While we still have a fortnight to wait before Nintendo's latest home console, the Wii U graces our shores, this past Sunday has seen a flurry of information released into the wild as the console touched down in the US. And as millions across America plug their systems in for the very first time, fire up their newest games, and set up their accounts, our last few questions about the online capabilities of the new console are being answered - although sadly, as in this case, not as we'd like.
As we covered just over a week ago, the Wii U will feature a user accounts system, known as a Nintendo Network ID. Consisting of a "gamertag" style username, paired with a Mii, you'll be able to create up to twelve accounts per console, which will keep track of your save games, friends, messages, downloads, preferences, and more. A notable step up from the Wii, the accounts system solves a lot of the headaches experienced with the Wii, especially when games only provided a single save slot, meaning only one person in the household could play through the game (we're looking at you, Super Smash Bros Brawl).
Better pray you don't need your friend's help on New Super Mario Bros U...
But sadly, that's where the good news finishes. Courtesy of an updated Nintendo website comes the disappointing news that your Nintendo Network accounts will be locked to a single console. While we were hoping we'd be able to take our profile round to a friend's house (much as we do with the 360 currently), and have access to all our saves and data, apparently, your Nintendo Network profile has to stay put. If you get stuck on a game, or do something particularly cool, you won't be able to take your save round to your friend's house and show them. If you fancy a game of Mario round a friend's, you'll have to make your profile (or at least your Mii) all over again before you start playing. When you consider the Xbox 360's let you move accounts from console to console for the past six years without any fuss, this is the sort of step backwards Nintendo could really do without.
Although Nintendo have confirmed that they have plans to make the accounts transferable in future, it's another bump in the road for the company as they try to position themselves as a more online-friendly company. With news already out that voice chat won't be universally supported by the console, but is instead being implemented on a game-by-game basis, and many users reporting a several-hour long wait to download the day one system update, followed by more waits to download day-one patches for each game, it seems Nintendo have a long way to go before they deliver the online system everyone's hoping for. We'll see what the state of play is when the console hits these shores on the 30th.
