Japanese wireless carrier NTT DoCoMo is talking with video game console makers over adding 3G network connections to the next generation of handheld consoles or possibly introducing 3D to regular mobiles, according to The Wall Street Journal.
“Videogame makers know that in order for portable game machines to take the next step forward, they need wireless communication,” NTT DoCoMo President Ryuji Yamada told the paper. “We are discussing this with various players.”
The Nintendo DS and Sony PlayStation Portable are both Wi-Fi compatible but neither console has the ability to connect to a 3G network, something that NTT DoCoMo feels would provide better bandwidth for gaming and help these devices add more interactive functions. It would also allow these companies to get quicker updates to their handhelds, whether it is for game content or firmware downloads.
NTT DoCoMo, Japan’s largest wireless carrier by subscribers, is hoping to secure exclusive rights to supplying the 3G subscriptions to future versions of these handhelds in Japan.
Neither Sony nor Nintendo would comment on the possible talks, but Nintendo has said one of the new features for its upcoming 3DS will be improved wireless connectivity, including the ability to link to other devices and give them access to the 3DS for things like grabbing content off of the handheld, even if it’s not in use.
Nintendo President Satoru Iwata said at an analyst briefing in 2009 that he was intrigued by how Amazon built the price of the Kindle’s 3G capability into the content instead of requiring customers to sign up for a monthly fee from a carrier, so the rumors are spinning over Nintendo doing something very similar.