Iwata confirms downloadable classic games will not be free, Nintendo-branded DS hot-spots, downloadable DS demos, and more!
Today Nintendo president Satoru Iwata announced that Nintendo will operate one thousand wireless access points in Japan to encourage the growth of its online Nintendo DS games. Iwata also confirmed strong third party support for Nintendo's online strategy, with "25 software makers" pledging their support for the online gaming service.
GameSpot provies further new details about online DS features. Nintendo will have downloadable online demos of DS games, which can be downloaded from home, and the company will sell a wireless access point that attaches to PCs via a USB drive, making DS and Revolution connectivity straightforward for those currently without a wireless network.
GameSpot also confirms what PGC suspected: Revolution Virtual Console downloads will not be free, though he suggests Nintendo may provide special promotional offers:
"We believe that there's a number of ways that we can use the system, such as to offer a bonus download with the purchase of a new game, or allow some games to be downloaded during a limited time during a campaign period."
On the brighter side, Iwata said Nintendo wants third parties to participate in the Virtual Console marketplace in a way profitable to all companies, which suggests Nintendo is looking into a commission-based structure.
Finally, Iwata elaborated on recurring comments about complex games, explaining that Nintendo feels large games are important, but an overabundance of them is folly. He claims that consumers have a limited amount of time, and most can only play one or two huge titles a year. Nintendo hopes to encourage a variety of games of varied scales and prices.