Bummed about how crappy Nintendo of America seems to treat Channels and the Virtual Console? Aren't we all.
The Gamebag was so bummed they emailed Nintendo. When queried about the slowed VC support, a customer service rep replied with what we've all seen coming but hoped wasn't true.
We understand your concern about the lack of service on the VC as of late. Due to sales numbers being far greater recently on WiiWare than on Virtual Console, we have decided to steer in the direction of WiiWare.
Also, we in America have NO plans to update the Internet Channel or the Nintendo Channel. We hope you understand.
While a customer service rep may not sound like the most reliable source, they're trained to follow company policy, and it's pretty apparent by the lack of VC releases in the US for the past two weeks, and its very spotty release schedule otherwise, that Nintendo may be slowing down the service. Still, some things are peculiar about this policy.
It seems very odd to blame the low sales of a service that has zero marketing push behind it, apart from a weekly email to people that have already registered with Nintendo through their Web site. Half of the Punch-Out!! marketing campaign seems to lean towards the nostalgic, so why not tell people the old one is there for 500 points? Pull an Apple and advertise on TV what cool things you can download onto Wii.
And where is the support for VC Arcade?
As for not updating the channels, well, it seems to always be company policy to deny everything until a week after release, so who knows when that might happen. Videos and demos are still updated every week, so it's not like the company has completely abandoned their self-named channel.
Mountains of salt here, folks.
[source gonintendo.com]
Comments (208)
We knew this was coming so it's really no surprise. WiiWare and DSiWare are selling quite well and Nintendo want's to focus on them.
Wow. I hate Nintendo now.
They only care about the money.
It's strange that this would surface from a CSR, and not a more authoritative source. I know they're trained to follow protocol, but still. I won't be surprised when a more official statement is released to walk this one back a bit.
@E-160: Well, yeah.
What a waste of potential. I buy way more VC games than Wii Ware. Hopefully they will see the mistake theyre making. Probably not. They're idiots!
Bring on "Go! Go! Cookie Maker!" and other craptastic wii ware games.
SELL OUTS!
Nintendo's customers are morons. Know why? Several reasons:
1) Some of them are graphics whores. They just glance at VC and skip it because the graphics are pixels. (If they're graphics whores though, they should just get an XBOX 360 or a PS3.)
2) Some of them are only interested in games that use motion control.
3) Some of them are just full-blown retards who don't buy "old games from obsolete systems", they just simply look for the next new thing: You have no idea how much I loathe those people.
Where there's a big rich company, there is a hardcore audience. And one way or another, the hardcore audience is left forgotten in favor of... MONEY!
I think on IGN voice chat they said it's a very questionable claim that this is a real reply. A real CSR would likely just say "we have not announced anything".
@Vendetta: agreed... it wouldn't be the first time a higher Nintendo source had to step in and correct a misinformed representative's statement.
@KDR: you're right... that definite, capitalized 'NO' is not something I would ever expect to see in a CSR response. :/
Nooooooo!! Dont let the VC fire burn out!!
I wonder if this will affect VC on DSi
That doesn't really sound like a typical Nintendo email though. It is way too straight forward in answering the question, as opposed to the normal dodgy tone Nintendo always takes. Not to mention, it sounds incredibly amateurish. "We in America"? I have never seen an official response worded so simple. It is always Nintendo of America (c) or something along those lines. I would not be surprised if this was something the site author just made up to increase traffic.
Although, the only thing left on VC I'm at all interested in are the Arcade titles. Most of the other big time retro games have already been released that I was interested in. Bring on the Wiiware!
@KDR_11k: I hope you're right. Then again, IGN can't really be trusted. They were the guys who stuffed The Conduit with hype.
Virtual Console...I wish that it wouldn't die. If it had been better managed in the last year or so, there'd be more interest and thus more sales. So really, Nintendo has brought this on itself. ADVERTISE!
I don't think this is too much of a problem. There are plenty of other titles on Wii and WiiWare, and there is already a massive catalogue on the Virtual Console - if I want a new game, I can go on the VC and pick one out to play. And, this might shock you, but I'm not the only person who can do that.
Assuming this is an actual response from Nintendo, that is.
I doubt this is true, there is no official evidence to back this up either. I just can't pull myself to take this article seriously.
On the other hand, the biggest reason for my Wii purchace was the Virtual Console. If NOA really is doing this, they are being douchebags to us VC fans plain and simple.
I am surprised more people buy WiiWare more than VC. Personally, I have around 40 VC games, and maybe 10 WiiWare. The VC games are just a lot better.
@Objection_Blaster: Exactly. It's Nintendo's fault (partly, anyway), they need to advertise!
It's a sad day in Nintendo history
I think we should try to buy more VC games, and get our friends to buy VC games. Maybe that could change everything.
That's a very incendiary title
True, for every WiiWare game you buy, try to buy at least 2 VC games.
Adding to my previous post, we should buy more C64 and VCA games in particular. They have barely any support over here.
No further comment needed.
Is this just for America or America and Europe or WorldWide?
@KDR_11k:
"We in America" is also a darned clunky, screamingly informal thing to include in an official reply. It sounds to me like somebody is trying to rile up the NA region for the sake of giggles, because a phrase like "we in America" is just rubbing it in that OTHER regions are getting it, it's just that YOU POOR LOSERS will not. Nintendo is sharing its candy with THEM and not with YOU. Also: HA HA HA HA.
Which is not professional, not the way Nintendo (or anyone in their right mind) usually phrases things, and doesn't do either the company or its consumers any favors whatsoever.
Something about it doesn't check out, as far as I'm concerned. If other people are still getting the same old form letter we've seen for 2 years when they ask similar questions, why is this ONE so markedly different?
@Wiiperson11: Given the email is from Nintendo, it's only for America
@Blaze: Well, if the VC sales increase, Nintendo might give the VC at least a LITTLE more support, considering that they only care about money.
I've changed the headline to sound less like the VC is being eliminated, that was not the original intention.
@Chicken: You've hit the nail on the head. This could be some jackass trying to get some LOLZ.
Bah.
This is amusing considering that VC are old games, and a lot of the time, one has already sold millions of copy's. So the fact that it sells less, compared to things that have never seen the light of day is obvious. Now, what bothers me more is, nintendo do not produce Wiiware titles. So how can they focus on that, when they have clearly stated, they wish not to make wiiware titles. (I get they make a % of every sale on the service, but still.)
