 | Parts of this article (those related to SpotPass being shut down in April 2024) need to be updated.(May 2024) |
SpotPass [a] and StreetPass [b] were communication systems first introduced in the Nintendo 3DS; SpotPass was later incorporated into the Wii U game console. SpotPass delivered content from the Internet to the consoles, while StreetPass uses local Wi-Fi functionality to exchange data between 3DS systems.
| Developer | Nintendo |
|---|---|
| Type | Online service |
| Launch date |
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| Discontinued | April 8, 2024 [c] |
| Platform(s) |
SpotPass was a Nintendo 3DS and Wii U "always on" online background connectivity system, similarly to how predecessor WiiConnect24 originally functioned with Wii, which could automatically seek and connect to wireless network nodes such as Wi-Fi hotspots, sending and downloading information in the background while in sleep mode or while playing a game or running an application. It could be customized to fit the user's preferences, including opting out of it altogether for selected software. [1] One application was being considered to use this functionality to "automatically acquire magazine and newspaper articles", similar to networked e-book reader applications. [2]
On October 4, 2023, Nintendo announced the SpotPass service would be discontinued by April 2024. This was later revealed to be April 8, 2024, at 5 pm PDT (00:00 UTC on April 9, 2024). [3]
Full WiFi connectivity requires the Nintendo 3DS to be properly connected to a Wi-Fi connection via its settings, but SpotPass can be obtained automatically and passively. When new data is received from SpotPass and the system is in sleep mode, the notification LED of the system will turn blue and will remain blue until the system is taken out of sleep mode. When SpotPass data is received while the system is not in sleep mode, the notification LED will blink blue a few times before returning to being off. During the 2011 Game Developers Conference, Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aimé announced a partnership with AT&T to provide access to AT&T hotspots via the Nintendo 3DS. Users can connect to these hotspots automatically and free of charge. [4] SpotPass also makes uses of certified hotspots to access an application called Nintendo Zone. In the Nintendo Zone application, users can view game trailers, game screenshots, and information about current and upcoming Nintendo 3DS titles. After leaving the hotspot, although the app remains on their Nintendo 3DS system, the player becomes unable to access it.
Similar to Nintendo 3DS's more distinctly mobile SpotPass functionality, the SpotPass feature on Wii U allowed the system to automatically download available content via the Internet in the background, while the system is in use or in sleep mode. When the system is transmitting while in sleep mode, the system light will turn orange. Content that can be downloaded via SpotPass includes full game and application downloads, firmware updates, patches, and specific in-game content. Content currently being downloaded can be viewed in the Download Manager, accessed via the Wii U's Home Menu.
| Developer | Nintendo |
|---|---|
| Type | Passive communication |
| Launch date | February 26, 2011 |
| Discontinued | April 8, 2024 [d] |
| Platform(s) | Nintendo 3DS family |
StreetPass was a Nintendo 3DS functionality which allows passive communication between Nintendo 3DS systems held by users in close proximity, an example being the sharing of Mii avatars in the StreetPass Mii Plaza application, and other game data. Similar to SpotPass in the Nintendo 3DS, when new data is received from StreetPass and the system is in sleep mode, the notification LED of the system will turn green and will remain green until the system is taken out of sleep mode; when StreetPass data is received while the system is not in sleep mode, the notification LED will blink green a few times before returning to being off.
StreetPass allows users to exchange software content from select games played on their system, regardless of what software is currently in the console. StreetPass functionality must be activated for each piece of compatible software and can be disabled by parental controls. Currently shared content is stored in one of twelve "data slots" in the console. Using this data slot, Nintendo 3DS users can readily share and exchange content for multiple games at the same time, whenever they are connected. [5] Using the console's background connectivity, a Nintendo 3DS in Sleep Mode can automatically discover other Nintendo 3DS systems within range, establish a connection, and exchange content for mutually played games, all transparently and without requiring any user input. For example, in Rhythm Heaven Megamix , if the user passes by someone with the same software, they will take on a figure-fighting duel challenge. Each game can only hold a certain number of StreetPass exchanges, requiring the player to check their game software before additional exchanges can be made (for example, StreetPass Mii Plaza can only hold ten visitors at a time). [6]
Trademarks suggested that this functionality would be named "CrossPass", [7] but on September 29, 2010, during the Nintendo World conference, the name of the Tag Mode service was confirmed to be StreetPass. [8]
StreetPass Mii Plaza is a built-in application included with every Nintendo 3DS family device and the primary application for StreetPass interactivity. Here, players can set up their Mii to appear on other 3DS devices that it encounters via StreetPass. Up to ten Miis can be brought into the plaza at a time and taken into various mini-games. Two mini-games, Puzzle Swap (all regions) and Find Mii (US)/ StreetPass Quest (EUR), are included as standard, whilst eleven additional games; Mii Force / StreetPass Squad, Flower Town / StreetPass Garden, Warrior's Way / StreetPass Battle, Monster Manor / StreetPass Mansion, Ultimate Angler, Battleground Z, Slot Car Rivals, Market Crashers (US)/StreetPass Trader (EUR), Feed Mii (US)/StreetPass Chef (EUR), Ninja Launcher, and Mii Trek can be purchased separately. All games allow players to use Play Coins in place of StreetPass to get Miis to play the games. In most games, the Play Coin "Miis" are cats or dogs who simply have the body of a Mii, and can have any colour, gender or body type as a normal Mii.
