NINTENDO NEWS: NEARLY HALF OF MARIO KART DS OWNERS PLAY VIA WI-FI IN FIRST WEEK
Nov. 22, 2005 - In its first week of availability, a whopping 45 percent of people who bought the new Mario Kart® DS racing game for Nintendo DS™ already have test driven its free Wi-Fi capabilities, setting a new industry standard. This remarkable play rate of Mario Kart DS demonstrates both the easy setup and access of Nintendo® Wi-Fi Connection, Nintendo's new wireless gaming service, as well as the fun game play that has always characterized the Mario Kart series.
On Nov. 14, Mario Kart DS became the first game to use Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection. Through the end of Sunday, more than 112,000 people in the United States had purchased the game. In the same time frame, nearly 52,000 unique users had logged onto Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection to play against people from all over the country.
Video game fans have high praise for the addictive fun of Mario Kart DS and the simplicity of Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection. Many report that they can't stop playing.
"From the user-end, this is the easiest way to get online in video games," writes popular video game blog Kotaku.com. "The Wi-Fi integration is seamless. It's as easy as clicking multiplayer on the menu and joining the game."
Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection lets users easily connect to the service at no additional charge using both home wireless networks and select Wi-Fi hotspots, without any complicated setup procedures.
Upcoming titles that use Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection include Animal Crossing®: Wild World on Dec. 5 and Metroid® Prime Hunters on March 20. The buzz for Animal Crossing: Wild World already has reached a fevered pitch. Four notoriously difficult game raters at Weekly Famitsu, Japan's leading video game magazine, scored it 37 out of a possible 40 points.
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Originally posted by: JonLeung
Nearly half? That is impressive. Isn't it?
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Originally posted by: Ian Sane
I just checked it out on Nintendo's Canadian online store and it says "The USB Connector is currently on back order and will begin shipping on November 24, 2005."
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Originally posted by: Ian Sane
"What the heck are the other 55% waiting for?"
Their USB Connectors to arrive in the mail probably. I just checked it out on Nintendo's Canadian online store and it says "The USB Connector is currently on back order and will begin shipping on November 24, 2005."
QuoteI'm waiting for my new router to arrive. I should have it hooked up by this weekend.
Originally posted by: razorpit
What the heck are the other 55% waiting for? :-)
QuoteI don't get why everyone thinks the USB thing is so necessary. If you're going to be playing from home... where your PC is.... Just go to the store and pick up a WiFi router for $20-$30.
Originally posted by: Ian Sane
"What the heck are the other 55% waiting for?"
Their USB Connectors to arrive in the mail probably.
QuoteAll the more reason to just pick up an inexpesive WiFi router. You'll probably pay more for the USB dongle then you will for a WiFi router.
I just checked it out on Nintendo's Canadian online store and it says "The USB Connector is currently on back order and will begin shipping on November 24, 2005."
QuoteI'm still sticking by the idea, that the USB dongle isn't in stores (at least until Hunters arrives, according to reggie) because they want people to know (or at least want to be able to inform those ordering the dongle) that you don't NEED the USB dongle just a local McDonalds or an inexpensive home wifi router.
45% is still pretty damn good but I wonder how high it would be if Nintendo offered the USB Connector in stores. I'll bet if they bundled it with every game the number would be like 90%. Still 45% is easily enough to encourage Nintendo to continue making online games and that's good enough for me.
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Originally posted by: razorpit
What the heck are the other 55% waiting for? :-)
--Dave
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Shipping it with the game would be a COLLOSAL waste! Most people won't even need one.
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Originally posted by: Bill Aurion
I want free stuff for nothing, please! If Nintendo doesn't give me free stuff they are half-assing it! >=|
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LucasArts > Nintendo
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Originally posted by: ruby_onixQuote
Shipping it with the game would be a COLLOSAL waste! Most people won't even need one.
55%? Yeah, I guess that's technically "most" people. But if you gave them free dongles, what are the chances they'd stay in that category?
You don't give out add-ons with every game that uses them. That's just crazy. But if you want them to succeed, you should give them out for free with the first killer-app. Doing otherwise is just half-assed.
Fortunately, half-assed seems to be working for Nintendo right now.
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Originally posted by: Ian Sane
Really? When did this come out? Seriously this is the first I've heard of it. I thought they were making it online only.
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>Bongo Controller = $30 = Free with Donkey Kong Jungle Beat
err, um... The Bongos didn't come free with DK:JB. DK:JB was sold by itself for $40 and the bongos were included for $55.... Anywhoo, with three games that use 'em... as much as I liked DK:JB - Useless...
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The bongos were free with Donkey Konga.
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Originally posted by: UncleBob
>GameBoy Four-Player Adaptor = Free with F1-Race
There's like, what, three games that work with this? Who can name more than a handful without looking 'em up? Useless (unless I ever manage to get my 16 player Faceball 2000 tournament going)
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Both Donkey Konga and Jungle Beat had versions with the bongos. I think only JB had a no-bongos version.
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Isn't $50 the price of a regular game there?