Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection
Encyclopedia
The (stylized as nintendo Wi-Fi connection) is an online multiplayer gaming service run by Nintendo
to provide free online play in compatible Nintendo DS
, Nintendo 3DS
and Wii
games. The service includes the company's Wii Shop Channel
, DSi Shop, and Nintendo eShop
game download services. It also runs features for the Nintendo Wii, Nintendo DS
, and Nintendo 3DS
systems. Games designed to take advantage of Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection offer Internet play integrated into the game. Nintendo emphasizes the simplicity and speed of starting an online game when promoting its service. For example, in Mario Kart DS, an online game is initiated by selecting the online multiplayer option from the main menu, then choosing whether to play with friends, or to play with other gamers (either in the local region or worldwide) at about the same skill level. After a selection is made, the game starts searching for an available player.
Many games have additional features that are enabled between registered friends. These may include customized matchmaking options, cooperative play, friend lists, text chat, and voice chat. Newer Wii games use the 16-digit Wii Number which is shared between all games instead of using Friend Codes, providing a benefit of not having to register the same friend multiple times across different games.
The Nintendo 3DS
eliminates the factor of having one Friend Code per game, and establishes one Friend Code per console. Additionally, once a user mutually registered another person's Friend Code, the Nintendo 3DS automatically connects with any supported game title each user may be mutually playing on their own console. This, however, only applies to Nintendo 3DS-specific games. Although the Nintendo 3DS is backward compatible with Nintendo DS games, it continues to require a unique Friend Code per game as if played on any original Nintendo DS system.
(DLC) or services that require extra fees. These fees will be paid for using Nintendo Points. A special red Wi-Fi Connection logo with the words "Pay & Play" is used to distinguish these games from the regular free Wi-Fi games.
The first games to feature Pay & Play were released in Japan as part of WiiWare
on the March 25, 2008. Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: My Life as a King
, Kotoba no Puzzle Mojipittan Wii and Lonpos
each had downloadable content available for 100 to 800 Wii Points. The first retail Wii titles to feature Pay & Play functionality are Samba De Amigo
, Guitar Hero: World Tour and Rock Band 2
.
would be available on the Wii via the Internet Channel browser; however, some users experienced difficulties with the service. On November 18, 2009, BBC iPlayer
on the Wii was relaunched as the BBC iPlayer Channel, which is free to download from the Wii Shop Channel
. The service is only available to people in the United Kingdom.
, which can be obtained by purchasing Nintendo Points cards from retail outlets or directly through the Wii Shop Channel using MasterCard
or Visa credit cards online. Users can browse in the Virtual Console
, WiiWare
, or Wii Channels
sections for downloads. A feature to purchase downloaded software as gifts for others became available worldwide on December 10, 2007. Additional channels that were not released at the console's launch are available for purchase in the Wii Shop Channel. These include: Internet Channel, Everybody Votes Channel
, Check Mii Out Channel
, Nintendo Channel, Netflix Channel
, and the Japan-only Television Friend Channel. Currently all downloadable channels are free of charge.
of the older hardware. The prices are generally the same in almost every region and are determined primarily by the software's original platform.
The WiiWare section is being touted as a forum to provide developers with small budgets to release smaller-scale games without the investment and risk of creating a title to be sold at retail (somewhat similar to the Xbox Live Arcade
and the PlayStation Store
). While actual games have been planned to appear in this section since its inception, there had been no official word on when any would be appearing until June 27, 2007, when Nintendo made an official confirmation in a press release which revealed the first titles would surface sometime in 2008. According to Nintendo, "The remarkable motion controls will give birth to fresh takes on established genres, as well as original ideas that currently exist only in developers' minds."
Like Virtual Console games, WiiWare games are purchased using Wii Points. Nintendo handles all pricing options for the downloadable games.
and Nintendo DSi XL systems, where you can download DSiWare games and applications.
Service with Game Boy
, Game Boy Color
games, as well as "classic" games in 3D. At the 2011 GDC Nintendo announced that TurboGrafx 16, and Game Gear games would be available for Virtual Console. Purchases are made through the "Nintendo eShop", using a cash-based system instead of a points-based system as used for the Wii and DSi.
to provide the means to share works created with the software. Speaking for Nintendo, Yoshiaki Koizumi
stated they chose to work with Hatena because "it takes a special skill set to maintain the User Generated Contents (UGC) site, and we don't have that skill. We rely on Hatena on that part."
Flipnote Hatena is the name of both the portion of the Flipnote Studio application that connects to the Flipnote Hatena website as well as the website itself (the Japanese version of the program differentiates between the two, but not the English version). Directly accessing the Flipnote Hatena website, through this portion of the application users are able to trade flipnotes, assign ranks to flipnotes uploaded by others, and save any viewed flipnote to their own DSi. Users may also edit or even continue a flipnote created by another user.
As for the website itself, Flipnote Hatena offers the ability for users to rank and comment on the works of others, as well as to embed their animations into other webpages. Users may also flag submissions as inappropriate; flipnotes thus flagged will not be viewable via the DSi's Flipnote Hatena and may be removed from the website altogether.
disc is required. As of October 18, 2010 American and Canadian Wii owners can watch Netflix
instantly as a channel without requiring a disc. Also, on July 14, 2011, Netflix
was released for the Nintendo 3DS
through the Nintendo eShop
.
. The Nintendo DS also has a web browser, but you have to buy a DS card and a RAM expansion, which works through the Game Boy Advance port, to use the browser; it was also powered by Opera.
service. The Forecast Channel displays a view of the Earth as a globe (courtesy of NASA
), with which users can view weather in other regions. The user can also spin the globe. When fully zoomed out, an accurate star map is visible in the background. (The Big Dipper
and the constellation
Orion
are easily recognizable, for example.) The Forecast Channel features include the current forecast, the UV index, today's overall forecast, tomorrow's forecast, a 5-day forecast (only for the selected country you live in), and a laundry check (Japan only). The Forecast Channel first became available on December 19, 2006. Certain games like Madden NFL 07
, Nights: Journey of Dreams
, and Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games
can use the Forecast Channel to simulate weather conditions depending on the player's region.
with clickable news images supported.
The News Channel became available in North America, Europe, and Australia on January 26, 2007. Content is in a variety of languages provided by the Associated Press
, which currently has a two-year contract to provide news and photos to Nintendo. Canadian news is submitted by the Canadian Press
for publication. Japanese news is provided by Goo
. European news is provided by Agence France-Presse
.
Starting with the August 6, 2007 update, the News Channel shows a news ticker
in the Wii Menu. However, not visiting the channel for a period of time will result in the ticker not appearing, until the channel is viewed. A December 20, 2007 PAL region update increased the number of news feeds to the channel, sourced from a larger number of news resources and agencies, providing more news that is available per country. As with the Forecast Channel, the News Channel is not available in South Korea.
s and compare and contrast opinions with those of friends, family, and people across the globe.
Everybody Votes Channel was launched on February 13, 2007, and is available in the Wii Channels section of the Wii Shop Channel. The application allows Wii owners to vote on various questions using their Mii
as a registered voter. Additionally, voters can also make predictions for the choice that will be the most popular overall after their own vote has been cast. Each Mii's voting and prediction record is tracked and voters can also view how their opinions compare to others. Whether the Mii is correct in its predictions or not is displayed on a statistics page along with a counter of how many times that Mii has voted. Up to six Miis can be registered to vote on the console. The channel is free to download. Each player can make a suggestion for a poll a day.
section of the Wii Shop Channel
.
Users can post their own Miis in the Posting Plaza, or import other user-submitted Miis to their own personal Mii Parade. Each submitted Mii is assigned a 12-digit entry number to aid in searching. Submitted Miis are given 2 initials by their creator and a notable skill/talent to aid in sorting.
In the Contests section, players can submit their own Miis to compete in contests to best fit a certain description (e.g. Mario
without his cap). After the time period for sending a Mii has expired, the user has the choice of voting for three Miis featured on the judging panel, with ten random Miis being shown at a time. Once the judging period is over, the results of the contest may be viewed. Their selection and/or submission's popularity in comparison to others is displayed, as well as the winning Mii and user.
