How does this DS PictoChat work?

[norkusa]

I just picked up my DS today and am intrigued about this PictoChat feature. it's basically just wireless communication with other DS users, right? What's the range for it? Do I basically have to be in the same room as another DS user to use it?

[stuffedmonkey]

That is what I hear. I think it's aimed at school kids - to be able to chat in class...

[Raccoon Lad]

someone was using it at work (game development company (you're jealous, admit it))

The range is about 100 feet, and it's basically AIM with doodles.

[petewhitley]

That is what I hear. I think it's aimed at school kids - to be able to chat in class...

Seriously. I can't see it having any practical usefullness for anyone over the age of 18 at best.

[evilmess]

If you travel and you own a DS you might find opportunity to start up a game or chat with another DS user who is in your vacinity. Example: At an airport or train station. I would imagine the malls will be ripe for teenage and 20something DS users to play and chat also.

Most of "us" will probably need a buddy, wife, sig. other, child, etc... with a DS to really dig into the wireless gameplay function. But give the DS some time to integrate itself into the culture and see what happens. Maybe we'll start to see DS lan parties or DS users at cafes drinking lattes and playing games.

The possibilities exist but how the US owners use it remains to be seen.

[zmweasel]

That is what I hear. I think it's aimed at school kids - to be able to chat in class...

Seriously. I can't see it having any practical usefullness for anyone over the age of 18 at best.

Indeed. Nintendo's own DS promotional video at its infamous E3 2004 press conference/fanboy revival showed a teenage boy and girl PictoChatting each other.

Admittedly, it was lots of fun to PictoChat with Nintendo's sizzling-hot booth babes.

-- Z.

[norkusa]

That is what I hear. I think it's aimed at school kids - to be able to chat in class...

Seriously. I can't see it having any practical usefullness for anyone over the age of 18 at best.

I really don't see the point of PictoChat either. If I gotta be within 100 ft. of another DS user in order to communicate with them, I might as well just tap them on the shoulder and speak to them directly instead.

[Jive3D]

The neat thing is that the DS does indeed have relay capabilities. I've been reading in some other forums about people doing DS tests in malls and while two DS units could not see each other at 200 feet apart, when a 3rd DS was inserted into the middle of them, the original two could then "see" each other.

The warp pipe team (the cube tunneling online project) is working on something called DemaSked. It's cryptic at best, but its got something to do with creating an online DS community with the DS relay capabilities. It's very intriguing, but hardly any news is available yet - according to the N-Sider forums, it's been delayed until 2005.

I want to use pictochat, but have not had any DS units in my area at all yet. The system was released only 2 days ago though. So let's give the sucker some time, collect all 150 stars in the mean time.

[Lone_Monster]

Lucky for me, two of my friends have the DS. Although I have not measured how far you have to be, one of my friends and I used Pictochat, played Metroid Prime: Hunters, and Super Mario 64 DS, in the car. From what I've heard, the range is 100 feet, so I'd imagine that's what it is.

[downfall]

Again, on Nintendo's website and virtually all their DS promotional material, they speak of the ability for the DS system to connect at a "hotspot" to a LAN - allowing people from all over the world to connect and play against each other.

Obviously this technology isn't exactly in use yet (or if it is, nobody knows how to use it), but when it is, I can see things like Pictochat actually taking off.

I would assume that they'll launch this "network" when a big name multiplayer game is released - that would make the most sense for them. Sure, I guess you could do it with Mario 64 or one of the other few launch titles, but if they do launch this "network" with a big name multiplayer title, then I'm sure it would spark sales of that title, and get people talking, especially if it costs nothing.