The Official WiiWare Thread (Wat? Now out in Japan?)

You read that thread title right. The WiiWare service is now online in Japan, and along with it, we're getting tons of videos and impressions. Supposedly, the WiiShop Channel in Japan is slow as molasses right now because of the launch of the service. Many people are having a hard time even staying connected.

Here's user's video of the new WiiWare service.
He also filmed a bit of Star Soldier R.

IGN has some hands on and videos of the launch games.
Star Soldier R impressions.
Dr. Mario Impressions.
Dr. Mario Videos.
Pokemon Farm Videos.
Final Fantasy: My Life as a King Impressions.

CNET's Dr. Mario Impressions.
Okiraku Ping-Pong.

A Video of Animal Panic.

Pricing in Japan:

Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: My Life as King - 1500
Dr Mario & Saikin Bokumetsu - 1000
Pokemon Ranch Channel - 1000
Lonpos - 1000
Kotoba no Puzzle Mojipittan - 1000
Saku Saku Animal Panic - 1000
Star Soldier R - 800
Okiraku Ping Pong - 500
Angels Solitaire - 500

Something that is notable is that My Life as a King is the first title to use the Pay to Play system. Eventually, DLC, etc. may be released.

Square Enix has revealed that extra features for Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: My Life as a King will be sold for up to 300 Wii Points. These features include extra skins for the king, new dungeons, buildings and even a new race. The company didn't give an official release date for these additions, but said they will announce one soon.

Now here's something that should raise some alarms:

And just to point something out: If you were to purchase and download all nine Japanese WiiWare launch titles, it would take up 1703 Blocks of Wii system memory. That doesn't leave room for much of anything else, considering the Wii only has 1840 or so free Blocks at its maximum capacity.

You don't even have room left over for another channel or an N64 game.

One thing that is pretty cool in all this is that Nintendo is extending their game sharing to the Wii, allowing you to send friends you have registered (via their Wii Codes) a limited version of the game, allowing them to play you online. Dr. Mario is one title that does it. Others might as well. I don't remember.

There you go. Nothing hits me as being must buys. Come the US launch in May, I might purchase Dr. Mario just to try it out. Most interesting is the announcement of Pay to Play being used for DLC, and the Game Sharing feature. That, and of course that the Wii has already ran out of room for all these games.

I won't be able to get it. my wifi doesnt work on vista .

OK, What is this WiiWare stuff exactly? I think I get the basic jist of it, but explain anyway.

Originally Posted by xxRaxx

OK, What is this WiiWare stuff exactly? I think I get the basic jist of it, but explain anyway.

Original DLC for the Wii. What the other two systems have been doing for years now. In other words, original games will be able to be released via the WiiShop Channel.

yups, what Wonderful said

Apparently there will be add-ons for "My Life as a King"

WiiWare Crystal Chronicles Has Pay-To-Play Elements | Game | Life from Wired.com

Dr. Mario looks really cool, that's one I'm sure I'll buy at some point down the line. Star Soldier R is supposed to be pretty good, just not worth the money. If it comes to North America for 500 points I'd pick it up in a heartbeat, but 800 is too much for time-challenge game. I have to see more about My Life as a King to decide if 1500 points would be worth it. It sounds like a neat idea, it's just that it's lot of money for a downloadable game.

Once it hits the US I think things will pick up. LostWinds looks awesome, Eternity's Child seems cool, and then there's Tetris.

I'm buying Tetris like, instantly.

EDIT-

You know, after looking at it, 500 points for Okiraku Ping Pong ain't bad.

z0m!?!?1 Nintendo iz copying Xbox Live Arcade and Sony Playstation Store!!!!11 Tehy suk!

All jokes aside, I think WiiWare will be a fresh breeze for some developers who are itching to make some games (even though it seems like essentially the same thing as Wii Arcade). It has the potential to be great, but I just don't see it being used as accordingly. I see the size restrictions as too much of hindrance for developers and both consumers alike. This indeed has the capability to throw the whole WiiWare concept down the drain.

Downloadable content is a must. I'm just hoping Nintendo won't be cheap on their end and make it so that it works out well.

