Nintendo is testing a pilot program this season at the Mariners" Safeco Field. For a fee, the Nintendo Fan Network will upload a program onto the user"s DS Lite and allow fans to order food and drinks, watch the live television feed of the baseball game, access stats and scores and play trivia, all from the comfort of their seat anywhere in the stadium. "It"s been a work in progress. Once we created the technology of the DS, we started looking at other applications to use its wireless features. The program system became so popular ... so we sought other ways to make this a fun system for people to have," said Nintendo corporate affairs manager J.C. Smith.
Nintendo declined to provide numbers on how many users are purchasing software for the program - at $5 for one game or $30 for 10 games. Ideas for the program were first presented to the Nintendo-owned Mariners in late 2005. With the team onboard, Nintendo spent the following year developing and testing the system and arranging a partnership with MLB.com to provide statistics and scores available. The network was first unveiled at the Mariners" offseason fan gathering and debuted on opening day. Nintendo hopes to expand the network to other stadiums. Smith said the system could be upgraded regularly as the technology and programs continue to evolve. As long as fan reaction remains positive and the system works properly, Nintendo will move forward with the program.