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He pointed out that despite technology being available, the value and the quality of the experience hasn't been up to Nintendo standards. Nintendo now believes with the DS that the time is right to show everyone how it sees the future of wi-fi gaming. Merrick said there are three elements of this future. The first, "Ease of use. No usernames. No passwords. No IP addresses. No URLs. No unintelligible technobabble. Just gaming." He offered further insight to why Nintendo has been so adamant on "wi-fi" and not just "online gaming." There are no cables involved. Nintendo wants to keep the experience simple. He noted that many people don't have broadband connections in their homes where they want to play games, and wi-fi solves that. For those that do have broadband at home they want to use, Nintendo will be releasing an "easy to install wi-fi adapter for PCs," claims Merrick.
The second part of Nintendo's wi-fi connection is "a fun and comfortable environment for everyone. Hardcore gamers and casual gamers alike. With Nintendo wi-fi you can choose to play only with your friends. Or, if you choose, you can find people based on skill level." Merrick's main point was that Nintendo wi-fi will provide a friendly experience, not an aggravating one.
The third and final element to wi-fi is, Jim said, "Cost. Nintendo won't be charging any subscription service to play our wi-fi games. We believe that wi-fi gaming should be a natural extension of the game. Not a new way to extract money from the gamers." Following up on that, Nintendo announced it is working to partner with numerous hot spot providers across Europe and that Nintendo itself will also be installing free hot spots. Nintendo's vision, he said, is total freedom to enjoy wi-fi multiplayer gaming anywhere you go.
With titles like Mario Kart DS just around the corner, it won't be long until we experience all this for ourselves. We'll have more information as it's available. Stay tuned.