1 Millionth Unique User Logs on to Nintendo Wifi

MrJack5304 writes "According to Nintendo's official Press Release, the Nintendo Wifi service has logged it's 1 millionth user. In 5 short months Nintendo has reached 1 million users, and had 27 million total connections." From the release: "Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection lets Nintendo DS owners log on cost-free to compete or interact in a variety of games, from racing in Mario Kart DS to community-building in Animal Crossing: Wild World. The 1 millionth user was a player in Japan, who logged on to play Animal Crossing: Wild World." The release goes on to mention that Tetris DS and Metroid Hunters will also utilize the service.

Comments

Future of online console gaming

[the computer guy nex]

Which business model will win?

Sony/MS use a subscription model. Nintendo is using free access.

The free access is an extra bonus when buying a console, so Nintendo should sell extra consoles to make up the cost of free online gaming. Sony/MS would rather sell fewer consoles but use a subscription model.

One way or another its nice to have choices.

1 millionth

[Loconut1389]

Don't you mean 1 millionth pedophile? [/sarcasm]

Re:1 millionth

[Anonymous Coward]

Have you noticed that every single thing which comes along which might be considered fun by both teenage girls and adult men becomes a new tool for pedophiles in the eyes of the media?

News Flash: Real pedophiles don't go after teen girls. They go after young children of both genders. When a 26 year-old male finds himself attracted to a 17 year-old girl, that's not a pedophile. That's an ordinary heterosexual male, whose biological impulse runs afoul of our provincial age-of-consent laws. If he acts on that impulse, he's a bit of a dweeb, but hardly what you would call a "predator."

Apparently, it's okay for corporate America to use 15-year old models to sell issues of Maxim, but completely taboo for anybody to admit out loud that youth is attractive.

Raise your daughters to understand that adult losers who hit on teens are both too old for them, and kind of pathetic. That's the only defense that's going to matter when she's chatting in the SIMS Online (or whatever) and some dork who can't find a date his own age is trying to make time with her.

Also, the time to start watching out for sexual predators is not when your little angel starts dating, wearing make-up, and bugging you to let her get her nose pierced. It's when she's 5. Oh, and statistically, that predator you need to watch out for is probably a family member, teacher, or member of the clergy. Odds are, there are no strangers lurking in your bushes.

Re:1 millionth

[Hogwash McFly]

If I may repeat an oft-heard phrase, you must be new here.

You see, on Slashdot, criticising Nintendo in any way, shape or form is like having a dig at Linux. It's just not the done thing, old chap. Humorous or sarcastic intent is irrelevant as far as the gamers on here are concerned. There are legions of mod-point owners who are convinced that Nintendo is pure and holy, each unaware of the irony involved with saying 'Nintendo always innovates' while in the same sentence saying that they are looking forward to the next Mario platformer, the next Mario Kart, the next Zelda, the next Metroid, the next Super Smash Brothers, etc.

That's the power of childhood nostalgia, I suppose. Hear that 1-UP chime or see that golden invincibility star and all of a sudden you're weak at the knees...

Re:1 millionth

[dogbowl]

If you can't see the difference between the Mario platformers or the Zelda titles and if you can't recognize the accolades that each has received, thats not the fault of the mods

Re:1 millionth

[BTWR]

the irony involved with saying 'Nintendo always innovates' while in the same sentence saying that they are looking forward to the next Mario platformer, the next Mario Kart, the next Zelda, the next Metroid, the next Super Smash Brothers, etc.

(Nearly) each Nintendo sequel is innovative (Metroid Prime, Mario 64, etc), even though it shares a name with it's predecessor. That's like saying The Godfather, Part II is not one of the most innovative movies ever, and basing that argument soley on the fact that it shares the title "Godfather" with the first movie released 2 years earlier...

Re:1 millionth

[Hogwash McFly]

I didn't say that they were bad games or that there was no difference between them. I'm not criticising Nintendo here, just the rabid zealots that seem to appear on Slashdot in far higher numbers than Playstation and Xbox fanboys. It's more than obvious than Slashdot has a large pro-Nintendo slant, I was just pointing that out in a light-hearted, tongue-in-cheek manner. I've got no agenda.

Infact, out of the 'next gen' consoles, the Revolution, and thus Nintendo, seems almost certain at getting my money. I like Nintendo. I know they can deliver high quality games. I just believe that they are praised without question too often on here, and that every decision made by the company that may even be slightly negative or in poor business sense is always excused - doesn't matter this, big plan that, graphics have never mattered, it will still be a great game, I actually prefer the cel-shaded style (HONESTLY I DO!), they never wanted to win the console war etc.

The next Mario could be really disappointing but a lot of people would feel compelled to love it BECAUSE IT'S MARIO, as though they have some kid of duty to protect their inner-child and not tarnish the rosy memories of the frog suit and warp whistle.

While all of the consoles have their fans, there's just some niggling feeling that tells me the N-heads trust the fungus a little too much.

Or maybe I just think about things a little too much...

Re:1 millionth

[Hitto]

I'm gonna go out on a limb, here, but I really wonder what the youth whose first console was the PSX will think about sony fifteen years after crash bandicoot, for example.

Now, Mario, that's staying power. Because yeah, he was a pretty cool guy to hang out with during the eighties.

Re:1 millionth

[suspected]

>>It all depends on what you define as 'innovative'. To me, Mario 64 isn't innovative at all.

