how would it know that you helped someone get online

Now I just need to find 20 friends with Wiis that don't have internet...

what if you dont have friends >_>

NOA better bring this for us! That'd be awsome. So many games I haven't downloaded on vc. Now I'm not so sure that I should buy anymore of the Nintendo console games till this comes out (I've been thinking of Super Metroid for awhile. Guess it may be awhile longer).

Edit- LOL! I just noticed everyone who's commented so far is from America.
Would that be considered ironic considering it hasn't been announced for us? If not it's definatly funny, to me anyways.

Wasn't this announced months ago?

It said on the website that when you reach 20, you can download Third party games for the NES, SNES and N64 for free as well as Nintendo games.

This is a great feature. I'll look for Internet less Wii-friends

@Drake - It did? That is weird as from what I can see on the official NOE UK site, it says First and Third Party. Also, do you know how the system works in Japan?

I have only 1 internet-less friend...but I cant help him get WIFI...anyway, nice promotion. It'll be interesting to see how succcessful people are at taking advantage of it.

Stupid countries/continents...lol...jk. XD
What about US?!

This would have been great news, 3 years ago.

@Machu - I'm sending NOE an email to see whether this will work retroactively

EDIT: Sent it. Now we Wait

Man this is excellent! But at the same time stoopid! I have got all my friends to get Wii's allready, and all my family members, and I'm pretty sure they have connected to the net =( Annoying! >.< What exactly do you have to do, make them download a game, or just connect to a router? Does sending them WiiWare/VC games count too? =)

Wow, Nintendo REALLY wants people online.

@Drake - If it's that simple, then would it work for those who we've gotten connected to the Wii in the past? Also, is that the same area where you enter the code for the Wiispeak channel?

wow, crazy promotion. I'm really not so sure if NA is going to have something similar. Would create a frenzied atmosphere of recruitment.

How do they know that you connected friends?

I think I know 1 person with a wii who isn't connected, but they don't have broadband at all, looks like I wont be getting any free games then.

I remember reading about this on a Japanese news blog but as I could only find one reference to it on the whole of the internet I assumed it was a hoax.
I'd be surprised if they can offer 3rd party games though but then if only 5 people in the whole of Japan have qualified then its a pretty nothing promotion.

@joeshabadoo- Yeah. knowing NOA, they'll probably suck and not do this. Wouldn't wan't to do anything too cool over here right?

Pretty cool and it's just a pity that I don't know anyone with a Wii console that isn't already online with it.

That's the thing really, they know they'll give away many 500 points for people connecting one or two friends who don't know better, but I'll be surprised if we ever see more than 5 Platinum people in the UK

Wow. EVERY NES, SNES and N64 game for free?

So who needs help

@Drake - I was thinking of the "Wii Download Ticket" area, which sounds like the one your talking about as well.

I'm just thinking though, would they be able to tell if someone entered a code for your Wii even if they've been on ages? I'm not sure as I can't tell if Nintendo monitors this (Individual users that is, not how many altogether) or if there's something on the Wii which tells them this and makes them ineligible for the promotion, Like those daily reports in the Wii message board which tell us what you've played or maybe (If they have it) data from the Nintendo channel. I'm over-analysing this, we'll find out soon enough I guess.

nice promo, but I still thinking bundling 500 points with every wii or with every sports resort or wii fit plus would get more people online, especially reaching other demographics

What is the total value of all games on the vc? could be worth it to buy 20 systems, sell those around christmas time and break even/take a slight loss.

Actually, now that I think about it...

Nintendo could save all the hassle by just making all those games free anyway, to everyone (as they said they were going to be back in the day anyway), and then advertising this amazing fact on a couple of tv and cinema ads and on the box of the console itself etc.

I'm pretty sure that would get pretty much everyone who bought or is going to buy the console to go online and would make far more people happy than the small handful of people who are ever going to be able to get enough other people online to make this worthwhile.

Mind you...I suppose that's where Nintendo wins with the current setup...It sounds really good that it might be possible to get all those games for free but only a small handful of people will ever be able to take advantage of the offer and the rest of us will be stuck paying the over the top prices for these old games.

