Nintendo Teaming with 7-Eleven

Nintendo continues to have its initiatives announced in advance by the mainstream press. The latest story to break concerns an upcoming tie-up with 7-Eleven parent Seven & i Holdings. I'm not sure of the exact source of the story (if I had to guess, I'd say the Nihon Keizai Shimbun financial daily), but Famitsu.com managed to get word of it and passed along the info.

Under the tie-up, patrons at 7-Eleven and other Seven & i franchises like retailer Itoyokado will be able to make use of the DS's wireless functionality to obtain coupons and store information. Nintendo plans on putting the service on test at a few dozen Itoyokado shops before the end of the year.

The last time Nikkei broke a major Nintendo announcement was earlier this week with a story about a large screen DSi revision. Nintendo, while not denying that report, told Famitsu that it was probably just based off conjecture.

This time, when quizzed by Famitsu, the company pretty much confirmed the story. Said the company's PR division, "It's not an official announcement, but we're proactively looking into it."

Nintendo has been slowly adopting the DS for use as a handheld information terminal. Currently, patrons to Tokyo Disney Land can use the system as a guide at a surrounding shopping center.