Miyamoto on Wii Online Subscription Fees

In a recent interview with Edge Magazine, Shigeru Miyamoto suggested that we may someday have a pay to play online model.  This isn't the first time we've heard Nintendo was exploring the pay to play option.

“… Probably the other thing that we are desperate to realise is the core [online] business structure,” Nintendo’s Entertainment Analysis and Development boss told us. “Do we need to demand customers pay monthly fees to enjoy online activities? Or give an online subscription that is free of charge, but then offer something extra for people that pay, so that they get some extra value? With these core business strategies I think we are less active than we should be.”

Regardless of what anyone else says I think the Nintendo Wii is a fantastic system but certainly is lacking on the software side of things.  One other major downfall in my opinion is the online portion.  While I do agree the Nintendo "always online" thing is a great idea, I feel like it was never really implemented passed having your Miis being copied to your friends Mii Channel and the messenger service.  News, weather and the Nintendo Channel never really seemed to update unless you connected once in a while.  Waiting for stuff to load sucks and if the system is "always on" I want it right away.

I have nothing but the highest regard for Shigeru Miyamoto, but when he said that the company didn't "fail" in the online space:

“To be honest, I think it’s rather unfair whenever I hear such comments – that Nintendo isn’t proactive when it comes to its online strategy. The fact of the matter is that we always want all Wii consoles to be connected online, all the time, so Nintendo has never been less than proactive in that kind of endeavour,”

Umm what?  Friend codes?  Can't see whose online?  I know that Nintendo is not Microsoft and that the Xbox is not the Wii, but come on.  Why is matchmaking way too difficult?  This stuff was pioneered on the PC and should have been copied and not attempted to be innovated.