It looks like Square Enix is starting to show Nintendo some interest again and have approached them with the intention of creating an online game for the system. However, they say that the Wii friend code is holding them back.

Square Enix’s Senior Vice President Hiromichi Tanaka empathizes, highlighting the friend code system as the primary reason they haven’t brought an online game like Final Fantasy XI onto the console. In an interview with Cubed’s Adam Riley, Tanaka reveals that the RPG powerhouse is now in negotiations with Nintendo about “resolving this point of contention.” A publisher of Square Enix’s magnitude does not necessarily guarantee Nintendo will listen, but perhaps Nintendo will ease off or at least allow exceptions for some titles.

Personally, I’m not a big fan of the friend code system either. The console is great and very simple to use, but everything regarding the code system is obscure and clumsy. It definitely contrasts with the rest of the experience.