The Check Mii Out Channel sends messages to the Wii Message Board concerning recent contests. Participants in certain contests can add their user and submitted Mii to a photo with a background related to the contest theme. This picture can then be sent to the Wii Message Board.
. The channel is said to be "very fun and Nintendo-esque". A "stamp" feature allows users to mark programs of interest with a Mii-themed stamp. If an e-mail address or mobile phone number has been registered in the address book, the channel can send out an alert 30 minutes prior to the start of the selected program. The channel tracks the stamps of all Wii users and allows users to rate programs on a five-star scale. Additionally, when the channel is active the Wii Remote can be used to change the TV's volume and channel so that users can tune into their shows by way of the channel. The Television Friend Channel launched in Japan on March 4, 2008. It is not going to be launched outside Japan, as most countries, unlike Japan, have a guide built into set-top boxes and/or TVs.
that allow users to import their digital photos from an SD card and place them into templates for printable photo books and business cards through a software wizard. The user is also able to place their Mii
on a business card. The completed design is then sent online to Fujifilm who print and deliver the completed product to the user. The processing of individual photos is also available.
The Digicam Print Channel became available from July 23, 2008 in Japan. It will be available in Europe, Australia, and North America in the future.
between Nintendo and Japanese advertising agency Dentsu
. The channel's interface is built around a virtual living room, where up to 8 Miis can be registered and interact with each other. The virtual living room contains a TV which takes the viewer to the video list. Celebrity "concierge" Miis occasionally introduce special programming.
users to watch videos such as interviews, trailers, commercials, and even download demos
for the Nintendo DS
. In this capacity the channel works in a similar way to the DS Download Station
. The channel provides games info pages and users can rate games that they have played. A search feature is also available to assist users in finding new games to try or buy. The channel has the ability to take the user directly into the Wii Shop Channel for buying the wanted game immediately. The Nintendo Channel was launched in Japan on November 27, 2007, in North America on May 7, 2008, and in Europe and Australia on May 30, 2008. The Nintendo Channel is updated with different Nintendo DS demos and new videos every week; the actual day of the week varies across different international regions.
An updated version of the Nintendo Channel was released in Japan on July 15, 2009, North America on September 14, 2009, and in Europe on December 15, 2009. The update introduces a new interface and additional features, options, and statistics for users to view. However, the European version is missing some of these new additional features, such as options for choosing video quality. In addition, a weekly show known as Nintendo Week
began airing exclusively on the North American edition of the channel, while another weekly show Nintendo TV, is available on the UK version of the channel.
allows players to install the Mario Kart Channel on their Wii
console. The channel can work without inserting the Mario Kart Wii
disc into the console, but to compete in races and time trials the disc is required. The use of the Mario Kart Channel allows for a number of options. A ranking option lets players see their best Time Trial scores for each track and compare their results to those of their friends and other players worldwide, represented by their Miis. Players will have the option of racing against the random or selective ghosts, or improving their results gradually by taking on the ghosts of rivals, those with similar race times. Users have the option to submit these times for others around the world to view. Players can also manage and register friends using the channel and see if any of them are currently online.
Another feature of the channel are Tournaments, where Nintendo will, on a regular basis, invite players to challenges similar to the missions on Mario Kart DS
. Players are also able to compare their competition rankings with other players.
Message Board is available for users to post messages that are available to other Wii users by usage of Wii Numbers with WiiConnect24
. In addition to writing text, players can also include images from an SD card in the body of messages, as well as attaching a Mii
to the message. Announcements of software updates and video game news are posted by Nintendo. The Message Board can be used for posting memos for oneself or for family members without going online. These messages could then be put on any day of the calendar. The Wii Message Board could also be updated automatically by a real-time game like Animal Crossing
.
, which lip-syncs to their words. In addition, users can also leave audio messages for other users by sending a message to their Wii Message Board. Users can also share photo slideshows and comment on them. The Wii Speak Channel became available in North America and Europe on December 5, 2008.
and other systems. The headset is used for chatting online with games. The headset is not wireless so it has to be plugged into the Wii by a USB cable. Although it's a third-party product, it's licensed by Nintendo
.
, sending and downloading information in the background while in sleep mode
or while playing a game. In Nintendo's September 29 conference, the confirmed Western names of the CrossPass Tag Mode service would be StreetPass and SpotPass, with SpotPass being the ability for the 3DS to seek Wi-Fi signals and automatically download content while in sleep mode and StreetPass being the passive communication between 3DS systems held by users, an example being the sharing of Mii
avatars.
During the 2011 Game Developers Conference, Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime announced that Nintendo has partnered with AT&T to provide free access to AT&T hotspots via the Nintendo 3DS. Users will be able to connect to these hotspots in late May.
The background connectivity allows users to exchange software content regardless of what software is currently in the console. Sharing content is stored in a "data slot" in the console. Using this data slot, Nintendo 3DS users can readily share and exchange content for multiple games at the same time, whenever they are connected, even when playing unrelated games. Using the console's background connectivity, a Nintendo 3DS in StreetPass Mode can automatically discover other 3DS units within range, establish a connection, and exchange content for mutually-played games, all transparently and without requiring any user input, even when the console is dormant. For example, in Super Street Fighter IV: 3D Edition
, if the user passes someone with the same software, he has a battle to collect trophies from the other player.
It can be customized to fit the user's preferences, including opting out of it altogether for selected software. One application being considered is functionality to "automatically acquire magazine and newspaper articles", similar to networked e-book
reader applications. Other improvements to online functionality include how Friend Codes are implemented, with only one code necessary for each console, as opposed to the DS and Wii where individual Friend Codes are required for each piece of software.
and Tony Hawk's American Sk8land
for the Nintendo DS, both released on November 15, 2005, followed by Animal Crossing: Wild World
in Japan on November 23 and in North America on December 5. The first Wii Wi-Fi Connection games were released in 2006 in Japan and in 2007 overseas. In Japan and North America the first game was Pokémon Battle Revolution
. In Europe, Australia, and New Zealand the first game was Mario Strikers Charged
.
Currently, there are 96 Wii games, 25 WiiWare games, 93 DS games and 2 DSiWare game available worldwide that support Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection.
has an 802.11b wireless adapter built in allowing the DS to access the service via any compatible wireless network. Public hotspots that use a captive portal
can be accessed after login using the Nintendo DS Browser
.
, WPA
and WPA2 encryption. The Wii is also AOSS
compatible as of the 3.0 system update. The connection settings allows players to configure access to and save settings for up to three different networks. Connection settings can be detected automatically or entered manually. The Wii does not have an Ethernet port built in, but can be connected via wired LAN with a USB Ethernet adapter available from Nintendo and third parties.
If a compatible wireless network is not available, the Nintendo DS and Wii can also connect through the Nintendo Wi-Fi USB Connector
. Broadband Internet access is not required to make use of this connectivity, though it is recommended to reduce network latency
. It was priced at the Nintendo Online Store, however it has since been discontinued due to legal issues. Many third party products provide similar functionality.
to provide access in McDonald's
Restaurants in the U.S. However, the deal was not renewed and has since expired. A similar partnership with FatPort to create free hotspots in Canada
was announced by Nintendo of Canada on October 19, 2005.
In 2006 former Director of Marketing for Nintendo of Europe Jim Merrick announced that Nintendo was planning total of 25,000 hotspots in Europe, with 7,500 in UK alone thanks to a partnership with The Cloud
and BT Openzone
.
Nintendo of Australia initially announced on November 17, 2005 that they would roll out only 26 hotspots across the country, in partnership with selected Electronics Boutique
, Myer
and Dick Smith Powerhouse stores. On April 14, 2007, Nintendo announced that over one thousand additional free hotspots had been added in a partnership with Telstra
Wireless, providing access in selected hotels, airports, Starbucks
cafes, and McDonald's
restaurants.