StreetPass Relay was announced during an analyst briefing at E3 2013, where Nintendo announced that it was creating thousands of new StreetPass Relay stations across the United States and Europe. Nintendo planned to turn over 29,000 Wi-Fi access points into relays in the US, while Europe would see approximately 30,000. With this network, Nintendo aimed to vastly improve the functionality of the 3DS and enable players to find more Miis in their StreetPass Mii Plaza. [9] It was powered by Hbase, Puppet, fluentd, and Amazon Web Services cloud technologies. [10]
StreetPass Relay points were located at Nintendo Zones all across the country. When a Nintendo 3DS user got near a StreetPass Relay point, it automatically forwarded his or her StreetPass data to Nintendo's servers which stored it temporarily to pass it on to the next Nintendo 3DS user to pass by the same relay point. The Nintendo servers kept track of each relay point by the MAC address of the node. StreetPass Relay points supported StreetPass data for various games each time a Nintendo 3DS user passes by. This meant the user could get StreetPass data for several games at once.
On March 28, 2018, StreetPass Relays worldwide were shut down, with the exception of the Nintendo store in New York City and Best Buy locations in Canada.
The Nintendo DS is a 32-bit foldable handheld game console produced by Nintendo, released globally across 2004 and 2005. The DS, an initialism for "Developers' System" or "Dual Screen", introduced distinctive new features to handheld games: two LCD screens working in tandem, a built-in microphone, and support for wireless connectivity. Both screens are encompassed within a clamshell design similar to the Game Boy Advance SP. The Nintendo DS also features the ability for multiple DS consoles to directly interact with each other over Wi-Fi within a short range without the need to connect to an existing wireless network. Alternatively, they could interact online using the now-defunct Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection service. Its main competitor was Sony's PlayStation Portable during the seventh generation of video game consoles.
Homebrew, when applied to video games, refers to software produced by hobbyists for proprietary video game consoles which are not intended to be user-programmable. The official documentation is often only available to licensed developers, and these systems may use storage formats that make distribution difficult, such as ROM cartridges or encrypted CD-ROMs. Many consoles have hardware restrictions to prevent unauthorized development.
Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection was an online multiplayer gaming service run by Nintendo that formerly provided free online play in compatible Nintendo DS and Wii games. The service included the company's Wii Shop Channel and DSi Shop game download services. It also ran features for the Wii and Nintendo DS systems.
The Virtual Console is a defunct line of downloadable retro video games for Nintendo's Wii and Wii U home video game consoles and the Nintendo 3DS family of systems. The Virtual Console lineup consisted of titles originally released on past home and handheld consoles and were run in their original forms through software emulation, therefore remaining mostly unaltered, and could be purchased from the Wii Shop Channel or Nintendo eShop for between 500 and 1200 Wii Points, or using real currency, with prices depending on the system, rarity, and/or demand.
WiiConnect24 is a discontinued feature of Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection for the Wii. It was first announced at Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) in mid-2006 by Nintendo. It enabled the user to remain connected to the Internet while the console was on standby. For example, in Animal Crossing: City Folk, a friend could send messages to another player without the recipient being present in the game at the same time as the sender.
Nintendo Zone was a download service and an extension of the DS Download Station. Users could access content, third-party data, and other services from a hotspot or download station. The service had demos of upcoming and currently available games and may have location-specific content. When the service debuted, users could also connect to the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection and DSi Shop.
