DS Online in March!

[Crash]

IGN hear rumblings that Nintendo are about to announce their online plans for the DS "VERY VERY SOON."

Please remember these are rumours, but as they say, there is no smoke without fire!

From IGN

I was wondering even though nintendo hasn't said anything about wifi hasn't someone cracked open the ds or searched on a wireless network for a wifi chip or signal?

Justin
Technical savvy Nintendo DS owners have indeed been poking around the DS hardware to see what sort of WiFi capabilities the system has, and in fact, just a few days after the system shipped several people with the necessary equipment noticed that PictoChat was actually sending the DS system's MAC address out wirelessly via 802.11. MAC addresses are, like an IP address, an identifier attached to pretty much any networking equipment, but unlike IP addresses, a MAC address is permanent/hardwired to the hardware. So it's just a matter of time until someone cracks the DS broadcast code and enables games to broadcast over the internet. In the meantime, however, there's been rumblings at Nintendo that indicate that the company will finally unwrap its DS online plans very very soon. As it goes, Nintendo left the keys to the WiFi car in the hands of the third-party developers, but the third-party developers didn't want to drive it without Nintendo making the engine. So, as a result, if we've been hearing things correctly, Nintendo will finally and very, very soon, reveal its own "Xbox Live" like service for developers to adopt. And the first game out of Nintendo to use this service will be one of those massively killer Nintendo brands that people have been wanting to play online for years... -- Craig (IGN)

This ties in with other rumblings that Nintendo sent out networking kits to 3rd parties in August and September.

If this turns out to be true, Nintendo could be in-line to make the 100 or so multi forum users (My Personal opinion) demanding online is the answer to all console problems prayers come true.

Although, one could argue that Pokemon Online battles would make us all drop to our knees and . . . . . . . . . beg(!)

Makes you wonder what the March announcements are all about.

Update

From Computer and Videogames, Official Nintendo Magazine website

EXCLUSIVE: DS ONLINE - IT'S OFFICIAL!

Nintendo lining up online service for DS and possibly paving the way for Xbox Live-style service for Revolution

16:09 Rumours have been doing the rounds since the Nintendo DS became available last year that the handheld would be able to play games online via its wi-fi connection. While tech-heads have been working their digital socks off to crack the problem, Nintendo has remained silent on the possibility of online DS gaming.

Not any more. "The DS does have online capabilities that Nintendo is exploring," a spokesperson for Nintendo confirmed to us today, "but plans for these capabilities have not been announced yet."

With our juices flowing from this tasty - and official - morsel, we pressed our unofficial sources close to the Japanese games giant for more information. We were informed that an online service for DS is definitely on the way, and that you'll be able to download/upload information as well as play games online. In addition, apparently at least two US and Japanese third-party developers have been trialling the DS online, and have even managed to get more than 16 DSs linked wirelessly at one time.

Okay so let the frenzy begin!!

very very soon probably means at the same time or before sony's PSP launch!

the game they are talking about is probably Mario Kart!!!!!!!

[Dyne]

Awesome. If it does go online successfully, I'll be extremely happy.

[Typhoid]

If it goes online successfully, I might consider purchasing it.

But Since I dont want to do it...I would also buy a PSP, just so I can say I have both. And so people dont get all fanboy on my ass.

[Blackmane]

If an online Pokemon game comes out, this will most definetely jump to #1 on my book.

Mario Kart is good too, though.

[Jonbo298]

Nintendo waits til like a few weeks (supposedly as nothing is official yet) before the PSP arrives to go online "officially". Its a gutsy move, IMO but at least Nintendo is considering online for once.

[Jason1]

Awsome...this could be huge.