Tutorials
Wi-Fi Gaming Forums
Nintendo
is a multinational corporation located in Kyoto, Japan. Founded on September 23, 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi, it produced handmade hanafuda cards. By 1963, the company had tried several small niche businesses, such as a cab company and a love hotel....
to provide free online play in compatible Nintendo DS
Nintendo DS
The is a portable game console produced by Nintendo, first released on November 21, 2004. A distinctive feature of the system is the presence of two separate LCD screens, the lower of which is a touchscreen, encompassed within a clamshell design, similar to the Game Boy Advance SP...
, Nintendo 3DS
Nintendo 3DS
The is a portable game console produced by Nintendo. The autostereoscopic device is able to project stereoscopic 3D effects without the use of 3D glasses or any additional accessories. The Nintendo 3DS features backward compatibility with Nintendo DS series software, including Nintendo DSi software...
and Wii
Wii
The Wii is a home video game console released by Nintendo on November 19, 2006. As a seventh-generation console, the Wii primarily competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3. Nintendo states that its console targets a broader demographic than that of the two others...
games. The service includes the company's Wii Shop Channel
Wii Shop Channel
The Wii Shop Channel is an online shop for the Wii video game console that allows users to download Virtual Console and WiiWare games, and new channels. Downloading may require redeeming Wii Points. The channel launched with Wii on November 19, 2006...
, DSi Shop, and Nintendo eShop
Nintendo eShop
The Nintendo eShop is an online service for the Nintendo 3DS handheld gaming system. Launched on June 6, 2011 in North America and June 7, 2011 in Europe and Japan, the eShop was enabled by the release of a system update that added the functionality to the 3DS' Home Menu...
game download services. It also runs features for the Nintendo Wii, Nintendo DS
Nintendo DS
The is a portable game console produced by Nintendo, first released on November 21, 2004. A distinctive feature of the system is the presence of two separate LCD screens, the lower of which is a touchscreen, encompassed within a clamshell design, similar to the Game Boy Advance SP...
, and Nintendo 3DS
Nintendo 3DS
The is a portable game console produced by Nintendo. The autostereoscopic device is able to project stereoscopic 3D effects without the use of 3D glasses or any additional accessories. The Nintendo 3DS features backward compatibility with Nintendo DS series software, including Nintendo DSi software...
systems. Games designed to take advantage of Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection offer Internet play integrated into the game. Nintendo emphasizes the simplicity and speed of starting an online game when promoting its service. For example, in Mario Kart DS, an online game is initiated by selecting the online multiplayer option from the main menu, then choosing whether to play with friends, or to play with other gamers (either in the local region or worldwide) at about the same skill level. After a selection is made, the game starts searching for an available player.
Features
The Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection was developed to be easy to connect to, safe for everyone to use, and free. Games designed to take advantage of Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection offer Internet play integrated into the game. The Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection can support up to sixteen players on the Nintendo DS and thirty-two players on Wii. Basic features of the Wi-Fi Connection include worldwide matchmaking, leaderboards, tournaments. Additional features are available between friends who have exchanged Friend Codes.Friend Codes
Each game that uses the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection generates a unique twelve digit Friend Code that can be exchanged with friends and be used to maintain individual friend lists in each game. Though certain games can be played online without a Friend Code, a Friend Code is required to play with a specific person. Friend Codes are generated from an identifier unique to a copy of a game and the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection ID of a DS or Wii system. Using a different copy of a game or loading the same copy in a different system generates a new Friend Code. In order for users to become "Friends", they must mutually add Friend Codes and will be authenticated as Friends once both have gone online. Nintendo introduced these features as conscious steps to preserve users' privacy. If a DS or Wii game is sold, but not the system, there is no risk of the purchaser impersonating the seller. If a user needs to replace his or her DS system, then the old system's Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection ID can be transferred wirelessly, to maintain the user's original Friend Codes on the new machine. Some games require that the user use Friend Codes to use any online functionality.Many games have additional features that are enabled between registered friends. These may include customized matchmaking options, cooperative play, friend lists, text chat, and voice chat. Newer Wii games use the 16-digit Wii Number which is shared between all games instead of using Friend Codes, providing a benefit of not having to register the same friend multiple times across different games.
The Nintendo 3DS
Nintendo 3DS
The is a portable game console produced by Nintendo. The autostereoscopic device is able to project stereoscopic 3D effects without the use of 3D glasses or any additional accessories. The Nintendo 3DS features backward compatibility with Nintendo DS series software, including Nintendo DSi software...
eliminates the factor of having one Friend Code per game, and establishes one Friend Code per console. Additionally, once a user mutually registered another person's Friend Code, the Nintendo 3DS automatically connects with any supported game title each user may be mutually playing on their own console. This, however, only applies to Nintendo 3DS-specific games. Although the Nintendo 3DS is backward compatible with Nintendo DS games, it continues to require a unique Friend Code per game as if played on any original Nintendo DS system.
Pay & Play
In 2008, Nintendo announced a new feature for the Wi-Fi Connection called Pay & Play. Games that use the Pay & Play feature may have additional downloadable contentDownloadable content
Downloadable content is official additional content for a video game distributed through the Internet. Downloadable content can be of several types, ranging from a single in-game outfit to an entirely new, extensive storyline, similarly to an expansion pack. As such, DLC may add new game modes,...
(DLC) or services that require extra fees. These fees will be paid for using Nintendo Points. A special red Wi-Fi Connection logo with the words "Pay & Play" is used to distinguish these games from the regular free Wi-Fi games.
The first games to feature Pay & Play were released in Japan as part of WiiWare
WiiWare
WiiWare is a service that allows Wii users to download games and applications specifically designed and developed for the Wii video game console made by Nintendo. These games and applications can only be purchased and downloaded from the Wii Shop Channel under the WiiWare section...
on the March 25, 2008. Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: My Life as a King
Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: My Life as a King
Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: My Life as a King is a video game developed for the WiiWare service of the Nintendo Wii console by Square Enix...
, Kotoba no Puzzle Mojipittan Wii and Lonpos
Lonpos (video game)
Lonpos is a puzzle video game by Genki for the Wii, based on the logic puzzle of the same name. Released via WiiWare, it costs 800 Wii Points , with additional downloadable content costing 500 Points for each pack consisting of 25 puzzles and a new visual theme.-Gameplay:The object of the game is...
each had downloadable content available for 100 to 800 Wii Points. The first retail Wii titles to feature Pay & Play functionality are Samba De Amigo
Samba de Amigo
Samba de Amigo is a rhythm game originally developed by Sonic Team and released in 1999 by Sega in arcades, 2000 for the Dreamcast video game console, and developed by Gearbox Software and Escalation Studios in 2008 for the Wii. The player uses controllers shaped like maracas with the goal of...
, Guitar Hero: World Tour and Rock Band 2
Rock Band 2
Rock Band 2 is a music video game developed by Harmonix Music Systems. It is the sequel to Rock Band and is the second title in the series. The game allows up to four players to simulate the performance of popular songs by playing with controllers modeled after musical instruments...
.
WiiConnect24
WiiConnect24 is a feature of Wii that allows the system to be connected to the Internet even when the console is in standby mode. Games and channels that utilize WiiConnect24 can send and receive data even while the game is not being played. Players who wish to send data to friends only need to register each other's Wii System Code and not individual friend codes. Players can also send friends messages using WiiConnect24 from the Wii Message Board. When a message is received, the Wii's slot light will glow blue.BBC iPlayer
On April 9, 2008, the BBC announced that its online BBC iPlayerBBC iPlayer
BBC iPlayer, commonly shortened to iPlayer, is an internet television and radio service, developed by the BBC to extend its former RealPlayer-based and other streamed video clip content to include whole TV shows....
would be available on the Wii via the Internet Channel browser; however, some users experienced difficulties with the service. On November 18, 2009, BBC iPlayer
BBC iPlayer
BBC iPlayer, commonly shortened to iPlayer, is an internet television and radio service, developed by the BBC to extend its former RealPlayer-based and other streamed video clip content to include whole TV shows....
on the Wii was relaunched as the BBC iPlayer Channel, which is free to download from the Wii Shop Channel
Wii Shop Channel
The Wii Shop Channel is an online shop for the Wii video game console that allows users to download Virtual Console and WiiWare games, and new channels. Downloading may require redeeming Wii Points. The channel launched with Wii on November 19, 2006...
