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.
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.
Comments 137
"No comments yet...why not be the first?"
OK!!!
D/L Lostwinds and Pop.
Gonna d/l one mmore but can only afford one...Cant decide between Defend Your Castle and FF:CC
Looks to be a fairly slap-dash line-up. No Dr. Mario? I'm sure that'll disappoint many. To be honest, I'm more interested in the Virtual Console developments, what with the confirmation of such classics as Earthbound and Earthworm Jim, and the impending arrival of the import festival games and Pokémon Puzzle League...
Wait, no "Everyone's Pokemon Ranch" or "Toki Tori?" Or even Dr.Mario Online RX? Wasn't Toki Tori supposed to be a launch title?*sigh*Oh well, I may go for Pop or Lost Winds...
By the way, what time of week will we get new Wii Ware games?
I'm not buying that junk. WiiWare games, even moreso than VC, are going to have to impress the money out of me.
The Final Fantasy sim looks the most interesting, but I don't think I'd actually sit down and play it. Dr. Mario would be tempting though.
@ #3: 9AM PST Just like vc games..on Mondays...
Yes , pOp and Lostwinds and ffcc, im getting those games
Darn, lost winds is out of my price range for now. Looks like I'm gonna have to pass on these for now.
I'm shocked that they decided to price Pop at 700 Wii points. That game doesn't look like it will be taking 700 points-worth of time from me.
So far, LostWinds, FFCC, and Defend Your Castle look the most convincing to me. Now it's time to wait for reviews!
Wait a minute...."To celebrate the launch there will be no VC games"? They release a bunch of sad and pathetic excuses for shovel-ware and we're supposed to have a 'no new VC games this week' party to kick it off?
El Cabarto, it's just going to have to be something people deal with. No VC games this week is a pretty poor excuse though.
CRAP! I was waiting for dr.mario even though I knew it probably wouldn't be a launch title, but I was also waiting for toki tori which they said would be one which pisses me off!
Face the facts, it's been a bad Monday for N. America. Let's hope Europe keeps it's 4 VC titles a week goin'.
Alright people i think this is the end for vc dispensing. The reason why the vc mondays are more and more sad is because that they are making the hype for wiiware. They might send out some more. i don't know. Buuuuuuuuuuuuut, wiiware is still good. ( where is drm and that puzzle game by two tribes
no Dr. Mario?
no Gyrostarr?
no Star Soldier?
no Toki Tori?
no Critter Round-Up?
well this sucks.
and we might not even see those games next week.
so thanks for screwing us Nintendo.
but hopefully this lackluster launch will lead the way to some good VC and WW Mondays.
i bet we won't even get Dr. Mario for like a month though.
If Nintendo wanted to give developers a change they would hold back FFCC, the most expensive and bound to be most popular because of the name
Hasn't been good for NOA recently, has it? Nintendo channel launch a week late (when it first launched the release date said May 1st) and then Dr.Mairo RX being pushed back.
Wonder how sdimilar Europes launch line-up will be?
and we only get 6 games?!
while Japan got 9?!
what the?
i hope Europe gets a better launch than this.
I truly hope that Europe gets a better launch. No Dr. Mario is a crying shame, only game I'd buy without even thinking about it... Ah well, LostWinds still looks interesting.
okay, I have a question. on my xbox360 I just got the ring of death, and the company is sending me a new xbox, what if something happens to my wii and it breaks? Unlike games you buy and own in rl, virtual games are attatched to this wii. I have spent alot of money on games, and now I am worried that they will just go poof some day.
What if something happens to my wii, and I have purchased like a ton of wiiware games. How do I show ownership of the virtual game. What if my wii gets damaged, how do I protect myself. I am worried now about buying virtual games after the ring of death. And I have spent alot on them already. Does this worry anyone else?
Meh. Dr Mario and Toki Tori better show up the following week. As for the launch releases, I'm only interested in Lost Winds and Pop. I've never been a fan of the Final Fantasy franchise and even less so of its spin-offs.
You have to send your Wii into Nintendo so the record can be transfered to another Wii. Also linking the Wii shop to a MyNintendo account wouldn't be a bad idea in case Nintendo don't do the transfer properly.
I'm surprised so many are upset... Lost Winds is definitely one of the more hyped titles. It would not be smart for Nintendo to release all the best titles at once, and while the type of gamer who checks this site may be disappointed with the other titles, I bet Blackjack and TV Show King will be downloaded as much as all the others.
