Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection gets over 260,000 daily users

by Blake Snow { Apr 25th 2006 at 5:00AM }

Nintendo's wifi gaming service looks to be doing well according to a Revogaming report. From the article: "Launched last November, the Nintendo WiFi Connection service, which offers free online multiplayer for a host of Nintendo DS games, has amassed over a million unique users in less than four months. The service's no-charge business plan and easy-to-use interface has propelled its' success, which could well surpass Microsoft's own Xbox Live service in its userbase."

The report also details the most popular games on NWC in terms of use, and it seems DS owners prefer picking apples to blasting space pirates. Figures were taken from April 10 through April 23, 2006 and represent average total users per day by percentage.

Animal Crossing: Wild World 116,901 (44.2% of total)
Metroid Prime: Hunters 70,954 (26.8% of total)
Mario Kart DS 59,544 (22.5% of total)
Tetris DS 15,842 (6% of total)
Tony Hawk: American Sk8land 1,159 (0.4% of total)

[via Digg]

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Flying Caveman @ Apr 25th 2006 5:11AM

"and it seems DS owners prefer picking apples to blasting space pirates."

This would be correct if you're talking about the US, otherwise it would be wise to note that Metroid Prime: Hunters is yet to be released in Europe (maybe even Japan).

Tetris was only released a few days ago.

Jay B @ Apr 25th 2006 5:36AM

I have to say thats very impressive. For a service that only launched a couple months ago it appears that it is rapidly gaining a large userbase. However for the Revolution service it still needs some work. I guess we will have to wait until E3 to find out what else is coming.

Sloopydrew @ Apr 25th 2006 5:44AM

I own every wi-fi game, outside of Tony Hawk. Wow, I didn't know I was such a Nintendo geek. My favorite is, hands down, Tetris DS. That four-player mode, with items, is tied with Marble Ultra Blast for the 360 and my two week free subscription to the Playboy Cyber Club as the most fun I've had online all year.

Greg2k @ Apr 25th 2006 5:44AM

More people should play American Sk8land. It has way more online replay value than Mario Kart, even though Mario Kart kicks ass.

jay @ Apr 25th 2006 7:24AM

My current most played to least played online list goes a bit like;

Animal Crossing
Mario Kart
Metroid Hunters
Tony Hawk

I'd like TH to be a little higher up too. It's a really fantastic game, the best TH since the first game for me. I like it.

striderhayasa @ Apr 25th 2006 7:26AM

I agree with Greg2K. I played Tony Hawk online for months. The online features are far more extensive than Mario Kart. It's a shame that more people aren't playing it online. Also, I think the numbers are a bit misleading. I agree with Ins. I never log into Nintendo Wifi went I play online. Most of the time I play at a hotspot close to my job so I'm not late for work. When I play at home I just don't bother. I'm sure there are other people that log on to Nintendo Wifi as well. Of course, that just means there are even more people playing online than the report states which is great for Nintendo.

striderhayasa @ Apr 25th 2006 7:31AM

oh yeah...

my online list looks like this...

Metroid Prime Hunters
Mario Kart
Tony Hawk

It's short I know. I couldn't find time to really get into Animal Crossing because I was playing to much Mario Kart. I bought tetris for my girlfriend and she loves it but I made the mistake of playing Meteos before I was going to buy a copy of Tetris for myself. I had so much more fun playing Meteos that I passed on Tetris. Now if Q can give us a Meteos 2 online...

The1 @ Apr 25th 2006 8:24AM

I just play Mario Kart online and may pick up Metroid.

DCSimian @ Apr 25th 2006 8:43AM

I have Meteos as well, and yeah, an online component would probably make me put down Tetris. The game is sooo addictive. I think I've played that more than any of my other DS games. But, I must admit that, even as a diehard Meteos fan, some of the Tetris modes are really addictive. Push mode is really hectic and I love the puzzle modes, though I suck at both :-p

GlitchCog @ Apr 25th 2006 9:07AM

I thought Mario Kart and Tetris would rank better than Animal Crossing and Metroid.

el nico @ Apr 25th 2006 9:09AM

how does nintendo get the funds to support the infrastructure for this? just curious.

