Nintendo DS - free voice-over-ip chat; DS on track for 2004 release

I was JUST thinking last night that Nintendo really should make an effort to get partnerships with major tech businesses and the like to try and get this thing going almost like a new Blackberry-type device. Make it something that an office worker can buy for just as much use for these types of options as for games and further expand your potential buying audience.

And then this happens. So cool.
 
I think the bottom line is that if you're expecting Nintendo to offer up a cheap alternative to your phone/cell phone, I think you're expectingt too much.

I'd expect a nice bonus for DS users, and then a premium charge for inferior service outside of the DS community.

I wouldn't even see it as a "catch", since it just seems to make sense.
 
Nintendo never intended the GBA to be a video phone, mp3 player or smart media veiwer...but it happened thanks to outside companies. With Nintendo pushing GBA Video I'm wondering if they're more open to embrace stuff outside of gaming. This would not only give their products more selling points but help skew the "kiddie" image off of them...both of which ultimatly help them.

I don't think this thing will be for "free phone calls"...but DS to DS voice chats or "calls" instead. Outside companies may make these features more versatile though so you can use hot spots to "call" other devices beside's DS's...like celphones or computers.
 
Cathcart said:
They're not phone calls.
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Exactly, it's just internet traffic carrying your voice, like any other streaming sound. And there's no reason why this should cost you anything if you've free access to a wireless hotspot. And no reason why you couldn't call any device using VOIP, as long as Nintendo hasn't imposed some arbitrary proprietrary standard.
 
Deg said:
If you guys think it will offer free phone calls you're insane because it would have been done already.
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Actually it HAS been done, I believe the people who did Kazaa Lite or something made a program that allowed you to make free phone calls over the net somehow. I didn't want to see if it worked, as uh doesn't seem like a safe thing to do. :P

But, some people here don't seem to know what voice over IP is. The technology does allow you to call anyone and most VoIP services cover free long distance to many areas at a price cheaper than your average phone bill. The question of quality and what not is questionable, but not just for the DS. Wireless signals, the microphone or headset itself, and what not. My guess is, this story is a little bit farfetched. If it's true, which is very much unlike Nintendo, it will be a paying service that might work through a VoIP company.

If that's the case, I'll still get it. Why? I don't have a cell phone. I've had one, and actually ever place I've used it had a wireless network. :P

Then again, like someone else mentioned. This could just be simple voice chat, and even so if it's off decent quality... I still find voice chat to be a more fun means of communication than a phone, but most people don't use voice chat in that manner.

But really, everyone take this with a grain of salt.
 
Cathcart said:
It really is a testament to modern society and technology that we got to the point where someone can make the claim that opening a plastic device on a hinge would be a "hassle." How is opening the DS any more difficult then opening all of the cell phones on the market that have flip tops or sliding covers on them? Wouldn't a seperate remote for a handheld device be just a bit ridiculous?
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Remotes are handy. Keep the MD portable in your pocket, select music from the remote clipped to your shirt pocket. Most MD players relegate most of the playback controls to the remote. Granted, some don't like remotes, but they're optional. In the case of the DS headset, it just makes sense since you've already got a cord running from the headset to the unit.

Also, speaking from personal experience, it's easier to remove something small like a cell phone from a pocket than a larger device like a portable. i can actually get most of my hand in to grab it instead of trying to grab a piece of a portable. Again, personal experience.

This is a moot point now, but had Nintendo gone with the design i spoke of previously, i wouldn't be so much of an issue:


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open_mouth's right though, there'd need to be servers set up to route IPs to numbers and do other backend tasks, which could incur costs. i really hope it will allow true VoIP as this would really show the DS as more than just a gimmicky two-screened, PDA wannabe Gameboy bastard child, though i won't be disappointed if it's not.
 
sohka88 said:
I do not believe for one second that nintendo will allow people to make free phone calls.
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It's already possible to communicate over mic's / webcams over the internet freely on PC, so why would it not be possible to do it on DS through WiFi?

Of course you first have to be connected to the internet. You can't just walk around everywhere with just your DS making free 'phone calls'.
 
Voice chat is most likely what they mean. Nintendo already said that they won't be doing anything on the Internet with DS. VoIP would require Internet access which means congiguring your DS for an ISP. AFAIK, hot spots still require some configuring if your using a laptop or PDA.
 
My PDA is set to auto-scan hotspots. So whenever i try to connect with my web browser or email client, it'll scan for any in the area. If it finds one, it connects. The main reason you'd have to set anything up is to use WEP (encryption).
 
jedimike said:
Voice chat is most likely what they mean. Nintendo already said that they won't be doing anything on the Internet with DS. VoIP would require Internet access which means congiguring your DS for an ISP. AFAIK, hot spots still require some configuring if your using a laptop or PDA.
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I don't think they were that clear on the issue. They said that if a 3rd party released the appropriate software, the DS could connect to the Internet, but they wouldnt be the ones to do it. The discussion on that kept going in circles though because no one could say whether he was referring to browsing the internet.

