is in a lot of times a no go.

2 of my friends moved to a city 25km away. The other one lives 8 km from me. This is why online play is a key feature in my social setting( also why I started playing PC games more...It's how we play games now ).

I have no clue how old you are and what your current situation is. But you will get there where inviting your friends simply won't do.

And I just noticed we share the same birthday...lol

[AWBrawler]

28 and have a lot of friends around, lol. lucky me

[Summons75]

That's fine, every other console excludes local coop or amazing single player experiences (still great experiences nonetheless) because they are to busy forcing facebook and online play down our throats. Being different gives some fresh air.

[deafdani]

"This time around"? That implies that Nintendo focused on online play sometime in the past, which never was the case. Out of all of Nintendo's many, many, many IPs, there's only ONE that takes online play seriously: Mario Kart. And, gee, that franchise is popular as hell... not saying that online play is the sole reason why Mario Kart is so popular, but it probably was a big factor.

[Activemessiah]

Good! I'm glad to hear that since single player is usually an after-thought these days with the other two consoles.

[for we are many]

I was going to write a similar statement, but you said it perfectly bro. Enough with the online multiplayer being the main focus these days and enough with the "Dude'bro" games, we need deeper more fun single player and some JRPG renaissance.

[LOL_WUT]

Still no excuse for their to be offline co-op but no online multiplayer lol. And it's these very same excuses that drive Nintendo to not even bother to try, bro ;)

[for we are many]

@LOL_WUT, I LOL'ed @ your reply, you one funny bro, I really don't care about online multiplayer except maybe only for FIFA (which I am truly a beast in, you see, football is immensely popular in parts of the world I belong to). I was merely expressing my thoughts on the suppurating out-pour of online multiplayer games that is burying well made single player games or diluting single player components of those games; not as in excuse for Ninty or other companies; in fact, I support Nintendo's focus on single player and local multiplayer gameplay and I would rather see them directing their resources to Single/local rather than diluting their products with tacked-on online for frag-heads. The only N franchises that need online is MK/SSB and maybe F-Zero/Wave Race if they ever get made.
It's your obsession with bashing Nintendo that made you think I am making excuses. So, me being an old-school gamer favoring single player games and expressing my support for Nintendo's direction in catering to that preference of mine, isn't valid to you and is just "an excuse", truly an audacious thought process attribute you have, Mr. LOL_WUT.

[R00bot]

Everyone is saying that Nintendo are stupid for not including online in this game, but what would they be saying if this was a Sony game that wasn't focusing on online? Everyone would try to spin it as Sony knowing that it wouldn't work, and how Sony knows not to waste their resources on online for a game that doesn't need it.

But because it's Nintendo it must be a stupid move.

[-Foxtrot]

If it was Sony or even MS it wouldn't matter because they already have a good stable online network. The point of this is that Nintendo don't but yet still have created a game which would be better off with the feature

If Sony/MS made a game which is single player only then it would be fine because thats what they want for the game unless they have up to four players that are with you the entire game...then that would obviously raise some questions

[PopRocks359]

"If it was Sony or even MS it wouldn't matter because they already have a good stable online network. The point of this is that Nintendo don't but yet still have created a game which would be better off with the feature"

Okay, if you're going to criticize Nintendo, don't be stupid and lie about it. Nintendo Network is a perfectly stable online system. It just doesn't get used.

Look at ALL of Nintendo's launch games; Assassin's Creed 3, Black Ops 2 and Mass Effect 3 ALL had online multiplayer and they all functioned just as well as the 360 versions and in some cases better than the PS3 versions. They only lacked party chat and an invite system.

[cell989]

It never was...

[Knushwood Butt]

So what IS the focus this time around? Milking existing franchises and HD 'remakes'?

[PygmelionHunter]

And may it never be, amen.

Unless we're talking 'bout games like Mario Kart, Advance Wars or Super Sash Brothers.

[Themba76]

good

[buynit]

That's fine just give me great games...

[Last_Boss]

I see what Miyamoto is saying, but on the flip side of that coin, they could pull in more purchases, with great online connectivity in certain games.

[AKR]

I think they focus on adding online in games that would best deserve it: (Smash, MK, etc.) I don't seee how it would fit in a game like 3D World. Platformers in general don't really need online multiplayer, as IMO, they're more suited for local co-op.

Nontheless - one can't argue that their attempts at advancing in the Internet-district have been decent, to say the least. Look at Miiverse, the eShop, Wii Sports Club - for example.

[AWBrawler]

Who here will be mad if X doesn't have online? Anybody? Anybody at all? Didn't think so. So why should mario 3D world have it? Some games need it, mario isn't one.

[AWBrawler]

The last thing i need in a Mario game is someone screaming "you fagg*t *ss nigg*r! Stop falling in the g*d damn hole!" Or some other explicit nonsense my kids don't need to hear.

[Ninte]

Oh well gives me a good enough reason to sell my wii u. Online is lacking and Sony and MS can take my money.