Wasn't there a post that said the same thing as mine?
It said, "I smell a fake, Chicken is right."
I highly doubt Wii Ware profits will soar high forever with the amount of shovelware on the service. But I will say this move to phase out the VC will alienate loyal fans. It will be hard to trust Nintendo again the next time they hype their latest and greatest system or service. The only way to know if this email is true is to see what the VC schedule is like over the next month or so.
@Tony: Read Post #9 for a minute...
I have three times more VC games than WiiWare games!! What's wrong with you Nintendo!?!
I won't go so far as to assume that the message is a fraud... yet. Yes, it's poorly written and doesn't send a very corporate, sanitized message - but I can say from personal experience that I've received far worse from some pretty big companies. I know I'm not alone in that. These are contact center reps here - they don't receive media training. And there is a chance that the sender did not identify himself as a member of the "press."
Whether or not the email is legit, the message should be taken with more than a few grains of salt.
Like Corbie said, no surprise. A bit of a dissapointment, though. VC has been a great thing with even greater potential. Nintendo think they can force Wii Ware on me? Hmpf.
All I can do is echo the caption.
Don't die, VC.
The VC sales can't be that bad if Square Enix decided to bring the Final Fantasy series to it.
BTW, I think that email is a hoax. Everyone else that emails Nintendo gets a response that says "We are averaging 10 VC titles a month". I think it's just some fanboys trying to start a huge internet rumor.
@Brooks 83
I got the same "average 10 title per month" response last week as well. That is why I am a little skeptical of this email.
I think Nintendo's got WAY too many games to be updating atm. They have WiiWare, all the systems on the VC, and now DSiWare, so they've got too many things to update. They need to scale back, and it looks like the VC is getting booted slowly as the inferior sales device.
Funnily enough, I haven't bought a single WiiWare game since World of Goo came out all that time ago. Whereas with the VC I just recently bought Majora's Mask. And DSiWare is just out of the question for me.
I don't know why we don't just get a set list of games each month like Japan does. Why not make it like 5-6 WiiWare games, 6-8 VC games, and 5-6 DSiWare games each and every month. They don't have to tell us even before they launch them either. Just make a damn pattern and I'm fine.
Shoud I get NES Ice Hockey or Blade of Steel?
i smell BS here...
why would they? system is standing, and it's almost free money!
even if they make just littel money on VC, it's stil worth it.
why you think other companies like that format too?
What raises my suspicions is the very assumption that VC games sell worse than Wiiware games. Although we are not privy to sales figures, I find it highly doubtful that the average Wiiware game can match the average VC game in sales.
Pretty annoyed here, actually. While WiiWare has its own share of gems like Swords & Soldiers, Alien Crush Returns, the Final Fantasy games, and Onslaught/Water Warfare, the Virtual Console is really where the Wii Shop Channel shines.
And, seriously, we just need more channels available for download.
Yawn. There's no more chance that the VC will die than they'll kill off Mario in Super Mario Galaxy 2.
E-Mail's obviously a fake, I e-mailed them myself and I'm expecting a pre-made reply, nothing like this idiot's made up. I'll let you know when I get the reply.
@Wayne23--Both are great games, I would probably give the slight edge to NES Ice Hockey.
It's interesting to hear that Nintendo is slowing down their VC service but Sony now wants a part of the action. Check out this link
http://www.1up.com/do/blogEntry?bId=8999707&publicUserId=5976052
I don't think they'd ever get rid of the VC, but all I'm saying is why can't they just make a set pattern? Their randomness bothers me to no end.
I'd say the okay pattern would be switch between WiiWare and VC updates, and update at least three games at a time, unless its something BIG.
I smell trouble!
I sent an email to Nintendo several days ago when I first saw this email, but have yet to get a reply. It doesn't sound like a Nintendo customer support email to me and that's why I never posted news about it.
But let's also remember, the VC support has been winding down for some time and I don't see that trend changing anytime soon. I think we'll see a VC release about once a month or so from here on out, at least as long as Nintendo is focusing on WiiWare and DSiWare.
51. beastman93
"Why not make it like 5-6 WiiWare games, 6-8 VC games, and 5-6 DSiWare games each and every month. They don't have to tell us even before they launch them either. Just make a damn pattern and I'm fine."
I agree that they should tell us for each month, I really don't like being shot down every monday morning by the failure of DSiware.
Man... Looks like the veterans are left in the dust. The VC was the only reason I kept the Wii at one point. Without StarFox 64, Super Mario RPG, and a few others, I would have sold the system a long time ago (probably regretting it too since I still love to play Smash Bros. from time to time).
Don't ignore the games and systems that made Nintendo successful in the first place! Jeez... (And yes, they're updating too much at once.) Focusing on WiiWare is nice for new developers that may make something worthwhile (still waiting on Nyxquest in NA), but it's mostly...ick on WW (imo).
This stinks!
if nintendo are droping VC support because of poor sales. they have themselves to blame. simply because the 3rd party support for the VC is seriously flat on the ground and nintendo obviously doesn`t want to share out the money with other games developers other than the companies who own each respective console.
i understand licensing can be an issue, but it can`t be too hard to sort something out, especialy as the wii is a certified money maker. all nintendo need to do is flash the cash and anybody will be on board.
Just because it's a lie doesn't mean it's not true.
Also, I don't think you can blame Nintendo's lack of VC marketing. How bad would it look to be advertising old games instead of new ones? Nintendo would become a laughing stock.
Of course, there are few costs to running the service, all of which I'm sure are paid for by even mediocre sales, so why not just release one a week? They could always release more games that aren't utter garbage if they want sales to increase, but maybe that's crazy talk.
The only way to change this is to buy more vc games and less wiiware
Also the email i think is true someone on the nintendo tech forums said they got a email saying that and it also said they updated that becasuse of them
i don't by this yes vc have been getting smaller but with companys like sega putting so much into vc and square saying that ff 1,4 are coming this year just doesn't feel right but vc games do seem to slowly sell for all the top 20 never changes but with over 300 vc games out we have more then enough to last for a few years even if they did stop
Only "nerds and otaku" use the virtual console, obviously.
I really wish I had a job high up in Nintendo. I can honestly say I think I'd do a better job than them.
