Nintendo UK's marketing manager Rob Lowe states that the online service offered by Wii U will be a step up from that of the 3DS.

In the past Nintendo has been criticised for not fully embracing online gaming in much the same way their rivals have. Many have pointed to the reliance of individual friend codes and poor support for online as evidence that Nintendo has not embraced online gaming, but this is all about to change according to Nintendo UK's marketing manager Rob Lowe.

Speaking to Mr. Lowe Eurogamer ask about Nintendo's plans for online gaming with the Wi U. Mr. Lowe points to the 3DS, launched several months ago, as an indicator of what Nintendo are aiming for with their next console. The 3DS finally got rid of unique friend codes for each game, instead only having one for the console, and the Wii U will apparently take this further:

"If you look at 3DS and the online of that you'll get an understanding of where we're going with Wii U and we're taking that even further. We can't talk about the details yet as Mr. Iwata will announce those slightly later. But with the online of 3DS it's obviously a massive leap on from where we were with DSi and DSi XL. It's smooth, robust, it doesn't drop in and out.

When asked why it has taken this long for Nintendo to focus on online gaming Mr. Lowe draws comparisons to the Wii U's use of high definition graphics. In the past Nintendo has said that HDTV adoption rates were too low to make the Wii HD but now they have increased, as have Wi-Fi connections, with Mr. Lowe saying it is a "universal truth that everybody is connected online".

Rob Lowe states that the friend code system will be "refined" and likens it to the Xbox 360 and PS3 systems that require you to pair up with friends before playing. He is also quick to point out that the demographic of the Nintendo install base is different from that of Microsoft's or Sony's:

"We always try and strike a balance. Because we do have more younger consumers than any other hardware manufacturer or games brand we need to protect them while also making it as accessible as possible for the more active and hardcore consumers to go online."