. The service is only available to people in the United Kingdom.
Wii Shop Channel
The Wii Shop Channel allows users to download games and other software by redeeming Wii PointsWii Points
Nintendo Points are a currency that Nintendo uses for its Wii and Nintendo DSi systems through the Wii Shop Channel and Nintendo DSi Shop respectively...
, which can be obtained by purchasing Nintendo Points cards from retail outlets or directly through the Wii Shop Channel using MasterCard
MasterCard
Mastercard Incorporated or MasterCard Worldwide is an American multinational financial services corporation with its headquarters in the MasterCard International Global Headquarters, Purchase, Harrison, New York, United States...
or Visa credit cards online. Users can browse in the Virtual Console
Virtual console
A virtual console – also known as a virtual terminal – is a conceptual combination of the keyboard and display for a computer user interface. It is a feature of some operating systems such as UnixWare, Linux, and BSD, in which the system console of the computer can be used to switch between...
, WiiWare
WiiWare
WiiWare is a service that allows Wii users to download games and applications specifically designed and developed for the Wii video game console made by Nintendo. These games and applications can only be purchased and downloaded from the Wii Shop Channel under the WiiWare section...
, or Wii Channels
Wii Channels
The is the top-level menu interface of the Wii game console. It has four pages, each with a 4:3 grid, and each displaying the current time and date. Available applications, known as "channels", are displayed and can be navigated using the pointer capability of the Wii Remote...
sections for downloads. A feature to purchase downloaded software as gifts for others became available worldwide on December 10, 2007. Additional channels that were not released at the console's launch are available for purchase in the Wii Shop Channel. These include: Internet Channel, Everybody Votes Channel
Everybody Votes Channel
The Everybody Votes Channel is the Wii Menu channel that allows users to vote in simple opinion polls and compare and contrast opinions with those of friends, family and voters across the globe....
, Check Mii Out Channel
Check Mii Out Channel
The Check Mii Out Channel, known as the in Europe, Oceania and Japan and Miirame in Spanish-speaking countries in Latin America, is a channel for the Nintendo Wii that allows players to share their digital avatars, called Miis, and enter them into popularity contests. It was released worldwide at...
, Nintendo Channel, Netflix Channel
Netflix
Netflix, Inc., is an American provider of on-demand internet streaming media in the United States, Canada, and Latin America and flat rate DVD-by-mail in the United States. The company was established in 1997 and is headquartered in Los Gatos, California...
, and the Japan-only Television Friend Channel. Currently all downloadable channels are free of charge.
Virtual Console Channels
Virtual Console channels are channels that allow users to play their downloaded Virtual Console games obtained from the Wii Shop Channel. The Virtual Console portion of the Wii Shop Channel specializes in older software originally designed and released for home entertainment platforms that are now defunct. These games are played on the Wii through the emulationVideo game console emulator
A video game console emulator is a program that allows a computer or modern console to emulate a different video game console's behavior. Emulators are most often used to play older video games on personal computers and modern video game consoles, but they are also used to play games translated...
of the older hardware. The prices are generally the same in almost every region and are determined primarily by the software's original platform.
WiiWare Channels
Functioning similarly to the Virtual Console channels, WiiWare channels allow users to use their WiiWare games obtained from the Wii Shop Channel. The WiiWare section specializes in downloadable software specifically designed for the Wii. The first WiiWare games were made available on March 25, 2008 in Japan. WiiWare games launched in North America on May 12, 2008, and launched in Europe and Australia on May 20, 2008.The WiiWare section is being touted as a forum to provide developers with small budgets to release smaller-scale games without the investment and risk of creating a title to be sold at retail (somewhat similar to the Xbox Live Arcade
Xbox Live Arcade
Xbox Live Arcade is a type of video game download distribution available primarily in a section of the Xbox Live Marketplace, Microsoft's digital distribution network for the Xbox 360, that focuses on smaller downloadable games from both major publishers and independent game developers...
and the PlayStation Store
PlayStation Store
The PlayStation Store is an online virtual market available to users of Sony's PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Portable game consoles via the PlayStation Network. The Store offers a range of downloadable content both for purchase and available free of charge. Available content includes full games,...
). While actual games have been planned to appear in this section since its inception, there had been no official word on when any would be appearing until June 27, 2007, when Nintendo made an official confirmation in a press release which revealed the first titles would surface sometime in 2008. According to Nintendo, "The remarkable motion controls will give birth to fresh takes on established genres, as well as original ideas that currently exist only in developers' minds."
Like Virtual Console games, WiiWare games are purchased using Wii Points. Nintendo handles all pricing options for the downloadable games.
Nintendo DSi Shop
The Nintendo DSi shop is an online store for the Nintendo DSiNintendo DSi
The is a handheld game system created by Nintendo and launched in 2008 and 2009 in Japan, North America, PAL territories, and other regions. It is the third iteration of the Nintendo DS, and its primary market rival is Sony's PlayStation Portable...
and Nintendo DSi XL systems, where you can download DSiWare games and applications.
Nintendo eShop
It was announced at the Nintendo of Japan press event on September 29, 2010 that the 3DS will have a Virtual ConsoleVirtual console
A virtual console – also known as a virtual terminal – is a conceptual combination of the keyboard and display for a computer user interface. It is a feature of some operating systems such as UnixWare, Linux, and BSD, in which the system console of the computer can be used to switch between...
Service with Game Boy
Game Boy
The , is an 8-bit handheld video game device developed and manufactured by Nintendo. It was released in Japan on , in North America in , and in Europe on...
, Game Boy Color
Game Boy Color
The is Nintendo's successor to the 8-bit Game Boy handheld game console, and was released on October 21, 1998 in Japan, November 19, 1998 in North America, November 23, 1998 in Europe and November 27, 1998 in the United Kingdom. It features a color screen and is slightly thicker and taller than...
games, as well as "classic" games in 3D. At the 2011 GDC Nintendo announced that TurboGrafx 16, and Game Gear games would be available for Virtual Console. Purchases are made through the "Nintendo eShop", using a cash-based system instead of a points-based system as used for the Wii and DSi.
Flipnote Hatena
Shortly before the release of Flipnote Studio in Japan, Nintendo announced that they were partnering with Japanese web services provider HatenaHatena (company)
is an internet services company in Japan. It operates various services including the most popular social bookmarking service in Japan, Hatena Bookmark. Hatena is the collective name of the company's services. On July 19, 2001, it was founded by Junya Kondo in Kyoto. The company moved its...
to provide the means to share works created with the software. Speaking for Nintendo, Yoshiaki Koizumi
Yoshiaki Koizumi
is a Japanese video game designer, director and producer. A graduate from the Visual Concept Planning Department of Osaka University of Arts, he has been working at Nintendo Co., Ltd. since 1991. He is known for his work on the Mario and The Legend of Zelda game series.-Works:-References:...
stated they chose to work with Hatena because "it takes a special skill set to maintain the User Generated Contents (UGC) site, and we don't have that skill. We rely on Hatena on that part."
Flipnote Hatena is the name of both the portion of the Flipnote Studio application that connects to the Flipnote Hatena website as well as the website itself (the Japanese version of the program differentiates between the two, but not the English version). Directly accessing the Flipnote Hatena website, through this portion of the application users are able to trade flipnotes, assign ranks to flipnotes uploaded by others, and save any viewed flipnote to their own DSi. Users may also edit or even continue a flipnote created by another user.
