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Switch players will not be unfamiliar with Nintendo's FC friend code, the 12-digit code replaces the role of the user name, used to establish contact with other players. Many people have joked that the 12-digit FC code is hard to remember, so why did Nintendo promote the feature and drop the use of user names when the Wii came out in 2006?
An internal Nintendo powerpoint leaked last week explains the question. In the Wii era, Nintendo internally believed that FC buddy codes were easier and better to use than usernames. The presentation begins with the remark that "at first some people thought that a freely chosen user name would be better than a 12-digit number," but then quickly lists the potential problems Nintendo sees.
"The likelihood of user name duplication is very high. When this happens, it causes the player to repeat the input multiple times, which is not consistent with the 'simple' principle. In addition, it is possible to guess the user's name through different attempts at the actual name of the player.
While the two reasons given may be completely off the table for many players, it's also an answer for the curious that Nintendo has been using the FC code since the Wii era.
"The likelihood of user name duplication is very high. When this happens, it causes the player to repeat the input multiple times, which is not consistent with the 'simple' principle. In addition, it is possible to guess the user's name through different attempts at the actual name of the player.
While the two reasons given may be completely off the table for many players, it's also an answer for the curious that Nintendo has been using the FC code since the Wii era.