Originally Posted by Dark Link

All jokes aside, I think WiiWare will be a fresh breeze for some developers who are itching to make some games (even though it seems like essentially the same thing as Wii Arcade). It has the potential to be great, but I just don't see it being used as accordingly. I see the size restrictions as too much of hindrance for developers and both consumers alike. This indeed has the capability to throw the whole WiiWare concept down the drain.

Downloadable content is a must. I'm just hoping Nintendo won't be cheap on their end and make it so that it works out well.

That's pretty much how I feel. Any way you look at it, such a small file size limit is going to prevent what the developers can do with the service. Of course, that doesn't prevent great titles from being released, but without a hard drive or storage solution, what we're going to see is going to be shaped by that file restriction size.

Originally Posted by Dark Link

z0m!?!?1 Nintendo iz copying Xbox Live Arcade and Sony Playstation Store!!!!11 Tehy suk!

All jokes aside, I think WiiWare will be a fresh breeze for some developers who are itching to make some games (even though it seems like essentially the same thing as Wii Arcade). It has the potential to be great, but I just don't see it being used as accordingly. I see the size restrictions as too much of hindrance for developers and both consumers alike. This indeed has the capability to throw the whole WiiWare concept down the drain.

Downloadable content is a must. I'm just hoping Nintendo won't be cheap on their end and make it so that it works out well.

I'm sure if developers get a larger percentage of the profits than they do on XBLA then indie developers will be flocking there.

^ From what I've read, developers love Wiiware for some reason. I don't know if it's just Nintendo being super friendly with them or sharing a lot of profit, but so far the game makers seem to very enthusiastic to work with it.

A lot of it has to do with the lack of high-profile remakes, which allows indie developers to get their stuff out there. Hopefully it stays that way, because stuff like Audiosurf and Fez deserves to be played by lots and lots of people. Neither of those are coming to any specific console service as far as I'm aware, but they're examples of the great things that can be done with just a handful of people and a small amount of resources. It's not really a good sign that one of the first games being released is a Final Fantasy one, though.

Originally Posted by Jeff

^ From what I've read, developers love Wiiware for some reason. I don't know if it's just Nintendo being super friendly with them or sharing a lot of profit, but so far the game makers seem to very enthusiastic to work with it.

Yeah, especially Square Enix. There's a ton of those CC games going on WiiWare

Official WiiWare Thread of bumping for the US Launch. If I could get a thread title change, please. (Though I know I probably won't...)

Launch Details for Monday!

NINTENDO LAUNCHES WiiWARE:

AN OPEN PLAYGROUND FOR CREATIVITY
Downloadable Game Service Delivers Developers’ New Ideas Directly to Consumers


REDMOND, Wash., May 12, 2008 – Nintendo’s Wii™ console has already changed the way people play games. Now its new WiiWare™ service decisively tears down limitations for how developers create games – and the way people receive them.

Starting today, Wii owners with an Internet connection can download new, creative games from a wide range of developers, from large publishers to indie shops. By reducing the barriers that make console game development prohibitively expensive, WiiWare showcases original ideas in the most democratic environment in industry history, connecting the people who make games more directly with the people who play them.

WiiWare frees developers from the traditional constraints of video game development. WiiWare lets developers experiment with big ideas and small budgets to the benefit of players everywhere. Newer, smaller teams now have an outlet for their creative ideas. The constantly growing WiiWare library will have a regular flow of unique video gaming experiences consumers might not otherwise have access to.

“WiiWare is to the video game industry what independent films are to Hollywood,” said Cammie Dunaway, Nintendo of America’s executive vice president of Sales & Marketing. “WiiWare lets developers experiment with new ideas and experiences. Combined with our collection of classic Virtual Console games, Wii provides one-stop shopping for the greatest games of the past – and the future.”

WiiWare games are easy to download. Just go to the WiiWare section of the Wii Shop Channel, find the game you want, redeem Wii Points™ and start the download. Wii Points can be purchased in the Wii Shop Channel or at retail outlets. New games, at various Wii Point values, will be added to WiiWare on Mondays. The newly launched Nintendo Channel on Wii will let people view videos of and read information about WiiWare games and other Nintendo products. Users also can see player opinions to help them decide what to play next.

