IbizaPocholo
NeoGAFs Kent Brockman
Why Does Nintendo Use Friend Codes Instead Of Screen Names? Leaked Documents Reveal All
Nintendo's reasoning explained
www.nintendolife.com
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Why Does Nintendo Use Friend Codes Instead Of Screen Names? Leaked Documents Reveal All
- Thread starter IbizaPocholo
- Start date
- News Platform
www.nintendolife.com
ExpandKong
Banned
Nintendo it’s hard to love you sometimes
hybrid_birth
Member
Especially when they steal your banana horde and blame it on Kremlins.
Playstation and Xbox do screen names just fine Nintendo.
DarkestHour
Banned
Damn. If only there was a way to make usernames unique!
jts
...hate me...
Didn’t people cry for years that you couldn’t change names on PSN, and when Sony tried to update that it was a painful process. Also it’s paid on Xbox too or something if I’m not mistaken?
That’s one cool thing about the system on the Switch, you can just change your screen name at will free of charge, as it is separate from your unique identifier, the friend code, which is acting essentially the same as a phone number.
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Vawn
Banned
"We can't go with User Names and instead require sending and entering 12 digit friend codes because of our 'Simple Principle'".
How does needing to download a phone app and use it while also gaming on the Switch console for voice chat fit into these "Simple" and "Comfortable" principles?
How does needing to download a phone app and use it while also gaming on the Switch console for voice chat fit into these "Simple" and "Comfortable" principles?
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hybrid_birth
Member
jts
...hate me...
Yeah, it’s definitely and painfully lacking in the communication department. I also don’t memorize my FC, mind, but I also don’t need to give it often.
StreetsofBeige
Gold Member
Nintendo treating people like kids. Sounds about right. Been like this since NES.
GreenAlien
Member
Nintendo logic. 
GamesAreFun
Banned
They're correct with one aspect - it's irritating when your preferred screen name is taken. The username is just an arbitrary unique string anyway, might as well use an arbitrary unique number.
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ExpandKong
Banned
Doesn’t the switch do this?
LordKasual
Banned
I wasn't expecting a good answer, but yes this was fucking stupid then
and it's only more fucking stupid the more they continue to use it
and it's only more fucking stupid the more they continue to use it
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OutrageousFacts
Banned
Sigh
I hate you, Nintendo :/
I hate you, Nintendo :/
And I love you :/
Grinchy
Banned
Yeah, because when you tell your friend to send you a friend invite, there's nothing better than "It's easy! It's just 271948194923!"
chitzy
Banned
Well yeah, their entire business is marketed towards kids....
Jubenhimer
Member
For years many people speculated it was to protect children online, since Nintendo is family friendly and all that. But I never personally bought that theory, because as a child protection method, it makes no sense. So no we have clear confirmation of the real reason, which lines up with what somebody for Nintendo of Europe said about them viewing friend making online as more of a house party.
I'd still prefer to search for friends by username, but the current Switch implementation isn't the worst, since you still have other ways to add friends and you don't each have to enter the same code to register each other like before. It's more akin to the course ID system in Super Mario Maker. It's not ideal, but it's not the worst thing to deal with.
I'd still prefer to search for friends by username, but the current Switch implementation isn't the worst, since you still have other ways to add friends and you don't each have to enter the same code to register each other like before. It's more akin to the course ID system in Super Mario Maker. It's not ideal, but it's not the worst thing to deal with.
mckmas8808
Mckmaster uses MasterCard to buy Slave drives
Nintendo can be so bizarre sometimes. They actually believe this too. Crazy!
TLZ
Banned
I don't think some of you get it. But this is the internet trying to be funny as usual.
You either use numbers or names as your unique ID. Of you use names, you're limiting yourself. For example, you can't have more than one John Smith. The next person wanting to use as his unique ID won't be allowed to and will be asked to use a different one, say John Smith1. Which imo looks silly.
Now of you use numbers as your unique ID, which all organizations do because it's an easier identifier, you're then freely allowed to have a million John Smiths, since they can be easily identified by their unique number. For example, you're social security number, your driver license, your car registration, your phone number, and so on. This is what Nintendo has basically done.
Their only problem though, unlike those other orgs, they're actually using the unique number as your public identifier. It's like saying your driver licence or phone number doesn't have a name attached to it. That's how it was in the past and was rather silly. I think they rectified that issue with the Switch (I don't have friends on there so I wouldn't know).
