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3DS StreetPass relay points upgraded, content distribution events planned
Nintendo's 3DS StreetPass relay point functionality will soon be improved, allowing players to access data at Nintendo Zone locations from more 3DS owners at once, Nintendo announced during today's Nintendo Direct presentation. "Starting in a few days," players that pass through Nintendo Zone locations with their 3DS systems in sleep mode will access data from up to six other passers-by instead of the usual one, greatly improving their chances at completing puzzles and other StreetPass games. Additionally, Nintendo noted plans for special StreetPass distribution events for game content in October and November, starting with an Animal Crossing: New Leaf fedora chair on October 1, then a sushi platter on October 15. Other 3DS games receiving bonus content via StreetPass include Mario Kart 7, Kid Icarus: Uprising and Super Mario 3D Land. Relay points were added to the system in an August firmware update, though numerous reports indicated that it didn't function properly in early September. Nintendo's paid StreetPass games made $4 million in one month, so the relay point update seems appropriate enough.
PSA: New 3DS firmware out today, adds StreetPass 'relay' functionality
The latest firmware update for the 3DS is available, bringing new StreetPass functionality along with it. 3DS owners with firmware version 6.2.0-xU or higher will now be able to access StreetPass data from other users that previously passed by Nintendo Zone locations. Nintendo Zone locales now temporarily store one user's StreetPass data for games like Animal Crossing: New Leaf and Monster Hunter 3 Ultimate for a future passer-by to collect, then automatically stash the following person's game data. Nintendo points out that Relay Points will be especially helpful for Mii Plaza games, which have done well for the company.
StreetPass by proxy: Nintendo Zone locations to act as 3DS data relays
Own a Nintendo 3DS? You're probably all too familiar with the frustrations of the device's StreetPass feature -- in the United States, crossing paths with another 3DS in the wild just isn't all that likely. It's one of the disadvantages of living in a less densley populated country, but Nintendo is delivering a hotfix: sometime in the next few weeks Nintendo Zone locations at Best Buy, Starbucks, various AT&T hotspots, malls and other locations will begin saving and relaying 3DS StreetPass data, allowing gamers to interact by proxy. Once a system nabs one of these timeshifted StreetPasses, its own data will be uploaded to the Nintendo Zone hotspot to be shared with the next user, creating a chain of delayed passive interaction. Convoluted? A little, but how else are you going to complete your Puzzle Swap collection?
Nintendo Zone trademarked in North America
Club Nintendo and its assorted freebies may not be the only service Nintendo of America intends to import from Japan. During its megaton-filled Media Summit last week, the big N briefly discussed "Nintendo Zone", a new service that will appear soon at "DS Station" download kiosks in Japanese stores and fast food restaurants.Nintendo Zone will be compatible with both the DS Lite (remember that?) and DSi, will offer demos and one-off content, and looks like it will make the trip to North America, after the above trademark was spotted in the USPTO database. While we're still short of an official confirmation, Siliconera notes that this was registered on October 2nd with Club Nintendo, Sin & Punishment, and Rhythm Heaven.[Via Siliconera]
