Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

1000 DS HotSpots By End of Year

Posted by Zonk on from the dogs-everywhere dept.

Nintendo has announced that they will impliment up to 1000 DS wireless hotspots by the end of the year in Japan. No word yet on international wireless initiatives, though the article states there are many countries interested in the project. Iwata also repeats an earlier belief that online gaming has yet to really take off. From the article: "Iwata said online gaming had yet to take off and spread to a wide audience of users because of various drawbacks, including a laborious process to get connected to a network and consumers' unwillingness to pay a monthly fee for access."

28 comments

  1. Gotta still have faith in Nintendo by defkkon · · Score: 4, Insightful
    Nintendo was heavily criticized for not jumping into the realm of online gaming. I criticized them as well. I was sitting there playing my PS2 online and my Xbox Live thinking "Geez, I wish Nintendo would do this!" Nintendo's defense was that it "wasn't the right time." I called bullshit, along with many many others.

    Now I'm ashamed that I had lost faith in them. Nintendo truly doesn't go with the majority. They really were waiting for the "right time" to do something unique with online (and specifically, wireless) technology.

    Between the DS hotspots and the proposed online service for the Revolution, it just goes to show you that Nintendo will take whatever the competition is doing and find a unique way of adapting it.

  2. Cell access with gaming... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Interesting

    Wouldn't it be great if a cell phone plan was basically a "wireless" plan instead, without restriction to one particular device?

    I believe this is where we need to head in order to reach the next level of online portable gaming.

  3. I got to say by falcon5768 · · Score: 1
    the more and more I hear about what the big N intends to do with my DS, the more and more I am happy I bought one.

    I only hope they just would do it, and not say they plan it and drop the ball.

    --

    "Slashdot, where telling the truth is overrated but lying is insightful."

    1. Re:I got to say by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      If Nintendo says they are gonna do it, I believe it. This is unlike Sony which makes LOTS of promises that NEVER come true.

    2. Re:I got to say by rishistar · · Score: 1

      Well I would *really* like to know is how and when am I going to be able to use it with my standard wireless router at home.

      In a way a real killer app for home use would be a plain web browser (with Opera style stylus gestures) - maybe with IM stuck in it as well. It would be even better if it was bundled with the DSpeak package for DS 2 DS phone calls that got shown off at E3 last month, and maybe sold as a single 'Touch and Connect' type package.

      --
      Professor Karmadillo Songs of Science
    3. Re:I got to say by fwitness · · Score: 1

      I'm hoping they do *something* with the DS soon. Ever since I got my PSP I gave the DS to the girlfriend. Despite buying every game rated above 40% in any review, I have found no good use for it.

      I'm crossing my fingers and hoping Kirby will save the machine in my eyes.

      --
      -- I have fans? Wow.
  4. Hotspots by kutsu119 · · Score: 3, Interesting

    I'm all in favour for hotspots, they sound like an imaginative way of solving a problem of folks not having broadband. Can't see myself hanging around one of these "hotspots" though, as much as I want to play it online. I question how many other folks would say the same.

    1. Re:Hotspots by theREALMcCoy · · Score: 2, Informative

      The DS will work from any hotspot, including one in your home.

    2. Re:Hotspots by MasterofUnlocking · · Score: 1

      The hotspots can also be used for just downloading new game content though. I remember hearing about how they would have hotspots for DS's in various gaming stores. This would be perfect for people who just want to download some demos or maybe there are a few extras available.

  5. Revolution as a wireless hub? by alvinrod · · Score: 5, Interesting
    In some of the other articles covering the Nintendo Revolution, a few people kicked around the idea of the Revolution serving as a wireless hub for the DS. This would literally create millions of such hot spots around the world if every Revolution was open to be used as a hub.

    Would be even nicer if they had WiMax in them. Would cost a hell of a lot more, but think of the range. You could play your friend across on the Revolution or DS without either of you leaving home. Would be interesting if they offered the ability to upgrade the network card in the console.

