Topic: Official Buffalo Statement on Nintendo Wi-Fi

[TheYoungerPlumber]

Buffalo's statement provides more details on the Nintendo Wi-Fi USB Connector and its software.  Buffalo also confirms its participation in the Nintendo Wi-Fi hotspots.

BUFFALO EXPANDS ITS PARTNERSHIP WITH NINTENDO WITH THE “NINTENDO WI-FI CONNECTION™” WIRELESS SERVICE    

Nintendo will Incorporate Buffalo’s AOSS Technology in an Effort to Simplify and Broaden Access to Wireless Gaming and Enhance the Overall Gaming Experience    

Nagoya, Japan – October 5, 2005 - Buffalo, Inc. a global leader in the design, development and manufacturing of complete computer peripheral solutions such as wired and wireless networking, storage and memory products today announced it has partnered with Nintendo Co., Ltd., to expand the integration of its AirStation One-Touch Secure System (AOSS™) technology with Nintendo’s Nintendo DS (Dual Screen) handheld game system gaming devices.    

Nintendo will incorporate AOSS into the devices for the company’s upcoming “Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection” service in Japan in November. “Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection” compatible software will also be available from November.    

“We are in the age of the digital home where just about every entertainment or media device has wireless networking capabilities. It has been our goal to ensure that wireless networking is as simple as possible for consumers,” stated Morikazu Sano, senior vice president of global marketing at Buffalo Technology. “There are over 6.5 million consumer electronics devices that feature Buffalo’s AOSS technology including Buffalo brand products and those of several other vendors. Because it is our mission to simplify the digital home, we are always looking to partner with companies like Nintendo and bring to consumers all that wireless networking has to offer.”    

AOSS allows users to automatically set-up a secure wireless network with the push of a button. The technology instantly detects and configures other AOSS enabled devices and seamlessly creates a secure connection based on the highest level of encryption available. By incorporating AOSS in the Nintendo DS system, Nintendo DS users can easily connect to any AOSS-enabled Buffalo AirStation™ router/access point (AP). Nintendo DS users just have to press the AOSS button to simply establish a secure connection between the Nintendo DS device and Buffalo AirStation AP.    

Buffalo will also jointly develop with Nintendo a new Nintendo-ready wireless software AP - the “Nintendo Wi-Fi USB Connector”, which will be sold by Nintendo worldwide. The product is designed to allow distant gamers to interact with each other wirelessly through the Internet. Attached to a computer, the AP provides a wireless connection to the Nintendo DS via the computer’s Internet connection. The AP includes software, which notifies users when their Nintendo DS devices are within range. Users can establish a connection between devices with a single click. Once the initial connection has been established, subsequent connection is automatic.    

For users without Internet access, Buffalo will develop and deploy Nintendo’s new access point - the “Nintendo Wi-Fi Station”. The service will be available at more than 1,000 video game retailers in Japan. Users can simply visit any location with the “Nintendo Wi-Fi Station” sign and use the service free of charge. Retail stores that sell Nintendo products will also provide service for free for Nintendo DS users. Buffalo will fully support the new Nintendo DS wireless service.    

For more information on Nintendo DS and its gaming software, please visit www.nintendo.co.jp/ds/.  More information on Buffalo, Inc. can be found at http://www.buffalo.jp/.  

[Nephilim]

well if you dont have XP, its about time you upgraded

[KDR_11k]

Never! Not before they kill the dog!

[RABicle]

More like XP is a downgrade.

Awww well, Airport will have to do.

[Rhoq]

Quote
Originally posted by: RABicle
More like XP is a downgrade.

Awww well, Airport will have to do.

Windows 2000 - it's like XP, minus the graphical enhancements, but features improved stability. If I were a Windows user, I'd care more about functionality and less how much nicer "XP" looks. ;-) LOL

Oh well - RABicle, I've resisted buying an Airport card and base station. I might have look into it, now.

[KDR_11k]

XP makes me angry every time I try to search for files. CTRL-F. F###ing dog pops up: "What do you want to search for?". Couldn't they have let it default to files and give you the good old dropdown box to change the selection? When I press search in the file browser I most likely want to look for files.

[NotSoStu]

Even though Buffalo is just releasing the software for Windows XP, I have no doubt in my mind that somebody or another will come up with a kernel module for Linux or OS X. (Especially since I seem to remember a poll where >20% of Nintendo system owners used a Mac as their main home computer.)

And besides that, the fact is that this is an extremely cheap little router. Maybe it'll become popular for non-Nintendo usage as well?

[Pale]

This special software required concept still has me worried that we will NEED this adaptor and existing wireless networks will not work...

I mean, how can I tell my DS what WEP key my network uses.  I know this has been touched on many times before.... but I'm still skeptical.

[Caliban]

Quote
Originally posted by: KDR_11k
XP makes me angry every time I try to search for files. CTRL-F. F###ing dog pops up: "What do you want to search for?". Couldn't they have let it default to files and give you the good old dropdown box to change the selection? When I press search in the file browser I most likely want to look for files.

