Tendo City

News Article: Nintendo Seeks Internet Connection Data
News Date: 08/10/2005
Link: http://www.nintendo.com/user_survey/wifi.jsp

If you participate in the test, you'll get a neat little bonus from Nintendo.

Nintendo has been pretty quiet about how their upcoming Nintendo Wi-fi Connection service will work. Aside from reports about a special PC USB adaptor to make the transition to wireless, not much else is known about it. While Nintendo hasn't announced anything new about the service, they are asking for the public's help to make sure it hits the airwaves in tip-top shape.

The Nintendo of America website has a new page up that asks registered My Nintendo members to participate in a Internet connection survey and test. The test requires that participants download and run a small program, answer a few questions about the type of Internet access and router setup the user has, and then wait for about 10 minutes as the application runs some tests in the background. Once completed, the program displays the data collected and asks you to submit the info, which appears to go directly to Nintendo in Japan.

The program isn't just for analyzing a computer's setup, though. As a special present for participating in the test, you'll score a sweet Animal Crossing desktop clock. It looks just like the clock and calendar combo always displayed on the screen while playing Animal Crossing!

If you want to help Nintendo make sure their wireless DS network is ready to go, make sure you're registered at Nintendo.com, then hit this page and score your nifty Animal Crossing clock.

I uh... I tend to prefer my system using the least amount of resources required for any given task, including dead time. It's why my computer isn't home to several thousand apps sitting in the background. The Animal Crossing clock is cute and all, but I think I'll just be uninstalling that. However, I think it's important Nintendo has a good idea what setups they can expect, so hey let's all fill out the survey.

...You may want to put all those haxored romz some of you say you have on some external drive before you run that thing... :D

ABF: I *LAWSUIT... 'D*

Well, I will say this. I don't have a wireless card on my computer. As of yet, there has been no need. I just jack into my router which jacks into my cable modem. The router itself is wireless. That does allow anyone within range to just use my network (I never bothered password protecting it, no malicious hackers within 30 meters of the thing, at least that I know of). However, it does not allow my computer to directly access the wireless functions of my router to directly access anything that isn't looking FOR my computer or allowing it access. That basically describes only my DS, which is only designed to look for other DS systems unless a game says otherwise. So, I can't browse files on my DS like one can on a PSP, that is unless a game lets me do that. I only bring this up because the DS does not have a built in way to look for firmware updates online. So, the very first firmware update (the one that adds that feature basically :D), would need to basically "trick" the DS, and that'll only work if I have a specific wireless card in my PC. So, the only way to get a nice firmware update going is for ALL games with that lovely wireless online play thing to go ahead and just update the firmware to support that themselves. That way, no need for too specific a hardware setup.

I think that should do the trick, since, well, the only reason you would want to be getting some firmware updates would be after you are using that DS online anyway, and if they all give that first update that allows you to search for more from the DS main menu, then that's handled.

Quote:...You may want to put all those haxored romz some of you say you have on some external drive before you run that thing...

ABF: I *LAWSUIT... 'D*

I got rid of them all last summer. :)

I did it but I didn't install the clock. I love it when giant corporations ask for support from the community in making major decisions or implementing grand scale ideas. It makes me feel fuzzy.

I still have some roms, but I don't play them much anymore.

How can they be done collecting information? They don't have my information! It's like beating Metroid Prime with 99% and saying you're done!