Nintendo unveils Wi-Fi dongle News
DS News by Ellie Gibson
Nintendo has unveiled the new Wi-Fi USB connector that will allow DS owners who don't have a wireless router to take their handheld online.
Stick it in your PC and it'll open a window to establish a link between your DS, your computer and your Internet connection. (And we do mean PC - Nintendo is only supporting Windows at the moment, so bad luck Mac owners.) There are then three option screens to click through on your DS, and hey presto - you're online.
As previously announced, you'll be able to construct a Friends list but there are no usernames or passwords involved. Instead, 12 digit numbers or "Friend Codes" will be used - swap your Friend Code with a mate and they'll be added to your list so you can play with them whenever. If you prefer, you can pick a random stranger who happens to be as wicked/rubbish at the game in question as you via Nintendo's skill-mapping servers.
The USB Connector will go on sale in Europe on November 25 alongside Mario Kart DS, priced £30.
Nintendo unveiled the connector at the DS Conference 2005 in Japan, where three new titles for the handheld were also announced.
Eigo Zuke teaches Japanese speakers how to write and speak English using the DS's touch screen and microphone. It won't make it over here for obvious reasons, though we wouldn't mind a vice versa version.
And we're also hoping that since Motto Nou wo Kitaeru Otona no DS Training - Brain Training 2 - will be out in Japan by Christmas, we can expect an English version of the first instalment in the series some time soon.
The third game announced was Daredemo Asobi Taikai, a collection of more than 40 popular board games. Wireless multiplayer. Up to eight players opponents. Game sharing. Out next month. Couldn't care less.
But HURRAH for the USB Connector and for HURRAH for online multiplayer Mario Kart DS! Roll on November!
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Comments: 1-44 of 44 in total
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RabidMonkey
05/10/05 @ 13:10
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Mario Kart DS looks rubbish though. Whatever happened to Animal Crossing DS, wasn't that meant to be online also?
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BurnoutJunkie
05/10/05 @ 13:15
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Ugh, way to not support Mac owners. I couldn't care less about the Wi-Fi dongle - I just need clarification as to whether my DS will be able to access my wireless network. I have MAC address filtering security on my already set up wireless connection, the thing is, i'm having trouble getting hold of my MAC address.
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Fair enough, but if Japanese cities are like many cities in the west, Nintendo would be competing against other free wifi hotspot services. It would be mad if they did charge. Besides, I'd regard that as being seperate from the actual online gaming service itself, because you can use any wifi access point, at your home, workplace or in town.
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" have a cable modem - do i plug that Nintendo attachment into a USB 2.0 socket on my PC, load the drivers on and start playing? "
Yes. You turn yer pc on, connect it to the interweb.. (with dongle plugged in). And away you go (obviously pc will have to be connected and turned on while yer playing). If you have a wifi router at home (i.e. yer computer isnt attached to the phone line via a cable), this isnt needed. |
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GreasyWeasel
05/10/05 @ 14:01
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That looks remarkably like the Buffalo Wireless USB key thingy.
http://www.morecomputers.co.uk/textra.asp?pn=WLI-U2-KG54AI-3 &referer=Froogle The buffalo one has the windows drivers built into it on a bit of flash memory so I guess this is just a Nintendo'd version. |
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AtomicBanana
05/10/05 @ 14:35
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Jiveguy.... You see 3000 XBox Live hotspots (In Japan alone) like Nintendo's FREE offering? That's 3000 more hotspots than MS are offering... Not that you'd want to lug around that colossal console... ;P
^^^ Erm, exactly, it'd be pointless, hence there aren't any Live hotspots because it makes no sense? Yeah, good argument there. |
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"speedjack" - yes.
All a generic wifi dongle will do is take the web connection from your home pc (which is connected to the web), and fire the connection around your house. If you have ANY other device which can pick up on the wifi signal (say, a laptop, another pc, a psp, or a ds) you'll be able to plug into that connection. Simple? My guess is the nintendo branded one wont do anything special other than looking different, im GUESSING it'll still alow you to connect another pc/psp/whatever to the wireless network. Im also hoping that they may even give it away for free with the game (so parents dont get too confused), but i doubt it. |
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"Doesn't explain how it will work with a wireless router though."
like the psp does, automatically? If you have a wireless router firing out net signals.. it'll pick it up.. you'll probs need to give it a password if yer router is encrypted (and if it isnt.. you should seriously consider doing just that). The dongle is ONLY required if you dont have a wireless router. The dongle effectively becomes your wireless router (but obviously will require yer pc to be turned on while a router wont).
Edited 1 times,
most recently on 05/10/05 @ 18:10
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dr_zoidthrob
06/10/05 @ 08:27
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hmm... from http://www.nintendo-europe.com/NOE/en/GB/news/article.do?ele
mentId=xFc7fEo-5Rpq5GFwYo7OW8ocdlzquQi2 " Mario Kart DS provides excitement and challenges to keep players, both young and old, entertained and in the driving seat. This highly addictive, fun and fast paced racing game launches on the Nintendo DS in Europe on 25 November 2005, at the estimated retail price of around £30. Also launching on the same date is the Nintendo Wi-Fi USB Connector which will enable players who have Broadband at home to join in the Wi-Fi fun. The Nintendo Wi-Fi USB Connector will be priced at around £30. " So... £60 to play Mario Kart online (or £40 if you get everything from Play.com) |
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SlackMaster
06/10/05 @ 08:44
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I think £30 is quite steep for a dongle... I was thinking it would be more like £20.
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ChigusaLover
19/10/05 @ 15:41
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I cant wait to get it on Christmas..but i cant stand the wait.I'm also getting nintendogs and Animal crossing and their both online games i think.
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