The Warp Pipe software is a piece of genius. Allowing gamers to play LAN-enabled Gamecube games online, while Nintendo drags their feet on the subject. Well, screw you Nintendo. We can play Mario Kart online without your help. Right?

With some gamers set to experience online Mario Kart with Warp Pipe, is it time Nintendo just set up an online system of their own for GC?

Bas: A Nintendo online service sounds like a great idea. Nintendo made it clear it won't happen soon though, which seems like a wise decision commercially. They've repeatedly stated that the online market is not very big, and two recent polls on Gamefaqs seem to confirm this. A large majority of the participants � which I assume are mostly 'hardcore gamers' � didn't care too much about online play when buying a game (http://cgi.gamefaqs.com/poll/index.asp?poll=1433) or a console (http://cgi.gamefaqs.com/poll/index.asp?poll=1434).

I do believe online play is an important part of the future of gaming, though. The number of people with a high speed internet connection is still growing fast, so missing out in the online market in the next hardware round might prove to be a commercial mistake. Nintendo's next console should be fully equipped for online play.

In my opinion, the 'N5' or whatever they're going to name it seems like a better opportunity to start with online gaming than updating the GameCube halfway its life. This way they can fully utilize the potential of online play, which means including a hard disk for downloads, voice communication and a 'friends list' like Battle.net and Xbox Live. This way Nintendo also has the time to prepare a decent line-up of network games to persuade gamers to subscribe to such a service.

Gamers will have to manage with projects such as Warp Pipe for the next two years, but Nintendo should start working on their online system now.

A proper online MK from Nintendo? Someday...

Dennis: Didn't a lot of specialistic online-systems go bankrupt? I don't think it's a good decision (if they would decide it) to start their own system to combine the gamers and their networking technologies. Simply because it would either a) be destined to die, and b) it would start charging money to not go to scenario a.

It would however be a nice addition to create some kind of online place for gamers to meet and arrange plays. But then again, that's what the forums and chatrooms are for...

Dominic: In my opinion I think it's too late now for the Gamecube to hit online and because of the broadband adapter been just a add-on not many developers really want to support the online part of the Gamecube system. This is why I think Nintendo should just forget about online for Gamecube and just give the "N5" an Ethernet port, kind of like the Xbox has at the moment. With it built into the system from word GO the developers will use the online a lot more than it been just an add-on.

They do have the games for online. Just think of online Mario Party, Mario Golf, Mario Tennis, Mario Kart, Smash Brothers, and Co-op Pikmin. The list can go on with the software they create and I hopefully wish they stick an Ethernet port on the "N5" and get into the online scene.

Lamsh: I personally don't care too much for online gaming, but I know a lot of people do. I recently saw an interview with an American Nintendo spokesman on IGN and he gave a pretty good speech on the online stuff. He said that right now most developers just take a multiplayer mode and put it online, they don't do anything special with it. Nintendo doesn't want to do that, they won't go online untill they can find a way to use playing online in a creative and innovating way. I think that's a good idea, if they would go online now without any new ideas, people would just complain that they waited too long for nothing.

Ben: I'd place a good wod of cash that Nintendo won't go online with GameCube, and I think it'll be a while before they set up a network for N5.

I can't see online gaming being in Nintendo's plans, bearing in mind their tendency to wait for a solid technological base before giving their alliance to a project. And I don't think it would be sensible for Nintendo to have an online system right now.

For a start, online gaming is only enjoyable on a fast broadband-speed connection, and with that service not available everywhere- that means less people playing. Which means less profit from a potentially costly experiment.

Secondly, pricing is going to be an issue. Is a monthly, weekly or yearly fee appropriate? Or should there be a price at all? This all needs to be taken in to be added to a carefully planned strategy which could take years to set up.

Of course I'd like to be able to bash Tim off the track on F-Zero GX- but it's just not viable- and sensible- at this time.

Soon. Hopefully.

Matt (Idlewild): It'd be a huge bonus, but would it be in the best interests of Nintendo?

Yes, it seems like 'everybody' wants online gaming, but just remember who we're talking to here - people on Internet forums. This is hardly going to provide the view of the mass public, most of which don't know much about the internet or want to pay extra costs.

Sure, I'd love to play you all online, but maybe it's for the best - have you seen my Bowser Castle scores? You'd die...

Matt: If anyone is going to make online gaming amazing, it will be Nintendo as far as I can see. The XBox and PS2 are currently mirroring what my PC can do better. I think Nintendo would try and take online gaming into a different area.

Conor: Actually, I have this theory that Nintendo might be working with Warp Pipe's creators in some way. Now, Nintendo aren't stupid. They know that online gaming has a lot of problems, so they're not going to just jump into it just because their rivals are doing the same. Nitendo is like any other company in what their aim is; profit. Online gaming, in it's current form, isn't profitable. So Nintendo want a system that will be profitable, but will appeal to gamers and add to the gaming experience. I think that Nintendo are working on a similar sort of model, but don't want to screw it up. Thus, they're working, in some way, with people who know about online systems. Didn't Gamespy say something a while back about Nintendo contacting them? I'm telling you; something's going on.

I'd go on complaining about the impatience of some Nintendo fans in this respect, but I'll leave that to Wednesday's GameOff. And yes, this was a shameless plug.