Nintendo of America today has confirmed a few details about their upcoming free-of-charge Wi-Fi Connection online gaming service.
The service will launch November 14, with the release of Mario Kart DS and Activision's Tony Hawk's American Sk8land. Also inside the launch window is Animal Crossing: Wild World, slated for a December 5 release. Metroid Prime Hunters is in development for the service and is targeted for a release in Q1 2006.
For competitive games, players will be given one of three options for opponent selection. They will be able to play against friends they have previously registered, play against random opponents of similar skill level, or simply play against any random opponent, regardless of skill level.
Games will be able to use Wi-Fi networks already in the home "with minimal setup procedures". The Nintendo Wi-Fi USB Connector will be made available as a separate purchase for users with no existing Wi-Fi network. The device plugs into a computer's USB port and shares its connection with Nintendo DS units.
Nintendo also confirmed that the network would not be made available to dial-up Internet users. The Wi-Fi USB Connector is said to be compatible specifically with a "high-speed Internet connection such as cable or DSL"; notably absent is a mention of support for slower, higher-latency dial-up connections.
Outside the home, users will be able to use one of "thousands" of free Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection hotspots nationwide. More details on these will be made available soon.
Nintendo also reconfirmed that the Nintendo DS is only the first console which will take advantage of the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection; the service will also be featured in Nintendo's next-generation Revolution console, slated for release in 2006.