Nintendo announces Netflix, AT&T hot spots for 3DS

03.03.2011
During today's Game Developers Conference 2011 keynote speech, Nintendo President Satoru Iwata and Nintendo of America head Reggie Fils-Aime announced new features for the Nintendo 3DS.

Midway through Iwata's lecture, "Video Games Turn 25: A Historical Perspective and Vision for the Future," Fils-Aime took the stage to announce new features for the . The first of these is Netflix streaming service, compatible with Netflix on the Wii. Fils-Aime described a user experience where you could watch part of a movie streaming on your 3DS and then return home to finish watching on your Wii.

In addition to the Netflix announcement, Fils-Aime also announced video services that lets 3DS users watch 3D trailers for upcoming 3D films, like Warner Bros.'s upcoming Green Lantern. The 3DS also gets its own video channel with music videos, comedy programming, and other content "curated" by Nintendo. Fils-Aime acknowledged the possibility that videos could be shot with the Nintendo 3DS, but he didn't announce an official feature.

As a second announcement, Fils-Aime said that when the Nintendo 3DS receives a worldwide firmware update in late May, AT&T will open up over 10,000 Wi-Fi hot spots in coffee shops, airports, and other locations that 3Ds users may access for free to utilize the Spot Pass feature and the eShop download store.

As a final note, Fils-Aime said that this same late May update will enable "many" but not all of the 3DS features he described. He did say that eShop would gain DSiWare Store compatibility and that users could transfer their existing DSiWare games to the 3DS after the update is live.

You can read a liveblog of the entire keynote .