We all know about stuff like StreetPass and the friendslist on the 3DS. And I've seen a few places where the 3DS catches flack for having poor social features that can be used amongst friends (you can't message each other for example).

If you have a 3DS, is this something you're missing? Or are you happy enough without it?

If you don't own a 3DS, is this something the 3DS needs before you'll consider getting one? Or will it take more to stop you from getting one?

Not being able to message friends is a massive fail, but also still having to swap friend codes in real life is also a bit rubbish, even if they dont want me to add any old random that ive met in a game, should still be able to add friends by searching on there email address.

Would it stop me buying one, not really, ill get one when the first party games are there, Nintendo has never done anything great online so i wouldnt be buying it for online features anyway.

 What I want to know is, can they make some kind of update so people will be able to message each other?

Yeah not being able to message each other is not convenient, at all, but I'm pretty sure they;ll fix that in s system update.

Also, as for other social features, I find the Streetpass thing to be genuinely fascinating and really clever, I LOVE it. ^^

Have you been able to test StreetPass yet? Like walking around, coming home and finding out that you've met a bunch of people? 

Yes I have, in fact as soon as on the 1st day, I couldn't believe I'd already met others with a 3DS.

It's really quite neat, especially considering you can use those Miis you've met in games, and set special messages for people after you've met them twice.

It could be better, but it satisfies all my needs today and I have the impression that the fundamentals have been put in place so that Nintendo has the opportunity to expand upon the system over time. Being that the games connect through universal friend codes and you can interrupt a game to be dropped to the system menu, it is entirely possible that the system will provide a lot of services that will (therefore) be compatible with all games on the system.

Being that it appears Nintendo is following the Playstation approach of maintaining a single UI/OS for both their platforms, I suspect that they will continue to add features to this system for the next several years.

I'm hoping Nintendo will roll out updates that add features to the system on consistent basis, and I'm confident that that's their plan right now (going by the pending may update), so I'm hoping they'll be able to stick to it.

@Cheebee

Cool, good to know.

I think there is a great foundation for some truly innovative and fun social aspects with it. As long as Nintendo delivers some good updates, I think it'll be great. I'm planning on going out tomorrow, just to walk around and try out Street Pass.

Like I said in a previous post, I think the POTENTIAL in the 3DS is huge, we'll just have to wait and see what gets done with it.

Of course, playing games together is the goal. But having the functionallity to say, see one of you is online on your 3ds, send you message saying "hey throw in SSFIV and lets rumble" and then we do!

I agree though that the gamesharing is great, and I'm happy to see that so far both games I have, have one cartridge needed download play options. I hope most or all 3DS have this.

I like being anti-social sometimes, that's what online forums are for! ;P