April 27^th, 2002 (12:00am) - Here is the translation of the Japanese press release, courtesy of Nintendojo:

Regarding the multi-device broadcast service, the demonstration system was developed at three companies and it was introduced in November, 2001 in a new Osaka exhibition hall at a program called "A Look at the 21st Century" (NHK digital Hi-Vision: November 5-8). Working together, NHK is offering a service providing rich content, Nintendo is researching and developing the fusion of digital television and broadcasting with game machines, and Bit Media is positioning rich content service with the added value of using the data-broadcasting description language BML. At this time, development is advanced further and it builds as an event system which you, a general visitor, can feel.

The gaming setup on exhibit will always be connected to a bi-directional server, a hard disk drive, a handheld game machine, and so on based on the bi-directional broadcast service described in "Hi-Vision Special: The Beautiful World of Skill" (NHK digital Hi-Vision: 7:30 p.m. on May 2 and 9:30 p.m. on April 29) which will be broadcasted digitally. (See attached sheet.)

As future direction of next-generation broadcast service (regular connection service), requires a hard disk and an always-on connection with an IP network, a multi-device broadcast service with multiple communicating devices can be realized. The aim is for you, the visitor, to be able to experience the broadcast service of the future in this event system.

The quiz demo proceeds as follows. Teams of four people will be organized from among the visitors, and play the individual tournament game among them. Playing the quiz with the Hi-Vision image stored to the hard disk, the game connects to the always connected bi-directional server and acquires the situation of opposing team. Although one team can participate in the quiz using a broadcast service digital tuner and four infrared remote controls, an opposing team can use four mutually connected handheld game machines and one connected broadcast service digital tuner. Among four sets of handheld game machines, one set (parent machine) is equipped with the transmitting function of an infrared remote control signal, can bring four persons’ reply together in one line, and can be transmitted collectively. Thereby, a participant can experience the multi-device service and can participate in a multiplayer quiz using one tuner and two or more handheld devices.

While expecting that this result can contribute to the development of digital broadcasting, the development of the service is being promoted openly, with the industry cooperating in the future.