Heck, I may get TV Show King! Trivia games are always good family fun. I'm sure Dr. Mario will come out soon enough. I think it's a good sign that Nintendo hasn't pushed its first party games on the first day since this is supposed to be a haven for the independent gamer.
Disappointing launch line-up I must say, the only two that interest me if they're released in the EU on the 20th are LostWinds and FFCC: MLAAK.
No Star Soldier? Thats not cool:(
Little disappointed
as soon as i come here and complain about WiiWare,
my power adapter bites the dust.
thanks again Nintendo.
And now the long wait begins for the missing titles... XD XD XD
Wow...this is sad.
I'm happy because I am near broke right now!
Though Lost Winds and Crystal Chronicles look interesting.
Personally, I don't think this week is that bad. I mean compared to a regular week, this week is great. We got 6 games and 2 of them, Lost Winds and FFCC, could be great. Still, I did hope for more since it is WiiWare launch week.
LMAO! Nintendo is a dumb ******! My wii is in the box right now. It probably won't come out to play until Sam & Max hit the streets.
I was thinking I would finally have a reason to hook it back up to play some Dr. Mario and maybe get a second game with the remaining points. Well, I guess not. Back to GTA IV for me.
There isn't even any good vc title being released for me to turn on my system for. That's not surprising though.
On another note, XGen has the right idea pricing Defend your Castle @ 500 points. Nnooo, 700 points to pop bubbles? It took them forever to come up with that screwed up price point? I would rather make some bubbles out of dish washing soap and pop those.
In my honest opinion, this is a pretty good launch. Though I'm upset that Toki Tori and Dr.Mario won't be there on launch day, I hear they're spreading out the releases (what does that mean?)
I guess if Im gonna get any game itl be Final Fantasy, none of the rest appeal. Can any of these games be played on wi-fi with friends?
Where's that cool looking undead Mexican monster shooter? What give's?
Well just LostWinds for me this week, maybe later when Dr. Mario, Animales de la Muerte, Tetris, Bomberman, and some other games come out I'll get more.
No Dr. Mario? Huge disappointment. I thought I might spend leftover points after Dr. Mario on one of these other games, just as a random test, to throw them a bone or something. But now I won't be buying any of these WiiWare "games".
People complaining about this being the end of the VC are making me laugh quite a bit, though. Hahaha!
In development?
@31: The creator of Pop wanted it to be 500 points but Nintendo decides the pricing and...well its Nintendo...
Of course, like every week of the Wii Shop Channel EVER, people complain when one game doesn't get released and not willing to try other games
Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz...
Mazero, why spend your money on CRAP? Honestly, would you download a game you weren't certain you'd enjoy? That's why DEMOS would improve sales and hinder sales. People would learn how much of a pile of crap some games are while some are hidden gems for a reason.
Dungeon Explorer anyone? lol
I heard a rumor from 1UP that Dr. Mario would come out 5/15/2008. (If not on that day, I hope it comes this month or early next month).
Anyways, FFCC & LostWinds for me!
So this is how it feels to be Europe of 2007. XD
In any case, I want Lost Winds and I'll be getting that one. Not sure with Defend your castle, but I don't want FF.
You know, all of you, I've seen way more PS3 owners who are happy with their game updates than we are. They got an average PSP game on the PC store, and they appreciate it, unlike us, who must have EVERY freaking game
I really hope that WiiWare is not used as an excuse to release a sub-par or smaller amount of games. Even though I believe that WiiWare is a great way for these other games to be released, i still have more of an interest in those more commercial games I have been waiting forever to play... I am hoping for earthbound sometime soon...
I just can't wait for Wiiware to hit Australia .
I be downloading Final Fantasy so i'm very happy .
Im i the only one thats not intreasted in Dr. Mario ?
Am i the only one not upset with Nintendo .
I see this is a great thing with Nintendo & i very happy with this & i praise them very much .
@Kawaiipikachu
Don't worry, you're not the only one =)
Disappointing line-up..I expected way more then this. I hope we get the other tittles soon.
Im a little confused why people are surprised there arent any VC games released.
Im not dissapointed by this launch though. Confused at the lack of certain games but not dissapointed.
I think Big= uhh.... the person with the starfy icons on to something. I think that they're putting up all third party less anticipated games up first so they have a chance to shine for awhile but then they'll relese the highly anticipated games when the less anticipated games already had a lot of customers.
