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Nintendo + Broadcom

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BROADCOM ANNOUNCES PARTNERSHIP WITH NINTENDO TO ENABLE NEXT GENERATION WIRELESS GAMING CONSOLES

Broadcom's Unique Technology Portfolio and Highly Integrated Features Provide a New and Exciting Gaming Experience



IRVINE, Calif. ? April 19, 2005 ? Broadcom Corporation (Nasdaq: BRCM), a global leader in wired and wireless broadband communications semiconductors, today announced a strategic partnership to provide wireless technology for Nintendo's next generation gaming systems. Broadcom's diverse portfolio of technology solutions will enable Nintendo to add cutting-edge wireless features and connectivity to its popular line of gaming consoles. Nintendo's next generation console (codenamed "Revolution") will feature an advanced wireless platform that integrates multiple technologies to enable a new and exciting gaming experience.

"The depth and breadth of Broadcom's wireless expertise will enable Nintendo to deliver the industry's most innovative gaming solutions," said Genyo Takeda, Senior Managing Director, General Manager, Integrated Research & Development Division for Nintendo. "By integrating Broadcom® wireless solutions into our next-generation systems, we can provide the high performance gaming and connectivity capabilities that will delight users of 'Revolution'."

Consumer electronics leaders are aggressively including wireless technologies in new devices to enhance user experience, expanding the applications for wireless technologies. Broadcom is a leading supplier of system-on-a-chip and software solutions that enable manufacturers to eliminate wires in such popular consumer products as notebook computers, phones, routers, printers, audio headphones, keyboard and mouse peripherals, cellular headsets, PDAs, and other devices.

"Broadcom is pleased to partner with technology leader Nintendo, whose visionary commitment to the user experience has inspired new uses for established wireless technology," said Robert A. Rango, Group Vice President of Broadcom's Mobile & Wireless Group. "With the broadest portfolio of maximum performance wireless solutions, we can provide all the connectivity pieces and advanced features required for exciting new consumer products."

Broadcom's wireless products lead the industry with unique features that provide significant performance and ease-of-use advantages. These include BroadRange? technology which extends the range of Wi-Fi devices by up to 50%, and SecureEasySetup? software which dramatically simplifies Wi-Fi setup and security. Differentiated features like these enable an extraordinary user experience for consumer devices, such as the Nintendo gaming device.

"The digital home of the future will increasingly include wireless technologies for their ease of use and consumer convenience," said Brian O'Rourke, Senior Analyst for In-Stat. "Integrated wireless technology from proven vendors like Broadcom will enhance the gaming experience for the vast majority of next-generation gamers, whether competing against someone in the same room or on the other side of the world."

Broad expertise in both wireless and wired technologies makes Broadcom a unique partner for electronics OEMs who wish to incorporate communications functionality into their products. With solutions that deliver superior performance and ease of use features that make end-products increasingly attractive to end users, Broadcom has emerged as a key partner for a broad range of consumer electronics manufacturers. Broadcom products continue to gain momentum in the home, enabling digital television, broadband Internet access and wireless networking that remain easy to use, while providing the best performance in the industry.

According to market share results from Forward Concepts, Broadcom's 54g? chipsets are the industry's leading Wi-Fi solutions. Additionally, Broadcom is a leader in the Bluetooth® market featuring high performance Blutonium® chips and the industry's most widely deployed Bluetooth software. Broadcom also offers advanced processors for cellular handset and data card applications supporting 3G EDGE and WCDMA networks, as well as high performance mobile multimedia processors.

About Broadcom
Broadcom Corporation is a global leader in wired and wireless broadband communications semiconductors. Our products enable the convergence of high-speed data, high definition video, voice and audio at home, in the office and on the go. Broadcom provides manufacturers of computing and networking equipment, digital entertainment and broadband access products, and mobile devices with the industry's broadest portfolio of state-of-the-art system-on-a-chip and software solutions. These solutions support our core mission: Connecting everything®.