Neko Tsukimi @ Apr 25th 2006 9:11AM

That's kinda amusing that Tetris is so far down on the list 'cos I can find people randomly all the time when I play Tetris. The opposite is true for Mario Kart. And if it were allowable to visit randomers in Animal Crossing, I'm sure I'd always find someone. It's amazing they're doing this much with so few games... As bad as it is sometimes, they're getting better and the only way for them to go is up. I'm looking forward.

loveberry @ Apr 25th 2006 9:17AM

If Tetris DS has so many users, why do I keep getting paired with freakin 'JimmyP' and why does he always kick my ass? Not fair. :P

Sloopydrew @ Apr 25th 2006 9:28AM

And Nintendo Wi-Fi is only going to get better, if the survey Nintendo sent out to registered users is any indication. Click my name, or hope that Joystiq links to the article (but don't hold your breath, as I sent it to them 4 or 5 hours ago).

NZERO @ Apr 25th 2006 9:46AM

Sloopydrew that survey looks like nintendo will start to fix stuff wrong with its service kickass people click sloopydrew's name to look at the survey.

Gonzo @ Apr 25th 2006 12:32PM

I hope they fix everything. I kept getting squelched off line and I know it wasn't because of my router.

I agree with you guys in that Tony Hawk AW is a vastly under-rated DS game especially for it's online function. I always have such a hard time finding someone to play with.

striderhayasa @ Apr 25th 2006 12:58PM

hey, I noticed to that too. In Metroid Prime Hunters I get paired with NS_ players. I was only able to win a match against one of them. The others played with super human skill and I'm not slouch. I just couldn't compete. Are those guys from NST?

Sabre @ Apr 25th 2006 2:50PM

Pretty impressive! I play Tetris DS almost nightly for at least a good hour or 2. I'll have to register on Nintendo's wifi site and poke around a bit.

Sabre @ Apr 25th 2006 3:22PM

"If Tetris DS has so many users, why do I keep getting paired with freakin 'JimmyP' and why does he always kick my ass? Not fair. :P"

Well what time of day do you play? When I play late at night 1-3a on the West Coast, I sometimes get the same person. I'm at around 430 or so wins in Standard mode right now.

duscrom @ Apr 25th 2006 3:28PM

Those numbers don't look right, honestly. How is a game with no random connections have more users Then Mario Kart? That dosen't make logical sense.

I wonder if Nintendo can comment on their internet program without taking shots at Xbox Live. WFC is nothing compared to XBL.

Bob422 @ Apr 25th 2006 4:25PM

What are you talking about duscrom? Nintendo did not take shots at Xbox Livem, nor have they ever. THE ARTICLE on that website with the numbers drew the comparison.

jimbo @ Apr 25th 2006 5:12PM

im desperate to play some mario kart over wifi but have been unable to get online as of yet. does anyone know if its possible to use a centrino laptop connected to a wired network, can be used as a wireless access point to connect the ds to?

Nick @ Apr 25th 2006 5:49PM

Good job Nintendo. They're almost pulling in as many users per day as Halo 2 on XBL.

http://www.bungie.com/stats/

Nick

Sabre @ Apr 25th 2006 5:52PM

You should be able to...you just need the Nintendo USB Wifi adapter.

Oh and you know "Centrino" is just a marketing word right? ;-)

jimbo @ Apr 25th 2006 7:24PM

yeah i actually meant is there a way of me getting my ds online without buying a usb adaptor or wireless router. using my centrino (and by that i mean it has wireless capabilities) laptop to provide a wireless siginal. but it looks like i am destined to play alone. Thanks for help

Sabre @ Apr 25th 2006 8:16PM

There's nothing special about he laptop having the "Centrino" branding on it. All Centrino is is a bundling of certain Intel hardware (P-M CPU, Intel wifi chipset and motherboard chipset (I think?)).

If you don't have a wireless router, then you HAVE TO buy the USB adpater. The adapter is only $30-35 I think so it's not like it's going to break the bank.