"Yawn. There's no more chance that the VC will die than they'll kill off Mario in Super Mario Galaxy 2."
That would be totally epic.
@Adam: I don't think a Virtual Console marketing campaign would hurt. Several people here claim to have bought a Wii in part because of the service; how many more people out there that don't know about the VC would be pushed to buying a Wii if they knew they could get their Super Mario World on for $8? If the campaign is tastefully done, people would be all over the service.
This is a bunch of boloney really. VC is free money as it's all old code. Even if wiiware is outselling VC, it's not like NOA is losing money by releasing them. Also I still believe the NC will update. Typically when Nintendo releases a menu patch (4.1) a more significant update is around the corner. I want to hear the news from a Reggie/Cammie/Denise rather than who ever this yahoo is.
Everyone overreacting should calm down. Even if Nintendo never released another VC game ever again, 80%-90% of the classics are already there - there's years-worth of gaming already there. All that's missing are a few obvious ones like Super Mario Kart or Yoshi's Island.
Also, Nintendo are a corporation, they exist to make money. Believe it or not, they don't do it purely for the love of games. So I don't understand anyone that criticises them for "only wanting to make money" - that's what businesses do.
This could also mean no Virtual Handheld (Dsi virtual console). Most people would want to play Virtual Handheld.
This is just sad. us old timers in our 30's are the one's who begged our parents to buy us their stuff and now Nintendo is giving us the double finger. I really hope this is being exajurated or a fake. VC should never die.
Fake quote! Maybe.
Oh darn, where on earth is Fatal Fury Special & all those Neo Geo games? Oh well, I better get Ninja Commando to pass the time until FFS & more Neo Geo games go to the VC. Shouldn't be too long until at least FFS comes out on the VC!
"And this just in: Nintendo embraces piracy, asks fans to turn to ROMs"
Well, pretty much atleast...
Marketing/smarketing. Wiiware doesn't have the largest push either. It doesn't mean jack based on what this guy is saying. There is likely another reason since Nintendo is a tough nut to crack. Maybe they want a few indie games to not have competition. Maybe NOA likes the taste of our tears, who knows. The former makes some sense since it does save on marketing even no one knows that VC exists. They'll go straight to Wiiware based on viral advertising. Out with the old, in with the new, baby!
Well, this is a damn shame, and I had such high hopes for VC. Well, I guess I have no more reason to care about the VC download. And really, they couldn't have picked a better time, since PSN and XBLA are starting to pick up, and now I have one less thing to keep me from spending all my money on them.
Actually Nintendo already started marketing its downloadable titles
in german television there is a advertisement that shows gameplay from WarioWare: Snapped and then some voice says something like "You can download WarioWare Snapped and other titles with your Nintendo DSi" and then they explain where and how a bit
I will admit there are a few decent games on Wiiware but the VC just has alot better of a selection. Mega man 9 is about the best thing on the Wiiware service and it was made to look like a classic Nes game. That's one reason I love it so much. It reminded me why retro is king. Not this rediculous new stuff. The classics are for the true gamers. Wiiware is there because the kids don't like oldies and refuse to even try something older than they are.
@82, Mainstreamguy
Awesome! Advertising the downloadable games is a great idea. Do you know if they're also advertising the VC?
They have never given the Commodore 64 or VCA a chance to succeed.
Is Nintendo still taking our suggestions for games on the virtual console though?
Excuse me, but with most weeks being 1 games a week/fortnight nowadays, they ve toned it down enough!
I have more virtual console than wiiware. Almost everyone has more vc than wiiware. And the little kids should know what super mario bros. is.
@Tony, 85
The C64 & the VCA sections have all the time in the world they need to succeed. Check back at the C64 & VCA sections in a few years & I can tell you that both of those sections will probably be much larger.
@Mark the shark
Trust me when I say I hope you are right
This e-mail looks like a scam to me. No customer-service rep would emphasize something in block letters like that. Speaking as an editor, I'll say the message is worded in an amateurish way, and "We hope you understand" is a Marketing 101 no-no. If this isn't a hoax, I'd suggest it's a customer-service rep's misinterpretation of a temporary shift in trends. Didn't Nintendo just ask us to provide a list of all the VC games we want to see?
I can see why nintendo would do that. I love the vc but old games shouldn't be taking away attention from new games.
@Link79: If you were a "true" gamer, you would enjoy all sorts of games. New games are just as good as the old ones.
If a person doesn't know about VC, it's unlikely they know about WiiWare either, since they're both right there on the same Shop Channel. So it seems to me that if WiiWare is selling better than VC, it's not because people don't know VC exists, or at least not because people who like WiiWare don't know it exists.
VC does get SOME advertising. You know that paper advertising other games that comes in with all Nintendo Wii games? With Punch-Out!!, it tells you that you can download the first two on VC. The one that came with Wii Sports Resort advertises the Shop Channel in general, covering WiiWare, VC, and even Channels. Only problem is, most people don't read those papers.
Also, as I said on the comment thread for this week's release, I don't really think this e-mail is legit. It just doesn't fit with Nintendo standards. As Adam said, that doesn't mean the info is wrong. In fact, Nintendo has been shifting focus over the past year! It just got way, way worse over the last couple weeks.
Time to put some emulators on your wiis guys. But personally I enjoy WiiWare games more myself.
Oh great, now NIntendoLife has fallen for this. I thought you guys would know better...
@ Comment 96
Paranoia runs in their veins.
cries
I hope we get a bunch of VC games next week like Adam suggested. Otherwise, the VC will be TRULY dead. I agree with Chicken Brutus. I will not believe it until somebody higher up in NOA tells the truth. This is the biggest mess I have ever seen. Nintendo is fixing to lose money rather then earn it.
Many of Nintendo's customers are kids, who have no interest in old games because they always want the latest games. Once a game's even a year old, many kids stop playing it and move on to the next. The VC is targeted toward adults, which is not Nintendo's target audience.
@StarFox:
"The VC is targeted toward adults, which is not Nintendo's target audience."
With the Wii Nintendo made a very obvious (and enormously successful) bid to adopt "adults" as PART of their target audience.
There are reasons the VC is slowing down, and they're more obvious than most people seem to be giving them credit for. If Nintendo wasn't interested in older gamers, Wii Sports Resort wouldn't be their current big release.