Ah well.

Congrats to those few people who actually benefit from this.

In this way, we're doing the advertising for them.

Nintendo could save all the hassle by just making all those games free anyway, to everyone (as they said they were going to be back in the day anyway), and then advertising this amazing fact on a couple of tv and cinema ads and on the box of the console itself etc.

Yes they could also save a lot of hassle by letting people just grab Wiis out of their warehouses without charging money.

Realistically the number of people who can reach the 20 helped count is extremely small, with the 500 point bounty everybody's going to hunt for people to help so you have to be fast to get in first, especially in 20 separate cases. It looks to me like a distant reward that motivates people but almost noone will ever reach.

Giving the games for free to everyone would undermine the whole point of getting all those people online in first place, to get them to buy more games!

I don't know anyone else with a Wii to help get online.

WHY OH WHY IS THIS NOT A U.S. DEAL?!

@bro2dragons: You got the metal casing for Metroid Prime Trilogy... Don't be greedy...!

@brotodragons- WORD!

How to get them on the Wii console?

i dont get it....how will it going to work?

just add them on my friends list, or what??

and by "all" you mean ALL? like all of them forever?

Now if Nintendo of America begins to follow suit on this offer. Of course those who paid 500 Wii points on the Internet channel are already getting a compensated offer.

@dimpap28 touche

Even if NOA offered us this promotion, it would be pointless for a lot of people because they've already bought all the games they wanted.

Edit:Also, sinse Nintendo's being so generous with it's first party titles, why not offer up Mario All-Stars soon. I would assume if you're ready to start giving away games that this would be a viable release now.

Too bad most people on campus don't even play video games.

What is the total value of all games on the vc? could be worth it to buy 20 systems, sell those around christmas time and break even/take a slight loss.
I did the maths for Japan and it works out that if you're losing more than 3000¥ per system then you would be better off just buying the entire Wii shop anyway. Personally, its best not to bother or feel bad if you can't register a million people (I seem to remember in Japan it having some crazy timeframe like the it was 3 months from when you first connected to the Wii Shop)

Help 20 people get there Wii's online? Thats mission imposable and Nintendo know it. But its a good Marketing stunt.

i don't even have 20 friends with a wii

I got a reply from the email I sent. Nothing useful was told. All they said was that further details would be released closer to the program's launch.

@Terra: Retroactive awards seem unlikely as there is no proof. The new system will probably involve an invite system that will go via NoE. You send an invite, it gets logged, the invited connects to wfc for the first time, thus completing the process and earning some points. It is a shame, because I would have acquired about 5000 free points by now, if this had been active since launch. Oh well.

But thanks for putting the effort in dude.

WHAT THE EFF!!

I'm jealous. this also gives us two possiblilities in North America:
1) NOA denies such a thing would ever come to America, either while being patronizing or outright dickish. NOA then does the exact same as NOE and Nintendo Japan 4 months later.
2) NOA notices it has to do with both the virtual console and people doing stuff on their Wii that doesn't require buying a new peripheral, which gives it 2 strikes. Fans ask for them to do this, which is the third strike, and it doesn't happen.

...nooo, I'm not jaded at all. But if they actually do it, color me surprised.

I wonder if you could just connect the console online, format it, and do it again. That would be fun.

@Machu - No probs. Regarding the system, Drake described how then Japanese system works above so I'm betting it will be similar to that.

We need some more info on this offer. I reckon I can find at least 10 people with a Wii (Maybe not all of them having been completely offline but we'll see what Nintendo say).

Nice thing but I don't even know one person with a Wii
Well I think I gotta go to different forums to get at least 2 or 3 guys...

@Terra: Ah right, that's a bit more str8 forward than my suggestion.

Finally, a Pyramid / Ponzi scheme that actually benefits everyone invovled!

@50.Adam I wondered the same thing but I don't think it'll work. Nintendo wouldn't do this if you could cheat that easy.

if NOA does this I'm going to be SOOO happy

What about AMERICA!?!
AMERICANS WANTS ONE TOO!

"You got the metal casing for Metroid Prime Trilogy... Don't be greedy...!"

