Representatives at Nintendo’s Japanese press conference have revealed additional details about the functionality of the Nintendo DS portable console, and how they intend to take advantage of it in the marketplace.
Prime amongst these is the previously discussed concept of 'Game Sharing', which will see downloadable content being made available to users wirelessly via the 802.11b capabilities of the DS handheld. This will be used both to distribute demonstrations of forthcoming games, and to ensure that multiple consumers can take part in a multiplayer game, even if just one of them owns a copy of that particular title.
More specifically, the technology will also be used to allow free content for the Nintendo DS during Nintendo-related movies in Japan, with theaters set up so that future Pokémon films will be screened alongside wireless transmitters giving away free Pokémon-related content to owners of existing Game Boy Advance titles (which are backwards compatible with the DS hardware).
With further game announcements rumored for the near future; including new
Pokémon titles in addition to
Pokémon Dash, a
Sonic the Hedgehog title, a new
The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords game, and a number of other previously unknown titles, Nintendo seem to have put an unusual amount of effort into their Nintendo DS announcements – which, if successful, could see the company shaking of the kind of criticism of poor marketing and game release strategy that has dogged previous consoles.