Target audience or not, we need to stop downloading those crappy WiiWare titles and let it be heard we want our VC running smooth again. Only way they will get the point is when their most profitable product isn't being profitable!!!
Maybe VC sales wouldn't be down if they released more than one killer app VC title every four months. Nintendo has plenty of games left in its back catalogue that could inject some more energy in the service. This is frustrating news, if true.
You guys should calm down.
Its from a blog thats less than 2 months old.
Not to mention that the poster is 're-verifying' the email response if it is indeed true. Which is kinda dubious in itself.
True or not, this information need more sources to be verified..
I'd be willing to bet Nintendo has made more on the VC version of SMB3 than on any Wiiware game to date.
While this proves nothing at this point, it is discouraging. The only reason I purchased a Wii was to retro-game. Despite all of their horse power, the 360 and PS3 are about as exciting as a bag of Ramen Noodles to me. There are still many great 3rd party titles I want to see and if Nintendo drops VC support, I'll probably sell my Wii and no longer support Nintendo ever again. I might be just one person, but every dollar counts. Nintendo of America needs to understand this and treat their customers right.
Guys just chill out to next week. If no VC title is released next week THEN we can get our torches and pitchforks.
Just watch next week like a billion VC games are released lol
Boooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!
Epic Fail; I say we boycott Wiiware
While VC is an awesome thing, I think the main problem Nintendo has is that people who really want to play those games already do so through emulators and illegal means. I don't think any amount of advertisement will change that.
As for Boycotting Wiiware, no. Ridiculous. Get real. I'll never do that. I love Wiiware. It's why I got a Wii in the first place.
Also, that email smells "fake" all over. I'm going to do my own investigation on this.
VC is lacking in sales, so they stop updating it? Purphakt lawgyck.
Maybe NintendoLife is playing around with us today. First it was that half-assed Monkey Island review, and now this
This really sucks. I hate WiiWare. There are NO good games for the service. Every WiiWare game I have downloaded and I mean EVERY game has disappointed me. The Virtual Console is great because of the many classics and pure nostalgia. I think its time I buy a PS3 unfortunately. Maybe my Nintendo fanboy days are over.
I'm going to e-mail NOA right now and I swear if I get the same reply I won't be too happy. There are countless games developed, published, and released by Nintendo and their support teams. Where are the games?
@damascus:
"Not to mention that the poster is 're-verifying' the email response if it is indeed true."
Well...there's our answer right there.
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!
That means...could we be next to succumb to poor VC turnout? You know, due to the Youess Effect? Basically, things that happen in the US tend to happen to the rest of the world shortly afterward, such as fast food restaurants, game releases, and now the apparent lack of retro-freaking-nostalgic goodness that VC provides! I suppose our VC service has been rather good over here, but I don't want to 'JYNX' it!
This may be true, but it's definitely not an actual customer service rep response. I wish ninty released a breakdown of their sales figures besides just hardware and software in their annual reports, so we could check and see for ourselves.
I'm happy for WW developers if WW is selling really well, I'd just rather get a classic I know I'll love than a new downloadable title, that really can't make the most of the system, b/c of the download limits. This news doesn't personally stress me out though.
There are so many ways of playing old games, a lot of people just don't want to pay for something they A: bought 10 years ago already B: can get cheaper at a garage sale or 2nd hand game store C: can get for FREE from the internet and play on their PCs or Homebrew channel. Personally, the only VC games I have are Mario 64, and both 64 Zeldas. Why, because I was willing to pay $10 for them, and I'm not for anything else so far. I save my cash for new games. Sure I could have a great VC library, or I could save up and buy WiiSports Resort. Guess what I did?
This is likely a fake, but even if it was true then Nintendo can help the situation by releasing more games each week.
i'ts sure it's a fake, just the manner than Nintendo answer, First, Nintendo gives some info (like adress, email, etc..) and Nintendo are not so stupid to answer this!
_Diehard VC fans have been saying this kind of thing for a while so I'm sure its just some guy putting words into an alleged representative's mouth. There is no reason nintendo can't focus on both wiiware and VC but crazy VC people that hate wiiware have been blaming wiiware for lack of good VC titles since the service started.
i dont appreciate nintendolife.com making this news like it's totally legit.
the source is a costumer service rep...who probably doesn't even speak english.
nice inside scoop....this site is going places...
tbh, i actualy think the sales figures are reverse of whats being claimed. VC sales are higher than WW, but nintendo want to push the WW games and hopefully get to exploit more indie developers.
They want to focus on WiiWare and DSIWare at the cost of it's Virtual Console fans which is not good at all.If they would promote the Virtual Console on TV then maybe it'd get more sales.
There are only a few WiiWare Games that i even possibly give a crap about that i don't already own and they are Mega Man 9, Tetris Party, and maybe Cave Story.Other then that i don't give a hoot about WiiWare.
I guess as long as the VC Service is not stopped all together that i'll be just fine.
Ninty is making 3 new mystery dungeon games for wiiware, each to be the same but contain different Pokemon, all use the same save file. It is 3d too. So you cant say they are completely ignoring WiiWare.
http://www.serebii.net/dungeon3/
Nintendo has been a day late for everything it seems since the Gamcube. Yeah they got ahead for awhile with the motion controll wich is turning into a gimmick quickly but they are always leaving their customers in the dark until it happens. Honestly whats are you really excited on anything Nintendo downloads services at the moment so little is ever announced you just stay in the dark until right before a release.
I believe it is the lack of downloads on Virtual Console that is causing the slumping sales, not visa-versa as Nintendo would like to believe, and if Nintendo responds to this by cutting back VC releases, then they are dooming the service for good! Not to mention the fact that it takes like almost zero $$$ in development costs to release a game, since we all know that the VC games are nothing more than a ROM bundled with manual and emulator.
Urgh, I feel like boarding a plane to Redmond, WA, march right up to Nintendo headquarters and slap somebody
Virtual Console >>>>>>>>>>> WiiWare.
Nintendo, It´s time to release licensed games !
I personally prefer the VC, and I wish that they would release more games for it, because, personally, I'm not all that interested in WiiWare (other that Mega Man 9). Also, (and I know this sounds greedy) I wish that Nintendo would release more consoles. I can think of five consoles off the top of my head that they could do: Sega CD, Saturn, Dreamcast, Game Gear, and Atari 2600. please try to continue supporting the V.C. Nintendo!
