Unlike the US, the "official" Nintendo DS hotspots in Australia have been a bit...well, shithouse. Confined to a select few retailers, it hasn't exactly encouraged spontaneous meetings of like-minded invididuals. Or organised ones for that matter, they're so few and far between.

No longer! Nintendo have teamed up with Telstra, Australia's major telecommunications provider, and will be offering their wi-fi access, free of charge, wherever Telstra hotspots can be found. And those are everywhere. Practically every McDonalds has one, as do Starbucks, as well as basically the entire CBDs of Sydney and Melbourne.

Good for gaming, of course. But also for browsing - unlike most places in the western world, wi-fi access isn't free in most parts of Australia (including Telstra hotspots), but it will be if you're using your DS. Cunning marketing plot to sell more Opera-for-DS units, or simple serendipity? Probably...both!

If you're up for a press release reading session, there's one after the jump. Luke Plunkett

NINTENDO AND TELSTRA JOIN FORCES TO BRING

FREE WI-FI ACCESS TO NINTENDO DS USERS

There's always someone ready to play - now you can play in hundreds of Telstra wireless hotspot destinations australia-wide

Australia, Melbourne, April 4th 2007 - Nintendo Australia, in conjunction with Telstra, is pleased to announce that Nintendo DS users can now enjoy Wi-Fi service to Nintendo DS at over 1,000 Telstra Wireless Hotspot destinations across Australia. Destinations include McDonald's Restaurants, Starbucks Caf s, airports, hotels and city hotzones throughout Melbourne and Sydney. Through the agreement with Telstra, Nintendo will offer complimentary access to Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection, the wireless gaming service that millions of Nintendo fans around the globe have been connecting to and playing online.

"This agreement with Telstra will bring countless people together to play games in a single, simultaneous wireless community," says Rose Lappin, Director of Sales and Marketing, Nintendo Australia. "Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection is simple to use. Beginning with free access at participating destinations, we have removed one of the major barriers that have kept people from going online to play games."

Telstra's Director of Internet Products, Craig Turner said Nintendo DS users will enjoy seamless connection to Telstra's Wireless Hotspot network.

"This is an Australian first and is all about providing convenience through innovation, ensuring Nintendo DS users are automatically authenticated onto the Telstra Wireless Hotspot network whenever they enter a coverage zone.

"Telstra is delighted to be working with Nintendo as it demonstrates the flexibility of our network and its ability to support the increasing array of Wi-Fi enabled consumer devices. It also introduces a completely new consumer audience to Australia's largest wireless hotspot network that until recently has predominantly attracted corporate users," Mr Turner said.

Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection creates a welcome, inviting community where gamers of all kinds can log on wirelessly and begin playing favorite games like Mario Kart DS, Animal Crossing : Wild World, Metroid Prime Hunters, Starfox Command, Club House Games , Tenchu Dark Secret and Activision's Tony Hawk's Downhill Jam . More new titles will continued to be added to the range of games that can be played via the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection.

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