Nintendo to discontinue Wii and DS WiFi services

Victor Barreiro Jr.

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Nintendo will shut down most online services for the Wii, DS, and DSi line of game machines beginning May 20

GOING OFFLINE. The Wii and DS will get most of its online functionality turned off by May 20. Background photos from Evan-Amos on Wikipedia

MANILA, Philippines – Nintendo will be phasing out online functionality from its older machines.

Owners of Nintendo’s Wii gaming console or Nintendo DS and DSi handheld devices will be unable to use certain online services on those devices beginning May 20.

Nintendo formally announced the news on February 26, saying online functionality for all DS, DSi, and Wii games would be discontinued on May 20.

The shutdown of online functionality will disable a number of online-reliant services for a host of games.

The list of disabled services includes the following:

  • Online play and matchmaking
  • Leaderboards and tournament data
  • Sharing of user generated content (ghost data, user created levels)
  • User exchange of in-game items or characters (Global Trade Station)
  • Free add-on content or downloads (new levels, in-game items, Mystery Gifts)

According to a related Nintendo information page, the shutdown will also affect the Wii U’s Wii mode, as well as any DS games played on a Nintendo 3DS system. Users trying to acquire Mystery Gifts for older Pokemon games, for example, will be unable to acquire them past May 20, regardless of whether they use a DS, DSi or a 3DS unit to play the game.

Access to the Nintendo Wii Shop channel, the Nintendo DS shop, and video-on-demand services will stay online past May 20.

Nintendo has been struggling recently following lackluster sales of its current-generation gaming console, the Wii U. (READ: Nintendo shares fall as hard-hit firm sticks with consoles)

Nintendo president Satoru Iwata also said he would slash his salary following a January announcement that the company was poised for a 30% dive in 9-month profits. – Rappler.com

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Victor Barreiro Jr.

Victor Barreiro Jr is part of Rappler's Central Desk. An avid patron of role-playing games and science fiction and fantasy shows, he also yearns to do good in the world, and hopes his work with Rappler helps to increase the good that's out there.