With sales of the Nintendo DS way down compared to last year, it’s clear that Nintendo needs the 3DS very badly. However, while the increase in hardware power and 3D screen will no doubt interest some, its online social capabilities might be the most revolutionary additions.
The 3DS will have a capability called StreetPass to connect to other 3DS machines. While the DS has a Tag Mode for sharing data, StreetPass works even if 3DS systems are not to be actively used or even have the same game, opening up wider social interaction possibilities.
One such use was detailed in an app called StreetPass Plaza. During the day, any other 3DS units a user comes across would be recorded and a user would be able to see a screen name, the last game the other 3DS user played, whey they encountered each other and how many times it has happened in the past Nintendo has said that this feature will be able to be disabled.
An issue with this feature is that the 3DS will have no 3G coverage and the use of Wi-Fi hotspots and machine-to-machine connections isn’t as viable in the U.S. and Europe, where the population density is lower and public transportation is less frequently used.
“I don’t think Nintendo gets the opportunities to catch people congregating in large crowds overseas like they do in Japan, said Jay Defibaugh, equities research director at MF Global FXA Securities. The ultimate solution lies in some form of cellphone connectivity for 3DS.
Source: Wall Street Journal
