14 DAY TRIAL // Right on time, Nintendo's promised WiiWare service has been launched in North America, with a bunch of games available for download and promising an exciting, fun future for all the Nintendo Wii fans in the world. Already released in Japan (with a different lineup of games, though), the WiiWare service has proven to be a winning move made by Nintendo - the downloads don't seem to stop and the Wii Points are going straight into the company's pockets. And, what matters most - everybody is happy.
The WiiWare was created to allow independent game developers to easily publish their games and receive feedback from gamers - everything at low costs and accessible to a large audience. However, the first titles released with the WiiWare service prove that the big companies are also extremely interested in the service, especially because they have the titles already developed.
"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."
Only six titles have been released on WiiWare today but Nintendo promises that things will soon change. Until then, you can acquire Fianl Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: My Life as a King (1,500 Wii Points), LostWinds (1,000 Wii Points), Defend Your Castle (500 WP), Pop (700 WP), VIP Casino: Blackjack (700 WP) and TV Show King (1,000 WP). All the titles are rated E for Everyone, except VIP Casino which is rated T for Teen.
In order to download games via Nintendo's new service, you will have to go to the WiiWare section of the Wii Shop Channel, select the title of your choice and start the download. The Wii Points and an Internet connection are a must, of course. You should also try to remember to check back every Monday since that's the day when new WiiWare titles are added.