The problem with the argument is that (outside of a few very high crime areas) mugging a child is going to attract hundreds of times as much police/media attention as mugging anyone else; and a 3DS is simply not worth enough for anyone with half a brain to take that kind of trouble.

I heard that mugging/mobbing/etc. among children is very common these days.

I don't know about other countries, but when I read German news I often read cases of theft and robbery (clothes, cell phones, etc.) between underage kids. And those who were robbed often don't call the police, because they're afraid of their bullies' revenge. :/

I know nothing like this first hand, though. I grew up in a very peaceful place/time it seems.

(This thread is going off-topic very rapidly... better get back to topic again!)

Just as a last thought ...

A child stealing from another child is common, but I highly doubt anything Nintendo does or does not do will impact this at all. One bigger/meaner child will take what another smaller/weaker child has, regardless of the value of that item.

This thread has derailed into a mugging thread, LOL.

You people should just stop walking in tall grass, as xeroxm3 said.

Man thanks for the laugh, I've not laughed so hard in a while, this was priceless, I mean normally this is just thread derailment and so outlandish people get banned for it but you brought a tear to my eye.  ZOMG 3DS WILL CAUSE MUGGINGS! It's like oh yeah not like the average kid doesn't already carry a cell phone cause parents give them one to keep in contact, or the kids with the nice designer clothes cause that's what the cool kids are wearing

Realism is that a very small percentage of people are actually mugged, even fewer are kids, crime rates are going down, and if a kid was mugged for his 3DS it would be an isolated incident of less than 1% of the userbase and more likely a bully at school rather than some grown up since parents usually have to keep an eye on their kids or get put in jail for neglect... but at school shit happens, but would likely get his 3DS back... that he shouldn't be taking to school anyway... also LOL at getting mugged for Pokemon cards, I grew up on a bad street and that shit never happened, but again the ones that did steal the cards were bullies at schools rather than someone mugging them... again they shouldn't have had them at school to begin with

Now that that silliness is over with, I think this is a pretty interesting idea from Nintendo, the Pokewalker has encouraged a LOT of people at my school to wear them while working out, we trade gift items a lot, and having the same idea built into the new system is great, I could see the 3DS pokemon games using this as a way to not have the pokewalker and instead the first pokemon in your party is the one you walk with or some such and works much the same way.  

Jesus Christ dude, STOP TROLLING.

Aren't the mods here supposed to be watching for these types of inane posts? 

Anyways, this is a really cool idea. I do wonder how far the range of Streetpass is, considering the population density here vs. Japan. 

Yeah, let's quash innovative ideas because it might entice criminals. That's the ticket to a strong, innovative economy!

Are you guys serious ?

Band of fully grown men (and maybe women) getting excited because their pocket console will be counting their steps and give them points to buy 3DS equivalent of flash games ?

says the guy with a pink queer looking donut in his avatar?

Yes, because similar things haven't happened already...