Nintendo Releasing Wireless Router for Revolution 290
nmaster64 writes "Nintendo is really pushing their Nintendo Wi-fi hard, completely reversing the anti-online mentality they've held in years past. Nwizard.com reports, "Nintendo will soon be producing a router that will allow access to the Nintendo Wi-Fi Network on both the DS and the Revolution. The router plugs into a USB 2.0 port and transfers your computers internet connection wirelessly into your next-gen Nintendo devices." It should be noted this story came at almost the same time as Sony announced they dropped the PS3's router functionality." Update: 07/13 06:20 GMT by Z : Please note there is no source referenced for this "story", and this could in fact be some guy's pet theory.
Re:Let me get this straight... (Score:3, Interesting)
The "Revolution" is so advanced that... it needs a computer to have access to a Wi-Fi network
I think misunderstood that: the Revolution has built-in WiFi and Nintendo is selling a WiFi router so PCs can access that WiFi net... they use their own WiFi network. This means if you buy a Revolution and have a DS, the DS can connect to the Revolution immediately without the need of buying a connector.
AFAIK they have their own WiFi net because of the special requirements a gaming device has.
Windows only? (Score:5, Interesting)
As for security, I'm not worried. It is likely that this router will be for Nintendo devices only and wont be subject to war drivers. Notice on the bottom of the DS it says "RSA Secured". Whatever patented security mechanism that refers to is what makes Nintendo wireless different from the wireless our laptops use.
Source? (Score:2, Interesting)
Standard spec? (Score:4, Interesting)
Re:It should also be noted... (Score:3, Interesting)
On the same day Sony dropped a feature from the PS3, Nintendo announced a feature on the Revolution (with next to nothing known about it). Now it may have been a co-incidence, but they're both about features for the next consoles. I'd say there's very much a point of it being in the summary.
Re:Yay, online play! (Score:3, Interesting)
I've been a gamer for over 20 years, a member of the gaming media, and NEVER am I compelled to play an online title. I just want to escape a bit when I play a game not be thrust right back into the asshats of society with spamming/cheating/cursing/n00b-this/etc. A lot of people do. Online gaming is a fad, and a fad that really hasn't caught on nor will it ever. People want to "lose" themselves for a bit when they play a game... just like watching a movie. It's like going to see a movie where people have cell phones ringing/talking, people laughing/clapping, walking about, etc. it detracts from the experience.
I attempted to get into an online game "Guild Wars" and for a while I was hooked in a bit... except I could never get immersed into the world because of the human element. How can you get into a fantasy setting with idiots running around in ther underware, dancing/air guitaring, spamming trade chat, and ruining strategies when in missions for the "fun" of it? You can't. I went and bought Champions of Norrath for the PS2 for a solo RPG and instantly was drawn in.
Sales *were* as big as Xbox, at least... (Score:2, Interesting)
Actually the worldwide Gamecube sales were consistently better than those of the XBox up until Halo 2 was released... XBox really only ever was leading the Gamecube in the U.S...
Even now that the XBox is unambiguously ahead of the Gamecube, it's by such a rediculously tiny margin as to be almost meaningless. The Xbox has like 19 million sold, the Gamecube has like 18 million sold. Great! The PS2 has about 80 million sold...
This is to say nothing of how those numbers might potentially tip this fall, when the Gamecube's Halo 2 (Zelda) comes out... it could get to be *gasp* 20 million gamecube to 19 million XBox. What then? Do we declare doom for the XBox?
The Gamecube is definitely a niche compared to the PS2... but it seems really wierd to me that people look at the XBox with 20% market share and think "mainstream" and the Gamecube with 20% market share and think "niche"...
Re:WiFi for consoles makes sense (Score:3, Interesting)
As someone who has owned a GC (sold it because I don't have much time left to play computer games nowadays) and an XBOX (yeah I know, but I only bought it second-hand so I could chip it and use it as a Linux box, which I still do), I can say that at least compared to the XBOX the GC lineup does emphasize quality over quantity. I had much, much more fun with my GC games than with my XBOX.
However, the number of games is IMO not the problem with the GC. The problem is that Sony already had a much bigger userbase, which appeals to developers, and MS bought^H^H^H^H^Hinvested in developers of some of the most highly anticipated GC exclusives, which all moved to the XBOX and PS2 only. Lastly, for some reason the GC completely lacks good games in some genres, especially racing and online titles.
The number of titles by itself on each of the consoles is not the problem, on average most console owners only buy around 25 titles for their system before it's obsoleted, and believe me, the GC has that much good games...
Re:WiFi for consoles makes sense (Score:3, Interesting)
Still, almost all the best games are simultaneously ported to either Sony's or Microsoft's offering (often both), while Nintendo locks me in to Mario-land. I mean, Mario Tennis? It might be a good game, but I'm sick of looking at that little fat stereotype. Link similarly deserves being put to pasture. It's a new console, it's time to come up with new franchised characters.
Golly