As for the website itself, Flipnote Hatena offers the ability for users to rank and comment on the works of others, as well as to embed their animations into other webpages. Users may also flag submissions as inappropriate; flipnotes thus flagged will not be viewable via the DSi's Flipnote Hatena and may be removed from the website altogether.
Netflix
The Nintendo Wii received Netflix in March 27, 2010 only for Americans and Canadians owners but a NetflixNetflix
Netflix, Inc., is an American provider of on-demand internet streaming media in the United States, Canada, and Latin America and flat rate DVD-by-mail in the United States. The company was established in 1997 and is headquartered in Los Gatos, California...
disc is required. As of October 18, 2010 American and Canadian Wii owners can watch Netflix
Netflix
Netflix, Inc., is an American provider of on-demand internet streaming media in the United States, Canada, and Latin America and flat rate DVD-by-mail in the United States. The company was established in 1997 and is headquartered in Los Gatos, California...
instantly as a channel without requiring a disc. Also, on July 14, 2011, Netflix
Netflix
Netflix, Inc., is an American provider of on-demand internet streaming media in the United States, Canada, and Latin America and flat rate DVD-by-mail in the United States. The company was established in 1997 and is headquartered in Los Gatos, California...
was released for the Nintendo 3DS
Nintendo 3DS
The is a portable game console produced by Nintendo. The autostereoscopic device is able to project stereoscopic 3D effects without the use of 3D glasses or any additional accessories. The Nintendo 3DS features backward compatibility with Nintendo DS series software, including Nintendo DSi software...
through the Nintendo eShop
Nintendo eShop
The Nintendo eShop is an online service for the Nintendo 3DS handheld gaming system. Launched on June 6, 2011 in North America and June 7, 2011 in Europe and Japan, the eShop was enabled by the release of a system update that added the functionality to the 3DS' Home Menu...
.
Internet Browser
The Nintendo Wii, DS, DSi, and 3DS can surf the internet with a downloadable browser. The Nintendo Wii and DSi browsers are powered by Opera, but the Nintendo 3DS browser is powered by NetFrontNetFront
NetFront Browser is a mobile browser for embedded devices, developed by Access Co. Ltd. of Japan, and was designed to function as an embedded browser....
. The Nintendo DS also has a web browser, but you have to buy a DS card and a RAM expansion, which works through the Game Boy Advance port, to use the browser; it was also powered by Opera.
Forecast Channel
The Forecast Channel allows weather reports and forecasts to be shown on the console from the Internet via the WiiConnect24WiiConnect24
WiiConnect24 is a feature of the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection for the Wii console. It was first announced at E3 2006 by Nintendo. It enables the user to remain connected to the Internet while the console is on standby...
service. The Forecast Channel displays a view of the Earth as a globe (courtesy of NASA
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
), with which users can view weather in other regions. The user can also spin the globe. When fully zoomed out, an accurate star map is visible in the background. (The Big Dipper
Big Dipper
The Plough, also known as the Big Dipper or the Saptarishi , is an asterism of seven stars that has been recognized as a distinct grouping in many cultures from time immemorial...
and the constellation
Constellation
In modern astronomy, a constellation is an internationally defined area of the celestial sphere. These areas are grouped around asterisms, patterns formed by prominent stars within apparent proximity to one another on Earth's night sky....
Orion
Orion (constellation)
Orion, often referred to as The Hunter, is a prominent constellation located on the celestial equator and visible throughout the world. It is one of the most conspicuous, and most recognizable constellations in the night sky...
are easily recognizable, for example.) The Forecast Channel features include the current forecast, the UV index, today's overall forecast, tomorrow's forecast, a 5-day forecast (only for the selected country you live in), and a laundry check (Japan only). The Forecast Channel first became available on December 19, 2006. Certain games like Madden NFL 07
Madden NFL 07
Madden NFL 07 is the 2007 edition of the popular Madden NFL series. It is the first in the video game series to be released for the PlayStation 3 and Wii consoles. Former Seattle Seahawks running back Shaun Alexander is on the cover.-Features:...
, Nights: Journey of Dreams
Nights: Journey of Dreams
Nights: Journey of Dreams is a video game for the Wii console developed by Sonic Team and Sega. It is the sequel to the 1996 Sega Saturn title Nights into Dreams......
, and Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games
Mario & Sonic at the Olympic Winter Games
is a 2009 sports video game developed by Sega. It was published by Nintendo for Japan and by Sega for North America and Europe. The game is officially licensed by the International Olympic Committee through exclusive license International Sports Multimedia...
can use the Forecast Channel to simulate weather conditions depending on the player's region.
News Channel
The News Channel allows users to access news headlines and current news events obtained from the Internet. News articles are available on a globe view, similar to the Forecast Channel, and as a slide show. The content is automatically updated and viewable via WiiConnect24WiiConnect24
WiiConnect24 is a feature of the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection for the Wii console. It was first announced at E3 2006 by Nintendo. It enables the user to remain connected to the Internet while the console is on standby...
with clickable news images supported.
The News Channel became available in North America, Europe, and Australia on January 26, 2007. Content is in a variety of languages provided by the Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
, which currently has a two-year contract to provide news and photos to Nintendo. Canadian news is submitted by the Canadian Press
Canadian Press
Canadian Press Enterprises Inc. is the entity which "will take over the operations of the Canadian Press" according to a November 26, 2010 article in the Toronto Star...
for publication. Japanese news is provided by Goo
Goo
Goo is a term for a slimy, semi-liquid, shapeless mass."Goo" or "GOO" may also refer to:- Computing :* Goo , a programming language in the Lisp family* goo , a Japanese web search engine...
. European news is provided by Agence France-Presse
Agence France-Presse
Agence France-Presse is a French news agency, the oldest one in the world, and one of the three largest with Associated Press and Reuters. It is also the largest French news agency. Currently, its CEO is Emmanuel Hoog and its news director Philippe Massonnet...
.
Starting with the August 6, 2007 update, the News Channel shows a news ticker
News ticker
A news ticker resides in the lower third of the television screen space on television news networks dedicated to presenting headlines or minor pieces of news. It may also refer to a long, thin scoreboard-style display seen around the front of some offices or public buildings...
in the Wii Menu. However, not visiting the channel for a period of time will result in the ticker not appearing, until the channel is viewed. A December 20, 2007 PAL region update increased the number of news feeds to the channel, sourced from a larger number of news resources and agencies, providing more news that is available per country. As with the Forecast Channel, the News Channel is not available in South Korea.
Everybody Votes Channel
Everybody Votes Channel allows users to vote in simple opinion pollOpinion poll
An opinion poll, sometimes simply referred to as a poll is a survey of public opinion from a particular sample. Opinion polls are usually designed to represent the opinions of a population by conducting a series of questions and then extrapolating generalities in ratio or within confidence...
s and compare and contrast opinions with those of friends, family, and people across the globe.
Everybody Votes Channel was launched on February 13, 2007, and is available in the Wii Channels section of the Wii Shop Channel. The application allows Wii owners to vote on various questions using their Mii
Mii
A is a digital avatar used in Nintendo's Wii and Nintendo 3DS gaming consoles. They allow users to capture a likeness of themselves and others. After creating one using the Wii's Mii Channel or the Nintendo 3DS's Mii Maker, they can be used as playable characters in various titles for the...
as a registered voter. Additionally, voters can also make predictions for the choice that will be the most popular overall after their own vote has been cast. Each Mii's voting and prediction record is tracked and voters can also view how their opinions compare to others. Whether the Mii is correct in its predictions or not is displayed on a statistics page along with a counter of how many times that Mii has voted. Up to six Miis can be registered to vote on the console. The channel is free to download. Each player can make a suggestion for a poll a day.
