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Nintendo Looking to Improve Digital Distribution With 3DS

By Ross Marrs (Marzy)

32345 on 12.07.2010 at 20:00

Nintendo Looking to Improve Digital Distribution With 3DS on Nintendo gaming news, videos and discussion

Nintendo broke into the digital distribution market back in 2008, with their WiiWare service. Since then, the service has seen many fantastic games, including LostWinds, NyxQuest and the BitTrip series. Nintendo then moved a similar service over to the DSi systems, with DSiWare. Whilst it's not been quite as good, there has been a few little gems.

Nintendo are now looking to improve on the services though, with a fresh start on the 3DS. Admitting that they could improve in digital distribution, Satoru Iwata then went on to say "We are thinking the release of new hardware should be good timing for a dramatic improvement of this situation".

He then went on to speak about the 3DS'improved function in wireless communication, with the system automatically downloading new data when the system is in an area that can receive it. "By combining Nintendo 3DS with such function, we are now planning to expand our digital-distribution type of business."

Just a few days back saw speculation that 3G connectivity maybe included within the system.

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Squidboy on 12.07.2010 at 20:15#1

I need to be able to bring over my DSiWare games to any 3DS that I buy. Cammie Dunaway has said Nintendo are looking into it now.

3DS Code 2578-3122-0744

Ifrit XXII on 12.07.2010 at 22:16#2

I don't like how much focus they're putting on the 'tag mode'. It was pointless on the DS and even with the 3DS being able to enter an 'all games' tag mode, I still think it'll be a waste. Just look at what happened with WiiConnect24.

Mush on 12.07.2010 at 22:26#3

Ifrit XXII said:
I don't like how much focus they're putting on the 'tag mode'. It was pointless on the DS and even with the 3DS being able to enter an 'all games' tag mode, I still think it'll be a waste. Just look at what happened with WiiConnect24.

What is "tag mode"? o_O

Jimmy2000 on 12.07.2010 at 22:51#4

Ifrit XXII said:
I don't like how much focus they're putting on the 'tag mode'. It was pointless on the DS and even with the 3DS being able to enter an 'all games' tag mode, I still think it'll be a waste. Just look at what happened with WiiConnect24.

Why compare it to wiiconnect24? It's completly different.

Besides it is popular in japan and gets used quite a lot in its curent very limited form.

With this you won't have to worry about having the game on the tag mode and you don't have to keep a certain game in. This would greatly increase the chances of passing someone with it on and extend the lifespan of people using the feature.

Ifrit XXII on 12.07.2010 at 23:07#5

Being popular in Japan means nothing elsewhere in the world. Even though the 3DS will increase the chance of crossing paths with another user in tag mode, it's still something that I can't see being of much value to users outside of Japan.

And I compared it to WC24 because Nintendo promised similar stuff with that. They said that it would download new stuff overnight for your games automatically and some other promises that didn't make it to retail.

Mush123 said:
What is "tag mode"? o_O

Take a look at this article on IGN. THey talk about the old tag mode and the 3DS tag mode.

Darkflame on 12.07.2010 at 23:37#6

User rankings, order-by-rank and "people that liked this would also like this" would be great for a start.

Please give our little random review show a try;
http://randomreviewshow.com/index.html
We have special effects and umm...stuff...

Jimmy2000 on 12.07.2010 at 23:47#7

Being popular in Japan means nothing elsewhere in the world

Still don't really get the comparison to wii connect24, nothing really came about from that yeah but tag mode is a proven concept and works already.
Improving it and building it in simply makes it more convenient to use and increases the likely hood of developers supporting it.

( Edited 12.07.2010 18:49 by Jimmy2000 )

Darkflame on 13.07.2010 at 02:15#8

The comparison to WiiConnect24 is potentially valid.

WC24 had *loads* of potential, and still does. But is criminally underused by Nintendo.
The same could happen to Tag mode. Technicaly is great if its used.

Please give our little random review show a try;
http://randomreviewshow.com/index.html
We have special effects and umm...stuff...

Mush on 13.07.2010 at 02:30#9

Ifrit XXII said:
Take a look at this article on IGN. THey talk about the old tag mode and the 3DS tag mode.

Cheers for clearing that up, never knew that feature was dubbed as "Tag Mode" but now I do. I'd give you a star, if I had any left to give. Smilie

PMD on 13.07.2010 at 02:51#10

I'll give him one since I don't ever give stars out.

Darkflame said:
User rankings, order-by-rank and "people that liked this would also like this" would be great for a start.

Basically the Nintendo channel but where you can purchase games. I think the Nintendo channel itself was a big step forward for Nintendo's online community.

Sonic_13 on 13.07.2010 at 07:25#11

Ifrit XXII said:
said that it would download new stuff overnight for your games automatically and some other promises that didn't make it to retail.

But it does download new stuff overnight for some of my games...so Nintendo did keep their promise in that regard.

( Edited 13.07.2010 02:59 by Sonic_13 )

Jimmy2000 on 13.07.2010 at 08:14#12

Darkflame said:
The comparison to WiiConnect24 is potentially valid.
WC24 had *loads* of potential, and still does. But is criminally underused by Nintendo.
The same could happen to Tag mode. Technicaly is great if its used.

But there not promising loads of things with this, it's already there, we know how it works, this just makes it a lot more convenient and not so limited, which in itself is kind of exciting. Thats all there doing with it.

Wiiconnect24 on the other hand just turned out to download emails and some banners for the shop channel when it was promised to do more.

meeto_0 on 13.07.2010 at 14:30#13

With these download services the measure of success should be based on whether users turn on their consoles anticipating something special.

I sometimes dont notice the wii's flashing blue light and when I do its for an upgrade that has less to do with me and more to do with homebrew guys.

What do I want? I want my wii or DS to tell me when I get to the Home screen (Im guessing the 3DS will have this) that there is downloadable content for games I have. I want regular demos for good games. I want a demo channel and DLC channel seperated from everything else. These coupled with Tag mode are the only aspect im interested in. And for GOD sake clean up the shopping channel even MORE! Just copy one of your rivals they copy anything nintendo does.

Mush on 13.07.2010 at 21:45#14

I'm hoping for a store, quite similar to the iPod Touch/iPhone's App Store. User-generated Apps... free stuff, I could work with that. It wouldn't bother me if homebrew wasn't available then, because I could get it without Nintendo becoming butthurt. Smilie