Nintendo rolls out Wi-Fi Connection hotspots across the UK

Nintendo has announced the roll out of more than 600 BT Openzone hotspots in retail stores across the UK and Ireland, giving DS owners free access to the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection service.

More than 500 of the Wi-Fi enabled stores, which include branches of GAME, Gamestation, HMV and Toys R Us, will also feature Download Stations, where Nintendo DS owners can try out playable game demos.

At roll out, single level demos will be available for Polarium and Meteos, and gamers will also be able to download Shigeru Miyamoto's nintendog. April and May will see the arrival of demos for games such as Pokémon Link, Trauma Centre: Under the Knife and Dr Kawashima's Brain Training: How Old Is Your Brain?, plus additional content for Animal Crossing: Wild World and a Metroid Prime: Hunters trailer.

To access the online service via the retail hotspots, DS owners must visit a store with a Wi-Fi enabled game inserted into their unit and select the Wi-Fi Connection option. To download game demos, they must choose 'DS Download Play' on the system menu; demos will remain playable for as long as the DS is switched on.

The roll out begins today, and Nintendo predicts that Wi-Fi hotspots in a total of 607 stores will be up and running by the summer. There are already 7500 Nintendo Wi-Fi hotspots across the UK as a result of Nintendo's partnerships with providers such as BT Openzone.

"Nintendo has revolutionised Wi-Fi video gaming, removing all of the negative aspects whilst retaining the fun and diversity it offers and now anyone can join in with the one million other people across the globe currently enjoying our service," said Nintendo UK's general manager, David Yarnton.

"The Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection service truly offers the mass market a great opportunity to fully embrace Wi-Fi."

Chris Bruce of BT Wireless Broadband added: "The Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection service is already proving extremely popular with users across the world. From our point-of-view, it's a strong proof-point that Wi-Fi is becoming mainstream."

"We'll really see Wi-Fi coming of age this year and this agreement is taking BT Openzone even further into the high street and retail parks by giving gamers access to Wi-Fi in an easy and accessible format at the point-of-purchase."