Nintendo outlines American Wi-Fi plans @ Gaming Target

Written by John Scalzo on October 06, 2005

News: We get the fancy USB wireless access point too!

A day after unveiling some big DS news in a Japanese press conferece, Nintendo has revealed how that new information will affect us in the States.

First, Nintendo has confirmed that the Nintendo Wi-Fi USB Connector, a USB dongle that will attach to a PC with a broadband Internet service and create a home wireless network, will be coming to America. This Connector will also be compatible with the Revolution when it's released next year.

Furthermore, Nintendo has announced that they will be installing thousands of Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection hotspots in places around the country for some DSing on the go. These hotspots will connect your DS to the Nintendo Network without cost. If you'll recall, Nintendo launched a similar program in Japan to promote the DS.

The interesting question is: will the hotspots and the Connector be compatible with the PSP and other wireless computing devices?

"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 officially go live with the release of Mario Kart DS and Tony Hawk's American Sk8land on November 14. Those titles will be followed by two more Wi-Fi enabled titles: Animal Crossing: Wild World (on Dec. 5) and Metroid Prime: Hunters (in 2006). More Wi-Fi titles will be announced shortly.

It all sounds very well thought out and Nintendo is definitely entering online play in a big way. November can't come soon enough.