Why not give WiiWare a chance now to thrive that it might never get again?
We'll have VC again very soon, and likely for a long time to come.
This isn't confirmed, so I still have some hopes that they aren't going to do this. Otherwise, I will be furious. This is an unecessary move by NOA.
Just use logic. There's still oodles of likley games yet to be released on VC. I don't see why Nintendo would stop trying to make 100% profit of these already made games.
@ E-160
I'm not a big fan of old games for obsolete systems, usually because I can play something better. New games have learned from the mistakes of past games, and it has nothing to do with graphics, but many old games are simply old. (Although Paper Mario and EarthBound spring to mind as exceptions).
If this is true, Nintendo continues to drift off into obscurity in my mind. Will it only take a gen to completely lose core gamers? Looks like it.
Are we 100% trusting this one e-mail which isn't an official announcement?!
There's still plenty of VC games that need releasing. A multitude in all probability. What about DSiWare VC?!
Whaaaaaaaaaaaaaaat? This can't be happening.
I've been thinking. It's certain that they are slowing down on releases, even moreso now than ever. Maybe they are planning on cutting down on crappy games and will release a good game once a month or something. It's possible. But even if this e-mail is not from Nintendo they are still losing faith in me seeing as how there has been no VC game in the last 2 weeks. If they keep releasing games (that 5% of the VC population will buy) at a slower rate it's going to be a slap in the face. Do what you will Nintendo, but you cannot take my freedom! **waves fist in the air**
This is BS. Regarding the email contact I have with the Customer Support at NOE this email sounds like written by an 15 year old.
"Videos and demos are still updated every week".
What about the demos? I´ve never seen one single demo except from the ones included on the Super Smash Bros Brawl disc.
This is quite sad, but at the same time I want to see WiiWare succeed more than anything.
There is still some first party stuff Nintendo needs to release, but other than that it's down to the third parties if there's anything else you want.
From the start I didn't expect to see everything appear from the old consoles. If you want to play ALL of your retro classics you have to buy the original systems, that's what I did.
There are some great games coming onto WiiWare now, I'd much rather see new things than what I've already played.
I do find myself agreeing with the author of this piece. The total lack of marketing for the VC is a disgrace, they pretty much leave it to chance that people will discover it. I've heard stories of people randomly stumbling across it and being blown away that all those games are available. The VC could be a mayor selling point for people turned off by the waggle craze but I guess nintendo doens't need to worry about selling points at the moment.
This smells fake.
About WiiWare selling better than VC. Put some official numbers up from Nintendo.
@138
I think there is some kind of ds demos on the nintendo channel, but i deleted that very long ago.
This is very bad news, I guess it was inevitable in the end.
I would like to see more games come out on VC. TG-16 is my favourite because their all 60Hz 480p work with component cable. Lots of Shmups on TG-16. Most of them are 600 points which is not to bad a price.
Wiiware is great too. Bomberman Blast! rules!
I have a feeling we're going to get something big for VC next week....
In all honesty, if they included things like getting a free download of Super Metroid (as a redeemable code on the WiiShop) upon purchase of Metroid Prime Trilogy, or Super Mario 64 upon purchase of Mario Galaxy 2. Or even something random like a free download of Balloon Fight with something bound to be popular like Wii Music (even if it has nothing to do with the game).
Tell me that wouldn't be a great way to entice new people to check it out, and upon downloading the game, possibly think to themselves.. "hey, this is kinda cool, what other games do they have?"
It's subtle advertising but it'd be an incentive to check out the Wii Shop.
No!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This is sad news, hopefully Europe will get Super Mario Kart and Pilot Wings, hopefully North America won't miss out. Oh I really thought providing Japan was still getting VC titles it wouldn't spell the end for VC. It's very sad, a major selling point for Wii and now no more, I won't be buying Wii-Ware titles again. I ask people to do the same!
I have sent a business suggestion to NOA about advertising the benefits of Virtual Console across all aspects of media.
Here's what Nintendo needs to do; First of all, stop releasing VC games that little to nobody is interested in. Cut out C64 from the American line up completely as the system is incredibly niche over here and probably not worth the costs involved, even as minimal as they are.
Second, release VC games in bunches. I'm not talking about going back to three or four a week but, say, once a month have a Nintendo download devoted entirely to Virtual Console, rather than releasing one, or less, a week. This way there would be variety in the releases and it would be the perfect way to keep VC from stepping on WiiWare's foot and visa versa.
Lastly, have at least one major title a month. If people hear that Super Mario Kart or Yoshi's Island have been released, they'll be more inclined to check out the other titles released with it. The way things are now, I don't think nearly as many people even check the shop every monday because of the lack of buzz worthy titles. Sure, there have been decent games released but something needs to be both good and well known to attract attention.
I'll admit, on Monday I was very worried Nintendo would cancel the service indefinately but after chewing on everything that has happened the last couple of days, I'm starting to realize that maybe I, and many of us on here, jumped the gun a bit. It's possible Nintendo might just condence the service as I'm suggesting and I think in the end that would be a very good thing for all of us.
Edit: I'd also like to add that I don't entirely believe the legitimacy of this "reply". I've written Nintendo myself a couple days ago, so we yet shall see if I get the same, or at least, a similar response. Also, appearently someone on NeoGaf actually called Nintendo, and they were told not only that the VC isn't cancelled, but that we should expect a release this Monday. We shall see who's telling the truth soon enough I suppose.
Could Nintendo Life ask where Nintendo of Europe stand on this Please!!!!!!!
They can't end VC! that's my hobby out of the window!
Well this just sucks.
That reply is most likely a canned response.
Could Nintendo Life ask where Nintendo of Europe stand on this Please!!!!!!!
We'll find out tomorrow I guess. If we don't get a game then its not really a big deal since we just come out of a Hanabi Festival and they may be reverting back to VC every other week. If we don't get a game tomorrow then next week will be the clincher whether or not we are following America's path.
If people are uncertain about the validity of the statement coming from the customer support rep., why don't someone try and e-mail customer support about the slowdown of vc-releases.
If the same answer is given, it just might be true.
I'm also pretty sure that the people working at customer support are required to answer e-mails by certain pre-made templates, rather that just make "tailor-made" answers to each customer.