I just went on the Nintendo channel and watch the wiiware demo and if you look closely they said on the Dr.mario game relesed 5/12/08 May 12. Nintendo double crossed us!
Definitely digging on Lost Winds...reminds me of Klonoa and Astal.
@52: YEAH THATS RIGHT!!!
Where in the WORLD is Critter Roundup & Dr. Mario Online RX?!?
Nintendo LIED to us on the video in the Nintendo Channel!!!
I hate to come off to optimistic but i dont understand why so many people are so upset, im pumped for this launch line up, and anyways in my opinion we havent gotten a great VC game in a while, so im excited to actual feel the need to use my wii points this week.
Why do people like Dr. Mario so much? I had it on Game Boy and I only remember it as another Tetris knock-off. This looks pretty good for launch, definitely better than Japan's. Just wondering how long I'll have to wait for World of Goo.
I'm disappointed theirs no Dr. Mario but not upset with the line up just like the vc they want to release only a few games a week and I understand why you wouldn't want any nintendo titles the first week to overshadow the 3rd party games
Well, we have the original, downloadable content; now where's the solution to the memory problem? Well, I guess I can't hope for everything to be corrected immediately. Hopefully we'll see an update for that in the future.
This is pretty exciting news, even if the line-up ain't exactly amazing (well, at least for some of you; I'm perfectly fine with LostWinds). I see Nintendo's earnings skyrocketing with this and my own wallet emptying, but heck, I'm still happy. Now the question is, are we going to see updated versions of classic games like XBLA? Now, that would be amazing if we could get all that extra content for a one or two dollar download... eh, I'll hope as always.
Awesome job as always guys with vc-reviews; here's to your new site.
Now, which channel shall I delete to make room now...
@Mazero — I'm not going to try the other games because I don't spend my money on a whim. I only buy games I already know I like.
@ whalleywhat — Dr. Mario is awesome. It's certainly not a Tetris knock-off, unless you think all puzzle games that feature stuff falling downward are Tetris knock-offs (I don't).
What a bad week. None of the games interest me. I was expecting Dr. Mario but the fact that it isn't coming out plus no VC games makes this a lousy week in my eyes.
Correct me if I'm wrong but what dissapoints me the most is that there is not one Nintendo title on the launch list. As far as the double cross with the Dr. Mario part of the video on the Nintendo channel I agree. This economy has money extremely tight and I am interested in FF: MLaK but 1500 points? when I have to get Dr. Mario first none of these games will get my money until Dr. Mario drops it's been long enough we were teased on the VC and now on the WiiWare Launch pretty mean Nintendo thats an EA move (NHL as well as exclusive licensed sports not comign to Wii).
" understand why you wouldn't want any nintendo titles the first week to overshadow the 3rd party games"
You can see it that way or you can see it as how much faith do they really have in WiiWare if they need to save the most sought after titles for later. Which is what I'm seeign and questioning.
@jogurtthe Yogurt
I didn't say I would buy these. And I don't spend my money on a whim.
I think it looks like a great launch. There are already four games in it that I want. I'm really freakin excited. LostWinds is at the top of my list baby!
WTF?!
FFC is enough good reason to be happy for Wiiware Launch!
you whine way too much
Just wait a couple of weeks and you'll have the Earthbound game you've been waiting for so much... nintendo isnt going to give us every single little thing we want...
Wow, that sucks.
Oh well, I only really want My Nintendo Channel anyway (DS Downloads). I'm not too hopefull for the future of Wiiware, I'd rather a Sega Saturn VC to be honest.
I had hoped that Wiiware would become a forum for retro remakes and psedo-sequels of old classics (motion sensitive Space Channel 5? Wiimote pointer oriented Virtua Cop/ HOTD 1? A version of MK64 with course editor?).
I know those examples are a bit far fetched, but you get my point.
Instead, I fear Wiiware will simply be crammed full of cheap promotional games (eating contest?) and dodgy old flash games you wouldn't play for free on the net (that fish eat fish game (shudder)).
Shame.
Hinder sales. That is precisely why Nintendo don't bother with demos. As it is the freind code only free Dr.Mario is I feel a bit too generous (at least I think you can have multiple friend codes in there, we'll have to wait and see) and for me makes wanting to buy Dr.Mairo a 3rd time a low priority.
What I was going to say is most WiiWare games won't work as demos. Simply because you can enjoy too much of the game in a demo environment. How would you demo Star Soldier R? 2 minute mode only? That might be enough for some players.