If Mario64 was not innovating to you, perhaps you didn't play it until much after its release. Before Mario64, most 3D games were having a very hard time correctly incorporating the 3D aspect of the game. Some of the first few games released for the Nintendo 64 made many grave mistakes. Many of them made jumping from one area to another too difficult while others totally ignored the added dimension provided by a 3-dimentional game.

That all started to change with the release of Mario 64. They incorporated the 3-dimensional aspect so well, that people such as yourself didn't even give it a second thought. Mario 64 set the standard for 3D and other developers learned from it how to make their own 3-dementional game.

Mario 64 might not seem like anything special now, but that's only because it raised the bar. You'll have a very hard time finding a true 3D game that was well done and released before Mario 64.

And his prize?

[gEvil (beta)]

And for being the 1 millionth user he gets?!? An anonymous mention in a press release... :-(

Re:And his prize?

[apoc06]

i thought the same thing. i mean for all the money that nintendo makes, youd think he could at least get a year of WiFi service free... oh wait!

Re:And his prize?

[rev063]

It's unlikely he can be identified: there's no formal registration process with Nintendo's WiFi service like there is with Xbox Live, for example. I guess the system can identify both the DS and the game card uniquely, but unless this guy registered his purchases with Nintendo, there's no way they can know who he is.

Interesting

[voice_of_all_reason]

So that's why all nintendo products have a hole in the back of the box for the cashier to scan each unique ID at purchase.

//Did you guys also have to go in the back room and give a dna sample for your DS? 'Cause that wasn't really too pleasant at all...

Re:Interesting

[littleghoti]

Or maybe they've just been keeping records of the MAC addresses connected to their servers?

Re:Interesting

[tlhIngan]

Actually, there's another reason all consoles have to have the serial number scanned - it's the warranty registration! That serial number goes to Nintendo (or Microsoft, or Sony), and it activates the warranty from the time it was scanned. If you later need service, all you have to do is call them up, give them the serial number, and they'll verify immediately if it needs service.

If they don't have the registration on file, then they'll ask for you to include your sales receipt to qualify warranty (and they'll register the remaining period in their systems).

My DS had a dud pixel, and the store I got it from didn't register it, so Nintendo took the original receipt, then created an extension on the replacement unit to the full year from the date I brought it in (not that it extended it much - just a week and a half).

Nintendo WiFi is nice, but...

[dividedsky319]

The WiFi service for the DS is nice, however... it could be implemented a little better.

My problem with Mario Kart DS is that there's no ranking/ladder type system... so a first time player can be pitted against someone with 1000 wins and 3 losses. Not to mention the fact that I've had some of these people quit right before they were about to lose. (Which, I think, makes it so a loss isn't added to their record... which if true, is something else that should be changed)

And my problem with Animal Crossing is that there's no "community" place where you can randomly visit someone else's town... you have to manually put someone else's code in.

The hardware is in place, I just wish they'd develop the online community a little better.

Re:Nintendo WiFi is nice, but...

[Lave]

>My problem with Mario Kart DS is that there's no ranking/ladder type system... so a first time player can be pitted against someone with 1000 wins and 3 losses.

Except for the "Rivals" match which searches for people with similar win/loss records.

Re:Nintendo WiFi is nice, but...

[xnderxnder]

And my problem with Animal Crossing is that there's no "community" place where you can randomly visit someone else's town... you have to manually put someone else's code in.

That would seem to be design intent. If there were such a space, then Nintendo would have to police it. Communities do exist (eg. see gamefaqs message boards). Having random vistors would be very annoying - there are lots or idiots in the world who will trash your town.

A matching service would be nice - perhaps we'll see it in a sequel. ;>

Re:Nintendo WiFi is nice, but...

[voice_of_all_reason]

so a first time player can be pitted against someone with 1000 wins and 3 losses

Stick and move, Little Mac! Stick and move!

HIs prize should be...

[Strell]

He should be visited by Reggie AND Miyamoto. The pure level of awesomeness radiating during such a meeting would cause the Earth to explode, leaving naught but those two titans to craft us worlds anew...

I believe Nintendo has already thought of such conclusions, hence no prize.

Re:That's great

[generic-man]

There's also a Tony Hawk game, the upcoming Metroid FPS (remember that one that shipped as a demo with every DS?) and Tetris DS. Goooooo Tetris!

Explain to me...

[PFI_Optix]

how is this special?

I mean, it's been more than ten years since free online gaming was viable...Quake, for example.

XBOX offers a centralized system for all games to use, and charges a subscription fee...like Steam on steroids. DS appears to use a more game-specific system, more like Battle.net or Half-Life's pre-Steam system. Both are just a result of gradual improvements upon systems used in gaming for years.

(note: I say "appears" because I do not own and do not intend to buy a DS...I am working off what information is readily available on nintendowifi.com)

Re:Explain to me...

[BinaryOpty]

This is special because Nintendo's online service reached 1 million in 4 months. Microsoft's took 2 years.

nintendo could get more slashdotters

[honold]

if they would support wpa on the ^$@#&*$^@# thing

>:(

Re:Other statistics?

[Dance_Dance_Karnov]

on this site http://www.nintendowifi.com/gaminghub/Gamehub.jsp you can see the stats of people connecting day to day, currently the 24-hour average seems to be about 200,000 players a day.