And remember, Miyamoto didn't just say they don't plan on using the wireless capabilities to connect to the Internet, he said the primary reason they included it was for communication, while others could use it for the Internet.
 
jedimike said:
Voice chat is most likely what they mean. Nintendo already said that they won't be doing anything on the Internet with DS.
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i think what they meant was that you wont be able to surf the net out of box.. but if a 3rd party wanted to make a browser, they wont complain.
 
Seeing as it's cellphones that have been hurting gaming so much in Japan, this would make sense as Nintendo is a very Japan focused company and this seems the perfect way for Nintendo to fight back and reclaim Japanese market share from the cellphone working.
 
Meier said:
I was JUST thinking last night that Nintendo really should make an effort to get partnerships with major tech businesses and the like to try and get this thing going almost like a new Blackberry-type device. Make it something that an office worker can buy for just as much use for these types of options as for games and further expand your potential buying audience.

And then this happens. So cool.
Click to expand...

Sure.
gray.gif


Anyway, sounds like a cool feature.
 
'm stunned, this makes it look like Nintendo would be admitting that the stuff that Ngage did first is actually the way to go - phone usage (mind you, the first ngae came with a headset, no need to really sidetalk), wireless bluetooth gaming, online scoreboards and downloadable demos. All done on Ngage before already. In 2003. But earlier it was a fad and convergence, now that Nintendo does it it's great and innovative! Woohoo!

... actually, didn't Reggie just bash Ngage for being not clear on what it is? If this is true, how is DS so much more like Blackberry, a single purpose device, then?
 
Chittagong said:
... actually, didn't Reggie just bash Ngage for being not clear on what it is? If this is true, how is DS so much more like Blackberry, a single purpose device, then?
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So you know stuff we dont? ;) DS wont be replacing any phones anytime soon. I can see it being a strong 'online communications device'.
 
More than likely, it'll be a AIM-style chat system with voice. Sort of like what'd happen if Ventrilo and AIM fuck/merged.
 
The difference is Nokia were trying to get into gaming with a phone, but (as far as we know) Nintendo aren't trying to get into the telephone market with a gaming machine. It just sounds like a nice addition.

In other words, Nokia better get both the phone and game side right if they're claiming to focus so strongly on both, whereas Nintendo just have to get the gaming side right and make sure the chat is at least decent.
 
Chittagong said:
'm stunned, this makes it look like Nintendo would be admitting that the stuff that Ngage did first is actually the way to go - phone usage (mind you, the first ngae came with a headset, no need to really sidetalk), wireless bluetooth gaming, online scoreboards and downloadable demos. All done on Ngage before already. In 2003. But earlier it was a fad and convergence, now that Nintendo does it it's great and innovative! Woohoo!
Click to expand...
Come on, stop burning that straw man. I don't think anyone trashed the N-Gage because those ideas were horrible by themselves. They trashed the N-Gage because it started out at $300, had poor design, and was a gaming system from Nokia.

... actually, didn't Reggie just bash Ngage for being not clear on what it is? If this is true, how is DS so much more like Blackberry, a single purpose device, then?
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It was PSP, I believe.
 
At this point, based on IGN's article on the subject especially, it seems like we're looking at voice chat.

But...why would you need voice chat if you're in the same room? Either they think that people will really boot up their DS systems and suddenly realize they have a fellow gamer across the cafe and feel like gaming, or it's a bigger scale.
 
cybamerc said:
Um... you're not limited to a room.
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Oh, I know that. But are there going to be two hotspots close enough together where this happens to be used. I know that, if it's DS to DS, I'm not spendiing extra money on a headset because I know no such areas exist where I'm headed for university. I can understand where it would come in handy, I just see it as a less common situation.
 
Memles:

> Oh, I know that. But are there going to be two hotspots close enough together where
> this happens to be used.

Eh... quite sure this feature will enable communation over the internet. Would seem quite pointless otherwise.
 
Memles said:
Oh, I know that. But are there going to be two hotspots close enough together where this happens to be used. I know that, if it's DS to DS, I'm not spendiing extra money on a headset because I know no such areas exist where I'm headed for university. I can understand where it would come in handy, I just see it as a less common situation.
Click to expand...

DS is online ;) otherwise its not worth putting the tech in.
 
Memles said:
Oh, I know that. But are there going to be two hotspots close enough together where this happens to be used. I know that, if it's DS to DS, I'm not spendiing extra money on a headset because I know no such areas exist where I'm headed for university. I can understand where it would come in handy, I just see it as a less common situation.
Click to expand...

If you can communicate through a wireless hotspot, then technically there's no reason why you shouldn't be able to communicate with anyone else in the world who's connected to a wireless hotspot. The two hotspots don't have to be close to one another, in the same way that two computers on the net don't have to be close to one another. A wireless hotspot provides wireless access to an internet connection that is provided by a cable.
 
cybamerc said:
Memles:

> Oh, I know that. But are there going to be two hotspots close enough together where
> this happens to be used.

Eh... quite sure this feature will enable communation over the internet. Would seem quite pointless otherwise.
Click to expand...

That's my point; is it really basically just a DS Exclusive Voice Chat feature to be used as an AIM style venture, or do they actually plan on using it for voice chat in games. If the prior, no big surprise. If the latter, what's the need unless they actually plan on haviing long-distance play?
 