If someone e-mails nintendo and gets the same answer, I guess the validity of the statement is kind of verified.
Wow. Now because of that review, I hate Nintendo and now I think it sucks! I AM NEVER GETTING ANOTHER DS AGAIN! OR A WII!!!! You sucky Nintendo COMPANY JUST MAKE DS`S EXPENSIVE JUST SO YOU DARN SUCKERS GET RICH!!!!!! AND WIIS TOO!!!
So that means no SSB right?
If SSB doesn't come out in NA soon...
I WILL BE PISSED!
150, Rapadash6
Why do you want C64 games removed from the VC? What's the point? All it'll do is that it'll just anger fans of the C64 that download those games from the VC.
I agree that the VC should't die, but looks at it from a business standpoint it just makes more sense for them to support the better selling service, but I think I can explain why VC isn't selling well. #1: Several of WiiWare most anticipated games are now coming out and several games that look friendly to casual gamers are also coming out so people are more interested in WiiWare at the moment.
#2: They haven't exactly released games that everyone wants to download, while several are actually decent games, they are too overlooked by the raging fanboys who are possibly boycotting the service due to no Earthbound or Super Smash Bros.
As the article metions and I'm sure a few people mentioned in comments is the lack of exposure for the VC. Twice I've had to enlighten friends who had the wii for thier kids but didn't know squat aboot the VC downloads. Of course being old gamers like me they were blown away. One of em had to buy an extra Wii just for himself and all he plays is VC games lol. Cross your fingers and hope the VC makes a come back .
This is absolutely ridiculous. You want to know why people aren't buying into the VC? Because Nintendo keeps releasing VC games that no one wants. If they released Smash Bros. or Super Mario Kart or any of their big titles, VC would be bigger than WiiWare.
VC is the main reason why I bought a Wii, and if Nintendo isn't going to support it then there's little reason for me to keep supporting Nintendo.
Wii Ware is better then 90% shovel-ware. VC is also the main reason why I bought I Wii.
I'll stick with PC gaming in the future, for all my gaming needs. I'll be sure to let NoA know it too.
Here's the web address. Be sure and let them know how you really feel.
http://www.nintendo.com/consumer/webform.jsp
Cut out C64 from the American line up completely
America got seven C64 games on the Virtual Console since its release seven months ago. And you got three or four on the C64's launch day on the VC. The C64 isn't doing anyone any harm.
All Wii-Ware games SUCK!
No. There's been a few that have interested me enough to download. I quite enjoyed the three Final Fantasy games on the WiiWare (I downloaded Crystal Defenders on the XBox 360 instead of WiiWare because it came out first and was cheaper). Plus Toki Tori was fun for a while too. I didn't really get into Lost Winds that much since I got kinda lost although it was a quality title.
exept for MegaMan 9 which is better on 360 due to acheivments.
I found Megaman 9 to be too hard for me. I only managed to beat one or two stages. If I had an XBox 360 at the time of Megaman 9 being released I would have gotten it on that instead.
they over adverties Wii Music(worst game ever),
Worst game ever is a vast exaggeration although I wouldn't buy it either. I prefer my games to actually have a point to them rather than "have fun playing this toy on your console" - making music doesn't interest me at all. Neither did WiiFit. And I'm not even going to buy Wii Sports Resort. Actually, I haven't bought a retail Wii game in several months.
I 100% Agreed with E-160 Feraligatr @ number 8. well said
People, despite me starting an petition over saving the Virtual Console, Nintendo has not abandon the Virtual Console yet. In fact, this is by no means confirmed, so hopefully one-game week will continue (At least do that Nintendo of America!).
Stop getting mad over this, there are no confirmation whatsoever. We'll see next Monday to see if we deserve to get angry.
It will be interesing to see what happens with Japan's August list which should come out Friday and if Europe gets a game. If both regions get nothing I think that is a bad sign. I don't think Japan will stop though. Their VC is getting plenty of support.
I don't think in all cases that younger gamers prefer Wii Ware to the VC. I sent my niece some of the Sonic and Ecco games and she plays them alot. She does not pay attention to what service or system they come from, but it's a good way for younger gamers to play some of the classics even though they don't have all the flashy bells and whistles of new games.
@Post 115
I have to disagree with you there. I would much rather have ownership of a VC title instead of playing them on a computer. It just does not feel the same to me. I would much rather have a VC title then getting them at yard sales where the decals are likely to be torn up and the cart. will have mustard and cheetos stains all over it. In fact for the most part I'm Ok with the VC pricing. It might help for them to offer some incentive to get people to check them out. It also would not hurt to knock a few points of Master system or Neo Geo titles, but other than that I'm fine with it.
Very much unlikely Japan will stop since Namco still has the following arcade titles to release:
Cosmo Gang, The Video
Xevious
Dragon Spirit
Dragon Saber
Dragon Buster
Knuckle Heads
Finest Hour
Pac Mania
Mind you I'm not sure if this is a release list good through the end of September or the end of the year. I wouldn't be surprised to see another bunch of Namco titles including Point Blank, Grobda, Galaga, the other Pac-Man titles, and more. The real question is will any of the rest of them come out elsewhere? Only NoA and NoE can answer that question...of course this is also forgetting that Final Fantasy IV is a certainty and I'm sure we'll see V and VI as well...
"We understand your concern about the lack of service on the VC as of late. Due to sales numbers being far greater recently on WiiWare than on Virtual Console, we have decided to steer in the direction of WiiWare."
That's stupid. They aren't putting out VC games, which is equaling low sales of what they do release, and because of low sales which they caused, they are going to release less? Brilliant.
"Also, we in America have NO plans to update the Internet Channel or the Nintendo Channel. We hope you understand."
And I hope you understand how completely crap I think that is.
@170, Sean Aaron
Probably. I don't see how or why any of the Namco Arcade games released in Japan won't make their way to the NA & EUR VCs.
I totally agree about hoping the VC isn't dying. I've only got two WiiWare games on my Wii. I love the old classic games. I'm not putting another dime in Nintendo's pocket until they release Earthbound for the VC. I asked NOA about EB once and the response was "Nintendo of America appreciates hearing from the gaming community but we're not sure if we'll ever release this game to the virtual console". If that's true then my 400 Wii shop points will rot because I'll not use them nor will I buy a points card to help use them. So it goes back to the VC if they get rid of the VC then I'd be better off selling my Wii and getting an Xbox 360.