Shame its not just 1500 points. If you want the full experiance you need to shell out another 800 on the three races (that are in the game already seeinhg as the download is 1 block...), another 300 for extra abilities, another 300 for dungeon pack 1 etc...
Digital downloads rarely if ever drop so you'll be waiting a long long time. No Wii shop games hsave droped in price (only raised, Opera from 0 to 500, TMNT from 500 to 600, Lords of Thunder from 600 to 800). So you could be in for a rather long wait, sorry.
"Shame its not just 1500 points. If you want the full experiance you need to shell out another 800 on the three races (that are in the game already seeinhg as the download is 1 block...), another 300 for extra abilities, another 300 for dungeon pack 1 etc..."
Well its good to have the option if you wanted it. There are many games where I would gladly pay for extra levels or characters.
Thinking of pop. Something about it looks great to me but i appear to be alone thinking that.
I think that the overall negative attitude expressed by a lot of people on this page is really one of the main things hurting video gaming as an industry and a culture in general. I can't believe the lack of willingness to give new, unfamiliar intellectual properties a chance. The obvious need that many people have to be spoon-fed some blog or magazine's idea of what is cool and worthwhile is disappointing. Maybe one of these games will be a Top 10 Most Awesome Game Period or something for 2008. Or maybe none of them will. But why such harsh attitudes? This reminds me of the fact that games like Earthbound and Disgaea weren't particularly coveted until they were gone from the mainstream market, thus gaining a "cult" status. And then everyone on the entire internet can't wait to tell you about how they pre-ordered Earthbound back in 1995 or how they've spent 1,000 hours on Disgaea to try and look cool to...who? People who read video game blogs a lot? I do, but it doesn't make me feel very cool.
Anyway, all I'm saying is, Dear Average Video Game Blog Commenter: grow up.
When is Europe getting Wiiware?
@Jace - well said!
@MrLopex - The 20th of May I believe. Its not WiiWare though, its "Wii Software"
"I can't believe the lack of willingness to give new, unfamiliar intellectual properties a chance. The obvious need that many people have to be spoon-fed some blog or magazine's idea of what is cool and worthwhile is disappointing."
I'm sure those of us who do try out series we are unfamilar with have gotten burned in the past by doing so. And with WiiWare games being non-refundable, I think its the safe option to let others who have played the games to tell us their views on it. There seems to be a lot of flash over substance these days - buying something just because it looks cool or has great graphics doesn't mean we will actually enjoy playing the game.
"Its not WiiWare though, its "Wii Software"
I think WiiWare will be what everyone will call it regardless if its called Wii Software in their region.
Agreed, it seems silly of NoE to give the service a different name. Doh! WiiWare is much more catchy.
I'm wondering... how will our Mondays look from now on after this Monday? In Japan, if more WW games come out one week, will they balance it out by reducing the amount of VC games for that week? And vice versa? Or do they try to release the same amount for each service? Or is there no relation at all?
And P.S.: @Jace, I pre-ordered Earthbound.
No Dr. Mario and or no Tetris=poor launch in my opinion since FFCC isn't anything like the GC one.
Neat, won't be too long now until we Europeans/Australians get in on the action. I'm intrigued to a few titles, namely some of the launch selection here and Strong Bad's Cool Game For Attractive People (which apparently isn't out for a few months yet).
FFCC and Pop are overpriced (like we knew they would be) and the Casino game sounds like a cash in. But LostWinds is great (I didnt think it'd be launch material since we didnt know the price) and Defend the Castle is a great value. Oh no, we didn't get Dr Mario Ver8 for launch. Whoopdiedo. Next you'll be complaining that we didn't get Pokemon Cash-in...I mean, Ranch, for launch. Stop complaining so much. When we finally get Earthbound, people will probably immediantly whine about Mother and Mother III.
I hate it when I close a tab before hitting replay...anyway at least I can make in concise:
Huh? It is WiiWare. Look
And if English isn't good enough
I'm guessing the confustion comes from the fact the old WiiWare (stuff like the photo channel) has been (or will be) moved into WiiSoftware (to avoid confusion).
True but there is a difference between stuff the should come with the game and extras.
The FFCC situation is like if Nintendo made Mario Kart but made you have to buy Peach, Donkey Kong and Yoshi trough the Wii Shop channel. 4 races is part of the heart of FFCC just like staple characters in the Mairo franchise is part of Mairo Kart. In both cases I feel ripped off. I wouldn't mind so much if FFCC came as a bare-bones game at a bare-bones price, but that isn't the case. Its the most expensive Wii shop item yet (hopfully ever).
