Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Nintendo Japan Starts Store-Based GBA Wireless Network

Posted by simoniker on from the close-proximity-only dept.

Thanks to Planet GameCube for its article discussing Nintendo Japan's rolling-out of the store-based JoySpot service for the Game Boy Advance wireless adapter. According to the article: "Consisting of wireless base stations - also known as hot spots - at retail locations around the country, JoySpot acts as a miniature server and hub for GBA games supporting the wireless adapter." Although players can use the limited-range wireless adapter with friends separately of the JoySpot locations, "...players can download news from the JoySpot station in Pokémon Fire/Leaf via the virtual JoySpot kiosks.. [and] can also take part in special JoySpot challenge battles among other gamers within the station's range by talking to them in the [virtual] union room."

15 comments

  1. Card Games? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Interesting

    The first thing that comes to mind is how card game stores work: It's not only a place to sell cards, it's also a place for social gatherings to play cards. This in-store network might work out in the same way.

    Imagine a store selling 'booster packs' to people, who then can scan them into their GBA, while arranging their game data to challenge others.. (which is technically feasible, if they upgrade the pokemon TCG game for CGB to be able to use the card reader..)

    1. Re:Card Games? by NonSequor · · Score: 3, Interesting

      The only problem is that you have to somehow ensure that people can't get rare cards by using Gameshark codes or whatever. Or you have to make sure that no one can capture the signal and replay it to get more cards.

      --
      My only political goal is to see to it that no political party achieves its goals.
    2. Re:Card Games? by X-wes · · Score: 3, Insightful

      From what it seems, the only things that will occur through this link will be some battle/competition events and some news updates. The fact is, these are already manipulable via GameShark, so there is no need to worry.

      To be honest, I don't think Nintendo will do anything in the fashion of making hidden, unlockable features only accessible through this feature--but if someone is desperate enough to use a GameShark with the wireless link, they're better off just hacking with a GameShark on a static game.

      For reference, most codes are trained by switching to different scenarios where the value you want to find is different, then modifying those values by GameShark and finding the correct register through process of elimination. In a wireless environment, one simply does not have the freedom to restart games and slowly try different registers without seeming suspicious. Also, unlocking these features should be done on a static, unnetworked cart (this is for cheating, after all).

    3. Re:Card Games? by Zangief · · Score: 1

      I guess they are trying to give a social side to playing videogames on your gba. The CCG comunity is huge and this is a big plus for this games.

  2. NICE except by SmallFurryCreature · · Score: 2, Flamebait
    Typing in a four word password? Maybe it is bad translation but geepers, unless the gba in japan comes with a keyboard that is going to be hell. Especially since japanese has more letters. Reminds me of the GBA games whose saves was a whole string of letters. Guess thats the high-tech super advanced console stuff I missed while I was gaming on my PC :-) (games like that should come with a warning "C16 level technology inside").

    You can also chat via the gba with people in range of the wireless station. Mmmm, you mean unlike simply shouting accross the room?

    Still it seems like a nice idea. Put it in popular kid hangouts charge a few bucks an hour and just rake the money in.

    I am confused however why only the pokemon games would work. There are plenty of multiplayer games for the GBA, surely anyone with 1 braincell would have made a wireless adapter that works with all of them?

    --

    MMO Quests are like orgasms:

    You may solo them, I prefer them in a group.

    1. Re:NICE except by KyolFrilander · · Score: 4, Interesting

      For whatever reason, Nintendo decided not to implement the standard wired communications protocol through the wireless adaptor, so only games that are _designed_ for wireless will work. Brilliant, I know. I mean, the wired link is a nasty little interrupt based hodgepodge and not very friendly at all, but *supposedly* the same bright guys that brought you the Afterburner frontlight kit for the original GBA figured out how to make a functional wireless adaptor that actually works with existing linkable games. It just doesn't seem like it'll see the light of day.

      So yeah, the new Pokemon games and a couple of the famicon mini games support the new wireless adaptor, but other than that, bupkis.

      --
      Buddha says, "Shut your karma hole."
    2. Re:NICE except by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Well, like you said, the wired link is horrible. I haven't ever seen a GBA game where you could put a game in a listen-and-wait state. You always have to coordinate your connection attempts to within like five seconds. That's absolutely retarded. I'd be willing to bet that there are many people with Super Mario Advance 4 and an e-Reader that just couldn't figure out how to scan the damn cards.

      The Wireless adapter *can* be put in a wait state, so that's a huge advantage right there. I'm glad they didn't use the existing link protocol.

    3. Re:NICE except by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The new Mario Golf GBA game also supports the Wireless Adapter. I presume that in the future all multiplayer games will support it. It features a much better connection protocol than the wired protocol. You try doing some e-Card scans in Super Mario Advance 4 or any significant amount of item trades in Final Fantasy Tactics Advance, and then tell me if you still think that the wired protocol doesn't need replacement...

  3. If you played Ruby/Sapphire... by gasaraki · · Score: 4, Informative

    They have this weird sort of "word selection" dialog where a large number of words are classified broadly under a bunch of categories, e.g. "actions", "places", "emotions", etc. It seems likely that the four-word system mentioned here would use a similar type of feature.

  4. Just a thought... by Gothic_Walrus · · Score: 4, Insightful
    If Nokia had provided a service like this for N-Gage, the system might not have been such a miserable failure...

    The N-Gage might have Bluetooth capability, but how often do you find someone else with another N-Gage, let alone the same game, let alone that they're willing to play the game with you?

    --
    Goo goo g'joob.
  5. lost in translation by honold · · Score: 1, Funny

    in a show of usa support, they have decided to call the american version of this "glory spot"...

  6. Gaming protocol by Metroid72 · · Score: 1

    I think that they just have to invent this gaming network protocol that notifies you when there's a gaming around with compatible games.

    The gaming device can keep track of the games that have been played, and within a pre-set threshold/manually it could out and try to find devices that may have compatible games.

    If a device is found, you can invite the person to a game. (of course, you can keep yourself "open" or "closed" to invitations).

    Imagine playing a game with a stranger on the subway that is sitting on the other edge of the cart.

    However, this may drain batteries.

    Who knows...

  7. daisychaining by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    mabie if we daisychain enough of them together we won't need internet play, we'll have like internet 3! eat that MIT