As the battle of the handheld gaming systems hots up, one of the emerging must-haves is proving to be the capability of Wi-Fi gaming. As the term implies, Wi-Fi gaming involves playing games via a Wi-Fi internet connection to other players. The two most popular handheld gaming consoles, the PlayStation Portable (PSP) and the Nintendo DS, both allow Wi-Fi gaming, across the PlayStation Network and the Nintendo Wi-Fi Network, respectively.

Wi-Fi gaming allows users to compete against others connected to the internet nearby or even on the other side of the world. Even if you don’t have friends who have an interest in gaming, with 53 million Nintendo DS consoles and 25 million PSP consoles sold worldwide, it is unlikely that there won’t be anyone to play against, regardless of your preferred gaming genre.

Wi-Fi networks are accessible within the transmitting range of a wireless access point, or hotspot. In the US, the city of Albuquerque, New Mexico, has gone as far as to offer free Wi-Fi access to all of its residents. In the UK, Norwich is pioneering a free city-wide Wi-Fi project, employing 200 antennas to cover the city centre and three sectors of the city. Similar projects are being planned for other major UK cities, such as Manchester, London and Birmingham. For those not lucky enough to live in a city with a comparable scheme there are several free Wi-Fi connections in cafés, pubs and public places such as airports, and Nintendo have even struck a deal with McDonald’s in order to provide designated Wi-Fi access for the Nintendo Wi-Fi Network. In the UK there are currently 7500 branches offering this facility.

For those who prefer gaming at home, in addition to the handheld consoles, the latest-generation home consoles, that is, the Nintendo Wii, the PlayStation 3 and the Xbox 360 can all access the internet for gaming via Wi-Fi connections, although the Xbox 360 will require the optional USB Xbox 360 Wireless Networking Adapter to go wireless.

The range of games available for the handheld consoles for online play should be wide enough to suit anyone’s tastes. There’s role playing games such as Final Fantasy III and Zelda: The Phantom Hourglass, first-person shooters like Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six: Vegas, racing games such as Mario Kart DS and sports games, including FIFA 08 to name but a few. The opportunities are literally endless, and with the market for online gaming set to increase from $5.9bn in 2007 to $13bn by 2012 according to research by the DFC Intelligence Group, that is unlikely to change anytime soon.

So with an almost limitless amount of places to play the games, people to play with and game genres, gamers are simply spoilt for choice by the current wave of Wi-Fi gaming.

Andrew Regan is an online, freelance author from Scotland. He is a keen rugby player and enjoys travelling.

Article Source:

http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Andrew_Regan

As the battle of the handheld gaming systems hots up, one of the emerging must-haves is proving to be the capability of Wi-Fi gaming. As the term implies, Wi-Fi gaming involves playing games via a Wi-Fi internet connection to other players. The two most popular handheld gaming consoles, the PlayStation Portable (PSP) and the Nintendo DS, both allow Wi-Fi gaming, across the PlayStation Network and the Nintendo Wi-Fi Network, respectively.

Wi-Fi gaming allows users to compete against others connected to the internet nearby or even on the other side of the world. Even if you don’t have friends who have an interest in gaming, with 53 million Nintendo DS consoles and 25 million PSP consoles sold worldwide, it is unlikely that there won’t be anyone to play against, regardless of your preferred gaming genre.

Wi-Fi networks are accessible within the transmitting range of a wireless access point, or hotspot. In the US, the city of Albuquerque, New Mexico, has gone as far as to offer free Wi-Fi access to all of its residents. In the UK, Norwich is pioneering a free city-wide Wi-Fi project, employing 200 antennas to cover the city centre and three sectors of the city. Similar projects are being planned for other major UK cities, such as Manchester, London and Birmingham. For those not lucky enough to live in a city with a comparable scheme there are several free Wi-Fi connections in cafés, pubs and public places such as airports, and Nintendo have even struck a deal with McDonald’s in order to provide designated Wi-Fi access for the Nintendo Wi-Fi Network. In the UK there are currently 7500 branches offering this facility.

For those who prefer gaming at home, in addition to the handheld consoles, the latest-generation home consoles, that is, the Nintendo Wii, the PlayStation 3 and the Xbox 360 can all access the internet for gaming via Wi-Fi connections, although the Xbox 360 will require the optional USB Xbox 360 Wireless Networking Adapter to go wireless.

The range of games available for the handheld consoles for online play should be wide enough to suit anyone’s tastes. There’s role playing games such as Final Fantasy III and Zelda: The Phantom Hourglass, first-person shooters like Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six: Vegas, racing games such as Mario Kart DS and sports games, including FIFA 08 to name but a few. The opportunities are literally endless, and with the market for online gaming set to increase from $5.9bn in 2007 to $13bn by 2012 according to research by the DFC Intelligence Group, that is unlikely to change anytime soon.

So with an almost limitless amount of places to play the games, people to play with and game genres, gamers are simply spoilt for choice by the current wave of Wi-Fi gaming.

Andrew Regan is an online, freelance author from Scotland. He is a keen rugby player and enjoys travelling.

Article Source:

http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Andrew_Regan

Ok so 3 more posts today that I’ve dug up – I’m an information JUNKIE on this stuff lately. Give em a browse and let me know what ya reckon. They’re just from a few different sites I’ve been surfing lately that are generally good for information like this…

Mario Kart DS (Nintendo DS): Amazon.co.uk: PC & Video Games

The Nintendo DS's double screens are put to perfect use in Mario Kart DS, moving certain features, such as the map onto the bottom screen, clearing the top solely for the fast paced action. Mario Kart DS also allows players to see what …

DS Ninja » Blog Archive » Mario Kart DS

Mario Kart DS offers something different compared to your Gran Turismos and Project Gothams. It features playful gameplay and easy-to-learn controls. It also helps me relax after a long day of handing out Ninja beatings. …

Mario Kart DS or Wii? – Be Tween Talk Kids Forum

For me, I pick Mario kart DS. the wii one is much too confusing.

Hope you enjoy the read as much as I did and please if you have something to say, use the comments form below to let everyone know your thoughts.

Have a great day!

I am wanting to take my Nintendo DS Lite and a few games into EB Games to get a store credit or some money back. How much money do you think I could potentially come up with?

Here's a list of my DS Games:

- Mario Party DS
- The Simpsons Game
- Legend of Zelda: Phantom Hourglass
- Spiderman 2
- New Super Mario Bros.
- Mario Kart DS
- Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare
- Assassin's Creed
- Super Mario DS
- Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader?
- Guitar Hero On Tour(Game and Attachment)

A Free Nintendo Wii with Rock Band, Click Here For Details