Nintendo's Fils-Aime discusses why Friend Codes are needed on 3DS

One well-received aspect of the upcoming Nintendo 3DS has been its more streamlined Friend Code system.

The new system uses universal Friend Codes which will work with all games, rather than the current system which requires players to have a different code for each game.

Calibri">This is all very good, but if the 3DS has parental controls that limit what children can do on their 3DS, then why can’t they prevent them from adding strangers to their friend list? Such an extension of these controls would allow older players to have custom ID’s like they do on Xbox Live and PSN, and would remove the need for a long winded series of numbers.

MTV put these questions to Reggie Fils-Aime, President and COO of Nintendo of America, asking him why Nintendo still felt that Friend Codes were necessary. He replied that the reason they existed was to create an extra barrier for players online that would allow people to interact without giving full access to each other's space.

Calibri">Fils-Aime used Animal Crossing as an example and said “We may want to trade items in 'Animal Crossing,' but do I really want the potential for you to come into my town and maybe disrupt it in some way? That's what Friend Codes are all about. There are certain games where Friend Codes are important. There are other games where, because of the head to head nature of the gameplay, it really isn't necessary."

Arial">The new system should mean that Friend Codes only need to be entered once, but the nature of Nintendo’s online accounts means that should players lose their 3DS, or upgrade to a newer model, only their digital purchases would be tracked, not their friends list or the list of games played. This is in contrast to Xbox Live and Playstation Network accounts which retain such information.

Calibri;mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;mso-bidi-font-family:Arial">When asked whether there were any plans to add such functionality, Fils-Aime revealed Calibri;mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;mso-bidi-font-family:Arial">"In terms of what happens if you lose your system, in terms of digital content, as we've announced, there's the ability to transfer digital content on to a new system, because we'll have the ability to go back and see what your account was and what you had purchased. In terms of what else you might have lost, that's really tough to answer in a hypothetical."

Calibri;mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;mso-bidi-font-family:Arial">So although the overhauled Friend Code system should make life easier for those wanting to play online with friends, it still appears to be far from a perfect solution. MTV