@Objection_Blaster
What do you think of TV Show King?
Looks like a couple quality titles mixed in with a lot of filler
What a huge shock!
I mean, I never expected Nintendo to start a download service, promise a bunch of sick games, and then release over a painfully slow period of time amidst a ridiculous amount of filler! Completely unheard of!
PS: (@Jace) I ain't complaining about the service; I've been stoked on WiiWare since day one, and I love the idea of smaller developers getting the chance to take a crack at a platform which reaches millions. Just thought I'd put that in as to not be confused with, you know, all those, how did you eloquently put it? "Average" video game bloggers. Nah, I'd rather be on your team, with all the "extra ordinary, super charged, high powered, always in the right" video game bloggers. Son, I'm all grown up, and I didn't pre-order Earthbound, but I played it when it hit the US.
People, please read Jace's comment. It's the most intellegent one yet
I'm tired of all the complaining! I'm looking forward to playing Lost Winds and DYC. I anticipate Dr. Mario, but I understand the delays just like I understood Brawl's! Come on, people! Relax!
"The FFCC situation is like if Nintendo made Mario Kart but made you have to buy Peach, Donkey Kong and Yoshi trough the Wii Shop channel. 4 races is part of the heart of FFCC just like staple characters in the Mairo franchise is part of Mairo Kart. In both cases I feel ripped off. I wouldn't mind so much if FFCC came as a bare-bones game at a bare-bones price, but that isn't the case. Its the most expensive Wii shop item yet (hopfully ever)."
We'll see if the 1500 point FFCC is worth it bearing in mind that its a brand new game unlike N64 games. FFCC looks to have a lot more going on than any other WiiWare title. And for the downloadable characters, I say think of it this way: less characters equal less cost. Would you prefer all the races be included at the start but FFCC cost 2000 points instead? I think not.
@Mazero:
I have seen some screenshots of TV Show King and it could be pretty good. (I need to see a video of it.) You do get 3000 questions for your 1000 points, and I hope that there will be new questions later on as DLC. However, I only have 1 wiimote so i don't plan on getting it, as this is definately a multiplayer game.
@Mazero, I'm not saying you spend your money on a whim. Just that I don't. With regards to Jace's comment about not trying out these other games, it should be noted that everyone games differently. Everyone consumes cultural products differently. Some people buy stuff because it looks interesting and they want to see if they'll like it. Others buy stuff because they already know that they like it. 90% of VC games I have are games that I already owned on the original system. That consumption pattern will carry over to WiiWare, where I will buy Dr. Mario and Tetris. And it's perfectly valid.
People are bitching about five to fifteen bucks for a game? That's the price of a freaking rental or book. Grow up. If you are hurting because of fifteen bucks you need to look at all the crap you have in your house and get your finances in order because you have real problems to deal with.
I'll be picking up FF:CC on Monday (just bought my WiiPoints Card today), but I don't know how many points I have leftover from my last WiiPoints splurge (and it really is a "splurge" for me as I typically trade games on Goozex rather than purchase them at this point).
If I have 1000 points left, I'll pick up either LostWinds or TV Show King (as me and the friends have a hoot playing trivia games), but if I only have 500, I might just wait a bit and see what else is available in the coming weeks (or save them for the next WiiPoints splurge).
To those complaining about the launch and/or price points; don't buy the games if you don't want them. While it's obvious that Nintendo should cater to their fans and what they want, there are times that they are clueless as to what we actually do want. The best way to let them know that we're not happy with their release schedule is to not buy the games. With a lack of funds rolling in, Nintendo will get the hint, and release the games that will actually sell.
Also, one man's Earthbound is another man's Magic of Scheherazade (my favorite old-school game and most wanted VC game), so while a game might make you say "blech, what the hell?", to another gamer it might be the holy grail they were looking for all along.
Brian J. Blottie
-Gonna be rocking the WiiWare for awhile.
"I can't believe the lack of willingness to give new, unfamiliar intellectual properties a chance."(Jace)
I don't think people are necessarily unwilling. They would be willing to give it a try if it was free to try like XBLA. It isn't free to try and watching a video isn't the same as trying it out. Unlike retail games you can't rent the game or resell if you buy. As a result you are essentially blindly, gambling your money by trying these unfamiliar games.