What dog? Why don't you just disable it.

[BigJim]

Quote
Originally posted by: Pale
This special software required concept still has me worried that we will NEED this adaptor and existing wireless networks will not work...

I mean, how can I tell my DS what WEP key my network uses.  I know this has been touched on many times before.... but I'm still skeptical.

If they say, "if the user already has a Wi-Fi network, the Nintendo DS unit will connect directly to it with minimal setup procedures." in a press release, I don't think they'd be lying. The game will either expose an API in the DS (DS Download Play?) or maybe it's saved on the game itself.

[Pale]

All of this just screams firmware update to me...  If they put all this connection software into each game, so I have to enter my WEP key again every time I start a new WiFi game, that's dumb.  I'm worried that Nintendo is going to pull an AOL here... Try and make something idiot proof and screw it up in the process.

It really isn't too much to ask to have people... ya know... maybe read a little bit about how a wireless network works...  it's not that hard of a concept.

Edit:
And to BigJim... What I'm worried about is that it will only work with fully open networks.  I mean look at it this way... they are touting that you can use it at say, a coffee shop.. but a lot of coffee shops have web interfaces to purchase time... so that implies it will only work at free coffee shop networks, which implies the network has no encryption of any kind.

Don't be suprised if we find out we have to unsecure our networks in order to make this thing work... either that, or buy the adaptor too.

Why the hell won't Nintendo bite the bullet and just give us a firmware update that includes a primitive web browser and network settings... It would solve all these problems... but damn, people that don't want to learn anything just wouldn't buy it...  and that isn't even Nintendo's fault.  People are just stupid.

[sikboy1029]

I've got it!! They can give us a bare bones browser type deal on a GBA cart that would save all of our network settings, thus only having to enter the network key once if we use WEP(I do, so I'm in the same boat as some of you)

[BigJim]

It's possible.  But the language doesn't seem to add up to that.

Open/Closed Networking:

There wouldn't be any configuration at all if it were only available to open networks. Since they make reference to "minimal setup" I think they're going to make the consideration for private networks. They would have promoted it as "no setup" if they could have, or not mentioned it at all.

USB or not USB:

The press release says, "if the user already has a Wi-Fi network, the Nintendo DS unit will connect directly to it..." Two things there:  a) "Directly to IT."  b) They specifically mention a Wi-Fi network. If the USB adapter were required, it could just as easily be a wired network.

Hotspots:

If the adapter were required, would the hotspots need one? Hotspot data is still coming up apparently. There might be Nintendo-blessed hotspots or something. And/Or just open hotspots. Dunno.

I just think that 802.11 support is 802.11 support.  Requiring proprietary hardware is no longer 802.11.

[Pale]

Well if there is minimal setup for WEP networks, then it will most likely be included in each game, based on teh fact that no firmware update or gba expansion cart have been announced.  If that's the case, I'm really quite upset and it isn't simple.  People shouldn't have to re-input their WEP key for every new game the want to play.

Overall, this all just seems to be coming too fast.  With launch just over a month away, there are still really no specifics other than vague laymen's terms in a press release.

It sure doesn't sound like it's going to be an X-Box live killer if each game is its own complete entity, as it looks and was pretty much already announced.  Bottom line is, it looks like we will have to re-set up for each game we buy, you won't be able to tell what your friends are playing online if they aren't playing the same game as you, and a browser is no where in sight.  I hope Nintendo surprises me, but right now it all looks pretty underwhelming and relatively dated.

Edit: Not to say I'm not excited as hell to play Animal Crossing and Mario Kart online, I'm just bummed it doesn't appear that Nintendo will be creating any sort of community like I had hoped.  That is what makes X-Box live stand out and as of now, they look like they will continue to stand out.  I really wanted to go to my friends animal crossin house and see their mario kart record posted on the wall.

[BigJim]

I agree. I do hope their WEP setup is a one-time thing. If we have to save it in every game, that will be annoying. But I do think we'll have support one way or another. I'd prefer re-entering the key for each game over requiring a $50 card or forcing the network open, though.

Edit: And I'd love a community approach too. No argument there.

[vudu]

When they say Windows XP only does that just mean no Linux/Apple or does that mean too older versions of Windows, too?  I'm still on 2000, as I never saw a reason to upgrade to XP.  I have a copy, and I suppose I could always get around to installing it, but I'm fairly lazy.

[ssj4_android]

They better support WPA. I'm getting really worried that they won't. And I hope they at least have some form of webbrowser, so I can log in to the network on campus. It needs SSL encryption support as well then. I'm very pessimistic that they'll implament either though.

[TheYoungerPlumber]

Considering "AOSS" supports WPA and this isn't old hardware, it will support WPA.  But yeah, I'd really like to know how Nintendo is handling WPA/WEP connection info.  

[ShyGuy]

I just setup a wireless router tonight for a friend of mine. She pulled out her DS, and started poking around in the menu, asking how it was going to connect when she got Animal Crossing Wild World. I told her magic.