45 per cent of Mario Kart DS buyers play online - Nintendo

Nintendo is claiming massive early success for its Wi-Fi Connection online play system for the Nintendo DS handheld, with the company's statistics suggesting that 45 per cent of Mario Kart DS owners have already tried the game online.

Figures released by Nintendo of America for the first week of Mario Kart DS' release show that 52,000 unique users logged into the Wi-Fi Connection service with the game at least once - out of the 112,000 who purchased it.

That's over 45 per cent uptake, an incredible achievement for what is one of the world's first online handheld games, and an extremely strong start for Nintendo's online service - which works over home wireless networks, through public wireless "hot spots" or via Nintendo's own low-cost USB Wi-Fi device.

Mario Kart DS launches here in the UK on Friday, along with the USB Wi-Fi device, which will be sold separately for GBP 29.99, and the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection public service - which will see 7,500 locations across the UK being set up to allow free DS online play, with more to follow in the coming months.