I just contacted NOA and asked point blank is the VC being buried with two weeks of no VC games the first nail in the coffin. If they ever respond I'll post the e-mail response in its entirety.
I call BS on this. "We in America,"? That sounds terrible - Nintendo would not use that tone or language in an email.
Regardless of this being real or not, it's still probably more or less true. Oh well, we had a good run I guess. It was fun while it lasted. I'll keep my Wii, but it'll hardly ever get turned on.
Well Wilhjelm you'll all be the first to see my response when I post it here at vc.nintendolife.com
I say good, I have more Wiiware games than VC games.
;_; But I love old games.
funny how they are just gonna stop supporting the VC because of poor sales but failed to look at the reason for the poor sales...... 1 game a week for over a yr & the one game is something that maybe only 12 people wanna buy. I have 6 Wiiware titles & almost 60 VC titles, there are maybe 4 more Wiiware titles I even wanna think about buying while there are still another 20-30 VC titles I'd like to get.... I wonder which I think nintendo should focus more on.
Like most people are saying, we saw this coming, for almost a year. And at the risk of becoming unpopular, I would have to say, I kind of can see where they come from. I personally got 90% of what I needed out of the Virtual Console. I haven't downloaded anything off of it for probably 4-5 months. Yes, partially this comes from the service slowly dying, but also this comes from the Wii actually picking up and getting good games. If anything, the Virtual Console kind of helped tide us gamers over during the LONG dry spell when the only good Wii games were stuff like Twilight Princess, WarioWare: Smooth Moves and Dragon Quest Swords.
Does this mean I want the service to die? No way! I want it to come back as good as it was in the beginning. But I'm just being realistic. Over a year ago I started buying hard copies of NES and N64 games, anticipating this was going to happen. I wish they would have gotten a few more good SNES games out, but since that didn't happen, it looks like I'll have to start buying SNES games as well.
@Kenryoku_Maxis: Good point; the VC top 20 never gets reported because it doesn't change. That could well be because many people bought many copies of the games on the list and nothing else really sells. After tracking the Japanese VC top 20 for a few weeks I see some movement so clearly people are buying games there, but rarely do you see a non-Nintendo title break into the chart (I think Puyo Puyo 2 is the only Megadrive game; the only other non-Nintendo titles are the Final Fantasy ones, though occasionally a Namco arcade game has broken into the charts).
Hi !
I found that. It is necessary to try. Please make cross(spend) the information. Thank you.
http://www.petitionspot.com/petitions/vcindanger
I only bought WiiWare titles like LostWinds or The After years. I want to buy Cave Story when it comes out in Europe but for the rest...meh.
I want to buy retro games DAMNIT!
Nintendo, PLEASE don't kill off the VC! Its the reason why I bought a Wii to save on storage space. But it looks like I'm gonna have to start collecting cartridges again and buy another NES and Super NES. Maybe I'll look into that Retro Duo thing. But for now, I'm boycotting WiiWare until it actually releases something interesting. I was never excited about WiiWare and that still remains true today. Sure a few good games are on it but most of it is crap! IMO WiiWare is a failure and should be the one getting this treatment NOT the VC!
Nintendo, you are loosing a big market here, not only in North America but in every country of America. I have download more than 50 games for VC and only 3 of WiiWare. The only reason I bought my Nintendo Wii was because of the VC. If you kill the VC I'll sell my Nintendo and probably I'll buy a Playstation 3!!! So don't do it!!! Remember the success that NES and SNES games had in those days, so bring them all into the VC.
I think Nintendo is doing a big diservice to itself and fans by not only not supporting the VC but under-supporting the VC. They may not see it now but it will happen. In other interesting new Sony must see value in classic games because they are adding TG-16 games to their store.
Give me Earth Bound before it dies.
nintendo will probably release a big title to make up for the no vc for the past two weeks! just pray for it to hapen!
Hahaha 'raging fanboys'. BTW, petitions with more spelling, and grammer mistakes than actual valid points don't get taken very seriously by major corporations. Just saying. Google spell check is your friend.
I started to get worried about the VC when the Japanese VC started to slow down, they were getting 12 releases a month, then 8, then 6 and so on, this month they only got like 4 or 5 scheduled releases, so to me it looks like Nintendo is slowing down all regions of the VC.
I also look at it like this, the US has 309 games, EU has 302 the VC backlog is really big, I mean Nintendo has given us what a lot of us want, and when your done buying all the VC games, you have all the Wiiware to download.
It updates every week with more Wiiware games so it's not like we're not getting anything, also I've been going to the local stores to find games for the older consoles and some I've missed out on when I was growing up that I wanted to get, the retro scene seems more active these days than it was before.
Still it's not good that it's slowing down.
But there is still so many games we still dont have like super smash bros 64 and super mario kart
Personally, i think that the days of adding classic games to the service are over. i understand that it is a new era for gaming right now, and it's time for the new games to shine, but it is sad that NOA made this decision concerning the Virtual Console, maybe sadder than keeping a GBA slot out of the DSi system. the 28th of July has been a dark day for classic games.
Ah well, releasing VC games will remain a very cheap and easy way to make money for Nintendo, so they'll probably continue. A bit of marketing for the service certainly wouldn't be a bad idea though. I done well, it might even increase overall interest in retro games in general.
they arent going to stop releasing VC games! only 2 weeks and people are acting like its the end of the world! NINTENDO SAID THEY WILL CONTINUE SUPPORTING THE VC!!!E-MAIL THEM!
is it going to die? but i NEED my oldschool games.
I said I would post Nintendo of America's response. So here is their response and the the e-mail address they sent it from...
So read into however you want.
"Nintendo Customer Support" <[email protected]>
Hello,
Thank you for contacting Nintendo. I’m happy to address your concerns regarding the Wii’s Virtual Console service.
Each week we make available a mix of Virtual Console, WiiWare, and DSiWare games. Combined, these services currently provide gamers with hundreds of fun and interesting downloadable games to choose from. There is no preset schedule as to how many games will become available in a given week, but I can assure you that many more Virtual Console, WiiWare, and Nintendo DSiWare games are on the way!
I can also assure you that your comments have been forwarded to the appropriate departments for further review and will be added to the feedback record for the Virtual Console service. Again, thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts with us.
