A few days ago, Nintendo revealed that Wii U online multiplayer and online features will free for all players, but now the company has reiterated on its online plans. Specifically, Nintendo’s Satoru Iwata said that the company “cannot promise to always provide online services free of charge”, especially when it comes to “deep online experiences”. Iwata added that Nintendo will not charge consumers to “casually get access to ordinary online services”. From what it appears, online multiplayer is included in the “ordinary online services”.
Nintendo recently said that Wii U online services will remain free, services that include Miiverse. Even back then, a paid online service wasn’t out of the question. It seems as if Nintendo is seriously considering offering a paid online service for the Wii U. In that case, we sincerely hope they take the PlayStaiton Plus route instead of the Xbox Live model. PlayStation Plus members pay about $50 a year and receive access to a ton of features, including a free downloadable games each month. With Nintendo’s vast catalog of titles spanning decades and multiple consoles, they could easily offer access to those games with a premium Wii U online service.
We’ll have to wait and see how this pans out. Would you pay for a premium Wii U online membership? What would you expect in return for paying, say, $50/year for something like that? Let us know in the comments section!
