As revealed at E3, the Wii U will allow users to post text messages and simple drawings to their friends though Nintendo‘s online Miiverse service. This would seemingly be a huge step for Nintendo, which has historically been terrified of what gamers might do if they were allowed to communicate with each other online. As it turns out, The Big N isn’t ready to just let their customers have at it and does have a plan in mind to keep the messages family friendly.
When LA Times asked Nintendo President Satoru Iwata about how they plan to handle the Miiverse messages, Iwata revealed that they will have a three-step process in place to filter content. The first step is algorithmic – automatic content filtering, which seems reasonable. The second step takes things much further and involves a moderator who will read all messages before they are posted on the Miiverse system. If any offending messages make it through those two steps, then users will have the ability to flag inappropriate content.
Iwata was not sure how long it would take any given message to make it through the heavy-handed moderation process, but stated that “personally, I think 30 minutes should be acceptable.”
I’m guessing that if the Wii U becomes a smashing success, it will take nothing short of a small army of moderators to get those Miiverse messages posted within that 30 minute window.