Of the three major platform holders, have always been the most reluctant to embrace the inevitable importance of gaming to the industry, but finally seem to have succumbed if Satoru Iwata's speech at the GDC is anything to go by. He stated that both the handheld and the forthcoming (2006) Revolution console will be online and WiFi enabled - with the DS first offering internet gaming access via wireless access points - as Nintendo's infrastructure for the service is completed. WiFi will also be used to allow the handheld and the new console to connect together, whilst games taking advantage of the online service are en route.

The Revolution meanwhile will come with online features ready to go, simply awaiting the games to play over the net. About time too. More interestingly still, Nintendo stated that they would not charge for these services once launched, though it seems unlikely to us that all titles for the system will remain subscription free - unless particularly linear in their scope. More on this as we get it.

By Luke Guttridge