Nintendo Planning to Release a Free 3G Portable Game Machine

3rd November, 2009 by adina
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The next generation of Nintendo’s portable game machines could have free 3G built-in access, according to the company’s president Satoru Iwata. Keeping an eye on the competitors, Nintendo’s president observed that Amazon Kindle’s business model charges extra in return for lifetime 3G access, which is not productive for Nintendo’s younger users the new handheld is designed for. Another company, Apple, is also charging too much the iPhone’s customers, thousands of yen monthly, in Iwata’s opinion.

This remark would probably be a direct response to Apple’s entering into handheld gaming. An always available Internet connection would be a big step forward in Iwata’s opinion and would considerably simplify applications downloads and Internet-based gaming. Today, the DS Lite, DSi and DSi LL are constrained to only Wi-Fi 802.11b and have only very limited online features, very few games supporting online activity and the DSiWare is exposing a small number of titles. The Internet connection would give the DS an advantage on the iPhone’s expensive cost on long-term, as well as on the iPod’s limitations to a short-range wireless.

According to recent sales data, the worldwide recession has generated in a drop in sales for both the DS and the Wii, even though they are still selling well, much better than most of their rivals. This is why, the marketing strategy regarding the DS handheld console would change soon enough. The device is meant to be shared amongst family and friends and the new direction will be that everybody should have a DS in the near future.


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