Oh wow, a metal casing! That's so much better than a crapload of free games!!

... Seriously? A metal casing? Who gives a ****? It's just a case. Big deal. Free games > a case any day.

Does Nintendo forget that Americans buy the damn Wii too? What are we clams?
Whatever I'm so tired of being left out with Nintendo it doesn't even matter anymore. Oh and by the way I've got 2 of my freinds online. I think us Americans keep our Wii's on the internet so I'm assuming thats why we Dont get special treatment.

Even Nintendo Power magazine stopped with their sweepstakes in America. Geeze..

So, how the heck are they supposed to prove that they assisted in getting it online? Have the person write a signed affidavit? :

20 FRIENDS?!? Im lucky to have my two right now

Everyone i know have a wii already, lol and ive already bought about 100 vc games... just don't see how this is gonna work, buy and trade in 20 new wii consoles...

@odd69 - same. My Wii gets so much less love than my PS3 for exactly this reason--I don't remember the last time NoA really made me feel like I mattered for anything as a consumer.

Maybe spent your free time catching new buyers and pay them 5 euro for the 500 wii points. Think you then will be able, sadly only know i friend with a wii which isn't only but I can get hooked.

Wow,

and this would be perfect. I have so many fiends that have yet to learn the Wii CAN go online,

How does this work. Do they just enter your freind code if they ask you who got you on the wii internet?

Why doesn't NOA do this? A good reason to complain.

I just hooked up my friends internet last week...

Edit: Oh, it's NOA only.

My question is, how long do they have to be connected??? Brings wireless router to wii friends houses Hehe!

@Aviator: Word!

What if we could format a wii?

all NES,SNES, and N64 games FREE.......wow im going to go and!!!..... im in america...

stares at the whole offer
/bittersweet/ YAAAAAAAA!!!
I would SO take advantage of this offer! (Plus, I would have plenty of points left over in case Donkey Kart Smash Bound Island comes!)
...I wonder if I would be the only Puerto Rican to enter this sceme... However... this sound a lot like those pyramid schemes that collapse for no reason... (If I participate, how am I going to pay back Nintendo?)

...then again, people in this site HAVE been talking a lot about how few people actually have Internet-connected Wii systems... Also, if you manage to convince your clients to buy from Virtual Console, Nintendo of America would notice and bring out more Virtual Console releases!

...but still, Club of Nintendo got kinks in America, so this offer may get kinks as well...

By the way, had you fully fulfilled this trick, you would have 10,000 NP!

For everyone asking "how does this work":

IT DOESN'T. It's a publicity stunt by nintendo that nobody will actually be able to achieve. As Drake said only 5 people in the whole of Japan have actually achieved it and they probably bought 20 Wii's to do so.

Not worth getting excited about bar the 500 points you might be able to get taking a new Wii owner online.

Europe is actually getting this? If we don't get this here, I'll be even more ticked.

Will this work in Australia too? We are practically the same (we both have PAL formats) WOW! EVERY SNES, NES AND N64 GAME FREE!!!!!!

That would 347 euro of nes
303 euro of snes games
172 euro of n64 games

Total value for the person who gets it (and didn't buy any Nintendo based games) would be 822 euro.

At least 3 wii's you can buy yourself.

It does seem a little strange. They didn't even tell us how it all works and how we get free points.

Ah well. I'm in Australia. No need to worry about people around me getting free games (apparantly).

Oh..................my.................gosh.

Love working in the retail industry. As I sell Wii consoles, it should be a snap to help people get online. = ) Love it!

Bring the initiative to Australia, Ninty! Pweez?

Mario Maniac, if it was that easy wouldn't you think that more than 5 people in the whole of Japan would have done it by now?

So... 31 free games and 5,000 free points for 10 friends! And 308 free games and 10,000 free points for 20 friends... How many friends do I have who own a Wii and need help connecting to the net? About 2-3.... Hmmmmm... I mite have a problem!

I don't have that many friends with a Wii, and the ones that do have one are already hooked up to the internet unfortunately.

All the ppl I know are either on-line or have too much wireless security to allow them to be on-line. We've already discussed this in other words. Too late for me.