Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection marks the company's entry into the online arena. The service is dramatically different from competitors because it is entirely free to consumers who already have wireless Internet access at home, as opposed to Xbox Live, which functions on a subscription model. Nintendo expects to release a variety of DS games this year that will make use of the Wi-Fi Connection, including Mario Kart DS, Tony Hawk's American SK8Land, Animal Crossing: Wild World and Metroid Prime Hunters.
 
The Wayport deal will make playing DS games online at McDonald's a relative breeze, according to Nintendo. When users want to play an online DS game at a Wayport-equipped McDonald's, they simply launch the title in Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection mode and they're good to go. There is no further setup required and no fees whatsoever.

Nintendo will release more detailed information about participating McDonald's locations at www.NintendoWiFi.com.

"This agreement with Wayport will bring countless people together to play games in a single, simultaneous wireless community," says Reggie Fils-Aime, Nintendo of America's executive vice president of sales and marketing. "Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection is simple to use. 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."
 
"By enabling Nintendo DS customers to access Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection via our Wi-Fi World network and business model at McDonald's, we are continuing to drive more customers to the restaurants we serve and increase the relevancy of Wi-Fi to a broader customer base," says Dave Vucina, CEO of Wayport. "Nintendo is a pioneer in providing a new way for their customers to play the games they want to while away from home or the office, and McDonald's is the perfect venue based on their ubiquity and accessibility."

Perhaps just as interesting to fans of the Big N is the first official confirmation from the company that its forthcoming console will also utilize the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection. "Nintendo DS is just the first Nintendo system to connect via Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection," the company stated in an official press release. "The same service will be incorporated into Nintendo's next-generation home video game console, code-named Revolution, which is set for release in 2006."

Stay tuned for much more on the news as it breaks.

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