I think the reason why a lot of people are mad is because they were expecting Dr. Mario to be a launch title and it isn't. There are a lot of other titles announced that are not available at launch and with Nintendo's history of creating bottlenecks with vc releases it may be a long time before we see these other games. Naturally, people who don't see an anticipated game in the launch list are disappointed by the long wait that is yet to come.
I'm very happy with this line-up, I don't know what you people are all whining about.
I'll definitely be checking out LostWinds and FFCC. I'm on the fence about Defend Your Castle and Pop. I probably won't knock V.I.P. Casino or TV Show King, but it's not bad to have variety.
I'm also glad that Nintendo didn't release any of their games for launch. I think it's nice for them to give the other companies a chance.
@ Jace
i'll try anything if its free.
unfortunately games aren't free, which is why people must pick and choose carefully.
and this is affecting our culture in general?
the lack of willingness to try new things is exemplified throughout history, its nothing new.
@ MisterSmith
i'm whining because Nintendo promised Dr. Mario to be a launch title.
other than that, i think FFCC, Lost Winds, V.I.P. Casino can hold me over to the next WiiWare update.
and people should buy V.I.P. Casino Blackjack just to support High Voltage Software.
their support for the Wii is unmatched, and hopefully they produce a lot of good games.
I never liked Dr. Mario so I could careless. FFCC takes up to much blocks so I won't download it. I just want the Eating Competition game. I don't think the launch line-up is as week as people say though. You got FFCC in there and this Lost Winds which everbody is hyped about (but I don't care about).
I am shocked at the price of that "Pop" game though. I mean WOW! You are paying $7 to pop bubbles which you could do for free on the internet via flash game. I think that price is digusting and the Castle Defenders should go for $7 and the Pop game go for $7.
Not that I care though I am not interested. I think there should be demos though for these games. The prices of these games are mostly around $10 which is a lot of money to gamble. Especially with the economy right now. The Wii lacks memory and its becoming a horrible problem for me. Until Nintendo solves that issue I will be playing GTAIV. And still will be waiting for the Eating Competition game. Although the Game Show game looks interesting.
Thats the end of my rant. You can't have your cake and eat it too. You have FFCC and maybe next week Mario will come =).
@x.SuperMario.x
Where did Nintendo confirm Dr. Mario Online Rx for the US WiiWare launch? Nothing was confirmed officially as a launch title until this press release was posted.
Where's Gyrostarr? Or Toki Tori? How about Star Soldier R? Critter Round-up? Where did V.I.P. Casino come from? TONS of titles that were speculated or otherwise 'announced' for launch on WiiWare aren't on this list.
http://www.nintendowiifanboy.com/2008/05/06/nintendo-holding-back-wiiware-launch-list/
Even the game makers are pretty much out of the loop, when it comes to game launches.
Besides, Nintendo DID say they were going to stagger WiiWare in the U.S. a little bit more, unlike in Japan. With the exception of the March 25th launch, only two titles have come out (Puzzloop in April and Block Breaker in April).
In Reggie's words a 'Virtual Console' approach
http://www.nintendowiifanboy.com/2008/04/24/u-s-wiiware-not-on-the-same-monthly-release-schedule-as-japan/
So Dr. Mario could be the following week, for all we know.
@ MisterSmith
read comments #52, and #54.
thats how Dr. Mario was confirmed.
@ChocoDK
Major League Eating on WiiWare is for after you work up an appetite playing Wii Fit.
While i do agree that the final fantas title is a ripoff but i still be downloading it .
But what gets me is people complaining about the price of pop for example 700 points .
Um i thing thats a great deal simple cheap & great .
If people really want to complain about
cast they should move here in Australia where games (Physical media) coast about 3 & a half times as compared & they expand across all title just about .
The only reason that they can get away with it is because people are willing enough to buy them (including myself).
I wouldn't be suprise to see the same thing happen with Wiiware for which me myself happy for .
So to Nintendo with Wiiware 10 thumbs up from me
Honestly, I don't think this is too bad. I think that Final Fantasy will be worth the money.
Most of these look to be garbage and priced way too high, especially without demos. I'd rather have seen Earthbound on VC.
@ aichpvee
whatever floats your boat.
and surely everyone would like to see Earthbound on the VC.
this is the sorriest list of launch titles ever i might as well go buy a JAGUAR suck it nintendo
Well i checked the IGN website and that we will get Dr. Mario Online RX and Star Soldier R next week on the 19th of May!.. i wish it came out tomorrow though on the wiiware launch.
