Miyamoto: DS wireless Internet a possibility

TOKYO--In a recent interview conducted by staff at Earthbound creator Shigesato Itoi’s Web site, Nintendo's Shigeru Miyamoto revealed that it is technically possible for the DS to connect to the Internet using its wireless LAN…as long as a third party develops the appropriate software.

"We added the wireless LAN (IEEE802.11) to the DS mainly for the handhelds to communicate between each other," said Miyamoto. "But if someone releases appropriate software that allows it to connect to wireless LAN access points, it could also be used to connect to the Internet."

Miyamoto was quick to point out that Nintendo itself is not interested in developing the possible Internet capabilities of the DS. The company is focusing on gameplay rather than hardware capabilities and plans to make the machine enjoyable without the need for additional devices or peripherals. “The one thing we don’t want to do is to add this and that and every connection and capability [to the DS]. We want to make the DS enjoyable, by itself, as far as we can."

The full interview can be viewed in Japanese at Shigesato Itoi's Web site.