Another interesting piece of news coming from E3, StreetPass is evolving to no longer require direct 3DS communication, but instead relaying information using certain Wi-Fi access points. It seems like it loses a bit of the "magic" of knowing that you (sort of) directly came into contact with another 3DS owner, but it will definitely make StreetPass features more easily accessible to those of us who aren't getting too many StreetPasses at the moment.

The update will be coming "by this autumn."

From Iwata:

Moving on to a different topic, the Nintendo 3DS hardware incorporates a feature known as StreetPass. When the Nintendo 3DS system is in Sleep Mode, this feature allows users who are playing any StreetPass-compatible game to automatically exchange game data with other users in close proximity who are also playing the same game. StreetPass is very common in crowded Japan. In contrast, our American and European users seem to meet each other via StreetPass less frequently, and as a result, we have not seen a significant rise in the number of people who carry their Nintendo 3DS systems in Sleep Mode. When compared with our Japanese users, it seems that fewer people are experiencing the StreetPass feature on a daily basis. This year we will release software that opens doors for new ways to play through the StreetPass feature, such as “Animal Crossing: New Leaf,” and I hope that more people around the world will be able to experience the benefits that StreetPass provides.

We will achieve that by taking advantage of Wi-Fi access points and implementing a StreetPass relay feature into the Nintendo 3DS hardware. Starbucks and McDonald’s, among others, provide about 28,000 Wi-Fi access points, which are connected automatically to Nintendo 3DS, in the U.S. and 24,000 in Europe. We are going to perform a system update that introduces a framework that uses these access points as StreetPass relay stations by this autumn. This will involve taking a Nintendo 3DS system in Sleep Mode to an access point which will then connect automatically and send StreetPass data to a server. At the same time, the Nintendo 3DS system also receives the StreetPass data of another user from the server. In this setting, data is not exchanged directly, but rather through a StreetPass relay station. Hence, as opposed to, say, Person A and Person B directly exchanging game data, data will be transmitted in sequence from Person A to Person B, and then onto Person C and so on. But the surprising and magical feeling of exchanging data with someone you simply shared a location with is as real as before. Previously the StreetPass feature required multiple Nintendo 3DS systems in Sleep Mode to be in the same location at the same time, but in this framework, you can exchange data with others by visiting the same location even at a different time, so we can certainly expect the use rate of the StreetPass feature to grow significantly.

SOURCE: Nintendo E3 Analyst Briefing

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tl:dr version: There's still hope for those of us that haven't gotten all of the pink puzzle pieces yet!

Posted by

ludist210

on: 06/13/13, 18:16

As someone who gets a StreetPass once every few months (or if things are nuts, like 3 times for one week), this is great news. There's a McDonald's nearby that has the Nintendo Zone available so I imagine this'll work for StreetPass too. Too bad it couldn't come sooner!

Posted by

VofEscaflowne

on: 06/13/13, 18:21

OMG, its like they read my post on here a few years ago and implemented it!!! Fantastic!

Found it! Pay me royalty fees right meow!

edit: Okay..its not exact but I was close damn it!

Posted by

Abdooooo

on: 06/13/13, 18:22

Edited:

06/13/13, 18:28

Cool update. I get StreetPasses daily where I live, but this will certainly give a boost to those who don't get out all that often with their 3DS!

Posted by

GameDadGrant

on: 06/13/13, 19:10

@GameDadGrant I used to get through a decent chunk of the city with mine. I was lucky to get one a month. I only ever saw one other 3DS owner using it in public, and she said she too rarely got StreetPasses even though she lugged the thing around every day, cutting all over the city for classes. Some places just don't have StreetPass coverage at all.

Anyway this is an interesting idea. I've passed though those Nintendo Zones sometimes (no idea what they even are, but my 3DS sometimes alerted me to it) so if they keep StreetPass data there then I may start taking my 3DS out and about again.

Posted by

nate38

on: 06/13/13, 19:16

In a perfect world McD would have AC Happy Meal toys and Starbucks should play KK Slider music on Saturdays (perhaps costumed live performance travelling from Starbucks to Starbucks).