Check Mii Out Channel
The Check Mii Out Channel (also known as the Mii Contest Channel and the WatchMii Channel), is a channel that allows players to share their Miis and enter them in to popularity contests. It was first available on November 11, 2007. It is available free to download from the Wii ChannelsWii Channels
The is the top-level menu interface of the Wii game console. It has four pages, each with a 4:3 grid, and each displaying the current time and date. Available applications, known as "channels", are displayed and can be navigated using the pointer capability of the Wii Remote...
section of the Wii Shop Channel
Wii Shop Channel
The Wii Shop Channel is an online shop for the Wii video game console that allows users to download Virtual Console and WiiWare games, and new channels. Downloading may require redeeming Wii Points. The channel launched with Wii on November 19, 2006...
.
Users can post their own Miis in the Posting Plaza, or import other user-submitted Miis to their own personal Mii Parade. Each submitted Mii is assigned a 12-digit entry number to aid in searching. Submitted Miis are given 2 initials by their creator and a notable skill/talent to aid in sorting.
In the Contests section, players can submit their own Miis to compete in contests to best fit a certain description (e.g. Mario
Mario
is a fictional character in his video game series, created by Japanese video game designer Shigeru Miyamoto. Serving as Nintendo's mascot and the main protagonist of the series, Mario has appeared in over 200 video games since his creation...
without his cap). After the time period for sending a Mii has expired, the user has the choice of voting for three Miis featured on the judging panel, with ten random Miis being shown at a time. Once the judging period is over, the results of the contest may be viewed. Their selection and/or submission's popularity in comparison to others is displayed, as well as the winning Mii and user.
The Check Mii Out Channel sends messages to the Wii Message Board concerning recent contests. Participants in certain contests can add their user and submitted Mii to a photo with a background related to the contest theme. This picture can then be sent to the Wii Message Board.
Television Friend Channel
The Television Friend Channel allows Wii users to check what programs are on the television. Content is provided by Guide PlusGuide Plus
Guide Plus+ , TV Guide On Screen and Guide Plus+ Gold or G-Guide is an interactive electronic programme guide system that is used in consumer electronics products, such as television sets, DVD recorders, personal video recorders, and other digital television devices...
. The channel is said to be "very fun and Nintendo-esque". A "stamp" feature allows users to mark programs of interest with a Mii-themed stamp. If an e-mail address or mobile phone number has been registered in the address book, the channel can send out an alert 30 minutes prior to the start of the selected program. The channel tracks the stamps of all Wii users and allows users to rate programs on a five-star scale. Additionally, when the channel is active the Wii Remote can be used to change the TV's volume and channel so that users can tune into their shows by way of the channel. The Television Friend Channel launched in Japan on March 4, 2008. It is not going to be launched outside Japan, as most countries, unlike Japan, have a guide built into set-top boxes and/or TVs.
Digicam Print Channel
The Digicam Print Channel is a channel developed in collaboration with FujifilmFujifilm
is a multinational photography and imaging company headquartered in Tokyo, Japan.Fujifilm's principal activities are the development, production, sale and servicing of color photographic film, digital cameras, photofinishing equipment, color paper, photofinishing chemicals, medical imaging...
that allow users to import their digital photos from an SD card and place them into templates for printable photo books and business cards through a software wizard. The user is also able to place their Mii
Mii
A is a digital avatar used in Nintendo's Wii and Nintendo 3DS gaming consoles. They allow users to capture a likeness of themselves and others. After creating one using the Wii's Mii Channel or the Nintendo 3DS's Mii Maker, they can be used as playable characters in various titles for the...
on a business card. The completed design is then sent online to Fujifilm who print and deliver the completed product to the user. The processing of individual photos is also available.
The Digicam Print Channel became available from July 23, 2008 in Japan. It will be available in Europe, Australia, and North America in the future.
Today and Tomorrow Channel
The Today and Tomorrow Channel became available in Japan on December 2, 2008, and in Europe, Australia, and South Korea on September 9, 2009. The channel was developed in collaboration with Media Kobo and allows users to view fortunes for up to six Miis across five categories: love, work, study, communications, and money. The channel also features a compatibility test that compares two Miis, and also gives out "lucky words" that must be interpreted by the user. The channel uses Mii birthdate data but users must input a birth year when they are loaded on to the channel.Wii My Room Channel
A video on-demand service channel was released in Japan on May 1, 2009, it will also be released in North America in the future. The channel is a joint ventureJoint venture
A joint venture is a business agreement in which parties agree to develop, for a finite time, a new entity and new assets by contributing equity. They exercise control over the enterprise and consequently share revenues, expenses and assets...
between Nintendo and Japanese advertising agency Dentsu
Dentsu
is one of the largest advertising agencies in the world. Its headquarters are located in the Dentsu Building in the Shiodome district of Minato, Tokyo....
. The channel's interface is built around a virtual living room, where up to 8 Miis can be registered and interact with each other. The virtual living room contains a TV which takes the viewer to the video list. Celebrity "concierge" Miis occasionally introduce special programming.
Demae Channel
A food delivery service channel was released in Japan on May 26, 2009. The channel is a joint venture between Nintendo and Japanese on-line food delivery portal service Demae-can. The channel offers a wide range of foods provided by different food delivery companies which can be ordered directly through the Wii channel. A note is posted to the Wii Message Board containing what had been ordered and the total price. The food is then delivered to the address the Wii user has registered on the channel. It is only available in Japan.Nintendo Channel
The Nintendo Channel (also known as the Everybody's Nintendo Channel in Japan) allows WiiWii
The Wii is a home video game console released by Nintendo on November 19, 2006. As a seventh-generation console, the Wii primarily competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3. Nintendo states that its console targets a broader demographic than that of the two others...
users to watch videos such as interviews, trailers, commercials, and even download demos
Game demo
A game demo is a freely distributed demonstration or preview of an upcoming or recently released video game. Demos are typically released by the game's publisher to help consumers get a feel of the game before deciding whether to buy the full version....
for the Nintendo DS
Nintendo DS
The is a portable game console produced by Nintendo, first released on November 21, 2004. A distinctive feature of the system is the presence of two separate LCD screens, the lower of which is a touchscreen, encompassed within a clamshell design, similar to the Game Boy Advance SP...
. In this capacity the channel works in a similar way to the DS Download Station
DS Download Station
DS Download Station is an in-store demo service launched by Nintendo in early 2006. As the name implies, these are stations that can be used to download game demos and trailers to a Nintendo DS. The range of a Nintendo DS Download Station is approximately 65 feet...
. The channel provides games info pages and users can rate games that they have played. A search feature is also available to assist users in finding new games to try or buy. The channel has the ability to take the user directly into the Wii Shop Channel for buying the wanted game immediately. The Nintendo Channel was launched in Japan on November 27, 2007, in North America on May 7, 2008, and in Europe and Australia on May 30, 2008. The Nintendo Channel is updated with different Nintendo DS demos and new videos every week; the actual day of the week varies across different international regions.
An updated version of the Nintendo Channel was released in Japan on July 15, 2009, North America on September 14, 2009, and in Europe on December 15, 2009. The update introduces a new interface and additional features, options, and statistics for users to view. However, the European version is missing some of these new additional features, such as options for choosing video quality. In addition, a weekly show known as Nintendo Week
Nintendo Week
Nintendo Week is a weekly entertainment and news series that reports on the latest and upcoming video games and news concerning Nintendo platforms, including Wii, Nintendo DS and Nintendo 3DS...
began airing exclusively on the North American edition of the channel, while another weekly show Nintendo TV, is available on the UK version of the channel.
Mario Kart Channel
Mario Kart WiiMario Kart Wii
is a racing video game developed by Nintendo Entertainment Analysis and Development and published by Nintendo for the Wii video game console. It is the sixth installment in the Mario Kart series and the second Mario Kart title to use the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection. The game was released worldwide...
allows players to install the Mario Kart Channel on their Wii
Wii
The Wii is a home video game console released by Nintendo on November 19, 2006. As a seventh-generation console, the Wii primarily competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3. Nintendo states that its console targets a broader demographic than that of the two others...
console. The channel can work without inserting the Mario Kart Wii
Mario Kart Wii
is a racing video game developed by Nintendo Entertainment Analysis and Development and published by Nintendo for the Wii video game console. It is the sixth installment in the Mario Kart series and the second Mario Kart title to use the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection. The game was released worldwide...
disc into the console, but to compete in races and time trials the disc is required. The use of the Mario Kart Channel allows for a number of options. A ranking option lets players see their best Time Trial scores for each track and compare their results to those of their friends and other players worldwide, represented by their Miis. Players will have the option of racing against the random or selective ghosts, or improving their results gradually by taking on the ghosts of rivals, those with similar race times. Users have the option to submit these times for others around the world to view. Players can also manage and register friends using the channel and see if any of them are currently online.
