Announcement of Discontinuation of Online Services for Nintendo 3DS and Wii U software

Nintendo writes: "In early April 2024, online play and other functionality that uses online communication will end for Nintendo 3DS* and Wii U software. This also includes online co-operative play, internet rankings, and data distribution."

[CappyBlack]

Because Nintendo only cares about the Switch series at this point. That's fine, my PC, Steam Deck, and even Series S emulates your titles at a higher quality anyway.

[Nintentional]

More like CrappyBlack

[Knightofelemia]

Just another reason why digital only sucks if the game is available on a last gen console there is no guarantee that the same game will be ported to the new machine. Or even if the new machine will recognize the game in your digital library. I wish SquareEnix would port Xenogears to the PS4 and 5 but the game is stuck on the PS3 and PS1.

[CappyBlack]

There's absolutely no reason any of the big three couldn't put an emulator onto their systems. I was running an N64 on a damn PSP back in the day. It was choppy, but it worked. We're talking nowadays where even something like the Series S can run most emulators perfectly. The Steam Deck emulates Switch games better than the Switch runs them.

[CrimsonWing69]

These issues would still effect the physical copy of the game, though. These are online/server functionality.

[CappyBlack]

Not sure why so many people seem to be unaware that physical copies, nowadays, are still often tied to the system's online infrastructure.

[Knightofelemia]

Doesn't affect PS5 it plays PS4 right out of the box. But now PS3 and older only way that affects the PS5 is if you have the game and if the developer puts the game so it can access the server to verify the disc. Other problem is Sony has that feature behind a paywall which sucks. Microsoft it's free which I like but you have to make sure you have the right copy of the game. I tried to play Fable because I have never played it. I found a copy at a second hand store. Tried to get my XB1 to play it turns out I had a different version of the game and the XB1 would not recognize the copy I had. I needed the anniversary edition to play Fable. To me if a system is disc based then it should be able to play any disc game no matter what it is. Whether it software emulation or have the core components put in like a PS1 built into the PS5. Putting games behind a paywall just to play them I don't like that.

[CrimsonWing69]

With all due respect, what in the hell are you gong on about?

You posted a rant about physical games being better than digital games in an article about Nintendo shutting off online features and server functionality for games. This 100% has the same effect on physical games as it does on digital. How do you think a physical game connects to a server? Your physical game won't magically have online co-op when they disable the online feature.

"And as for PS2 and the PS3 they both play PS1 games right out of the box so server/online does not apply to those physical games. Wii plays Gamecube right out of the box again server/online does not affect that either unless the game has an online portion."

Yea... that whole "online portion" you mention is what this story is talking about. I have Resident Evil Outbreak on PS2 and I hate to break it down to you, but I cannot whatsoever play that game online. I have no clue what your rant is all about with games that can be played via backwards compatibility that don't have online functionality.

I'm pretty sure if you own these games digitally you can play them the same as you can the physical versions, you just can't use leaderboards, play online co-op, or any other online feature these games have.

[Knightofelemia]

My rant is older games not being able to play on newer consoles and when a the older game does come to a newer console it comes at a price. I was using Microsoft and how their way of playing older games works. And how Sony is using the almost same feature but has it behind a pay wall. My other rant is is if they do bring the older game to a modern console then there are pros and cons the con being behind a pay wall. Also nothing is as easy as slapping a PS1 game into a PS3 and away I play. Other rant is that newer consoles should be able to play and disc based game with ease whether by disc using the online feature to read the disc. Physical games are a better way if I have a copy of Halo all I need to do is put it in a Series X and it will read and play w the game. Digital games tend to get forgotten and never see the light hence Xenogears being locked digitally to PS3. Do you see it on PS4 no do you see it on PS5 no. Will a PS4 read the disc no will a PS5 read the disc no. Only way it will read the disc is if SquareEnix puts the game on the list behind that paywall Sony has. When they turn off the online for an older system we lose that game because no one has ported it to a newer console and the newer console won't read the phsyical game or have the digital game in the library.

[CrimsonWing69]

@Knightofelemia

I guess my disconnect is I don’t understand the relevance to the topic at hand.

[Profchaos]

Just regarding re outbreak of you actually do want to pay it people gave established private servers for it and other games like SOCOM 2 which is still a good time

[Asplundh]

The same can be said with physical, whos to say the next machine will play your physical games from last Gen?

[46player]

Sad, they are great consoles. The Wii U is still a great deal of fun.

[Profchaos]

Servers can't be online forever it's a miracle online play is still going for the Wii U at all given it's so close to being two generations behind.

I honestly have a soft spot for the Wii U after buying one two years back for $50 and being able to buy games like tropical freeze for 5 to 10 dollars used vs 60 AUD on switch I've gone that route for most Wii U Game's that got ported to the switch. And turning it into a emulation station running nes, SNES, mega drive, PS1, n64,GameCube and Wii titles

[FinalFantasyFanatic]

It's sad that a lot of those games will be lost to time and no ports to modern systems, especially the 3DS ones (I bought as many of the ones I wanted as I could).