Sincerely,
R.M. Ricketts
Nintendo of America Inc.
Nintendo's home page: http://www.nintendo.com/
Power Line (Automated Product Info): (425) 885-7529
I have 4,000 unredeemed Wii Points that will stay that way until we get SSB and Super Mario Kart.After i get those 2 my main VC Collection will be complete until we get Nintendo World Cup.
Either way i'm ignoring the WiiWare Service until then.
@ wmdwf
That's exactly the sort of template answer I had expected...
And I'm sure that every single customer e-mailing NoA about this will, get a duplicate of the reply you were given. That's the way these customer services work!
I consider this "myth" busted...
@ wmdwf
That is the exact same response give to around 50 others who have posted on this site and other sites. I wish all of you would learn "patience". It goes a long way in life.
I have no doubt that Nintendo is doing this - if the VC was a big money-maker, they would release more games for it.
That being said, I agree with the article. Nintendo has done little to advertise the VC, so it's no surprise that people aren't lining up to purchase games. I've never really liked the shop channel site itself - it is pretty painful to browse systems for titles in and of itself.
But anyway, if that's how it goes, then that's how it goes. It was nice while it lasted, I guess.
If you refer back to the posts about what games we'd like to see across the various virtual consoles, nearly everybody lists the same games. If Nintendo actually released the games everybody is crying out for, then I'm sure they'd see a pick up in sales. But churning out 8-bit crap week after week, of course people will lose interest. Where are the likes of Super Mario Kart, Pilotwings 64, and Earthbound? Games most people here would, I'm sure, pay to play once again.
@Jonathan Shouldn't the original post be fixed to state that the email was a hoax? The headline appears false, as the article isn't based on a quote from a Nintendo rep after all, but rather sourced from a low-rent game blog. Try "Blogger: Makes Up Nintendo Rep Email" for an accurate headline.
I commented earlier, but I thought comment number 7 was hilarious
well this mean no more classic gmes
well this mean no more classic gmes
Well Ausden I've been a loyal Nintendo customer since the first NES console released in America so the way I see it Nintendo of America owes it to all their loyal customers. It doesn't matter if the person has been buying Nintendo products since the beginning or has just recently started with the Wii. NOA needs to start showing respect to the consumers that have bought, are buying or plan on buying the Nintendo brand.
if vc dies,I die.
Like i have stated time and time again! (NINTENDO RULES WITH AN IRON FIST) and has for 25 years and it is not gonna quit until it destroys them.I have been with nintendo when they were just a developer and got my first japanese famicom in 1982 imported with games,if anyone knows nintendo it's me.Their hard heads will be their undoing.
Nintendo have had hard heads since ever. Remember Hiroshi Yamauchi? He was certainly the hardest of the hard. Its easy to forget that behind Nintendo's cute games, friendly Miyamoto and cheesy Reggie that there lies a management of stony faced suits. They'll not be undone.
I left a message to them, and they replied. They said that from now on, there will is the possibility of a normal routine of little or no VC games a week.
I can't believe there are actualy people here who believed that mail.
what the flying are you smoking guys? really? REALLY??
I have so many classics to DL that it really doesn't bug me too much if they town down the VC releases for a bit. I haven't downloaded many WiiWare titles, so I would be very happy to see some higher quality titles come out...maybe i'd actually shell out some points.
maybe nintendo should stop focusing on their soccer moms, and grandmas, i know that this demographic gobbles up practically any shovelware that nintendo throws out, but what about the hardcore gamers buying the all the VC games?
Nintendo has advertised virtual console in its included pamphlets, Punch-out for the wii vouched for both NES And SNES versions being available on the Virtual console. There have been attempts on virtual Nintendo Channel, its the software itself. Nintendo has already made many of our favorite tittles downloadable since quite some time ago, and we all downloaded it.
I don't know about you all, but when it comes to virtual console I only download things that I enjoyed in the past or are recieve high praise, I don't download them to try something new, but to experience what made it great or relive nostalgic feelings. I assume thats the same for the average buyer, Classic hits and then its off to fresh wiiware. As long as support continues, theres not really much to complain about. Advertising doesn't do much.
just like the fake good fansite (starmen.net) rumour about earthbound
most people take fansites too serious, so if i say nintendo will give us 5 VC games for free, do you believe it?
this way it dont sound real, but making this up in some fake email or announcement, and they believe it
fansites are made by, and updated by, fans, not nintendo, we'll see news from nintendo on the official nintendo site(s)
also, they wont stop VC, cuz they would their income that way, kinda stupid if you ask me, and then believing they would
some might not be able to handle this info i give:
even nintendolife.com isnt from nintendo, its also just a fansite
it has info, but isnt official from nintendo... the site isnt
you know, since i've been here i saw lots of rumours which were unlogical and/or untrue, or both
go to www.nintendo.com for the real info,news and announcements
People: Don't you just see this is just a form of marketing ?
Maybe they want to focus on WiiWare a bit more and use vc to keep you guys (and me) online for also watching at the WiiWare contents. I think if almost all great vc games are released, WiiWare games will suffer with it. Its marketing fellas. (see it as a buffer for sales).
Wiiware is awesome, but so is the VC. I really hope that VC wont eternally fall behind in place of Wiiware. I've had to purchase a few SD cards to hold my Marios (I remember squealing when I saw Super Mario RPG on there...I'm a 23 dood ), my Donkey Kong's, some Metroid goodness. I want my old favorites back...Illusion of Gaia and Soulblazer anyone? Unfortunately a good chunk of the current VC games available are so obscure, nobody bothers with them.
I still remember the excitement I felt when VC was announced. It's an awesome idea, and I hope Nintendo doesn't let it die.
i have sent SO many reqests for a lot of games on VC but Reggie says in one interview " it has to come out at the right time" and i agree with that
I can live with the service being "toned down" but would be quite disappointed if they completely discontinued it. There are still quite a few games I'd like to see added to the VC. Among them: Rock & Roll Racing (SNES), The Simpsons (Arcade), TMNT (Arcade), Road Runner's Death Valley Ralley (SNES), etc. The fact that Super Star Wars showed up this week is a good sign.
and lo and behold, the internet channel now has an update available at 10 am est on Sept 1st!!!
I LOVE Wii!
At least the Virtual Console is saved, for now.
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