Nintendo and Telstra connect for free Wi-Fi DS play

Mike Bantick
Wednesday, 04 April 2007 10:27

Your IT - Entertainment

Nintendo Australia has today announced the obliteration of waiting-room boredom.  With a Wi-Fi equipped Nintendo DS people can connect for free gaming fun at hundreds of Telstra Wireless Hotspots.

The free Wi-Fi service will be available to Nintendo DS owners at over 1,000 locations including McDonald’s Restaurants, Starbucks Cafés, hotels, City hotzones and thankfully airports throughout Melbourne and Sydney.

Rose Lappin, Director of Sales and Marketing, Nintendo Australia is keen to see DS players connected; “This agreement with Telstra will bring countless people together to play games in a single, simultaneous wireless community.  Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection is simple to use.  Beginning with free access at participating destination, we have removed one of the major barriers that have kept people from going online to play games.”

Telstra is also keen on the new seamless service they are offering.  Director of Internet Products, Craig Turner says; “This is an Australian first and is all about providing convenience through innovation, ensuring Nintendo DS users are automatically authenticated onto the Telstra Wireless Hotspot network whenever they enter a coverage zone”

“Telstra is delighted to be working with Nintendo as it demonstrates the flexibility of our network and its ability to support the increasing array of Wi-Fi enabled consumer devices.  It also introduces a completely new consumer audience to Australia’s largest wireless hotspot network that until recently has predominantly attracted corporate users,” Mr Turner said.

Nintendo intends to bring more games with Wi-Fi Connection capability.

Meanwhile you can enjoy Mario Kart DS, Animal Crossing:Wild World, Metroid Prime Hunters, Starfox Command, Club House Games, Tenchu Dark Secret along with the Activision published Tony Hawk’s Downhill Jam.

When a user brings a Nintendo DS unit and a Wi-Fi enabled game into a Telstra Wireless Hotspot destination, the user simply launches the game in Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection mode, No setup is required.

From home, if the user already has a Wi-Fi network, the Nintendo DS unit will connect directly to it with minimal setup procedures.  Those who have a high-speed internet connection such as cable or DSL, but no wireless network, can use the Nintendo Wi-Fi USB connector, which will plug into the USB port of a PC running Windows XP to create a wireless access point to connect a DS to Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection.

You can grab all the hotspot info you need soon at www.NintendoWiFi.com.au