    1. Re:Revolution as a wireless hub? by epaga · · Score: 1
      You could play your friend across on the Revolution or DS without either of you leaving home.
      NICE! Then I'd never have to see his stupid face again!!
  6. Sweet! by Axis+of+Weasel · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    now how about some DS GAMES? good ones. that use multiplayer.

    --

    this sig has been discontinued.
    1. Re:Sweet! by chrismcdirty · · Score: 1

      Usually when someone makes a statement like that, I'm all over it with a list. But you've got me there. Please Nintendo.. get some good games for DS. I'd buy ZooKeeper, but I already have Bejeweled on my Palm.. plus I'm not sure how it would scale to multiplayer.

      I really can't even think of any good multiplayer games that are coming up off the top of my head. Maybe Animal Crossing DS will allow you to have some fun with other people.

      --
      It's like sex, except I'm having it!
    2. Re:Sweet! by satoshi1 · · Score: 1

      Mario Kart DS (online), Metroid Prime Hunters (most likely online)... Um... Those are the two multiplayer games I'm excited for that are coming out this year. There's also a Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles in the work (if you recall correctly, this was a VERY multiplayer oriented game on the Gamecube, just executed pretty poorly).

    3. Re:Sweet! by reustp · · Score: 1

      Unfortunately it has been confirmed that Metroid Prime Hunters will not be online

    4. Re:Sweet! by satoshi1 · · Score: 1

      Has it? Got a link?

    5. Re:Sweet! by reustp · · Score: 1

      Here is an interview with Nintendo regarding Hunters. The relevant part is: IGN: With multiplayer being Metroid Prime Hunter's focus, and Nintendo's stance on going online with its Nintendo DS software, what can you tell us about the possibility of this game going online? Kensuke Tanabe: Unfortunately, the game won't support the multiplayer internet function of the Nintendo DS. To do it, it's not that easy and we'd have to build the infrastructure for it to work properly. The timing of the game release and the building of the infrastructure just didn't match. So while it won't be online, multiplayer will still be very very fun.

    6. Re:Sweet! by satoshi1 · · Score: 1

      Ah, bummer. Mario Kart should proove to be good, though.

    7. Re:Sweet! by chrismcdirty · · Score: 1

      Mario Kart definitely slipped my mind there. Looking forward to that one. And I hope that Crystal Chronicles isn't as bad as it was on GCN. Don't get me wrong, I liked the game.. but I didn't like that I was basically forced to play with the same people all the time (if you did a few levels without a character, they were too underpowered for the higher levels).

      --
      It's like sex, except I'm having it!
    8. Re:Sweet! by technoextreme · · Score: 1

      Well there is Trauma Center: Under The Knife Hands. You and a friend can see which one of you can make a better Kevorkian. Jee... This game might the only reason why I would buy the DS.

      --
      Ooo man the floppy drive is broken. No wait. The computer is just upside down.
  7. Electronic overload by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    I am very curious to see if people in Japan start experiencing problems from being bombarded with radio waves all the time. Large cities like Tokyo are compact and filled to the brim with people and electronic devices. I wonder if this will ever cause problems (general health, etc).

    1. Re:Electronic overload by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      This has been happening pretty much everywhere since the radio first fucking came out douchebag.

    2. Re:Electronic overload by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      He was just asking about it, no need to get upset about it. Having radio waves around is no where near as much as the saturation levels that are around us these days so it is a valid question. You are the douchebag.

  8. Re:..impliment...? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Another (mis) use of the word I wasn't previously familier with?

    Either you're the world's worst pedant or you're the living embodiment of irony.

  9. 1000 in Japan == a lot by nobodyman · · Score: 3, Interesting

    Granted, 1000 hotspots is alot of hotspots in and of itself. But to have 1000 DS hotspots in Japan is staggering. To give you an idea, Japan is a little smaller than California. There are less than 1000 mcdonalds in california (and in Cali, there's a friggin McDonalds EVERYWHERE). So I imagine you wont be able to walk down the street in Japan without passing by a DS zone.

    1. Re:1000 in Japan == a lot by satoshi1 · · Score: 1

      Now if they can do that here, that'd be freaking amazing.