next spring, Nintendo will shut down Online services are behind almost all 3DS and Wii U software, affecting multiplayer and other connected features. According to Nintendo, “This also includes online cooperative play, online rankings, and data distribution.”
News of the closure in early April 2024 comes on the heels of the return of online features for the Wii U versions of Mario Kart 8 And spoonwhich disappeared between March and August while Nintendo was dealing with an “online play vulnerability.”
There’s no set shutdown date yet, and Nintendo’s FAQ also notes that “if an event occurs that would make it difficult to continue online services for the Nintendo 3DS and Wii U software, we may have to discontinue services earlier than planned.” “
SpotPass features will also disappear, but Nintendo says StreetPass links between 3DS family systems will continue to work anywhere you can find someone else with one, even after those servers are gone. This planned shutdown will occur in early April 2024 just over ten years after Nintendo’s Wi-Fi calling service was cut off, ending online services for Nintendo’s Wii and DS titles in 2014.
For example, you will be able to use StreetPass in StreetPass Mii Plaza, pre-installed on Nintendo 3DS family systems, but you will no longer be able to use features that use online connectivity (such as receiving new boards in Puzzle Swap). .
This also puts an end to Nintendo Badge Arcade A game that lets owners decorate their 3DS home menus with tear-off stickers using a virtual crane. TThe FAQ describes what will happen after April He says virtual badge data will only be stored on users’ SD cards afterward, so players may want to back it up or risk losing prizes that could cost real money to obtain.
The 3DS got off to a slow start when it launched in 2010 but eventually moved over 75 million units, with strong sales that continued even after the Switch’s launch before being discontinued in 2020.
If you’re wondering what this suggests for the future of Nintendo’s other online services, Nintendo CEO Shuntaro Furukawa said this summer that Nintendo’s current account system is key to smoothing its transition to a new generation of hardware after the Switch. He pointed out how difficult it is to rebuild relationships with customers every time you launch a new network with previous systems.
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