Nintendo online

Being a regular patron of the video game arts, I have multiple gaming consoles including an Xbox 360 and a Nintendo Wii. Only the Xbox, however, has seen any significant use over the last year. This is primarily because there are more titles in which I am interested being released for the Xbox. Not that the games being released for the Wii are bad, per se, but most of them are much more enjoyable when playing with friends. While the same can be said about the Xbox, the Xbox holds a distinct advantage over the Wii in this regard--a stellar online component.

With Microsoft's machine, it's incredibly easy to jump online and connect with friends or complete strangers to play a round of nearly any game. Jumping online with the Wii, on the other hand, is much more complicated. Each Wii console, as well most games, comes with a long and complex "connection code," each of which must be exchanged with another player before online play can be enabled. While it's not always necessary to use these codes, the lack of a centralized online service still makes connecting with other players difficult.

When you think about it, it's actually rather surprising and kind of disappointing that playing a Wii game online is so difficult, especially given how Nintendo has made an effort to market the machine as an entertainment device to be enjoyed with friends. The company even built a Wifi receiver into the console, a sore point among Xbox owners that must shell out close to an additional $100 in order to enjoy Wifi on the Xbox.

The frustration with Nintendo's online component came to a head for me this past weekend. A system update for the console was recently released that would allow users to store and play content directly from an SD card, a feature which is attractive to me since I've got content that I used to constantly move back and forth between an SD card and the Wii's small hard drive. However, I was unable to download and install the update due to "Internet connection issues." Though repeated connection tests all came up positive, what I assume was just a poor overall connection prevented me from enjoying the new features.

Now the Wii lies dormant once again on a shelf of my entertainment center. I've been left with a sour taste in my mouth, and I remain with the view that the Wii (as well as other Nintendo products) is just not a very online-capable device. It's okay, though--I'm having way too much fun on my Xbox online anyway.