Today, the inaugural lineup of WiiWare games is just a taste of things to come:

FINAL FANTASY® CRYSTAL CHRONICLES®: My Life as a King™ (Square Enix, 1 player, Rated E for Everyone – Mild Fantasy Violence, Mild Suggestive Themes, 1,500 Wii Points): FINAL FANTASY CRYSTAL CHRONICLES: My Life as a King takes a legendary franchise and launches it into the realm of simulation gaming. Players are challenged to rebuild a kingdom, leading its young king on a path of discovery through an adventure bristling with mystery and intrigue.

LostWinds™ (Frontier Development, 1-2 players, Rated E for Everyone – Mild Fantasy Violence, 1,000 Wii Points): A fresh, enchanting platform adventure that puts the power of the wind in the palm of your hand – from raging tornados to the gentlest breeze. You’ll wield your Wii Remote™ controller to power Toku’s jumps and glides, suspend and smash enemies, meet friends and solve puzzles using LostWinds’ novel, intuitive and playful control system.

Defend your Castle™ (XGen Studios, 1-4 players, Rated E for Everyone – Cartoon Violence, 500 Wii Points): Defend your Castle takes place on a grassy plain surrounded by invaders. You are the commander of your castle, and it is your duty to fling the invading enemies sky-high, watching them plummet to their demise. As you progress, add powerful spells and upgrades to your arsenal for repelling the attacks. How long can you hold them off?

Pop™ (Nnooo, 1-4 players, Rated E for Everyone, 700 Wii Points): Pop bubbles to score points and stop the timer from running out. Pop can be enjoyed by anyone – casual gamers can simply play to pop bubbles and keep the game moving, whereas advanced players will need to pick their shots rapidly and accurately and generate combos to maximize their score.

V.I.P. Casino: Blackjack™ (High Voltage Software®, Inc., 1-4 players, Rated T for Teen – Simulated Gambling, 700 Wii Points): V.I.P. Casino: Blackjack re-creates the casino experience, with fully animated players and a realistic Las Vegas dealer. Single players can increase their bankrolls, while multiple players can engage in a head-to-head mini-blackjack tournament.

TV Show King (Gameloft, 1-4 players, Rated E for Everyone, 1,000 Wii Points): TV Show King transforms your living room into a real TV quiz show studio where you’ll face the challenge of answering more than 3,000 questions across six different categories. Compete against family and friends and use your Wii Remote controller in original ways to make it to the finals to see who can win the greatest amount of cash in one final, deciding duel.

For more information about WiiWare, visit WiiWare.com. Remember that Wii features parental controls that let adults manage the content their children can access. For more information about this and other Wii features, visit Wii.com.

About Nintendo: The worldwide innovator in the creation of interactive entertainment, Nintendo Co., Ltd., of Kyoto, Japan, manufactures and markets hardware and software for its Wii™, Nintendo DS™, Game Boy® Advance and Nintendo GameCube™ systems. Since 1983, Nintendo has sold more than 2.7 billion video games and more than 460 million hardware units globally, and has created industry icons like Mario™, Donkey Kong®, Metroid®, Zelda™ and Pokémon®. A wholly owned subsidiary, Nintendo of America Inc., based in Redmond, Wash., serves as headquarters for Nintendo’s operations in the Western Hemisphere. For more information about Nintendo, visit the company’s Web site at Country Selector at Nintendo.

Also, no updates to the Virtual Console coming this week.

Nintendo’s Wii-kly Update Takes a Week Off

To celebrate today’s launch of the new WiiWare™ downloadable game service for Wii™, there will be no Virtual Console™ games added today. But don’t worry – next week the Wii-kly Update will be back to its regular Monday schedule, bringing Wii owners information about the best classic Virtual Console titles and coolest new WiiWare games.

I will definitely be getting Lost Winds come Monday. None of the other titles really grab me. I can't wait for the weekly updates to the service. This will be another step forward for Nintendo's Wii Shop Channel reaching acceptable status (though it's still not even close.)

Im pissed that Lostwinds is 1000 points. that seems a little steep although it is a very high quality game. i really cant wait to see the Wii storage solution Nintendo has said they are working on. i actually had to delete my internet channel the other day to free up some space. next to go is the MK channel then the everybody votes/CMO channel. lets hope it doesnt come to that. Wiiware does hold some great promise though. cant wait.