Another feature of the channel are Tournaments, where Nintendo will, on a regular basis, invite players to challenges similar to the missions on Mario Kart DS
Mario Kart DS
is a racing game developed and published by Nintendo. It was released for the Nintendo DS handheld game console in North America, Australia, and Europe on November 14, 2005, and in Japan on December 8, 2005. The game is the fifth installment in the Mario Kart series of video games, and the first to...
. Players are also able to compare their competition rankings with other players.
Wii Message Board
The Message Board allows users to leave messages for friends, family members, or other users on a calendar-based message board. Users can also use WiiConnect24 to trade messages and pictures with other Wii owners, conventional email accounts (email pictures to console, but not pictures to email), and mobile phones (through text messages). Each Wii has an individual wii.com email account containing the Wii Number. Prior to trading messages it is necessary to add and approve contacts in the address book, although the person added will not get an automatic notification of the request, and must be notified by other means. The service also alerts all users of incoming game-related information.Message Board is available for users to post messages that are available to other Wii users by usage of Wii Numbers with WiiConnect24
WiiConnect24
WiiConnect24 is a feature of the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection for the Wii console. It was first announced at E3 2006 by Nintendo. It enables the user to remain connected to the Internet while the console is on standby...
. In addition to writing text, players can also include images from an SD card in the body of messages, as well as attaching a Mii
Mii
A is a digital avatar used in Nintendo's Wii and Nintendo 3DS gaming consoles. They allow users to capture a likeness of themselves and others. After creating one using the Wii's Mii Channel or the Nintendo 3DS's Mii Maker, they can be used as playable characters in various titles for the...
to the message. Announcements of software updates and video game news are posted by Nintendo. The Message Board can be used for posting memos for oneself or for family members without going online. These messages could then be put on any day of the calendar. The Wii Message Board could also be updated automatically by a real-time game like Animal Crossing
Animal Crossing (Wii)
, known in Europe and Australia as Animal Crossing: Let's Go to the City, is a 2008 life simulation video game developed and published by Nintendo for the Wii console and the third game in the Animal Crossing series....
.
Wii Speak
Users with the Wii Speak peripheral are able to access the Wii Speak Channel. Users can join one of four rooms (with no limit to the number of people in each room) to chat with others online. Each user is represented by their own MiiMii
A is a digital avatar used in Nintendo's Wii and Nintendo 3DS gaming consoles. They allow users to capture a likeness of themselves and others. After creating one using the Wii's Mii Channel or the Nintendo 3DS's Mii Maker, they can be used as playable characters in various titles for the...
, which lip-syncs to their words. In addition, users can also leave audio messages for other users by sending a message to their Wii Message Board. Users can also share photo slideshows and comment on them. The Wii Speak Channel became available in North America and Europe on December 5, 2008.
PDP Headset
The PDP Headbanger Headset is a product created by Performance Design Products, who are known for creating various accessories for the WiiWii
The Wii is a home video game console released by Nintendo on November 19, 2006. As a seventh-generation console, the Wii primarily competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3. Nintendo states that its console targets a broader demographic than that of the two others...
and other systems. The headset is used for chatting online with games. The headset is not wireless so it has to be plugged into the Wii by a USB cable. Although it's a third-party product, it's licensed by Nintendo
Nintendo
is a multinational corporation located in Kyoto, Japan. Founded on September 23, 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi, it produced handmade hanafuda cards. By 1963, the company had tried several small niche businesses, such as a cab company and a love hotel....
.
Nintendo 3DS StreetPass and SpotPass Mode
The system supports multiplayer gameplay via a local wireless connection or over the Internet. Expanding upon the connectivity of the Nintendo DS, the Nintendo 3DS features an "always on" background connectivity system that trademarks suggested was named "CrossPass", which can automatically seek and connect to wireless network nodes such as Wi-Fi hotspotsHotspot (Wi-Fi)
A hotspot is a site that offers Internet access over a wireless local area network through the use of a router connected to a link to an Internet service provider...
, sending and downloading information in the background while in sleep mode
Sleep mode
Sleep mode refers to a low power mode for electronic devices such as computers, televisions, and remote controlled devices. These modes save significant electrical consumption compared to leaving a device fully on and idle, but allow the user to avoid having to reset programming codes or wait for a...
or while playing a game. In Nintendo's September 29 conference, the confirmed Western names of the CrossPass Tag Mode service would be StreetPass and SpotPass, with SpotPass being the ability for the 3DS to seek Wi-Fi signals and automatically download content while in sleep mode and StreetPass being the passive communication between 3DS systems held by users, an example being the sharing of Mii
Mii
A is a digital avatar used in Nintendo's Wii and Nintendo 3DS gaming consoles. They allow users to capture a likeness of themselves and others. After creating one using the Wii's Mii Channel or the Nintendo 3DS's Mii Maker, they can be used as playable characters in various titles for the...
avatars.
During the 2011 Game Developers Conference, Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime announced that Nintendo has partnered with AT&T to provide free access to AT&T hotspots via the Nintendo 3DS. Users will be able to connect to these hotspots in late May.
The background connectivity allows users to exchange software content regardless of what software is currently in the console. Sharing content is stored in a "data slot" in the console. Using this data slot, Nintendo 3DS users can readily share and exchange content for multiple games at the same time, whenever they are connected, even when playing unrelated games. Using the console's background connectivity, a Nintendo 3DS in StreetPass Mode can automatically discover other 3DS units within range, establish a connection, and exchange content for mutually-played games, all transparently and without requiring any user input, even when the console is dormant. For example, in Super Street Fighter IV: 3D Edition
Super Street Fighter IV: 3D Edition
Super Street Fighter IV: 3D Edition is a fighting video game developed and published by Capcom for the Nintendo 3DS handheld game console. It was released as a launch game in all continents, but in Japan first on 26 February 2011...
, if the user passes someone with the same software, he has a battle to collect trophies from the other player.
It can be customized to fit the user's preferences, including opting out of it altogether for selected software. One application being considered is functionality to "automatically acquire magazine and newspaper articles", similar to networked e-book
E-book
An electronic book is a book-length publication in digital form, consisting of text, images, or both, and produced on, published through, and readable on computers or other electronic devices. Sometimes the equivalent of a conventional printed book, e-books can also be born digital...
reader applications. Other improvements to online functionality include how Friend Codes are implemented, with only one code necessary for each console, as opposed to the DS and Wii where individual Friend Codes are required for each piece of software.
3DS Messaging Service
The Nintendo 3DS also supports a new messaging system, similar to that of the Wii's Message Board. The service allows users to receive messages from Nintendo via Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection, but messages cannot be sent by the user. The 3DS will alert the user when they have received a new message via the Notification LED.Games
The first Wi-Fi Connection games were Mario Kart DSMario Kart DS
is a racing game developed and published by Nintendo. It was released for the Nintendo DS handheld game console in North America, Australia, and Europe on November 14, 2005, and in Japan on December 8, 2005. The game is the fifth installment in the Mario Kart series of video games, and the first to...
and Tony Hawk's American Sk8land
Tony Hawk's American Sk8land
Tony Hawk's American Sk8land, is the first entry in the Tony Hawk's series of video games for the Nintendo DS, and the sixth Tony Hawk video game for the Game Boy Advance....
for the Nintendo DS, both released on November 15, 2005, followed by Animal Crossing: Wild World
Animal Crossing: Wild World
is a 2005 social simulation video game developed and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo DS handheld game console, and is the second game in the Animal Crossing series....
in Japan on November 23 and in North America on December 5. The first Wii Wi-Fi Connection games were released in 2006 in Japan and in 2007 overseas. In Japan and North America the first game was Pokémon Battle Revolution
Pokémon Battle Revolution
is the first Wii incarnation of the Pokémon video game franchise. It is also the first Wii game to use the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection in North America and Japan and the first Wii game to wirelessly interact with the Nintendo DS handheld....