Lost Weekend (in an older thread) said:
I guess that the port is (was) the mystery, but the DS being able to be used as an internet phone is the secret.
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Yep, I'm still a soothsayer :)
 
Memles said:
That's my point; is it really basically just a DS Exclusive Voice Chat feature to be used as an AIM style venture, or do they actually plan on using it for voice chat in games. If the prior, no big surprise. If the latter, what's the need unless they actually plan on haviing long-distance play?
Click to expand...
First and foremost I think it's intended for online voice chat. Perhaps down the line you'll see games taking advantage of it. Nintendo has been downplaying online gaming on the DS but the WiFi is there, ready to be used.
 
Deg said:
If you guys think it will offer free phone calls you're insane because it would have been done already.
Click to expand...

It has. People have been making free long distance phone calls over their computer lines for years. VOIP is really old school tech (but extremely practical)
 
Maybe it's WLAN voice chat, in which you pick a NetBIOS name or something. In the unlikely situation that there are access points between you and the destination, it'll be useful. But I don't think that's very likely.

In some cities where people freely connect their access points, that may make sense.
 
This isn't a Nintendo link, it's just a link to show those who know nothing about VOIP that this shit's been going on for years, and the DS has all the equipment needed to make it happen. If this report is true, you should be able to call anyone. Not just people with NDS's.

http://www.pulver.com/fwd/
 
Everything depends on the application, but you know what I mean. It's entirely possible.


(and check out that link, guys. interesting stuff can be done via VOIP)
 
Seriously this is really fucking cool since I've recently setup a wireless-g range that covers my entire house.

I want to really truly beleive this but I'm going to hold on getting my hopes up.
 
Its inevitable really... built in mic/speakers and a headset, 802.11 access... if Nintendo didnt make it possible someone else would have to. I'm not really sure how VoIP works... but am I to understand the DS' would make direct connection with one another by IP, then send the relevant data? Doesn't sound too far fetched to me... it's not like they're letting you call regular phones, lets not get confused.

Personally I'd love to see a FM antennae / SIM card cartridge for the GBA slot on this thing, literally turning it into a mobile phone. Get Motorola on board or something... they've already partnered with them on wireless for GBA.
 
I don't see how people can get all excited about this vague statement. Just reading it I see that the terms are being used vaguely. All that you could get from this is that Nintendo is interested in bringing some communications app to the DS.

As far as I take it I would say that Nintendo will bring out software to allow communications between DSs either using the short-range tech or WiFi (directly and not through a network). What I'd find interesting now, is if they're going to integrate that app in the hardware (small ROM), package it with the DS, or sell it separately.

As for the whole chatting through Internet thing, I'd say you should all forget it... as far as coming from Nintendo.
1. Allow DS to communicate through the internet, would require the DSs to register on that network and get an IP. Then the users would have to somehow get a hold of these IPs to input them in the app.
2. When the DS registers on the net, it connects to a server that works as a HUB and keeps track of the DSs registered.

1. is too complicated for Nintendo to effectively market as "Online Chat" cause non-nerds out there would have no idea how to work with it.
2. costs money, and Nintendo said already they're not into supporting an Online system.

So forget about this whole "free phone calls" thing. Nintendo is not going to be doing even the simple Internet chat. That doesn't mean a Third Party won't be doing it: I'm sure someone will.

But whatever Nintendo does, peeps are going to bitch about it.
 
cybamerc said:
First and foremost I think it's intended for online voice chat. Perhaps down the line you'll see games taking advantage of it. Nintendo has been downplaying online gaming on the DS but the WiFi is there, ready to be used.
Click to expand...


You guys keep hoping for Nintendo online gaming. You proclaimed it when the BB adapter was released... then with the Gamespy utility for developers... then with the AOL partnership and now with the DS even though it has been said more than once that Nintendo doesn't have any intentions of online gaming.

Miyamoto said no "Internet" and Reggie has said "no online gaming". Although it's certainly possible, the probability is slim to none.

Will they use the 802.11b for other reasons like VoIP? Maybe, but if they are going to do that, then why not use it for gaming?

from Reggie

With this preamble then, let me explain how Nintendo is approaching our future with DS. On the issue of multifunctionality, our intent is to market the DS clearly as a portable game-playing device, just as we have done with Game Boy. But there will be one important distinction this time, and that difference is the socialization factor. The DS will be equipped to wirelessly connect 16 players in close proximity to a single game. This, to us, marries the same excitement of competing side by side with your friends in Goldeneye—but expands it fourfold. It’s such a good idea, in fact, that even Sony has paid it the sincerest form of flattery.

The DS will also be equipped to allow long distance connections via wireless Internet browser, but as we know, we’re still some time away from actually having wireless head-to-head play in any contemporary game sense. So, our answer on multifunctionality is pretty simple: it’s designed to expand the sole function of playing games in compelling new ways.
Click to expand...
 
We should probably wait until Nintendo announces the headset, but I'm pretty damn sure that the NDS is going to allow internet telephony (at least on a peer to peer level)

We should hear the official word pretty soon.
 
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