Shigeru Miyamoto has said that Nintendo needs to decide whether to stick with its free online gaming service or introduce a paid subscription model.

Online-compatible Wii and DS titles are currently free to play using Nintendo’s Wi-Fi Connection service, but in a recent interview Miyamoto suggested this could change.

“… Probably the other thing that we are desperate to realise is the core [online] business structure,” Nintendo’s Entertainment Analysis and Development boss told us. “Do we need to demand customers pay monthly fees to enjoy online activities? Or give an online subscription that is free of charge, but then offer something extra for people that pay, so that they get some extra value? With these core business strategies I think we are less active than we should be.”

Despite this admission, Miyamoto rejected the suggestion that Nintendo has only taken small steps in the online space.

“To be honest, I think it’s rather unfair whenever I hear such comments – that Nintendo isn’t proactive when it comes to its online strategy. The fact of the matter is that we always want all Wii consoles to be connected online, all the time, so Nintendo has never been less than proactive in that kind of endeavour,” he said.

“It is true, though, that Nintendo hasn’t been very proactive in developing such online activities as an MMOG. But when it comes to our endeavours that try to take advantage of internet technology, where we can provide our customers with more fun and entertainment, then I think we can say we have been very, very proactive and well-received. And that attitude won’t be changed at all in the future.”

http://www.edge-online.com/news/miyamoto-nintendo-could-charge-for-online-gaming

I wouldn't like to have to pay for online gaming and most others would not go for it either. It seems like a bad idea to me.

Would you all be willing to pay to play online Nintendo games?

Well, if they do decide to charge for online, they sure as hell need to improve it, how it is right now, no one will want to pay.

Correct the way it is currently with friend codes I would not be willing to pay. But is there were some big improvements then I'd consider a monthly subscription.    

There was a thread on this earlier, but this thread contains far more information and more quotes from the original interview.

To reiterate what I said in the previous thread, my issue with Nintendo's online implementation primarily revolves around the way they handle ownership of downloaded content. The inability to transfer anything I buy through the VC, WiiWare, or DSiWare when switching consoles is a pain, and it ensures I won't be switching to a black Wii or anything of the sort anytime soon.

Bringing a unified ID structure to the Wii would solve not only sold the serious issue of retaining ownership of your games long after you lose ownership of the original hardware they were purchased on (through linking any purchased content to said ID), but it would also make interacting with your friends online far easier.

As for the subject of any fees associated with online play, paying for the entire service is not a good idea. Paying for "some extra value" in addition to online play is something I wouldn't mind, however, given I would only buy the added (and presumably unnecessary) features if I felt the value was worth it.

hmm, Id rather the didn't, NWC is nice and all but dosnt offer nearly the same amount of features that XBL offers

Nintendo should first improve its online structure to Xbox Live level before talking about charging for it.

At the moment, Wii's online structure (or the lack of it) is terrible.

No way I would pay for the way it is currently. Even if they improve it, I have no good games that are online multiplayer besides Mariokart.

If they just had the basics and charged a lower subcription... like say... 20 bucks a year... maybe it wouldn't be full featured, but you would have all the mainstains for XBL.  They could deal with the initial problems with game codes by some how allowing you to attach your game code to a univeral I.D.    That way Nintendo can keep the game code but you would only have to share one code to friend someone for other games you have attached to your I.D.

what they need is a unified gaming structure, where games are tied to an account rather than a machine. This would also allow games to be linked together. Give everyone a social networking like profile which you can access from any machine