The Wii Shop Channel is a discontinued digital distribution service for the Wii video game console. The service allowed users to purchase and play additional software for the Wii, including exclusive games, and games from prior generations of video games. The Wii Shop Channel launched on November 19, 2006, and ceased operations on January 30, 2019.
A Mii is a customizable avatar used on several Nintendo video game consoles and mobile apps. The name Mii is a portmanteau of "Wii" and "me", referring to them typically being avatars of the players. Miis were first introduced on the Wii console in 2006 and later appeared on the DS, 3DS, the Wii U, the Switch, and various apps for smart devices such as Miitomo.
The Wii system software is a discontinued set of updatable firmware versions and a software frontend on the Wii, a home video game console. Updates, which could be downloaded over the Internet or read from a game disc, allowed Nintendo to add additional features and software, as well as to patch security vulnerabilities used by users to load homebrew software. When a new update became available, Nintendo sent a message to the Wii Message Board of Internet-connected systems notifying them of the available update.
The Japanese multinational consumer electronics company Nintendo has developed seven home video game consoles and multiple portable consoles for use with external media, as well as dedicated consoles and other hardware for their consoles. As of September 30, 2021, in addition to Nintendo Switch, Nintendo has sold over 863.07 million hardware units.
The Nintendo DSi system software is a discontinued set of updatable firmware versions, and a software frontend on the Nintendo DSi video game console. Updates, which are downloaded via the system's Internet connection, allow Nintendo to add and remove features and software. All updates also include all changes from previous updates.
The Nintendo 3DS is a foldable handheld game console produced by Nintendo. Announced in March 2010 as the successor to the Nintendo DS, the console was released originally on February 26, 2011 and went through various revisions in its lifetime, produced until 2020. The system features backward compatibility with the Nintendo DS's library of video games. As an eighth-generation console, its primary competitor was Sony's PlayStation Vita.
The Nintendo 3DS system software is an updatable operating system used for the Nintendo 3DS handheld system. The Nintendo Switch system software is believed to have evolved from the Nintendo 3DS operating system.
The Wii U is a home video game console developed by Nintendo as the successor to the Wii. Released in late 2012, it is the first eighth-generation video game console and competed with Microsoft's Xbox One and Sony's PlayStation 4.
The Nintendo eShop is a digital distribution service for the Nintendo Switch, and formerly available via the Nintendo Network for the Wii U and Nintendo 3DS. Launched in June 2011 on the Nintendo 3DS, the Nintendo eShop served as the successor to both the Wii Shop Channel and DSi Shop. It is also a multitasking application, which means it is easily accessible even when a game is already running in the background through the system software. The Nintendo eShop features downloadable games, demos, applications, streaming videos, consumer rating feedback, and other information on upcoming game releases. The service was discontinued globally for the Wii U and Nintendo 3DS in March 2023, continuing only on the Switch.
Swapnote, known as Nintendo Letter Box in PAL regions and Suddenly Exchange Diary in Japan, is a messaging application for the Nintendo 3DS. It was released in December 2011 on the Nintendo eShop. Swapnote was the successor to PictoChat for the Nintendo DS.
Online console gaming involves connecting a console to a network over the Internet for services. Through this connection, it provides users the ability to play games with other users online, in addition to other online services.
StreetPass Mii Plaza is an application which comes pre-loaded on all Nintendo 3DS systems. In the game, players can meet other players' Miis over StreetPass and online through Nintendo Network and interact with them.
The Nintendo Network was an online service formerly ran by Nintendo that provided free online functionalities for the Nintendo 3DS and Wii U systems and their compatible games. Launched in 2012, it was Nintendo's second online service after Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection; the Nintendo Network was not a component of the Nintendo Switch, which uses only the subscription-based Nintendo Switch Online, although Nintendo Network IDs were able to be linked to the Switch via Nintendo Accounts.
The Wii U operating system, also known internally as Cafe OS, is the official firmware version and system software for the Nintendo's Wii U home video game console. Nintendo maintains the Wii U's systemwide features and applications by offering system software updates via the Internet. Updates are optional to each console owner, but may be required in order to retain interoperability with Nintendo's online services. Each update is cumulative, including all changes from previous updates.
In a Nikkei interview Thursday morning, Nintendo CEO Satoru Iwata [...] mentioned one possible application for this feature. "We're thinking about functionality where it will automatically acquire newspaper and magazine articles," said Iwata.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)Wired.com: In 2004, when the first DS was first shown at E3, we saw an exterior form factor that wasn't final. Will the look of the 3DS be changed before its release? Konno: You can take this as the final shape.
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