[AbortMission]

"Online Multiplayer Isn't Nintendo's Focus This Time Around"

Lmao when was it ever their focus? Nintendo still living in the past eh. Pathetic.

[MNGamer-N]

Pikmin 3 Multiplayer Online Bingo Battle Sayz HIGH, Mr. Miyamoto. Love the work bro, but you need to slap Iwata in the face for me on this one.

[SpiralTear]

Would it have been good to have? Yes, but I don't expect the game to be worse without it.

[Wikki]

I've owned every Nintendo console to this point. I will never get the Wii U. Nintendo has lost touch with reality. I fear this will be Nintendo's last system. I just hope they will license their games out like Sega did.

[Themba76]

If your exclusive an online multiplayer type games and thats all you play then get a pc.(and no Im no pc elitest either I used to be a pc gamer but the hobby is too expensive for my taste.) but for starters the online community is better on pc no immature rascist brats all adults. Not many immature bratty kids got over $1000 in there pocket. the second reason is the hardware is just simply better and will always be better thats just a fact. thats why it's so expensive. so if you just like online multiplayer and don't like single player your wasting your time on a console. on the flipside singleplayer games are far better on console it's just something with pc singleplayer thats missing. granted there are a few singleplayer legendary games on pc hl 1-2 come to mind but not nearly as close as console. so if you like great singleplayer experiences with multiplayer then console is a better option.

[iliimaster]

theres always gotta be hang ups with nintendo if its not dvd playback its not exactly dvds with the cube, even with the wii u its not exactly bluray its their form of bluray.. i would love to have the original xbox online functionality at the very least by now. Playing mario kart online is about as fun as it gets why not make it to where at the very least people have an option to play it by themselves or with friends online.. for example most likely I would beat the game solo, experience it then invite all my friends to play

[XisThatKid]

LOL "This time around"

[ballsohard2013]

please just end it.... just attempt to end on a decent note. Don't go down in a fiery plane wreck. The kiddy games became nintendo's staple and it will be its burial.

Somehow i could imagine the shot callers at nintendo being old ass men thats stubborn in their ways. Probably still sleeping with nightlights on. When will nintendo ever acknowledge kids from years ago HAVE GROWN UP but will still make time for their gaming.

[Ninja_G_Aidan]

Maybe this is their tactics until PS4 and XBOne are released. They come out with some stupidly big update which brings a whole new level for them of online play, Account system, Mobile support, many other things ect..

All throughout the time the 3DS was released I have despised them ever since. They've done soo much wrong that I don't think I can ever support them and I hope they fail like Sega. No matter how much I love Mario, Zelda and first party games i'm going to wait until a R4 cartridge comes out so I can download all the games illegally. That's the only support I will give Nintendo again buying a system so I can crack all their games.

[kagamer79]

I've seen alota good points from some of you. Then I've seen some petty attempts at damage control. Its really all about preference. Some people will want online and pass wii u up because it lacks the online experience their looking for, and some will buy it because online gaming doesn't interest them. Same goes for third party support. If your looking for a console with great third party support the wii u isn't for you. If you like nintendos stable of classic ips and third party doesn't matter then buy a wii u because its a fun console.

[NeoTribe]

This time? They never cared about online... Rip nintendo...

[Reeze]

Personally, I find multiplayer with people in the same room a better experience. I've spent countless hours playing games with my cousins, and it's one of the highlights of my year.

However, none of my friends are interested in the games I like, so multiplayer is, sadly, sort of a one-time-a-year thing for me. Online multiplayer would be nice, but I understand where he's coming from. It's more fun when there are people playing with you, but it's a lot less convenient.

[juhis815]

For the love of god, does anyone know what the term "latency" means?!

Because online co-op wouldn't been feasible on platformer games on first place, because I would get distracted by that other players jerk and lag behind.

[Thepcz]

what exactly IS nintendos focus this time around?

losing all its market share?

[Gr81]

LoL. Yup, pretty much.

Online multiplayer should be their focus..instead of this love affair with omg! 3D! mentality. Its like watching a pathetic hasbeen stubbornly refuse to acknowledge they are wrong.

This company is in trouble. And Nintendo apologists need to stop. You aren't doing Nintendo any favors by refusing to critique them or hold them accountable. Otherwise you damn them to Sega's fate.

[Thepcz]

yes. nintendo should be offering online play to those who want to use it. ie the vast majority.

having an offline multiplayer is great, and something that should always be there, BUT nintendo really need to develop their online presence.

everyday we hear devs say that their game on wiiu wont have dlc. devs have given up, and now nintendo are.

nintendo are crucifying their own console

[clouds5]

I personally don't care i prefer single player games on consoles. But its an important feature these days, and if they already make a multiplayer mode why not make it online?

[DialgaMarine]

Funny... They said the exact opposite at E3 2012. Weren't they boasting all sorts of crap about how Wii-U could become every gamer's main console for MP. Guess it didn't work out too well, huh? Once again, Nintendo, you fail miserably. I'll be laughing when the real next gen consoles demolish the Wii-U.