Broadcom is one of the world's largest fabless semiconductor companies, with annual revenue of more than $2 billion. The company is headquartered in Irvine, Calif., with offices and research facilities in North America, Asia and Europe. Broadcom may be contacted at 1-949-450-8700 or at www.broadcom.com.
 
viva_la_revolution_.jpg
 
Well, I suppose this could explain what Nintendo was talking about before when they said they were going to make wireless connections easier for the user.
 
.
Broadcom's wireless products lead the industry with unique features that provide significant performance and ease-of-use advantages. These include BroadRange? technology which extends the range of Wi-Fi devices by up to 50%, and SecureEasySetup? software which dramatically simplifies Wi-Fi setup and security. Differentiated features like these enable an extraordinary user experience for consumer devices, such as the Nintendo gaming device.
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Unison said:
150 feet, yo.
Click to expand...

Yeah, was thinking, this could make the idea of local area networks amongst people in different homes more possible for some. Rev could have multiple ways to connect depending on your tastes or current needs..locally or globally.
 
Very good: Revolution functioning as a WiFi Access Point then.

You plug an Ethernet cable to Revolution and Revolution can be used by the DS and the GameBoy Next to provide extremely easy WiFi access.

Remember that the DS does not implement a straight 802.11b stack in Hardware: AFAIK they use a custom 802.11 implementation.

Revolution, as I explained above, could function as an Access Point and DHCP server (Dynamic IP addresses assigned to the Nintendo devices who join the connection) for the WiFi enabled Nintendo peripherals (you won't be able to use it to go online with the PSP or to connect your laptop to the Internet).

The SSID can be broadcasted, there can be the lack of MAC address filtering and they can use the encription they already use for the DS's WiFi functionality.

In such a set-up you would not have to worry about configuring the MAC address of your nintendo portables on your Wireless Router, you will not have to think about WEP keys and Shared Key WEP or Open System WEP... the WiFi network you create can only be accessed by Nintendo peripherals like the DS, the GameBoy Next and Revolution and it is VERY unlikely that we will see Ethereal or anyother software running on either system scanning your Nintendo online account (for which you are not paying, so what's there to steal ;) ?).

Also, likely Nintendo will choose a set-up similar to Open Key authentication in which there is no check to allow you to connect to the WiFi network, but if your data is not encripted correctly (fake DS for example).then it will be dropped and not even processed.

In substance, you enter a room in which a Revolution system is turned on and is connected to the Internet through an Ethernet or WiFi connection (it could be functioning as a Network extender/repeater) and your Online enabled Nintendo DS or GameBoy Next game title will be able to reach the Internet without you having to do anything really :).

This explanation fits a lot of what Nintendo has said IMHO.
 
If that is the case (and it sounds pretty believable) then I hope the Rev will have some sort of stand-by feature, in which only the access point is operational
 
Hooker said:
If that is the case (and it sounds pretty believable) then I hope the Rev will have some sort of stand-by feature, in which only the access point is operational
Click to expand...

Presumably that'd be the case.

Presumably you'd be able to prevent devices asides from your own Nintendo devices to access the net through it and use your bandwidth? Or is Nintendo planning to leverage the network of Revolutions to increase the odds of being within range of one, regardless of whether it's yours or not, and thus being able to connect your DS to the web painlessly? Presumably, then, it'd only accept a limited number of connections to avoid saturating the bandwidth and slowing things down..but still, not everyone might like that..(having strangers using their net connection).
 
Panajev2001a said:
Very good: Revolution functioning as a WiFi Access Point then.
Click to expand...

I read an interview with the head of EA, around the time when the NFL license happened, where he let slip that all three systems would act as Wireless Access Points.

Now, I'm not really technically savvy, so does this mean that I would only need the system itself to access wireless play? Or would I need anything else? Will the revolution/ps3/xbox360 allow me to use the PSP/DS wireless through it?
 
Spike said:
I read an interview with the head of EA, around the time when the NFL license happened, where he let slip that all three systems would act as Wireless Access Points.

