Looks like there may be no unified system after all...

According to Falafelkid over at Nintendo-Revolution, there will not be a unified friend code system or gamertag for the Wii after all.

Falafelkid recently spoke with Gamespy's PR people, and asked them to go into detail regarding the Wii's online service.

Falafelkid: I would like to know if I am right in assuming that the features mentioned (friend rosters, advanced matchmaking capabilities and comprehensive rankings data) suggest a single, unified online platform for each console, rather than one which is dependent on individual games (as is the case with the DS).

GameSpy: GameSpy's technology does allow for features that could span multiple games. With the Nintendo Wii, however, the multiplayer features are title-specific.

Falafelkid: But is that the case for all Wii online titles across the board?

GameSpy: Yes, that is the case for Wii titles.

Falafelkid: Just one last question to make absolutely sure I have got this right, please. If I have a friend roster in one game, that roster will not be available to me in any other game. I have to build up an entirely new list for each title, right?

GameSpy: The answer to your question is yes, for the Wii friend lists are game specific.

Nintendo have kept very quiet regarding the online multiplayer features of the Wii, so we still need some kind of confirmation from them. We'll bring you more information on this as it happens.