Posted by

vids

on: 06/13/13, 19:20

Edited:

06/13/13, 19:20

As if my recently burgeoning coffee addiction weren't bad enough. Now I'll never leave the Starbucks.

Posted by

VickiL

on: 06/13/13, 20:31

Edited:

06/13/13, 20:32

@GameDadGrant

Like me! Besides you, I rarely get them and hell, I barely see you as is.

Posted by

DrFinkelstein

on: 06/13/13, 20:39

Apologies, I have no idea what this means. Could someone explain it to me?

Is it, like, you go to McDonalds and get the streetpass thing of everyone who was at McDonalds recently with their DS?

Posted by

-JKR-

on: 06/13/13, 21:00

@-JKR- 3DS, but yeah, it sounds like that. Although I'm not sure if it would give you EVERYONE, maybe just some? Who knows.

These things are at more than just McDonalds and Starbucks, I think they just stressed those two because they're the two big chains.

Posted by

Zero

on: 06/13/13, 21:04

Edited:

06/13/13, 21:04

To be honest, I'm not sure if this will really help here in Indiana. In about two years I've had maybe 6 random Street Passes. I carry my 3DS in sleep mode daily. I didn't even get one during our recent trip to Galloping Ghost in Chicagoland, which was full of kids and gamers. But I'll certainly try.

Posted by

VickiL

on: 06/13/13, 21:17

@Zero

Yeah, 3DS, that's what I meant. I guess I just consider using "DS" = "3DS" at this point. Do they even make the regular DS anymore?

Anyway, sounds good. I totally forgot about Streetpass for like a year, up until people mentioned it regarding the Best Buy demo event. I had my DS (sorry THREE-DS) but it wasn't updated so I didn't get any! GAH! DARN YOU NINTENDO!

I will start carrying it in my pocket for at least the next week, until it gets too heavy to bother with.

Posted by

-JKR-

on: 06/13/13, 23:01

Yay! The only Streetp's I get are from my brother and there was the one time I went to that Zelda concert which gave me like 90p's. There is also the special miis as well.

Posted by

Brook

on: 06/13/13, 23:12

I'm glad that they're making a feature more accessible. There's a difference between 300,000,000 in a huge country like the USA as opposed to Japan that crams 1,000,000,000 people on the head of a pin.

Posted by

Deerock69

on: 06/14/13, 01:13

Edited:

06/14/13, 01:13

@Deerock69

1 billion people in Japan?

I don't think so

Posted by

Shadowlink

on: 06/14/13, 01:51

@Shadowlink

Hyperbole.

Posted by

Deerock69

on: 06/14/13, 09:09

Well, this sounds good, but if people actually have to go, lets say to a McDonalds, and then later that day or a different day, I go to McDonalds and get a streetpass from someone who passed through that McDonalds....still seems to me that its going to be about just as hard to get streetpass puzzle pieces cause people STILL have to carry their 3DS around with them for this to work & in my area that just doesn't seem to be happening much.

So, right now, I always, and I mean always have my 3DS in my pocket when I go out and in the past 2 years I may have had around 20 streetpasses. The only time I got many streetpassed was at the Zelda concert. For me, and I don't live out in the sticks, I don't think this will help much. I am hoping that people from all around the world will go into the server and then when I go to a McDonalds, Best Buy, ect, I get a streetpass from someone who may not even be in my town.

I guess we'll just have to wait and see. Seems like if Nintendo alreadys knows they will be doing this, we shouldn't have to wait until fall. The update should be happening NOW!

Posted by

gamewizard65

on: 06/14/13, 10:30

Edited:

06/15/13, 07:07

I'm not exactly sure how this works, but if it means more StreetPasses, I'm all for it.

Posted by

Mop it up

on: 06/15/13, 00:12

Can't wait. Smart move Nintendo.

Posted by

DrFinkelstein

on: 06/15/13, 01:29