Now, I'm not really technically savvy, so does this mean that I would only need the system itself to access wireless play? Or would I need anything else? Will the revolution/ps3/xbox360 allow me to use the PSP/DS wireless through it?
Click to expand...
Why on earth should 360 function as a WAP? Nintendo/Sony make sense, but unless MS wants to be able to monitor what type of games your playing on PSP, I don't see the point.

To answer your question, you could probably hook your Rev/PS3/360 to a wired router and the system takes care of the rest for your wireless devices.
 
Read this http://www.broadcom.com/products/secureeasysetup.php

It explains alot how Nintendo plans to do online/router authentication. Basically, you press a button on the access point (like the Revolution or some peripheral), then you press a button on your DS, and you're online using WPA. So ppl can't randomly connect to different access points without pressing those buttons.
 
I think it would make a lot of sense if Revolution was an access point for all Nintendo products, but to be honest, maybe even that is making it more complicated than Nintendo's vision of online play.

Why? The Revolution itself would still need to be hard-wired to a network via another modem. They're making such a big deal of "no line" quips and things like that... I just can't see them releasing something which requires cables and a thorough read of an instruction manual.

The whole message seems to be one of simplicity and ease of use. Of course you could well be right, and a WAP might be very simple to set up for very many of us, but I don't think it's the only possibility.

What if the only requirement for online gaming on DS and Revolution was simply:
A PC and an internet connection (ie broadband)

?

What about a proprietary 802.11 wifi adaptor that only works with Nintendo products, and communicates securely between connection at a PC (Firewire? USB?) and your given product? That way you're not requiring DS and Gameboy Next owners to buy Revolution and vice versa. If they have internet access, they almost certainly have a PC / Mac / Laptop / whatever... Everyone who would be interested in Nintendo online would probably have both of these things anyway.


If it was a sort of hotspot, I don't think they'd have much to gain from locking other devices out of using the ethernet connection it would use either. I think they'd let other 802.11 devices connect. A console / hot spot in one box would be useful to a lot of people. Assuming the same functionality was not present in Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, Nintendo could even sell Revolutions to owners of those machines... all they'd need is a bridge for those consoles and they'd be set for wifi gaming on any console - the caveat being, a Nintendo machine would definately be one of them... Revolution would be the "and" console.
 
FiRez said:
How they will deal with the gamers of non-urban areas(like me)?
they better put a wired option.
Click to expand...

The options are (well, as far I can see, if Rev is to be access point..there may be others):

a) you run a wire to it, and IT acts as a wireless access point for OTHER devices (it'll access the net for itself through the wire)

or

b) it will connect to your own wireless router, wirelessly, for net access

or

c) both of the above - connects wirelessly or wired to the net, and either way will provide painless wireless access for your DS and other Nintendo products (I hope this is the option, though I think a) is more likely since there'd be no intial ambiguity for the average consumer about how things get set up)

In ALL of the above scenarios, though, it's leveraging your own net access at home - this isn't the all wireless, no infrastructure setup speculated by some before. Being in a city or being in the country won't make any difference whatsoever, as long as you have a net connection (presumably a broadband one at that).

empanada said:
Read this http://www.broadcom.com/products/secureeasysetup.php

It explains alot how Nintendo plans to do online/router authentication. Basically, you press a button on the access point (like the Revolution or some peripheral), then you press a button on your DS, and you're online using WPA. So ppl can't randomly connect to different access points without pressing those buttons.
Click to expand...


This makes sense - cheers!
 
I'm probably not following this very well as I don't really know anything about this stuff, but in some of the examples of possibilities here, would you NEED a Revolution to go online with the DS?

I must be wrong thinking that, that'd be ridiculous.
 
gofreak said:
The options are (well, as far I can see, if Rev is to be access point..there may be others):

a) you run a wire to it, and IT acts as a wireless access point for OTHER devices (it'll access the net for itself through the wire)

or

b) it will connect to your own wireless router, wirelessly, for net access

or

c) both of the above - connects wirelessly or wired to the net, and either way will provide painless wireless access for your DS and other Nintendo products (I hope this is the option, though I think a) is more likely since there'd be no intial ambiguity for the average consumer about how things get set up)
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Interesting, I tought you always need a hot spot near you.
 
