14 DAY TRIAL // It finally looks like Nintendo is feeling constraints coming from all sides, given that they are making original Wii titles available for download via the console's Internet service, Virtual Console. That's right, not the NES, SNES, SEGA and Turbografx16 oldies everyone's become quite used to, but Wii originals via the Wii Shop Channel for the necessary Wii Points.
Originally posted by NewsWeek's N'Gai Croal, just after speaking with Nintendo of America president Reginald Fils-Aime on Tuesday afternoon: "On Wednesday morning, Nintendo will officially announce to the general public its plans for WiiWare, downloadable games for the wildly popular Wii videogame console. Unlike the vintage games already being offered for legacy systems (i.e. Nintendo Entertainment System, Super Nintendo Entertainment System, Nintendo 64, Sega Genesis and TurboGrafx 16) through the Virtual Console, these games will be built specifically for the Wii and sold via the Wii Shop Channel for Wii Points currency, much like the Xbox 360- and Playstation 3-specific games being sold on Xbox Live Arcade and Playstation Network."
So, could this be only because Nintendo is trying something new, to see how it goes, or could it be that they're trying to keep their users satisfied by offering what their two rivals (Microsoft and Sony) have been offering ever since they've launched their services? Either way, Nintendo always wins with their approaches and if they keep a low price on the dowloadables, I don't see why the Wii's success couldn't go on.
Then again, the fact that they have announced this with 124 titles already in the scope for their two platforms (the Wii and DS) means that development is going rather slow. Generally, when companies such as Nintendo make a move like this, it means that things aren't exactly flourishing.
One more thing and I'm out of here: where the heck is everyone supposed to store those original Wii games once they've been downloaded? Free SD card for every download...?