On the other hand, you can have the best of both worlds. You can still use names as unique IDs AND attach public IDs to them. For example, my unique ID is JohnSmith2381, but my public ID, or display name, what other users see, is whatever I choose it to be. It can be John Smith, The Sherminator, zomgzlordz etc. And we can have a million people named just the same no issues, as long as the hidden, or underlying unique ID is, unique, or different, in order to avoid conflicts. This is how PS does it I think. And Twitter. Some others use emails as unique IDs. And so on.
Edit: omg wall of text. Sorry
You either use numbers or names as your unique ID. Of you use names, you're limiting yourself. For example, you can't have more than one John Smith. The next person wanting to use as his unique ID won't be allowed to and will be asked to use a different one, say John Smith1. Which imo looks silly.
Now of you use numbers as your unique ID, which all organizations do because it's an easier identifier, you're then freely allowed to have a million John Smiths, since they can be easily identified by their unique number. For example, you're social security number, your driver license, your car registration, your phone number, and so on. This is what Nintendo has basically done.
Their only problem though, unlike those other orgs, they're actually using the unique number as your public identifier. It's like saying your driver licence or phone number doesn't have a name attached to it. That's how it was in the past and was rather silly. I think they rectified that issue with the Switch (I don't have friends on there so I wouldn't know).
On the other hand, you can have the best of both worlds. You can still use names as unique IDs AND attach public IDs to them. For example, my unique ID is JohnSmith2381, but my public ID, or display name, what other users see, is whatever I choose it to be. It can be John Smith, The Sherminator, zomgzlordz etc. And we can have a million people named just the same no issues, as long as the hidden, or underlying unique ID is, unique, or different, in order to avoid conflicts. This is how PS does it I think. And Twitter. Some others use emails as unique IDs. And so on.
Edit: omg wall of text. Sorry
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Explosive Zombie
Banned
Why can't they just copy what the best people do? On Steam you have a name to sign in that is unique to you that no one else sees and then your display name can be literally anything. You even have a code you can give to friends to help them find you still.
CuteFaceJay
Member
You've got to be kidding me? Jesus Christ.
Straight up loony tunes!
Straight up loony tunes!
StormCell
Member
There's actually nothing at all wrong with their "friend codes" as that's closer to the industry standard for unique ids. The problem is that they ever expected us to share these with our friends and treat them like addresses or phone numbers that we would give out. Having to rely on these codes to add friends is harsh. I don't know why they don't have a user look-up service but are more than happy to connect you with anyone you know on some other social media platform.
soulbait
Member
PSN was an issue, because they used the username as the unique identifier in the database. Why on earth they decided to do this rather than an id number or GUID is beyond me, but it is what made it so hard for them to change over (at least that is my understanding of it),
As for Xbox, you can change it once, then they would charge you money. This was not because it it really cost them anything to change it, but to prevent people from changing all the time (and of course an additional revenue stream).
MS' database structure was setup correctly, which is why you could change gamertags with no issue, unlike Sony. I still want to know why Sony did it that way. I have been creating login systems for years for various applications and never once did I want to tie the username as the main identifier of the user within the system. It just does not make sense.
Eevee86
Member
I give my friend code out like once a year. Having to pull up the memo on my phone with it is a small price to pay to be able to change my name at any time without a cost attached to it. They also have like six different ways to add friends now, so the outrage over it at this point just seems weird to me.
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Bakkus
Member
This is from the same company that thought Wii U was a good name for their console after Wii's reputation had gone down a whole lot and 3DS had already been out for 3 months by the time of it's announcement with reports of name confusion as to what it actually was compared to the DS. Are anyone surprised they are just as dumb in other areas?
VooDooChicken
Member
I could use my name for Nintendo. When I tried to use the same name in Sony it was already taken, even if that's how I was known elsewhere
Shaqazooloo
Member
Yeah, this is retarded. Listen Nintendo, all I want is a decent online experience, that's not too much to ask.
Just get someone else to do it please because nobody inside the company knows anything about online or internet apparently.
Just get someone else to do it please because nobody inside the company knows anything about online or internet apparently.
teezzy
Banned
Eventually people are going to recognize the diminishing returns with Nintendo's refusal to adapt to modern gaming conventions. Their games are good, but not good enough for me to support their ass backwards logic when their competitors are offering comparable products without the headaches. Nintendo lost me because of crap like this.