Yup. I thought the same when all this hot spot talk descended initially. I've now got my own network set up wirelessly in the house, and it's awesome. Streaming videos from my PC straight to my modded Xbox made me realise how much!

Nearly all hot spots are wired to something. Be it a cable / satellite or other high speed internet solution. Wireless hardware (like routers, bridges and access points) are what allow connections over the air within distance of that connection. So in effect, by getting a router or whatever yourself, you're creating your own hot spot. Some here feel that maybe Revolution will give every owner their own hotspot.

Mama Smurf said:
I'm probably not following this very well as I don't really know anything about this stuff, but in some of the examples of possibilities here, would you NEED a Revolution to go online with the DS?

I must be wrong thinking that, that'd be ridiculous.
Click to expand...

Thats why I don't think this is the case either. I think they're simply gonna riff off the fact that anyone interested in online gaming will already have a PC and internet connection. Either they create their own peripheral or ask people to go out and get their own WAPs / Routers etc.

If it needed Revolution, would that mean Revolution was coming out in November?
 
Mama Smurf said:
I'm probably not following this very well as I don't really know anything about this stuff, but in some of the examples of possibilities here, would you NEED a Revolution to go online with the DS?

I must be wrong thinking that, that'd be ridiculous.
Click to expand...

If you want a secure connection, you would need a Revolution or some peripheral. But for unprotected wireless networks, it should connect automatically. I hope it turns out this way. Or alteast they should put in an option for manual configuration for us "experts."
 
It's starting to sound like my guess was right. To recap:

I don't think the Nintendo DS will go online through a normal access point or wireless router. Iwata said something that made me think this. He specifically said that he didn't want gamers to have to deal with wireless issues such as SSID, WEP security setup, etc. Now if you know anything about wireless networks, that's pretty much impossible for the Nintendo DS to get online through normal standard means.

This leads me to a few theories. The first is you'll be accessing an online connection through the Revolution itself. The Nintendo DS will be able to talk to the Revoultion which will then tunnel your connection to the Internet. The second possibility is Nintendo will supply a network adaptor that you plug into your wired LAN and the Nintendo DS will talk to that piece of hardware to connect to the Internet.

Since Nintendo is doing the opposite of Sony, I don't see how there is any other way other than there being proprietary hardware for you to interface and access the Internet while hiding all the complexities of a wireless network.
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http://www.ga-forum.com/showthread.php?t=39048&page=1&pp=50

I think the Revolution would be an option, not the only method of getting on. I think the other way will be an inexpensive adaptor. This one touch configuration stuff unfortunately only works with Broadcom hardware/software. That doesn't solve the issue if you have say a Linksys or Netgear router.

As I've said before, it's going to go down one of two different ways. It's either going to be easy yet proprietary and very unconventional , or more complicated yet standard.
 
I don't think the Revolution bill be a Wi-Fi Router. What if you want to play DS online and someone near you wants to play Rev online ?
 
Jacobi said:
I don't think the Revolution bill be a Wi-Fi Router. What if you want to play DS online and someone near you wants to play Rev online ?
Click to expand...

I dont think it'll be a router either. But it can probably act as an access point.
 
Can somebody explain this in layman's terms? How will Revolution go online? Will it still be an ethernet broadband connection that will then allow Wi-Fi, or will it just be Wi-Fi compatible off the bat or something?
 
I'm sure Revolution will be optional to getting online with DS. There'll be multiple different ways to get online, and this would be there "easy-peasy, guaranteed" way of doing it, fulfilling that promise. Using other means of access will require more conventional setup procedures.
 
We don't really know. The area that's hazy is what it is exactly that DS and Revolution will connect to, and how they'll do it. It's frustrating to say it, but all we know is that it will connect to something... wirelessly :lol So a lot of what you're reading here is speculation.

What this PR/news means is actually very little. We now know that they're using a Broadcom-made solution. It has some ramifications but seemingly not many at this stage. E3 is only a month away now though, I'm sure more details will leak before then. More partnerships with companies like this perhaps?

