E3: Nintendo DS Online - Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection

The Nintendo DS will go online, there's been little doubt about that lately. Head inside for the latest news on Nintendo's project.

By the end of the year, Nintendo DS owners around the world will be able to play their favorite franchises via Wi-Fi. Mario Kart DS, Animal Crossing DS and a new Tony Hawk title from Activision are targeted to be among the first using Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection, Nintendo's own groundbreaking portable, wireless gaming network. Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection fulfills the promise of the wireless capabilities of Nintendo DS by taking advantage of yet another innovative aspect of the system and using it to expand the gaming experience to wider audiences.

"Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection has an immediate user base of more than 5 million Nintendo DS owners worldwide, and it's growing every day," says George Harrison, Nintendo of America's senior vice president of marketing and corporate communications. "The service invites everyone to enjoy the game-play experience for Nintendo-developed games using wireless connections with very easy setup procedures and no added service fees."

Nintendo is partnering with IGN Entertainment to manage the service's architecture and navigation. Using IGN's GameSpy Technology, DS players will connect wirelessly at any Wi-Fi hub (be it at a public hotspot, or at home using your own wireless router or network card), find their friends and begin racing, battling or chatting as easily as if they were sitting in the same room. Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection will also let players post high scores and includes an option for games to have online storage space to store game data.

In the six months since it launched, Nintendo DS has redefined portable gaming. With Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection, the next six months will bring equally exciting innovations. Mario Kart DS, due in Q4, lets up to eight players race against one another in classic Mario Kart fashion on new tracks and arenas. Zip through raceways and environments while firing shells at your opponents using Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection. Animal Crossing DS, also due in Q4, gives players in different locations the ability to explore their worlds and manage their homes. Using Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection, players can hang out, collect items or visit with friends.

Apart from these two titles, more than 25 publishers worldwide are working on titles that will use Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection. Some of the already confirmed titles that will make use of Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection are:Animal Crossing DS (Nintendo)Bokujou-Monogatari series (Marvelous Interactive)Bomberman (Hudson)Castlevania Series (Konami)Contact (Marvelous Interactive)Digimon World (Bandai)Dynasty Warriors DS (Koei)Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles (Square Enix)Jikkyo Powerful Proyakyu Series (Konami)Kojima Productions Products (Konami)Mario Kart DS (Nintendo)Mobile Suit Gundam (Bandai)Momotaro Dentetsu World (Hudson)Professional Wrestling (Spike)Rune Factory (Marvelous Interactive)Tenchu DS (FromSoftware)Tony Hawk (Activision)World Soccer Winning Eleven Series (Konami)

Nintendo also claims to have 'many more' DS titles in development that will make use of the Wi-Fi connection, Marvelous has a Real-Time Strategy game in development and Namco has a 'new RPG'.

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FacebookPosted on 17-05-2005 by Dennis

Comments

So all those above titles are online?

skarma, 30-11--0001 at 00:00
yup. And there is more coming... Ubisoft, EA, etc have yet to announce their online games.

Dennis, 30-11--0001 at 00:00
Good, wheres your online games now PSP, huh, HUH, huh, HUH HUH??!?!?

skarma, 30-11--0001 at 00:00
Final Fantasy online...and on a handheld...a nintendo handheld...=) YESH!!!

tiamat1990, 30-11--0001 at 00:00