They could potentially be implementing the system used by Guitar Hero 5, which made the actual friend codes invisible in lieu of the System code, but they cannot eliminate friend codes, or else they would have done so long ago. The friend code is how WiFi Connection identifies its users at its base, any name the user might be running under is merely window dressing. To eliminate them, they would have to tear the system apart from the ground up, which would mean they would either have to maintain WiFi Connection and a newer network simultaneously, or have to put all existing online games out in the cold.
Monster Hunter: pissing me off since 2010.