Another thing this PR sheds light on is something Iwata has said previously. The security technology they are using (there's a link to it's page in this thread) explains what Iwata meant at GDC when he said he didn't want consumers to have to worry about WEP / WPA / SSID. In laymans, he doesnt want us to have to learn what those acronyms mean. Online should just work.

So with that in mind, I think it's safe to say that Revolution will be just as easy to get online as the DS will, even if we don't really know how they're going to do it yet.
 
radioheadrule83 said:
So with that in mind, I think it's safe to say that Revolution will be just as easy to get online as the DS will, even if we don't really know how they're going to do it yet.
Click to expand...

I think Marty and I posted some pretty good educated guesses ;).
 
empanada said:
Read this http://www.broadcom.com/products/secureeasysetup.php

It explains alot how Nintendo plans to do online/router authentication. Basically, you press a button on the access point (like the Revolution or some peripheral), then you press a button on your DS, and you're online using WPA. So ppl can't randomly connect to different access points without pressing those buttons.
Click to expand...


There is a problem if I am reading this right:

Generates and distributes strong WPA passwords to authenticate network devices and encrypt data transmissions
Click to expand...

I really do not like to have the password flying in the air ;).

The solution I proposed above would not need any password: the DS's WiFi is AES secured IIRC and Nintendo KNOWS the correct key to encript and decript all of the data: they just need to design Revolution's WiFi module so that it encrypts and decrypts the data the same way as the DS and the GameBoy Next need it/understand it.

It should work quite well that way (for other details refer to my first post in this thread) ;).
 
Panajev2001a said:
I think Marty and I posted some pretty good educated guesses ;).
Click to expand...
The problem with DS going online via Revolution only is that Revolution isn't due till next year. DS is supposed to go online before the end of this year. And call me an optimist (:lol) but I don't think they are going to handcuff the DS by delaying online till next year.
 
olubode said:
The problem with DS going online via Revolution only is that Revolution isn't due till next year. DS is supposed to go online before the end of this year. And call me an optimist (:lol) but I don't think they are going to handcuff the DS by delaying online till next year.
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I believe both Panajev and I stated that the Revolution would be an option, not the only method.
 
Marty Chinn said:
I believe both Panajev and I stated that the Revolution would be an option, not the only method.
Click to expand...

Gotchya, I just thought that when you said this...

Marty Chinn said:
As I've said before, it's going to go down one of two different ways. It's either going to be easy yet proprietary and very unconventional , or more complicated yet standard.
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You meant one xor the other. I didn't think you where being inclusive.
 
Well educated yeah, hell you guys have way more of a clue on these things than I ever will, but they're still guesses right? Or are they! Vat do you know!?!? SHPEAK ENGLAND!
*slap*

One month. Details. And Star Wars. :D
 
Interesting stuff. I certainly do hope I can take my DS wireless this year with my current Linksys wireless network.

I understand that the access point and the DS would need to communicate, to "sing" to each other for the seamless, instant connection Iwata hinted about 2 months ago. But hell, I'm not expert enough in WiFi networks to not be daunted by more conventional means as well.

Don't forget us, Ninty!
 
Marty Chinn said:
I think the Revolution would be an option, not the only method of getting on. I think the other way will be an inexpensive adaptor. This one touch configuration stuff unfortunately only works with Broadcom hardware/software. That doesn't solve the issue if you have say a Linksys or Netgear router.
Click to expand...

Broadcom doesn't actually make hardware themselves. They design chipsets, software and reference designs, then licence them to other companies. Cisco/Linksys happens to be just one of the companies that uses their chipsets.

The SecureEasySetup thing is one of the options that a manufacturer can choose to implement or not. Broadcom, HP and Linksys actually made an announcement about this back in January. Press release is here.

http://www.broadcom.com/press/release.php?id=659800
 
SecureEasySetup? How exactly does it make it easier than any GUI-based setup? I thought the setup on one of my Microsoft access points was brainlessly painless. I mean, I had almost no networking experience (and certainly NO wireless experience) at the time, and it was a piece of cake still.
 
WHat makes you think this has anything to do with online play? :D
 
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