Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection
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| Developer | Nintendo |
|---|---|
| Launch date | November 14, 2005 |
| Platform |
Wii Nintendo DS Nintendo DS Lite Nintendo DSi Nintendo DSi XL |
| Status | Discontinued (May 20, 2014) |
| Website | www.nintendowfc.com at the Wayback Machine (archived April 4, 2014) |
Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection (Japanese: ニンテンドーWi-Fiコネクション Hepburn: Nintendō Wi-Fi Konekushon?) (commonly abbreviated WFC) was an online multiplayer gaming service run by Nintendo to provide 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, which still work as of 2017. It also ran features for the Wii and Nintendo DS systems.
Games designed to take advantage of Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection offered Internet play integrated into the game. When promoting this service, Nintendo emphasized the simplicity and speed of starting an online game. For example, in Mario Kart DS, an online game was initiated by selecting the online multiplayer option from the main menu, then choosing whether to play with friends, or to play with other gamers (either in the local region or worldwide) at about the same skill level. After a selection was made, the game started searching for an available player.
On January 26, 2012, it was announced by Nintendo during an investors' meeting that the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection service will be succeeded by and absorbed into Nintendo Network. This new online system will eventually unify the 3DS and Wii U platforms and replace Friend Codes, while providing paid downloadable content, an online community style multiplayer system, and personal accounts. Nintendo Network is fully supported on the Nintendo 3DS and on the Wii U, whilst still continuing providing partial legacy support for both Wii and Nintendo DS under the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection brand. Specifically, the Wii U can boot to Wii mode and then access the Wii Message Board messages which have been recorded by the gameplay progress of compatible local games, but it cannot send Wii Message Board messages remotely between different machines.
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