I agree with everything you said but it wouldn't be that much different if they used usernames instead of friend codes. Sure, it would be more complicated the first time as it is likely that all the cool usernames would be taken but I don't think people would feel less secure if they are playing with their friends "Sky Render" or "Godot" instead of some random numbers.  That said, I don't care much about friend codes as it's a huge inconvenience anyway.

There's a reason why most of the games resolve your Friend Code to a user name, you know. The Friend Codes are more secure, because who knows how many people out there use the same alias as your friend does? And what if your friend changes their alias and forgets to tell you? You can't change your Friend Code, though.

Nintendo is perfect; whatever they do everyone else should be doing. I doubt online will be much of a factor in the future of videogames.

Friends codes are an ok idea but what I do not get is why there has to be a different code for every game. If I want to be able to play against someone in Brawl there is no reason why I don't want to play him in Mario Kart. Seems an unnecessary hassle exchanging and entering codes in every game.

Sorry, I like malstrom but he has shown that he has no idea of online, at all. And No I don't complain about friendcodes, but the voice chat and trash talk thing is plain right stupid, also are friendcodes for every freaking game! Why the hell can't my mii get one friendcode, and every game can use it, and my Mii has a global friendslist? Why for every damn game? That isn't casual friendly, that just something Nintendo didn't figured out right yet.

Same goes for voice and normal chat. If I can only "hear" and "see" things from my friends, I don't get trash talk, or some trash talk that I want to have. If I declare somebody as my friend and he can't behave, I have choosen the wrong friends. It is that simple, isn't it. Yes I can understand why Nintendo wants to save people from trash kiddy talk like the Halo players are complaining about. But there is a simple solution for those things, done 1000 times in 1000 games and systems.

And a home like world for the Wii would sky rocket, because friends can meet there, with a voice chat, a cute representation of their self (thats why I don't think home will sky rocket, it is just to realistic). Again, if you only can talk to people on your friendslist (or hear them) no problem there!

Sorry, just repeat what someone else said, doesn't make you smart. Thinking for yourself does!

50% of the Wii's in America are online, says Reggie. That shows that the User desire a good online service, even on the Wii. The solutions for the problems are plain simple to see, Nintendo just has to do them. And they don't.

Edit: Oh and predefined messages are fine, but why the hell is there no "No" in Mario Kart Wii? Somebody ask me if I am ready or want to play "Team GP" and all I can say is: "Well maybe". There is no "no". Yes, very good solution, and very uncivil that I want have no as possible answer to a question!

Hold on here. We're approaching the online issue from the upper tier perspective, while it seems to be Nintendo's strategy to gradually build the online experience from the lower tiers up. I believe it will improve by leaps and bounds, but perhaps not in the direction we think would be the best.

 Another malstrom retalker. Why should it be down tier to have a friendcode for every game? And uptier to have a global one? No answer? Thought so, yes you failed!

I can understand why Nintendo doesn't want voice chat, but honestly the option should be there. It's degrading to our intelligence to think we don't know how to work and options menu with a simple on or off. You don't like voice chat? turn it off in the options. We should have the choice.

Friend Codes are alright...but they are def. an inconvenience as many above have stated. I don't see the argument of a friend code being easier to remember over a username that may have different digits than you thought. It's 12 digits in random order for games and 16 digits in random order for the console. Many times have I written a friend code down, to be honest I don't even enter friend codes half the time, it takes too long and I never know when my friends are even online. It would be nice to have some sort of notification that your friend is online.

Also why can't we just have a friends list or a rivals list? There's a load of people on Mario Kart and Brawl that are fun to play with and put up a good challenge, but chances are I won't play against them again and if I do, I won't even know that I am. All you would have to do is have someone ask to be your friend and you can decline it or accept it. Why is this so hard to comprehend? None of this sounds dangerous at all and I don't think that little Johnny 13 year old is subject to pedophiles anymore than he is when hes roaming around MySpace or using AIM. They could easily have the option that you aren't even allowed to request a person as a friend unless you know their last name. Problem solved...

I just hope somewhere in Nintendo land there is an exec up high pitching these ideas to them...doubtful though