[There is speculation that the new Nitendo WiiWare service titles will be potentially huge which will require an external hard drive for the Wii or alternatively Nintendo expects users to download individual games every time they need them. Thanks to Lee Doerksen for this pointer -- BSA]
http://www.joystiq.com/2007/11/29/nintendo-promotes-fiber-optic-internet-in-japan/
Nintendo is anticipating that its WiiWare service is going to be huge. So huge, in fact, that they're doing their best to make sure Japanese gamers have the internet muscle to handle it. Reuters reports that Nintendo is partnering with broadband provider Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corp, in order to promote and increase the use of high-speed, fiber-optic internet connections in the country.
Video game maker Nintendo Co Ltd and telecoms operator NTT's regional units said they would cooperate in Japan to promote the broadband Internet access of Nintendo's hot-selling Wii game console.
Driving Wii's Web connection is important for Nintendo since the creator of game characters Mario and Zelda plans to launch a new service next March called WiiWare, which allows users of the Wii to purchase new game software titles via the Internet.
For Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corp, which aims to boost subscribers to its fiber-optic Web connection service as a new long-term source of growth, a growing user base for the Wii represents an attractive pool of potential customers.
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