Nintendo's insanely popular Wii console introduced players to the infamous 12-digit friend code, which allowed users to add their friends in order to play online with them at their leisure. This was all the way back in 2006, when the Wii hit store shelves.
Sixteen years after the release of the Wii, and Nintendo is still using that same outdated method, which is not only unintuitive, but is also quite impractical for everybody. The infamous 12-digit friend code has been required on the Wii, Nintendo 3DS, Wii U, and now the Switch.
Recent information has revealed the reason behind Nintendo opting for a friend code instead of a more traditional, and efficient, method like the PlayStation ID or the Xbox gamertag; and the reason is head-scratchingly ridiculous.
According to a Nintendo presentation that was leaked over the course of the weekend, the reason why Nintendo went for a 12-digit friend code was because screen names would have been too confusing for users, and that it could eventually lead users feeling frustrated when they couldn't get the one they wanted.
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Nintendo also thinks that gamertags are easy to figure out — as one could guess someone else's name by trying different variations of their name — and that could lead to conflicts with their "Comfortable" principle.
The 12-digit friend code is the least of Nintendo users' problems when it comes to online gaming, so it is quite fair to say that, at the very least, the code isn't nearly as bad as their online service as a whole. Glass half full.
As part of that Nintendo leak, an internal powerpoint was found that spells out the reasons they went for friend codes. Apparently they thought signing up for screen names would be too confusing for the audience, and they would be frustrated if they didn't get the ones they want. pic.twitter.com/LWzM0BRhIb
— Imran Khan (@imranzomg) May 4, 2020
