Reminder that the DS and Wii Online services are going down today

[Dat Matt]

Games with free downloadable content (http://www.nintendo.co.uk/Support/Nintendo-DSi-XL-/Basic-setup-and-use/Termination-of-Nintendo-Wi-Fi-Connection/Titles-with-additional-downloadable-content/Titles-with-additional-downloadable-content-864190.html)

With the shutting down of gamespy, the Wii and DS servers are going down today. No more online matchmaking Mario Kart Wii, no more GTS in pokemon etc. I'm advising Shauna to pick up the free daily Puzzles for Professor Layton, but if have any of the games and are interested in getting the free content associated with them before the servers go down, now it the time.

The discontinuation of the service doesn't mean much to personally. Sad to see it go, but that last time I played Mario Kart Wii online was 4-5 years ago. Haven't used it since.

Anything you're going to miss with the servers going down?

[Perducci]

Is it possible at all to download extra content for DS games/use the GTS on Pokémon games if you're using a 3DS? Or do they both use completely different online services?

[Dat Matt]

Completely different service. The GTS on Gen 4/5 games are going down as of today, so you wont be able to trade for pokemon with in that game online. You can still trade locally and transfer Pokemon up to Gen 6 though.

It's not shutting down the connection from the DS and Wii consoles to the internet, online services like the e-shop still exist. It's just closing down online capabilities of games that are being less used with newer consoles on the market.

[Perducci]

Ah, that kind of sucks. Don't currently own any of those games (or at least haven't played those that I do own enough that it bothers me too much that I'll end up possibly missing out on some stuff) so it doesn't really affect me too much. Never really played much Wii online and I don't use my old DS enough now that I switched over to 3DS.

[Madame Adequate]

I'm deeply concerned by the idea of online services coming down after a relatively short time like this. I understand that you can't keep them running indefinitely, but the Wii and DS sure aren't old enough to warrant these steps.

[Del Murder]

Yeah that is odd, especially since their newer systems are backwards compatible with these systems.

[Dat Matt]

Apparently the shutdown is related to Gamespy closing down. Many of the servers that the Wii and DS used were owned by gamespy so them closing down means that they could not keep them open without additional cost. It is weird to think that these older games are now inaccessible to the internet, but I don't really mind to be honest.