Nintendo DS Network

Kamalot writes "It looks like Nintendo is preparing a wireless peer-to-peer network of Nintendo DS ' to allow a new way of playing games online. Each Nintendo DS could includes a repeater hub to extend and share an 802.11 signal. A thread on GameCubicle unveils more, including a service called MarioNette and some disturbing marketing pieces with hidden images and messages." As with everything involving the new handhelds, take this one with a grain of salt.

Comments

DS wins

[jmank88]

ive been debating between PSP and DS, but after reading this, and that the PSP may cost $349, i think the DS just won

Re:DS wins

[Ayaress]

Just like the pricing turned out to be a rumor, I seriously question the truth behind this. They're saying that, this late in the game, Nintendo intends to strap a non-trivial piece of hardware onto a system that I'm pretty sure works already. Also, the wide-area integrity of a network based entirely on systems that are A. irregularly distributed, B. probably moving around, and C. turned off much of the time doesn't sound like it'd be worth the effort to set it up.

I guess it could work to automatically network to any other DS's within a set range, but over a wide area, what happens when some dipshit turns off his DS and breaks the very tenuous chain of DS's transmitting through the rural area between two urban areas (where there are more people and probably far more DS's floating around)? I admit I'm not as knowledgeable about wireless networks as wired ones, but I don't see this working on a large scale, and on a smaller scale, why even bother with building a hub into every DS?

With all its problems, the N-Gage probably was closer to the spot with a wider area gaming network. The cell phone network is already there, and although it's not 100% reliable (especially if you're moving around between cells), it's got far less random factors involved than a p2p DS network.

Just sounds too cool to be true. At least the hoax about the PSP price was believable. The PSP will be a lot closer to $350 than the DS will be to this p2p distributed network.

Killer App?

[Anonymous Coward]

As I've said over here, If this repeater stuff is in any way true, it really could be a killer app for handheld gaming.

The potential hinted at by these new revelations totally trancends your basic "sit around in a group and play wirelessly" functionality. If this (the repeater functionality) is in any way true, then it will make the touch-screen part of the DS look about as groundbreaking as MP3 support on a Sony player, and it makes the PSP's infra-red wireless gaming look like a silly kids' toy.

Seriously, wide-area gaming would be the killer app for handheld consoles. Imagine some sort of asynchronous MMPORG-style game whereby when a fellow player's DS is detected, some form of battle can take place. Some sort of modern take on the old style Campus 'Assassin' games.

Not to mention the facilitation of true munchkin-style ubiquitous networking.

Just to be clear...

[Recoil_42]

None of this is actually confirmed, and to my knowledge, nothing is actually from nintendo themselves -- rather, all of the clues have been posted by various promiment community members like Chad of WarpPipe. ..I'm not saying that it's false or a hoax or anything, just that it's not at all confirmed.

But i gotta say, alot of the messages are very cool, almost like Nintendo's ilovebees.com on a much smaller scale.

Problems with this?

[StevenHenderson]

Okay are these potential problems:?

1. Early adopters will get spottier connection capabilities than those that wait til tons of people have them? (much larger network based on the repeater concept).

2. What if I am connecting via John D.S. and suddenly he drops off of my range? Will I lose my connection and game? This would um...whats the word? Oh yeah...suck.

Pokemon Fire Red/Leaf Green

[Anonymous Coward]

Doesn't Pokemon Fire Red/Leaf Green already do this? Apparently (I haven't tried it yet, though it came with the adapter) there's a wireless adapter you attach to the back of the GBA that allows up to 40 players into a "common room" in which they can chat, walk around, trade pokemon and have battles. Maybe it's small by comparison, but evidently they're headed in that direction already, and it's well... it sounds pretty cool, I haven't found anyone out there that is playing it yet... besides me... the hopeless addict...

--Ray

Re:Pokemon Fire Red/Leaf Green

[solive1]

Yes it does (I play it too). However, the GBA's wireless adapter only works with other GBA wireless adapters. The DS has 802.11b/g compatibility and, if speculation proves to be true, the ability to spread the connection range out so that other people not near hubs can also join in. Time will tell, and this is definitely something I'm going to keep my eye on. Either way, my DS is already preordered.

Re:Pokemon Fire Red/Leaf Green

[Sarcastic Assassin]

Unfortunately, the range is very small*. Granted, it hardly takes up any battery power, so Nintendo really did a good job creating the little wireless unit.

However, I am looking forward to the DS's utilization of this strange, new wireless gaming feature, but I highly doubt it'll be the network that will link every gamer on the planet wirelessly that it's being touted to be. I'll trust the Internet to do that, though I can only hope that DS games take advantage of the supposed 802.11b connectivity.

*See here:

The chatting aspect is a little strange, given that you need to be in speaking distance for the wireless adapter to actually work...

Re:It's possible

[jx100]

This is probably what you're thinking of. It's a modem designed to allow one to play with the Minnesota State Lottery over the phone with an NES.