No Xbox Live style online interface for the Wii it seems.

In a chat with gaming site IGN, Takahashi Tezuka, manager of Nintendo's Analysis and Development division, talked about WiFi on the Wii. There won't be a general online interface that we'll see on rival consoles: it'll be on a game-by-game basis, the same system of the Nintendo DS. You'll need to enter Friends Codes for the home console as well.

While all in the name of keeping Wii's online service "easy, safe and free", the apparent lack of progression may disappoint some fans.