Nintendo Creates an Easy, Accessible Video Game Network – and It’s Free
On Nov. 14, Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection Ushers in New Era of Free Wireless
Gaming
REDMOND, Wash., Oct. 5, 2005 — On Nov. 14, Nintendo(R) Wi-Fi Connection will
begin a new era of easy, social gaming. For the first time, characters from the
Nintendo universe will be playable online, as part of a unique wireless
community, accessible inside or outside the home. Nintendo DS(TM) games like
Mario Kart(R) DS, Animal Crossing(R): Wild World and Metroid(R) Prime Hunters
will require no additional charge for online play. Each is scheduled to launch
in the coming months, along with the first third-party title using Nintendo
Wi-Fi Connection, Activision’s Tony Hawk’s American SK8Land, developed by
Vicarious Visions.
From home, if the user already has a Wi-Fi network, the Nintendo DS unit will
connect directly to it with minimal setup procedures. Those who have a
high-speed Internet connection such as cable or DSL, but no wireless network,
can use the Nintendo Wi-Fi USB Connector, sold separately, that will plug into a
computer USB port to create a wireless access point to connect to Nintendo Wi-Fi
Connection.Outside of the home, players will be able to connect in a variety of
ways, including at thousands of free Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection hotspots
nationwide. More details about these hotspots and how to connect outside of the
home will be announced shortly.
Nintendo DS is just the first Nintendo system to connect via the Nintendo
Wi-Fi Connection. The same service will be incorporated into Nintendo’s
next-generation home console, code-named Nintendo Revolution, set for release in
2006."Nintendo has taken the online video gaming model and rewritten the
definition of community," said Reggie Fils-Aime, Nintendo of America’s executive
vice president of sales & marketing. "With easy setup and no added service fees,
players far and wide will log in and play with one another as easily as if they
were sitting in the same room. "Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection will create a welcome,
inviting atmosphere where video game players of all kinds can log on wirelessly
and begin playing. The service will be used in different ways for different
games. In Mario Kart DS, four players at a time can race over Nintendo Wi-Fi
Connection. Racers can pick opponents from their roster of friends, match up
randomly against strangers of comparable skill levels or simply choose to race
against anyone in the world. Mario Kart DS launches Nov. 14.
People who hang out in Animal Crossing: Wild World can travel to other
players’ towns or invite up to three other players to visit their own towns,
simply by opening the town gate. The four players then can interact and play
together simultaneously in one town. Players must know one another and
register to their respective friend rosters before they can connect. Animal
Crossing: Wild World is set to launch on Dec. 5. Activision’s Tony Hawk’s
American Sk8land will let players compete head-to-head in multiplayer games in a
variety of modes. Players also can create custom skateboard art and graffiti
tags, and share them with other players via Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection. The
service will track global high scores and stats. Tony Hawk’s American SK8Land
will launch on Nov. 14.Games in development include Metroid Prime Hunters,
slated to launch in the first quarter of 2006. Players can hook up for play with
registered friends, automatch with other players based on a skill-level match or
play with anyone; Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection quickly finds the best match with
other players online.
The worldwide leader and innovator in the creation of interactive
entertainment, Nintendo Co., Ltd., of Kyoto, Japan, manufactures and markets
hardware and software for its popular home and portable video game systems. Each
year, hundreds of all-new titles for the best-selling Game Boy(R) Advance SP,
Nintendo DS(TM) and Nintendo GameCube(TM) systems extend Nintendo’s vast game
library and continue the tradition of delivering a rich, diverse mix of quality
video games for players of all ages. Since the release of its first home video
game system in 1983, Nintendo has sold more than 2 billion video games and more
than 353 million hardware units globally, creating enduring industry icons such
as Mario(TM) and Donkey Kong(R) and launching popular culture franchise
phenomena such as Metroid(R), Zelda(TM) and Pokemon(R). A wholly owned
subsidiary, Nintendo of America Inc., based in Redmond, Wash. serves as
headquarters for Nintendo’s operations in the Western Hemisphere.