. In Europe, Australia, and New Zealand the first game was Mario Strikers Charged
Mario Strikers Charged
Mario Strikers Charged, known in Europe and Australia as Mario Strikers Charged Football, is a sports video game developed by Canadian developer Next Level Games and published by Nintendo for the Wii. This game was announced at the 2006 Games Convention in Leipzig, Germany as the sequel to Super...
.
Currently, there are 96 Wii games, 25 WiiWare games, 93 DS games and 2 DSiWare game available worldwide that support Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection.
Nintendo DS
The Nintendo DSNintendo DS
The is a portable game console produced by Nintendo, first released on November 21, 2004. A distinctive feature of the system is the presence of two separate LCD screens, the lower of which is a touchscreen, encompassed within a clamshell design, similar to the Game Boy Advance SP...
has an 802.11b wireless adapter built in allowing the DS to access the service via any compatible wireless network. Public hotspots that use a captive portal
Captive portal
The captive portal technique forces an HTTP client on a network to see a special web page before using the Internet normally. A captive portal turns a Web browser into an authentication device. This is done by intercepting all packets, regardless of address or port, until the user opens a browser...
can be accessed after login using the Nintendo DS Browser
Nintendo DS Browser
The Nintendo DS Browser is a version of the Opera web browser for use on the Nintendo DS, developed by Opera Software and Nintendo. The Nintendo DS Browser comes in separate versions for the Nintendo DS and the Nintendo DS Lite; this is due to differing physical size requirements for the memory...
.
Wii
The Wii has an 802.11b/g wireless adapter built-in. It is compatible with WEPWired Equivalent Privacy
Wired Equivalent Privacy is a weak security algorithm for IEEE 802.11 wireless networks. Introduced as part of the original 802.11 standard ratified in September 1999, its intention was to provide data confidentiality comparable to that of a traditional wired network...
, WPA
Wi-Fi Protected Access
Wi-Fi Protected Access and Wi-Fi Protected Access II are two security protocols and security certification programs developed by the Wi-Fi Alliance to secure wireless computer networks...
and WPA2 encryption. The Wii is also AOSS
AOSS
AOSS is a system by Buffalo Technology which allows a secure wireless connection to be set up with the push of a button. Recent AirStation residential gateways incorporate a button on the unit to let the user initiate this procedure...
compatible as of the 3.0 system update. The connection settings allows players to configure access to and save settings for up to three different networks. Connection settings can be detected automatically or entered manually. The Wii does not have an Ethernet port built in, but can be connected via wired LAN with a USB Ethernet adapter available from Nintendo and third parties.
Nintendo Wi-Fi USB Connector
Nintendo Wi-Fi USB Connector
The Nintendo Wi-Fi USB Connector is an accessory, developed jointly by Nintendo and Buffalo Technology, which allows Nintendo DSi and Nintendo 3DS and Wii users without a Wi-Fi connection or compatible Wi-Fi network to establish one via a broadband-connected PC...
. Broadband Internet access is not required to make use of this connectivity, though it is recommended to reduce network latency
Latency (engineering)
Latency is a measure of time delay experienced in a system, the precise definition of which depends on the system and the time being measured. Latencies may have different meaning in different contexts.-Packet-switched networks:...
. It was priced at the Nintendo Online Store, however it has since been discontinued due to legal issues. Many third party products provide similar functionality.
Hotspots
Nintendo is working with hotspot providers to allow free access in public for Nintendo DS users. In 2005 Nintendo made an agreements with Texas-based firm Wayport, Inc.Wayport, Inc.
Founded in 1996, Wayport, Inc. is a Wi-Fi broadband internet access provider, based in Austin, Texas. Wayport provides hotspots in approximately 28,000 locations throughout the United States. Venues include hotels, airports, sports venues, retail chain stores, McDonald's restaurants and...
to provide access in McDonald's
McDonald's
McDonald's Corporation is the world's largest chain of hamburger fast food restaurants, serving around 64 million customers daily in 119 countries. Headquartered in the United States, the company began in 1940 as a barbecue restaurant operated by the eponymous Richard and Maurice McDonald; in 1948...
Restaurants in the U.S. However, the deal was not renewed and has since expired. A similar partnership with FatPort to create free hotspots in Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
was announced by Nintendo of Canada on October 19, 2005.
In 2006 former Director of Marketing for Nintendo of Europe Jim Merrick announced that Nintendo was planning total of 25,000 hotspots in Europe, with 7,500 in UK alone thanks to a partnership with The Cloud
The Cloud
The Cloud, a BSkyB subsidiary, is a provider of public access Wi-Fi hotspots in Europe. It has services operating across 7,000 locations with 22,000 Wi-Fi network access points in 12 European countries.The Cloud has offices in London, Munich, and Stockholm....
and BT Openzone
BT Openzone
BT Openzone is a Wi-Fi hotspot service provided by BT Group. BT operates around 4,000 wireless stations in the UK, located in public locations such as cafés, hotels, pubs, stations and airports; BT's network accounts for 40% of the UK's wifi hotspot population...
.
Nintendo of Australia initially announced on November 17, 2005 that they would roll out only 26 hotspots across the country, in partnership with selected Electronics Boutique
Electronics Boutique
EB Games is an American computer and video games retailer. First established as an American company in 1977 by Emmanuel Baxter with a single electronics-focused location in the King of Prussia Mall near Philadelphia, the company has grown into an international corporation...
, Myer
Myer
Myer is Australia's largest department store chain, retailing a broad range of merchandise including women's, men's and children's clothing, footwear and accessories; cosmetics and fragrance; homewares; electrical; furniture and bedding; toys; books and stationery; food and confectionery; and...
and Dick Smith Powerhouse stores. On April 14, 2007, Nintendo announced that over one thousand additional free hotspots had been added in a partnership with Telstra
Telstra
Telstra Corporation Limited is an Australian telecommunications and media company, building and operating telecommunications networks and marketing voice, mobile, internet access and pay television products and services....
Wireless, providing access in selected hotels, airports, Starbucks
Starbucks
Starbucks Corporation is an international coffee and coffeehouse chain based in Seattle, Washington. Starbucks is the largest coffeehouse company in the world, with 17,009 stores in 55 countries, including over 11,000 in the United States, over 1,000 in Canada, over 700 in the United Kingdom, and...
cafes, and McDonald's
McDonald's
McDonald's Corporation is the world's largest chain of hamburger fast food restaurants, serving around 64 million customers daily in 119 countries. Headquartered in the United States, the company began in 1940 as a barbecue restaurant operated by the eponymous Richard and Maurice McDonald; in 1948...
restaurants.
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Official website
Nintendo created the official Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection web site as a portal for gamers looking to access the service or whom were in need of troubleshooting assistance. The website had live statistics and data from the service's servers and recorded high scores and service status. It also allowed a user to link his or her Nintendo DS Wi-Fi Connection ID to a My Nintendo account. As of November 2008, the site has closed in North America and has now moved into a subsection of the Games section on Nintendo.com.External links
Official Sites- Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection Official Site
- Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection Official Site (Japan)
- Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection Official Site (Korea)
- PDF Operation Manual
- Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection Spot Hits Theaters
- Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection Technical Support for Nintendo DS and Nintendo DS Lite
- Latest USB Drivers and Software
Tutorials
- Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection on Dial-Up
- Nintendo DS (Lite) on Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection using Android 2.2's Portable Hotspot feature
Wi-Fi Gaming Forums