Nintendo DS brings service to your stadium seat

by Stephen Withers

Tuesday, 10 July 2007

A pilot project from Nintendo allows baseball fans to watch replays, check live statistics, and order food and drinks without leaving their stadium seats.

Implemented at Safeco Field, home of the Nintendo-owned Seattle Mariners, the Nintendo Fan Network allows spectators to take their DS Lite to the game and then pay $US5 (or $US30 for a 10-game season pass) to use the necessary software.

Similar services have been trialled using personal screens attached to premium seats at various stadiums around the world, but the capital cost is substantial. Nintendo's approach means users bring their own hardware, slashing the setup costs and eliminating the risk of vandalism.

The service provides access from any seat in the stadium to a live TV feed of the game (especially useful for replays), statistics, scores, trivia, and food and beverage ordering. You guessed it: a tip is included in the order price.

"It's been a work in progress. Once we created the technology of the DS, we started looking at other applications to use its wireless features," the Associated Press quoted Nintendo corporate affairs manager JC Smith. "The program system became so popular ... so we sought other ways to make this a fun system for people to have."

Although Nintendo has not disclosed how much use the system is getting, there are some indications of customer resistance to the per-game charge.

Other baseball teams have reportedly expressed interest in the Nintendo Fan Netowrk, and it could presumably be adapted for other sports where play is not continuous, such as gridiron football, tennis and cricket.

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