"I don't think the current system we have with friend codes is perfect,” Nintendo president Satoru Iwata lamented.

Nintendo runs an online service popularly known as Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection which facilitates free Internet play in compatible Nintendo DS and Wii games.

Nintendo’s Wii friend codes are twelve digits codes generated from an identifier unique to a copy of a game and the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection ID of a DS or Wii system. You can generate a code while using a different copy of the game or when playing the same game on a different machine. Popular places to obtain codes include various online forums and chatrooms. Users must first become “Friends” by equally adding Friend codes.

Nintendo says such measures are necessary to preserve users' privacy. Whereas Nintendo has finally accepted the concerns most people have been raising, they are still wary of online beginners such as children. Nintendo says that they do not want a child getting harassed that’s why they take the issue of safety and security of the gamer very seriously.

"We think it's very important to create a world where we can assure that there will be no harassment for online beginners (such as children), and we really want to assure the security and safety for them to do that," said Satoru Iwata, president Nintendo.
Nintendo is rather very strict compared to Xbox 360 and PS3.Users of Sony PS3 and Xbox 360 have a universal I.D which allows users to play all online games. Nintendo Wii gamers have since advocated for such a platform.

However, Nintendo president has now come out to assure its customers that they are looking to the matter. He says that improvements are around the corner.

Since Wii’s launched in 2006, the only game which can be played freely without use of codes is strangers.

Reference Game Daily