Nintendo, Best Buy team up on 3DS content

Nintendo and Best Buy are teaming up to try to improve the 3DS experience.

Starting in June, Best Buy will offer 3DS owners free wireless access inside 1,000 stores. When folks connect to the Best Buy network via the portable's SpotPass feature, they will find movie trailers, "gaming extras," and "exclusive offers," the companies said today.

Nintendo's SpotPass feature automatically finds wireless hot spots. Once connected, players can access game data, free software, and other content. It also works in sleep mode, so people can add data to their devices without needing to wait for it to complete.

The Best Buy access point is apparently about more than just offering perks to 3DS owners. Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aime said that Best Buy will also provide potential buyers with a "firsthand look at the platform with experts to help people understand everything it offers."

Relying upon Best Buy's help is integral to Nintendo's plans with the 3DS. As Nintendo CEO Satoru Iwata said last month in an earnings call, the company is finding it difficult to convey the appeal of playing games in 3D without the need for special glasses.

"The value of 3D images without the need for special glasses is hard to be understood through the existing media," Iwata said at the time. "However, we have found that people cannot feel it just by trying out a device, rather, some might even mis-estimate it when experiencing the images in an improper fashion. This makes it more important to give people more opportunities for appropriate experiences of glassless 3D images."

Those issues in understanding the 3DS' functionality are hurting sales of the device. According to Iwata, "many people feel that they 'want' and 'want to buy' Nintendo 3DS." However, he told investors last month, "not that many people believe 'now is the time to buy it.'"

Nintendo's 3DS sells for $249.