Finally, DS demo downloads via Wii

by Eric Caoili { Oct 10th 2007 at 11:30AM }

Among the other megatons Nintendo dropped at its Tokyo conference late last night, the company revealed that the Wii will soon support a feature we've been speculating on for some time now -- enabling the console to act as a DS demo download station. At last, you can finally try out games like that new Nancy Drew release without ever leaving the comfort of your own home!

Much like with the download stations that are already installed in game stores and airports across the country, Nintendo Wii owners will eventually be able to download video game trailers and demos wirelessly to their DS through the newly announced "Everyone's Nintendo Channel." A concrete date hasn't yet been set for the channel's launch.

Tags: demo, download-station, everyones-nintendo-channel

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Aaron @ Oct 10th 2007 12:12PM

About DAMN time. Nintendo needs to get on the ball with the online stuff. I turn on my 360 and PS3 every week to download the new vids/demos but Wii is collecting dust (no free demos/videos..just VC downloads).

Micah Neumark @ Oct 10th 2007 12:59PM

I really hope Nintendo starts doing DS firmware updates via the Wii. The main thing I really want is WPA2 support. I can't use my DS online without changing wireless settings. WEP is insecure and its all it supports.

Dan Russell @ Oct 10th 2007 1:58PM

Awesome!

Now let's see some GC->GBA style interaction with Wii games!

Jeffrey @ Oct 10th 2007 1:58PM

@Micah: I don't believe firmware updates can enable WPA. It's a hardware thing.

ZR @ Oct 10th 2007 2:14PM

I'm not sure where the Nancy Drew bashing came from (maybe that cataclysmic cinematic 'refresh'?)--Joystiq had a similar tone when talking about the PC games--but the DS entry into the series is actually a real solid adventure game. Some of the puzzles are rather easy, but it's refreshing compared to the pixel-hunts in other DS adventure titles. Plus it's got surprisingly high production values. If you enjoyed Trace Memory or Hotel Dusk, I'd highly recommend trying to track down a copy... it's already impossible to find and it just came out. I had to get mine off of Amazon, all the chain stores near me aren't carrying it.

Oh, and downloading demos from the Wii sounds cool too. :p

Matdredalia @ Oct 10th 2007 2:55PM

ZR - I'm willing to bet that people are speculative of anything "new" with the Nancy Drew name due to the onslaught of products that have been put out with the name that are absolutely disgusting. Have you seen the Nancy Drew Barbie-esque dolls they released not too long ago? And yes, the movie was..*shudders*

I'm a big Drew fan from childhood up, and I want to demo the game before I make any decisions either way, but I'm a bit excited. I really hope it does her justice.

As for the Wii's becoming download stations....it's just too bad they won't put things like the download-only Chocobo Tales cards that, oh....America never got at ANY of our download stations >.>

Personally, I'd be much happier if they'd put more than just demo's on the Wii. Not all of us live near big cities, and it'd help out a lot.

NeoteriX @ Oct 10th 2007 3:20PM

@ Micah:

I too didn't want to give up WPA2 security on my wifi network, so I cracked and bought the $35 wifi USB adapter. It's unfortunate I had to shell out for it, but on the upside, my network is as secure as I'd like it to be.

Abscissa @ Oct 10th 2007 4:07PM

Wake me when they allow DS demos from an internet-connected PC with a WiFi card. Or hell, from the actual DS itself - it's connected to the net these days too. (That is, unless your network actually uses non-useless encryption like WPA)

Archibold @ Oct 10th 2007 3:56PM

This is really exciting news for me! I never downloaded anything from download stations. The few times I've seen them, I didn't have my DS on me. And I never took the initiative to actually go back to those places later just to try them out. So yeah, I'm eager for this.

Abscissa @ Oct 10th 2007 4:24PM

@#3: WPA is not a hardware thing unless they're handling communication protocols in hardwired logic gates, which is unlikely. That sort of stuff is all handled in microcontrollers these days. And in the DS's case, possibly even on the ARM7 (Which would help explain why official developers supposedly aren't allowed to use the ARM7 directly.)

@#7: I've thought about getting one of those, but I wasn't sure if it was possible to use those to access other things on the network besides just normal DS connectivity (through either a WiFi PC, or a homebrew DS app). Do you know that it's definitely not possible?

Now that I think of it, didn't Nintendo say a year ago that the Wii was supposed to be able to act as a wireless access point for the DS? Doesn't seem to work for me though.

iofthestorm @ Oct 10th 2007 9:07PM

Yeah, if they allowed the Wii to act as an access point for the DS I could finally use WPA. I'd been using it for a while until I got my DS, then I had to tone it down to WEP which sucks. If they enable the Wii as a wifi-sharing device for DSs, that would get around the WPA problem because if they Wii has WPA, it only makes sense for them to let you actually use WPA on your router.

NeoteriX @ Oct 10th 2007 9:09PM

The Wifi USB Connector will *ONLY* work with a DS, and will only work on DS's authorized by you.

The USB connector's software only communicates with DS's and you first must accept the DS's connection on the host PC that the USB connector is plugged into.

JKAntwon @ Oct 10th 2007 10:37PM

This is awesome! Not that I mind looking like an uber Geek at walmart playing my DS (I'm 25) but my wife nags me a lot about it, so now I never need to leave the house! lol

Geek to the core!
Check out my online comic: Today's is about Hotel Dusk room 215
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