Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection Goes National

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When the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection was first launched in Australia, we were all hoping for something akin to the US, where Nintendo teamed up with the wireless provider for McDonald's restaurants. Sadly, the truth was not as impressive. Nation-wide, there were about 25 hotspots in selected gaming retailers. We’re pleased to say that this is finally changing – Telstra and Nintendo Australia have teamed up to allow a Wi-Fi Connection from over 1000 hotspots across the country. Here’s the press release.

Nintendo Australia, in conjunction with Telstra, is pleased to announce that Nintendo DS users can now enjoy Wi-Fi service to Nintendo DS at over 1,000 Telstra Wireless Hotspot destinations across Australia. Destinations include McDonald’s Restaurants, Starbucks Cafés, airports, hotels and city hotzones throughout Melbourne and Sydney. Through the agreement with Telstra, Nintendo will offer complimentary access to Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection, the wireless gaming service that millions of Nintendo fans around the globe have been connecting to and playing online.

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

Telstra’s Director of Internet Products, Craig Turner said Nintendo DS users will enjoy seamless connection to Telstra’s Wireless Hotspot network.

“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 Wi-Fi Connection creates a welcome, inviting community where gamers of all kinds can log on wirelessly and begin playing favorite games like Mario Kart DS, Animal Crossing: Wild World, Metroid Prime Hunters, Starfox Command, Club House Games, Tenchu Dark Secret and Activision's Tony Hawk's Downhill Jam. More new titles will continued to be added to the range of games that can be played via the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection.

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.

Detailed information about Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection, as well as a list of participating Telstra hotspots, will be available soon at www.NintendoWiFi.com.au.