IGN Dr. Mario Online Rx: http://wii.ign.com/objects/142/14209904.html
IGN: Star Soldier R: http://wii.ign.com/objects/142/14209913.html
The WiiWare launch lineup isn't exactly great and the games are overpriced, but at least you have variety. It's a good thing to have original content on the WiiWare, whereas some people give these games a chance. Since Dr. Mario Online Rx will come out next week, can't we just be patient? Nintendo can't please everyone, but complaining doesn't help either. I don't like to complain, even though I get disappointed with particular games that need a release on VC. Just relax...
Overall I am still more interested in the VC than Wii Ware. I was hoping Star Soldier would come out at launch. I do have to agree with Jace though. Once the Wii ware library builds up it will be good.
The guys at IGN love Lost winds. It may the diamond in the rough.
Anyway I hope NOA brings 4 VC games next week.
WIIWARE IS OUT NOW!!!!!!!!!
I'd be happy for both of our regions to play catch up to each other, releasing games that the other region already has.
Point me to this free flash game, please? I'm quite curious as to why you've belitled a score attack puzzle game to just popping bubbles. I could say Tetris is just about making blocks fall but that would be missing the point of the game entirely.
@ Jace I couldn't agree more
I find it hard to understand the bemoaning of the lack of demos of these games. I can't remember a time in the history of video games before now where I was able to play a demo of a game before purchasing it. However I do recall getting a free video cassette with a Nintendo magazine back in the day promoting Donkey Kong Country and thinking 'that looks amazing!', I equally brought game magazines and would read a review of a game and think it appealed, not to mention being introduced to titles such as Zelda around a friends house.
From what I have read, titles such as LostWinds sound truly interesting, whereas My Life as a King may have dwindled slightly in my interest the more I have heard about it.
I for one am interested to see how some of these unique titles might influence bigger games, allowing a broader range of software to be created for the platform.
And just because game 'x' wasn't in the launch set of games and might have to wait additional week or two?... be thankful you don't live in Europe or Australia.
I for one can't wait to read the reviews about these titles and get a better idea of what they are like.
☻ NEWS: Nintendo releases new luke-warm service to release newly developed luke-warm titles in lieu of releasing classic luke-warm titles in lieu of classic VC blockbuster titles fans still sit on the edge of their chairs biting their nails expecting. Stay tuned!
Nintendo shot my dog and stole my car!
I hate them!
Great, it's taken over a year, but I'm finally in the same boat as most of the rest of you:
"This software requires 259 open blocks in your Wii system memory. You do not have enough open blocks to download this software."
Sorry Lost Winds and the rest of Wii Ware, you looked fun.
Here is a list of blocks for the launch Wiiware (swiped from a comment on gonintendo, http://gonintendo.com/?p=42685#comment-1887446
LostWinds: 259 blocks
Pop: 110 blocks
Defend your Castle: 121 blocks
TV Quiz: 290 blocks
Black Jack: 207 blocks
Just realised FF isn't on that list.
@ Adam: Why is it so hard to temporarily delete channels or VC games you don't need right now for space?
Yeah, it sucks to have to move games around, but I'm definitely done playing some of my VC games for the moment, so it's not so bad to delete them (and download again later free) or to move them onto my SD card. Of course I still hope for a reasonably priced solution that doesn't require moving anything.
Yay wiiware! Now give me my Earthbound! Seriously though I am with everyone on that now i am going to need to delete more VC games to make room for Wiiware.
WiiWare= no VC update was very precictible. It´s no surprise Nintendo decided to hold back the retro-games in order to put spotlight on the new.
Yeah, Europe had a great update last friday, but I´m sure history will repeat when we get Wii software. Fair enough I guess. Besides, Lost Winds might just be good ^^
Well, at least we get Dr. Mario next week.
There should have been a single crappy NES game at least.
@Starwolf_UK: Point me to this free flash game, please? I'm quite curious as to why you've belitled a score attack puzzle game to just popping bubbles. I could say Tetris is just about making blocks fall but that would be missing the point of the game entirely.
Tetris is an addicting classic IMHO. If people choose to pay $7 for Pop then fine with me and if they enjoy it all the better. I admit though when I wrote that comment I was wrong with what I thought the game was. However, I still don't think it is worth $7 and I don't have the blocks for it anyways.
i wish nintendo were more focused. -memory/energy storage should have been addressd at least 2nd quartr of release --VC is lacking. they should let UK purchase from US + US from JP ect. it is 'Points' after all, the currency is the same!!![?]
