Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection has 200,000 users so far

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Nintendo Co Ltd said on Wednesday that nearly 200,000 unique users worldwide have tapped its three-week-old Wi-Fi Connection wireless service available through the Nintendo DS video game player.

The Wi-Fi service allows Nintendo DS users to play games with people in other locations, whether they are in the house next door or across the world.

Nintendo, known for its Game Boy player and new titles like "Nintendogs", "Mario Kart DS" and "Animal Crossing: Wild World", said users thus far have logged almost three million connections around the globe.

"Mario Kart DS" was the first game to use Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection. It was released first in the United States, where most usage of the Wi-Fi Connection service has originated.

Nintendo also has an agreement with Wi-Fi service provider Wayport and with McDonald's Corp, which provides Wi-Fi Connection for free at nearly 6000 of McDonald's fast-food restaurants in the United States.

The Nintendo DS, a dual-screen player, was released in November 2004 in the United States, and retails for around US$130.