Official Nintendo DS Online Details

[mr.Curmudgeon]

Sweet!

"Iwata reveals that Nintendo plans on setting up Wi-Fi access points at game retailers throughout Japan. DS users will be able to connect to these for free. Currently, Nintendo is looking at establishing something on the scale of 1,000 such points throughout the nation. Of course, DS owners will also be able to use other access points, including those that are available in their own homes. The term Iwata uses to describe the Nintendo Wi-Fi experience is "seamless." This includes a pain-free connection process both at the retailer kiosks and, if you use one of Nintendo's specified wireless routers, in your home. Nintendo is hoping that, even when playing Online, players will feel like they're playing with a DS that's located in the same room. Online gaming through the DS will be a free experience, if Nintendo has anything to say about it. Iwata reveals that Nintendo will not charge users a dime (or, perhaps we should say, a yen) to play Online DS games. This means there won't be a monthly fee ala what Microsoft charges for Xbox Live access. This doesn't necessarily guarantee that all future Online DS titles will be free. Nintendo is not forbidding publishers from charging for Online content, so it's foreseeable that some charges may appear from some publishers. However, Iwata states that Nintendo is working towards keeping the experience completely free of charge." [link]

mrC

[Hoagie_one]

rumor has it that there will be a new Gameboy at E3.

kinda bumms me out.  this reduces the life of the DS.  Virtual boy anyone?

[ChadTower]

rumor has it that there will be a new Gameboy at E3.

kinda bumms me out.

[shmokes]

I think it will dramatically reduce the life of the DS.  But they have to do it.  The DS cannot compete with the PSP.  Nintendo has no alternative but to get a better product out.

Now, please, nobody bore me with a rant on what makes the DS better than the PSP.  I don't care.  The PSP is sexier and has better 3rd party support.  It's the device people want and Nintendo has to do better than the DS. 

[ChadTower]

There are a LOT of people unwilling to jump to the PSP's price point.  I am one of them.  For those people, even if they want the PSP, it is not a viable product.  The DS is a viable product for these people. 

[mr.Curmudgeon]

The main selling point for me with the DS was MOST DEFINITELY the price.

I was able to buy one for both me AND my girlfriend. So once the WiFi games start flowing in, we'll be able to play each other. Plus, all the kids in my family are getting DS's for the same reason. So there'll be even more gamers. The PSP is definitely sexier, and I'd rather have one than a DS, however, I don't know anyone else that would purchase one and I REALLY more interested in WiFi multi-player stuff on a handheld at this point.

Your average Joe just cannot afford (2) PSP's for one household...


mrC

[Hoagie_one]

DS is 6 months old....and no killer app yet.

I'm sad.  I'm having more fun haxoring it than actually playing DS games on it

[Otraotaku]

I think it will dramatically reduce the life of the DS.

[Hoagie_one]

Nintendo conceded that they only controll 90% of thehandheld market at thier E3 press event

[Otraotaku]

Nintendo conceded that they only controll 90% of thehandheld market at thier E3 press event

really? ..well umm... i was just guessing... lol

[grueinthebox]

Hopefully they'll come out with something more...  Normal.

I can't justify the price of a PSP at this point, so I'm sticking with my GBA SP.  I have no interest in multiple screens, touch screens, and other such weirdness.  If I wanted to play games with a stylus, I'd buy a PDA.  I'm all for thinking outside the box when it comes to game design, but the DS just seems too gimmicky to me.

[Otraotaku]

oh but what about the cute litttle puppys?  >.< 

and of course animal crossing... ^.<

[lcddream]

for me personally, the reality of mario kart online...well it's gonna be ground breaking..

i played mario kart on warppipe ...a big hassle for the most part, but when you got a  good game ....nothing like it

i can't even imagine how nice it's gonna be to meet up with a bud or a few on the main gamespy hub in the ds...maybe share a few spoken words through the mic

then head off to the track for a race...

i'm sure i'll be able to find a place at work to steal a couple minutes to grab a race 

[RecycledPast]

I've been holding off on a DS but once the games go wifi it will be time to pick one up, plus with animal crossing and nintendogs coming out It shouldn't be hard to get the wife to say yes 

[mr.Curmudgeon]

I've got this fantasy that they'll make another Wario game with all ONLINE minigames. Some of the Touched! games would be fun if they were multiplayer. It'd be hilarious watching a room full of people blowing on the DS, like in Mike's puff ball game ["In Your Face"], or furiously scribbling the stylus around like in most other games.

I was really dissapointed when I found out Touched! wasn't multiplayer enabled. Still a great game though.

mrC

[ChadTower]

i can't even imagine how nice it's gonna be to meet up with a bud or a few on the main gamespy hub in the ds...maybe share a few spoken words through the mic

Yeah, like I really wanna listen to some kid get yelled at by his mother because he won't put his DS down and do his homework.

[lcddream]

Yeah, like I really wanna listen to some kid get yelled at by his mother because he won't put his DS down and do his homework.

am i missing an implication?