Nintendo 3DS News: StreetPass Events and Future Discussed by Company

The Nintendo 3DS is one of the more popular systems available, and Nintendo has worked hard to make the handheld appealing and add exciting features to the platform. One of these features is StreetPass, which allows users to connect with each other and exchange data and other information. The feature is huge in Japan, and now Nintendo is trying to push users in Canada and the United States to get involved in StreetPass.

Nintendo director of product marketing Bill Trinen spoke to IGN about StreetPass and revealed that the company is trying to take the app from a more event and niche feature to a more universal experience like it is in Japan:

"StreetPass here has really been more sort of event-focused, where you're getting a lot of people at one time rather than sort of an ongoing, regular-basis type of a thing for a lot of people...In Japan, what it is, it's ease. It's really easy to do, just because of the way that transportation is set up there; it's very easy to get around some place very quickly...We know certainly that we're not seeing as much StreetPass natively here in North America as in Japan, where it's just a much denser population. That's part of the reason we felt like StreetPass so far has really been kind of the realm of very close-knit community. But, at the same time, the people that are enjoying StreetPass seem to get a lot of enjoyment out of it."

Trinen also revealed that Nintendo is trying to copy the strategies that have made StreetPass a success in Japan in North America and are holding events that allow users to meet different people using StreetPass from across the county:

"Actually that's partly why what we've done with Nintendo Zone and the StreetPass Relay Points is that, rather than try to ask people to create a new habit or a new custom for themselves to be able to experience this, we've really tried to find ways to leverage what types of activity they're already doing, and make it a little bit easier for them to just bring the 3DS along with them when they're going out and about."

Finally, Trinen revealed that Nintendo is looking into making StreetPass events that allow users from across nations or even across the world to meet and exchange information to help foster a more unified fan base:
"We'll take a look and see how it goes and how many people participate, but we're definitely thinking about, long-term, how we might be able to do additional future National StreetPass days or potentially worldwide StreetPass days where you'd be able to connect with people from other countries as well."