Nintendo DS Gets Connected at McDonald's, on Trains in Japan
May 28, 2008 20:37
Yukiko Kanoh, Nikkei Electronics
Nintendo Co Ltd has announced it will test the "Nintendo Spot" service, which delivers data to the "Nintendo DS" portable game console using its wireless communications (Wi-Fi) capability, in public locations.
The test will be conducted at certain McDonald's restaurants as well as Tsukuba Express stations and on the train.
The test at McDonald's will be conducted in collaboration with McDonald's Japan. The test will take place at 21 restaurants in Setagaya and Suginami Wards, Tokyo. At those McDonald's restaurants, Nintendo DS users can browse McDonald's Japan products designed for the DS and various campaign information on McDonald's Website and download trial versions of DS software titles as well.
The proprietary "Nintendo Spot Viewer" browser software is required to use the service. Nintendo Spot Viewer will be distributed for free at McDonald's restaurants using DS Wi-Fi capability. The test will be conducted from May 27 to June 30, 2008.
The Tsukuba Express test will be, on the other hand, conducted in cooperation with the Metropolitan Intercity Railway Co and NTT Broadband Platform Inc (NTTBP).
At all 20 Tsukuba Express stations between Akihabara and Tsukuba and on the Tsukuba Express train itself, Nintendo DS users can browse information including news, weather and the Tsukuba Express transfer guide, as well as download trial versions of DS software titles. This service also requires the Nintendo Spot Viewer, which will be distributed for free in the test areas.
"Wi-Fine for DS," NTTBP's "Wi-Fine" public WLAN-based data delivery platform optimized for the Nintendo DS, is used for the news and other data distribution. The test is slated to run from May 27 through Dec 28, 2008.
The companies said no application, setting and fee are required to start the service. NTTBP is recruiting monitors who will evaluate the service to be provided through the test.
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