Nintendo, GameSpy Partner For Wii Online Multiplayer

IGN's GameSpy middleware division has announced that it will be delivering technology that will power friend lists, matchmaking, and ranking to publishers interested in online multiplayer games for the Nintendo Wii. No more details were announced about the full range of the toolkit announced by GameSpy, or how it will be inter-operable with Nintendo's already-in-place online components such as the friend codes. The two companies did announce that the forthcoming Wii title Pokémon Battle Revolution, to be released June 25, will be the first to leverage GameSpy technology for its online multiplayer features. GameSpy and Nintendo themselves are no stranger to online partnerships, as they have formerly worked together to provide multiplayer technology for the Nintendo DS -- GameSpy's first move into the portable world. Said IGN senior VP of consumer products and technology Jamie Berger, “Nintendo has been an invaluable partner and we look forward to expanding our relationship with them in the future. Our goal is to extend our ground-breaking work on the Nintendo DS to provide Wii users with the social, community and multiplayer tools that we believe will expand the online gaming experience to the mass market.”