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[radioheadrule83]

The DS – like the PSP – has gone to market before you were ready to confirm its wi-fi functionality. Why is that?

Two reasons: the local wireless mode we think delivers value for consumers immediately. Anyone can understand it, you just turn it on and it just works and that’s part of the message we’re trying to get across with DS. To bring wi-fi is a bit of a mismatch. Console games have become popular because they’re so simple – you plug in a game and it just works. No drivers, no patches, no configuration, no passwords. The internet is the opposite case – it’s fraught with acronyms – and we’ve got to find a way to marry those two things in a way which keeps that simple consumer experience and that’s going to take some time. And it’s going to take some partnerships with service providers and hotspots and things.

How much of the burden of making wi-fi workable falls on the shoulders of external companies you don’t control?

There’s a significant part which is local in each market where the service providers are. There’s a lot – it’s going to depend on the games and what they need to do. If it’s a simple matchmake, then that isn’t too bad. You could use GameSpy, which is a very nice product and works quite well, and perhaps some DS games will use GameSpy for their matchmakers.

Have you been following the ‘tunnellers’ who are trying to hack the DS’s wi-fi capabilities?

Oh, yeah! I love all that stuff. They got their DSes and right away they were looking at the SSID numbers and going: “Oh, look, it is it really is wi-fi even when it’s in local mode.” I love it.

The full interview is here. He gets challenged at one point about the disparity between DS and PSP regarding audio and graphical capability... he almost boxes himself in a corner by saying you choose the theatre you go to for the movies it's showing. He concedes that where the movies shown at two theatres are the same, you're gonna choose the IMAX, 70mm, Dolby equipped version.... but then he rounds off by saying that Nintendo isn't playing the same movies as Sony

Quite diplomatic about it really!

Good to see people at the company watching the folks making things like Xlink Kai and Warp Pipe. And Gamespy was mentioned last month before this month's Nintendo Power. I knew I'd seen it mentioned by Nintendo before, that's what made me dig this up. My guess is that Gamespy's middleware will be used by Nintendo and therefore encouraged for third parties to use (ie. so buddy's appear on buddy lists in other games), but that certain companies, like Square-Enix, will be able to use other services, like PlayOnline, when the need arises, like when you need to make an MMORPG.

Thom

 

[Mejilan]

Interesting stuff. This is all much more fun when it's less speculation and more (eventual) reality. The double punch of Nintendo's online announcement and the impending PSP launch finally spurred me to turn my DSL connection into a wireless solution a few days ago.

 

[radioheadrule83]

I'm getting my wireless set up done next month I think. I'm poor until this coming pay day.

 

[Polari]

Nothing can stop Nintendo now they have the Elephant Man working for them!

 

[JoshuaJSlone]

Nothing can stop Nintendo now they have the Elephant Man working for them!

People have been asking for a long time "What's the purpose of Pictochat? If I'm within a few dozen feet we could talk face to face." This may be the answer.

 

[Enigma]

People have been asking for a long time "What's the purpose of Pictochat? If I'm within a few dozen feet we could talk face to face." This may be the answer.

That idiotic 1UP roundtable made the same statement. I'll tell you one huge reason for it: The DS is a Nintendo handlend, which, by definition, means it skews young. If I were in school I would have loved to have used this in class. Hide it behind books and go to town.

 

[The Faceless Master]

pictochat even works thru walls in a 3 story house etc

 

[JoshuaJSlone]

Can noone take a simple lighthearted joke about a dead man's hideous body and resulting social problems being overcome through the power of Nintendo?