Nintendo & McDonalds Providing WiFi

redemtionboy writes "According to IGN, "Nintendo of America on Tuesday will announce a groundbreaking partnership with Wi-Fi provider Wayport to make available free Internet access to DS owners at McDonald's restaurants across the nation." " There are so many potential jokes here that I'm gonna just leave it to you guys to make your own.

If...

[jamesgamble]

...it's free for DS owners, how long will they limit it from people using laptops or other WiFi enabled devices?

802.11x compatible?

[zalas]

I'm a bit fuzzy with the DS specs, but if Nintendo is going to provide free WiFi and the WiFi follows one of the 802.11 standards, how do they keep people without Nintendo DSes from accessing it with a laptop? Will the DS have some sort of special software-based key?

Wow

[Dekortage]

Won't the DS get all greasy and slippery when you try to each french fries while playing? I like the "Official photo of a DS gamer enjoying online play at McDonald's" -- all he has is a drink, and he appears to be holding the DS as if he's watching a movie.

Does this mean kiddies are going to get free games in their Happy Meals? Just what we need: more crappy DS games.

And, from the article: "Beginning with free access at participating McDonald's, we have removed one of the major barriers that have kept people from going online to play games." Yeah, that's what I was waiting for: intense gaming at a crummy fast food joint. Thank God for McDonald's!

This won't last

[troll]

It'll be good in the short run, but when the table turnaround (profit/table) drops because someone is occupying that space 'playing games' and a (new) paying customer has no place to sit, McDonald's may just decide to 're-evaluate' their position.

wait wait wait

[tomstdenis]

pushing crappy food and inactivity all at once? What a combo!

What they need to sponsor are DDR competitions. Get enough people dancing and bopping, and bipping and hopping and they'll get in shape soon enough.

Tom

It's bad enough taking children to McDonald's...

[IronChefMorimoto]

...for exercise on the playground AFTER a greasy Happy Meal. Now we're just taking out the exercise and letting the kids wallow with their WiFi and Nintendos after their Happy Meals. Nice...

IronChefMorimoto

Perfect way to find other players

[Alcimedes]

This would be pretty good a providing a pool of other players in about the same age group etc. for kids to play with. The only thing that bothers me is that rather than going to eat shitty food then running around in the play area, these little tubs of soon to be lard will be eating shit then sitting on their asses playing video games.

Knowing the average parent today, as long as little Timmy shuts up, that will work just fine.

Re:This won't last

[terraformer]

In most non urban (ie; suburban) areas (where all the little rug rats tend to inhabit), I bet the drive through is used far more regularly and the tables go mostly unoccupied. This will likely not hurt those areas as much say starbucks gets hit with the wifi.

Re:802.11x compatible?

[wossName]

While the words "internet access" appear in the article, and in that order, there is no indication that you will be able to access the Internet through these hotspots. Think about it, why should Nintendo give you free Internet access (and risk all the legal trouble that comes with it) when the DS doesn't even have a web browser ?

Yes the DS is already capable of ad-hoc connections, but these hotspots enable people across the country to play each other. And I'm guessing that's all they are for, as long as Nintendo doesn't say otherwise.

Re:Wow

[vrai]

I can't comprehend why anyone would want to spend more time than in a McDonald's than is required to purchase some food. The restaurants are smelly, thick with grease (even the air is greasy) and decked out in the cheapest plastic available.

I am pretty much forced to go to McDonald's once a month (it's the only place open late in London's financial district that does take-outs). The food is better than going hungry (just) but I'd rather starve than actually eat in the "restaurant". I certainly wouldn't spend long enough there to play Mario Kart without a HazMat suit on.

Pretty much every comment...

[UnixRevolution]

Can be put into 4 categories.

1. Arrr, MacDownaldz is teh suck and ewww! Who'd go there just for wifi?

2. How will they keep laptops from connecting?

3. They're gonna make people fat!!!

4. Kids will get fat playing DS and eating Bigmacs

Let me adress these.

1. McDonalds, although i know a lot of people don't like it, is wildly successful and profitable, and there are a ton of people who go there anyway.

2. From what i read, DS's don't have TCP/IP, so there won't be any TCP/IP for laptops to connect to the internet with. they'll have to translate back and forth between ni-fi and TCP.

3. People make THEMSELVES fat. People think for themselves and make their own decisions. You can choose to have the Big Mac, you can also choose to have the McSalad.

4. Parents are responsible for the eating and play habits of their children, not Nintendo and not McDonalds.

That is all.

Re:A Joke

[mwilliamson]

WiMax nodes at every McD's probably would cover about 10% of the earth! ;-)

Many McDonald's have WiFi

[Anonymous Coward]

Many US McDonald's have WiFi. If you go to McDonalds.com the store locator will tell you if the store does or not. It may not be in the stores that you expect, tho - for example, many interstate restaurants may have it to appeal to truckers.

I believe you can get it free for an hour or two with the purchase of a value meal, or you can buy it. They give you a scratch-off card with a passcode.

This sounds like a partnership to make it free for DS users.