Nintendo boss defends Friend Codes with Street Pass

Nintendo of America head Reggie Fils-Aime has said the 3DS's improved Street Pass system does all the revamped but still non-standard Friend Code contact tracking system can't.

Speaking to MTV Multiplayer, Fils-Aime said that the broadcast and bragging rights features of Gamertags and PSN IDs are best emulated by Street Pass.

"Essentially if you want to communicate to others what you're playing, what you've done for a particular game, that's now going to be possible through things like Street Pass."

The NoA president described the Friend Code system's limitations as a protective barrier between players and unwelcome contact in games that allow intimate multiplayer experiences.

"Probably the best example is something like 'Animal Crossing.' ... 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."

The polished up Friend Code system is yet to be fully detailed, but features several streamlining improvements over the DS and Wii's efforts.

Thanks, D'Toid.