Netplay Sessions can only be created by users who own the netplay or laptop item again. This has always been the case but for a limited time last month, I made it so that anyone can make them (as seen here).

So if you want to create a netplay session, you'll have to buy one of those items from the item shop using Viz. For the game of the day and week though, you can create a netplay session without owning those items.

Anyone can join a netplay session. Prior to December, only users who owned those items could join netplay sessions but now anyone can join netplay sessions and anyone can enter the netplay lobby (and this will stay in affect).

That was nice of you to keep it open for as long as you did. I was surprised that the traffic for netplay didn't seem to increase drastically like I thought it might. Maybe people still didn't realize...

Hopefully everyone has been saving up for Netplay! ;-)

Jordanv78 : I think if Vizzed had a few Netplay tournaments, than users might get into doing netplay more.

Darn, I need to pay attention to the announcements, well that's probably Karma from 3 years ago finally catching up with time. So now I gotta get trusted, make layouts, charge Viz, wha bam! A item I will like for one day!

That's what we been doing recently making net play tournaments

Davideo7 : Yeah I think you might be right about that. Tournaments would get the word out there and would also help people get the Viz they need to purchase the netplay item. Maybe we could do a Vizzed.com sponsored one next month?

Jordanv78 : I might do one for Tecmo Super Bowl since the NFL Super Bowl is Feb 3rd.

Aww no more free netplay. At least I have the laptop.

Davideo7 : I think that would be pretty awesome. I think with the excitement of the superbowl that there will be a decent turnout too. I know I would participate.

well that sucks- for people that don't have the netplay item. Luckily, though. i just won a screenshot competition (i won with many others). the prize for 500+ screenshots was the laptop item and beta test ticket

i made one

I think a big problem is that it's hard to set up netplay sessions. Not in the literal sense, but I mean finding someone to play with. I mean, there's a thread where you can find people who wanna play X game and then go and PM them... but I doubt every single member who wants to play is on that list and not everyone knows to check it.

This likely leaves a lot of people who'd use it unable to because they can never find a netplaying partner. I'm not sure how we can alleviate that.

I got the netplay item a while back (November, I think it was?) and to this day have not had a single person express interest in having a netplay session with me... but then again, how can I expect someone to randomly contact me and ask to play? How will they know to? At the same time, I have no idea who to contact if I want to play a game with someone. Even using the list, I haven't noticed anyone down for a game I'd care to try a session in.

Maybe it's just me... but it really doesn't seem like getting together a netplay session is really an easy thing to do.

Crazy Li : Well I will point out that there is a netplay chat room that everyone can go to and is linked to the index page of the RGR. I mean that's about as interactive as this site gets at the moment aside from actually PMin'g someone.

I think a lot of the problem is that many of the younger gamers want to either trade pokemon(which you can't do right now) or play N64 games which they usually don't have a good enough connection for or don't have a fast enough computer to try to play 4 players over the internet. Also a ton of them don't have the item to create games and didn't realize that it was free for the past month because they don't pay attention to the announcements.

I just got the netplay item and am much impressed. Whether it's Mario kart or Mario bros. I have been setting up a fair few games, even though I am not very good at the games in general.

Crazy Li : I have 2 solutions:

1. Hold monthly netplay tournaments (which I'm going to be holding this month to see how it goes)

2. Make a feature where you select which games you want to play with others online (or base it off the games you own) and it sends you a notification as soon as someone starts a netplay session for one of the games you have selected (could be based off friends list or everyone)

Davideo7 : I like those solutions... particularly the 2nd one. I'll try to get in on the first as much as I can as well... but realistically, not every game being put to tourney play is gonna be one I actually play. But solution #2 would be awesome.