To achieve the goal of a truly sustainable online userbase with the most-used network service in the world, Ohara described a new strategy for identifying and relieving four main barriers.

Friend Codes were generated from an identifier unique to a copy of a game and the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection ID of a DS or Wii system.

Although, some of these games may use both the 16-digit Wii Number and its own 12-digit Friend Code, depending on whether the online connectivity requires either passive data-sharing or active multiplaying respectively.

Games that used the Pay & Play feature had additional downloadable content (DLC) or services that required extra fees.

[8] The first retail Wii titles to feature Pay & Play functionality are Samba de Amigo,[9] Guitar Hero World Tour and Rock Band 2.

Nintendo announced the purchase and redemption of Wii Points would be disabled on March 26, 2018, and then shut down the channel on January 30, 2019, similar to the DSi shop two years earlier.

[18][19] The WiiWare section was touted as a forum to provide developers with small budgets to release smaller-scale games without the investment and risk of creating a title to be sold at retail (somewhat similar to the Xbox Live Arcade and the PlayStation Store).

According to Nintendo, "The remarkable motion controls will give birth to fresh takes on established genres, as well as original ideas that currently exist only in developers' minds."

[21] As of October 18, 2010, American and Canadian Wii owners could watch Netflix instantly as a channel without requiring a disc.

The Nintendo DS's web browser, also powered by Opera, requires a cartridge, and a RAM expansion through the GBA port.

[25] News articles are available on a globe view similar to the Forecast Channel, and as a slide show.

[35] The Today and Tomorrow Channel[36] became available in Japan on December 2, 2008, and in Europe, Australia, and South Korea[37] on September 9, 2009.

The channel was developed in collaboration with Media Kobo and allowed users to view fortunes for up to six Miis across five categories: love, work, study, communications, and money.

The channel also featured a compatibility test that compared two Miis, and it also gave out "lucky words" that had to be interpreted by the user.

[39] The channel was a joint venture between Nintendo and Japanese on-line food delivery portal service Demae-can.

It allowed Wii users to watch videos such as interviews, trailers, commercials, and download demos for the Nintendo DS.

An updated version of the Nintendo Channel was released in Japan on July 15, 2009,[43] North America on September 14, 2009, and in Europe on December 15, 2009.

Prior to trading messages, it was necessary to add and approve contacts in the address book, although the person added would not get a notification of the request.

The Wii Message Board could also be updated automatically by a real-time game like Animal Crossing: City Folk.

Since May 20, 2014, at 10:30 pm EST, it is no longer possible to download additional content for games, as the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection service was discontinued on that date.

Prior to the release of the Nintendo DSi, neither consoles nor games could support security protocols more advanced than WEP.

Due to flaws in its implementation, however, it is only capable of working when the 802.11 (legacy mode) basic rates of 1 Mbit/s and 2 Mbit/s are advertised by an access point.

Broadband Internet access is not required to make use of this connectivity, though it is recommended to reduce network latency.

[50] Its replacement, the Nintendo Wi-Fi network adapter, and many third party products, provide similar functionality.

In 2005, Nintendo made an agreement with Texas-based firm Wayport, Inc. to provide access in McDonald's restaurants in the U.S.[52] However, the deal was not renewed and has since expired.

[55] Nintendo of Australia initially announced on November 17, 2005, that they would roll out only 26 hotspots across the country, in partnership with selected EB Games, Myer and Dick Smith Powerhouse stores.

On April 14, 2007, Nintendo announced that over one thousand additional free hotspots had been added in a partnership with Telstra Wireless, providing access in selected hotels, airports, Starbucks cafes, and McDonald's restaurants.

3DS and Wii U games were not affected by the shutdown because their multiplayer platform used Nintendo's own infrastructure instead of a third-party service.

For example, Electronic Arts revealed that some of the games they published on the Wii and Nintendo DS had their online support terminated on June 30, 2014.

After the shutdown, there have been various third-party fan revival services to restore online functionality to games that Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection supported that remain operational, most notably Wiimmfi.