Keihart
Member
TLDR; Yes, Nintendo solution it's stupid and worth to make fun of.I don't think some of you get it. But this is the internet trying to be funny as usual.
You either use numbers or names as your unique ID. Of you use names, you're limiting yourself. For example, you can't have more than one John Smith. The next person wanting to use as his unique ID won't be allowed to and will be asked to use a different one, say John Smith1. Which imo looks silly.
Now of you use numbers as your unique ID, which all organizations do because it's an easier identifier, you're then freely allowed to have a million John Smiths, since they can be easily identified by their unique number. For example, you're social security number, your driver license, your car registration, your phone number, and so on. This is what Nintendo has basically done.
Their only problem though, unlike those other orgs, they're actually using the unique number as your public identifier. It's like saying your driver licence or phone number doesn't have a name attached to it. That's how it was in the past and was rather silly. I think they rectified that issue with the Switch (I don't have friends on there so I wouldn't know).
On the other hand, you can have the best of both worlds. You can still use names as unique IDs AND attach public IDs to them. For example, my unique ID is JohnSmith2381, but my public ID, or display name, what other users see, is whatever I choose it to be. It can be John Smith, The Sherminator, zomgzlordz etc. And we can have a million people named just the same no issues, as long as the hidden, or underlying unique ID is, unique, or different, in order to avoid conflicts. This is how PS does it I think. And Twitter. Some others use emails as unique IDs. And so on.
Edit: omg wall of text. Sorry
Panajev2001a
GAF's Pleasant Genius
Businesses have very weird way to decide on something stupid and obtuse and produce tons of internal “research” that reassured the execs it is the right thing to do.
Chittagong
Gold Member
I can’t wait for the document explaining why Switch voice chat needing to go through a smartphone app makes so much sense for the principles of “Simplicity” and “Comfort”
Cutty Flam
Banned
All we can do is laugh at how incompetent their online and integrated communication is for the online. They could make so much money off of selling microphones, a pricier yearly subscription (assuming they made their online experience actually worth it all around), as well as other incentives. When it comes to online and really taking advantage of how good their games are, and making them even better and more fun with online, they've gone-no, they've been in full dunce mode for the longest time. Stuck in it really. It's pathetic tbh, and I'm a huge fan of Nintendo too
Wolfgang Jr
Banned
Yes, I call my friends by their driver's licence number every day.I don't think some of you get it. But this is the internet trying to be funny as usual.
You either use numbers or names as your unique ID. Of you use names, you're limiting yourself. For example, you can't have more than one John Smith. The next person wanting to use as his unique ID won't be allowed to and will be asked to use a different one, say John Smith1. Which imo looks silly.
Now of you use numbers as your unique ID, which all organizations do because it's an easier identifier, you're then freely allowed to have a million John Smiths, since they can be easily identified by their unique number. For example, you're social security number, your driver license, your car registration, your phone number, and so on. This is what Nintendo has basically done.
Their only problem though, unlike those other orgs, they're actually using the unique number as your public identifier. It's like saying your driver licence or phone number doesn't have a name attached to it. That's how it was in the past and was rather silly. I think they rectified that issue with the Switch (I don't have friends on there so I wouldn't know).
On the other hand, you can have the best of both worlds. You can still use names as unique IDs AND attach public IDs to them. For example, my unique ID is JohnSmith2381, but my public ID, or display name, what other users see, is whatever I choose it to be. It can be John Smith, The Sherminator, zomgzlordz etc. And we can have a million people named just the same no issues, as long as the hidden, or underlying unique ID is, unique, or different, in order to avoid conflicts. This is how PS does it I think. And Twitter. Some others use emails as unique IDs. And so on.
Edit: omg wall of text. Sorry
JimboJones
Member
It sucked on Wii and DS, per game basis friend codes good grief, and you both had to input each others code.
At least now it only takes one friend to initiate the friend invite and you have social media integration.
At least now it only takes one friend to initiate the friend invite and you have social media integration.
newtypepilot
Member
this is how Nintendo views its customers, just a bunch of numbers. Like inmates in a prison LOL
It's no secret Nintendo is run by a bunch of dinosaur boomers who still run the company like a toy company.
It's no secret Nintendo is run by a bunch of dinosaur boomers who still run the company like a toy company.