I extremely like that "Wiiware Channel" idea.

Ya know as much as I want this to happen and as much as I love the Xbox Live setup, the notion of it being called "facebook-y" and that comparison being accurate is some how disturbing and destructive. Yuck. But yes, more social but please no facebooky haha. Get enough of that with Facebook.

It was "too late" the instant they released Pokemon Battle Revolution, given the Wii's inability to accept sweeping updates, which forced them from that point on to face the choice of: fix the online structure and leave all current online games in the dark, or don't fix it at all.

meh their's no point now. Its really too late. Actually all I want is online severs that are fast and don't get much lag. That's really all they can improve

Even the next system (not just "Wii" with a suffix) is dubious, unless the mainstream, not the vocal minority, shows they want a smoother online setup.

I'm thinking that Nintendo used the Wii to experiment heavily with online functions; it was their guinea pig to figure out what works and what doesn't; the next Nintendo console (which had BETTER not have "Wii" anywhere in its name) will have infinitely better online infrastructure.

Yeah, like others in this thread have said, they'll save that for Wii's successor.

This is true, also. It hasn't been demonstrated to Nintendo that a smooth online experience can sell titles, when a game without online entirely (NSMBWii) can sell through as quickly as a game with quite seamless online (MKWii).

I really can't think of a game of theirs that could have sold a lot more if it had online. Metroid Prime 3 maybe, but there's the debate about the nature of Metroid.

i think having 'facebook-y' online would be the most awsome online experience ever! not just knowing what people are playing, but making new friend and searching for people you know, who's online so you can play together... etc

if a next gen console had that, i'd be extremely interested in that console, along with Nintendo's 6th of course ;)

EDIT: OT, i think it's pretty much too late for Wii. people are already buying heaps even WITH crappy online. it would be wasteful to impliment better online now that we're over halfway through this gen already.

i don't even think they'll have superior online for it's next console, what makes you think they'll do it halfway through the life of this one?