Press Release: Nintendo And Wayport Join Forces To Bring Free U.S. Wi-Fi Access To Nintendo DS Users
From Videogame Morgue File
Nintendo And Wayport Join Forces To Bring Free U.S. Wi-Fi Access To Nintendo DS Users[edit]
Players Access Free Wireless Video Game Service at Select McDonald's Hotspots
REDMOND, Wash. and AUSTIN, Tex., Oct. 18, 2005 - Nintendo has signed an agreement with Wayport, a leading provider of wired and Wi-Fi high-speed Internet access in public locations, to extend Wi-Fi service to Nintendo DSTM users at nearly 6,000 McDonald's restaurants across the United States. Through the agreement with Wayport, Nintendo will offer complimentary access to Nintendo® Wi-Fi Connection, the video game giant's new wireless gaming service that goes online Nov. 14. "This agreement with Wayport will bring countless people together to play games in a single, simultaneous wireless community," says Reggie Fils-Aime, Nintendo of America's executive vice president of sales & marketing. "Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection is simple to use. Beginning with free access at participating McDonald's, we have removed one of the major barriers that have kept people from going online to play games." "By enabling Nintendo DS customers to access Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection via our Wi-Fi World® network and business model at McDonald's, we are continuing to drive more customers to the restaurants we serve and increase the relevancy of Wi-Fi to a broader customer base," said Dave Vucina, CEO of Wayport. "Nintendo is a pioneer in providing a new way for their customers to play the games they want to while away from home or the office, and McDonald's is the perfect venue based on their ubiquity and accessibility." Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection creates a welcome, inviting community where gamers of all kinds can log on wirelessly and begin playing favorite franchise games like Mario Kart® DS and Activision's Tony Hawk's American SK8Land, and future titles such as Animal Crossing®: Wild World and Metroid® Prime Hunters. Game play will be free, and users will be able to connect easily to Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection in a variety of ways. When a user brings a Nintendo DS unit and a Wi-Fi-enabled game into a Wayport-enabled McDonald's, 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. The Nintendo Wi-Fi USB Connector will be sold exclusively on Nintendo.com. Finally, Nintendo DS owners who want to play games at Wi-Fi locations outside McDonald's or their home can use a laptop computer and the Nintendo Wi-Fi USB Connector to access Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection. The Nintendo Wi-Fi USB Connector enables the Nintendo DS to share an Internet connection established by a PC, providing a conduit to play games via Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection. Detailed information about Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection, as well as a list of participating Wayport/McDonald's hotspots, will be available soon at www.NintendoWiFi.com. Nintendo DS is just the first Nintendo system to connect via Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection. The same service will be incorporated into Nintendo's next-generation home video game console, code-named Revolution, which is set for release in 2006. About Wayport, Inc. Wayport is the largest provider of high-speed Wi-Fi wireless and wired Internet access for mobile broadband customers in the United States, offering service at more than 10,000 locations (including directly enabled and managed locations) in 28 countries, featuring major hotels in the U.S. and Europe; airports; Laptop Lane airport business centers; McDonald's, and Hertz locations; and other retail brands nationwide. To learn more about Wayport, please visit www.wayport.net or to see locations nationwide, visit www.wayport.net/locations. About Nintendo The worldwide leader and innovator in the creation of interactive entertainment, Nintendo Co., Ltd., of Kyoto, Japan, manufactures and markets hardware and software for its popular home and portable video game systems. Each year, hundreds of all-new titles for the best-selling Game Boy® Advance SP, Nintendo DSTM and Nintendo GameCubeTM systems extend Nintendo's vast game library and continue the tradition of delivering a rich, diverse mix of quality video games for players of all ages. Since the release of its first home video game system in 1983, Nintendo has sold more than 2 billion video games and more than 353 million hardware units globally, creating enduring industry icons such as MarioTM and Donkey Kong® and launching popular culture franchise phenomena such as Metroid®, ZeldaTM and Pokémon®. A wholly owned subsidiary, Nintendo of America Inc., based in Redmond, Wash., serves as headquarters for Nintendo's operations in the Western Hemisphere. For more information about Nintendo, visit the company's Web site at www.nintendo.com.