For those that have downloaded Final Fantasy and Lost Winds:
1.) Which one do you prefer (if you could only download one game)?
2.) Final Fanatsy: What's the deal with the "added content" and which of these (if any) would make sense to download right away?
Thanks!
@rkish I've been looking at/reading/thinking about getting FF, and to me the only DLC that would make sense to purchase as of "right now" would probably be the dungeon pack, as most others seem to be "cosmetic."
When is Wiiware World and/or reviews for these games going to be up? I'm in no rush to buy these games, I'm just curious.
Hey VC-Reviews staff, do you see what happens when you don't post a new news item for a while? Everyone starts arguing!
Hey everyone, it's only WEEK ONE of Wiiware. If they plan on coming out with games every week, I can understand why they didn't release everything this week. Do you know what this boils down to? Lack of patience. So what if the game you wanted doesn't come out this week? You'll just be getting it a couple weeks later, and by the time you've finished playing with it you will have played for a couple weeks past when you would have been finished with it had it come out earlier. This goes for the Virtual Console as well.
And, quite frankly, I don't think this is a bad launch. 6 new games in one week. I don't spend a lot of Wii points, but FF: CC, LostWinds, Defend Your Castle, Pop, and TV Show King all look like things I might be interested in. The first two speak for themselves. Concerning Defend Your Castle, I find chucking enemy soldiers into the sky with the Wiimote irresistable. And Pop looks interesting. I'm waiting for the reviews. I could care less about demos as long as I have a few people who's opinions I respect give the game in question a good review.
As much as a lot of the WiiWare games look fun and all, I can't see myself paying 500 points to play these games when i can go and play a flash version that's already been developed for free. I won't deny that these game add a different twist or show improvements on the previous games it's just how long can one really play defend the castle or sit and point at a screen pointing and clicking on bubbles. The game play just doesn't have my vote yet, but being a hardcore nintendo fan I'm sure they'll find a way to get my attention. On another note if your looking for a WiiWare type game go out and get Boom Blox, it's amazingly addictive.
I don't feel attracted to any of these titles. Maybe Dr. Mario...
I hope this gets really good things in the future, so far looks weak.
I'm with NESgamer and Faithful Dragon, at least the EU launch will have 2 that I'm after...
Dr. Mario.
Star Soldier R.
Toki Tori.
Final Fantasy.
Lostwinds.
Pirates.
T.V Show King.
& PoP.
I was really surprised TV Show King came with the launch... Wasn't expecting it at all. I think the launch could've been a bit better and why they didn't include Dr. Mario: Online Rx is beyond me (even though I'm not getting it).
In any case, I can't wait for next week!
Ok, heres what i checked so far and here are some release dates on the IGN website i looked at and hopefully they are true and confirmed as well... here are the wiiware games that will come out next week on the 19th of May in the WiiWare channel hopefully...
Dr. Mario
Star Soldier R
Toki Tori
Gyrostarr
World of Goo
Yep yep, I was aware of these already. Looking forward to see how people respond to World of Goo. I srsly hope it's not 2000 Points, otherwise, I'd consider getting it. But 2000 is a turn-off for me.
That being said, I hope to get Gyrostarr next week and I was considering Star Soldier R before.
@Kenji Can you provide alink to where you read that?
That seems like more games than they'll give. Probably 2 more Wiiware next week and 1-2 VC titles IMO. I am passing on Dr Mario, Star Soldier R, and Toki Tori but am veryu interested in both Gyrostarr and World of Goo (which I heard was a fall release actually) We'll see in 6 days!
@Tides
the site is up
@OB: It's on IGN's "US Release Date Revision" article on the main page for Wii. It's hard to miss.
And yes, we WILL see soon enough! Can't wait to see World of Good and if they decided to go for a 200-point price tag which I'm hoping they didn't/don't... But anyway, Gyrostarr ftw!
CAUTION:
Before you spend money on these, please remember that the word rhymes with "Beware."
Only if you put the emphasis on the first syllable of "beware", and it's not pronounced "Bee-ware".
Please let there be some new VC news today, its been days! Im goin crazy!!!!
Try putting the emphasis on the second syllable: Wii-WARE!
I know what you mean about the posting Will. No news is bad news in my opinion. I'll check on the Virtual Console tomorrow morning before work to determine whether I'm buying points tomorrow after work. lol Amen for European releases on a Friday!
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