Nintendo Channel Launching With WiiWare

[Gorvi]

According to Wired's Game Life blog (http://blog.wired.com/games/2008/04/nintendo-channe.html), it appears we can look forward to another Wii Channel next month along with WiiWare.
Nintendo of America will launch a Wii channel that offers downloadable DS titles and information about the company's games when WiiWare rolls out in the United States next month.
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In Japan, where the channel was released last November, it offers streaming web video with content such as interviews with Wii game designers. In one video feature, Nintendo legend Shigeru Miyamoto describes the company's upcoming exercise game, Wii Fit.

The Nintendo Channel dishes out lists of upcoming games for the Wii and Nintendo DS, which users can sort by release date, publisher, genre, etc. It also allows players to download demo versions of games for the portable Nintendo DS: The Wii beams the game demos to the DS wirelessly, and the demos stay on the DS until it is shut off.
Sounds good to me. It's been nice to download PSP content via the PS3 for a bit now, it's good to see Nintendo will be offering the same thing.

[Dr.Finger]

[Insert snide Nintendo comment here] ;)

[Lutheran]

I think Nintendo is waking up a little with their online plans..its about time.

[Variable Gear]

[Insert Kamalot's response here] :p

Honestly, it will be nice to finally get access to the Nintendo Channel in NA. Those DS demos sound nice.

[Morpheus]

Damn, that sounds awesome. I love that we can try DS games on beforehand now.

[vherub]

wow, this channel is more appealing to me than the wiiware even- especially if is chock with demo

[TheFlyingOrc]

Downloadable DS demos? Sign me up.

(why wasn't this available at launch)

[TheKeck]

The Nintendo Channel, huh? Seems a little redundant. Oh well, I'm not really complaining.

[Variable Gear]

XBOX Live on Xbox 360? You don't say.

[Baron Samedi]

[Insert late to the party Nintendo love/hate here]

This was announced about a month ago, not to rain on your parade Gorvi.

[Gorvi]

[Insert late to the party Nintendo love/hate here]

This was announced about a month ago, not to rain on your parade Gorvi.
Then why didn't you submit it as news?! ;)

[Kamalot]

The Nintendo Channel dishes out lists of upcoming games for the Wii and Nintendo DS, which users can sort by release date, publisher, genre, etc.
Oh snap. Now the whole world can see from the comfort of their sofa that the Wii has no good or upcoming games.

[Variable Gear]

[Halo 4 Exclusive to Nintendo Wii]

[Baron Samedi]

Oh snap. Now the whole world Evil Avatarians can see from the comfort of their sofa that the Wii has no good or upcoming games.

Fixed that for you :p

[Variable Gear]

[Metal Gear Solid 5 Exclusive to Nintendo Wii]

[Baron Samedi]

Fixed that for you :p

Just like it's always been, douchebag. Good taste demands Nintendo hate.

Oh, and last year called, "fixed that for you" is a bannable offense, moron.

[Variable Gear]

[Grand Theft Auto 5 Exclusive to Nintendo Wii]

[Spigot]

I've been saying that they should allow DS demos a la the kiosks for ages. Nice to see that they're finally implementing this.

[Baron Samedi]

Then why didn't you submit it as news?! ;)

All no you didn't (http://www.evilavatar.com/forums/showthread.php?t=44936)

But I'll take it back, considering how often most "news" on this site gets posted more than once. Keep up the good work.

[Gorvi]

All no you didn't (http://www.evilavatar.com/forums/showthread.php?t=44936)

But I'll take it back, considering how often most "news" on this site gets posted more than once. Keep up the good work.
Ahhh, I'd missed the little blurb there at the end mentioning the Nintendo Channel. I guess a lot of others did too, since most of us didn't know about it. ;)

[Baron Samedi]

Ahhh, I'd missed the little blurb there at the end mentioning the Nintendo Channel. I guess a lot of others did too, since most of us didn't know about it. ;)

Yeah, I always forget how much more I tend to know about Nintendo than most. I'm sure your in the same boat with Sony. It's sometimes frustrating how ignorant most posters are about things non-MS.

[Variable Gear]

It's sometimes frustrating how ignorant most posters are about things non-MS.

Agreed.

Also, this may be my most impressive post ever:

The problem is, I don't read - I skim. However, I am a great swimmer; I'm a master of the dog paddle. I'm unsinkable.

[Gorvi]

Yeah, I always forget how much more I tend to know about Nintendo than most. I'm sure your in the same boat with Sony. It's sometimes frustrating how ignorant most posters are about things non-MS.
Yeah, I can see that. I try to pay attention to the Nintendo stuff, but in all honesty, a lot of their home console stuff just hasn't done it for me in a while. I still love their portable efforts, though.

As far as the MS stuff, well, if I don't read it here, I normally don't see it.

[Baron Samedi]

Yeah, I can see that. I try to pay attention to the Nintendo stuff, but in all honesty, a lot of their home console stuff just hasn't done it for me in a while. I still love their portable efforts, though.

As far as the MS stuff, well, if I don't read it here, I normally don't see it.

Same here. I think the industry has become too large for anyone to track in its entirety anymore. A certain amount of humility would do us all good.

[Kamalot]

...if a user has played a WiiWare game for at least an hour, they will be able to review the game on the Nintendo Channel... The reviews will be available for other Wii owners to read.Imagine if Live Arcade had a rating system for games in addition to the demos. This sounds like the best information I've heard about WiiWare yet. I love the look of the games coming, but without a way to play for myself like the demos Xbox Live has, I doubt I'll be spending a lot of money on games.

Opening up a review system for the whole community is an excellent idea. I don't know if it will be open to Virtual console games, but I purchased some titles early on that I regret. I'd love to write negative reviews about them to prevent others from making the same mistake.

Also, if the reviews are open for Virtual Console titles, it will be interesting to see what younger people think. Are some 'classic' games getting lower reviews cause new players don't have the nostalgia factor? Never having had an N64, I find most of its games pretty deplorable.

[Gorvi]

Imagine if Live Arcade had a rating system for games in addition to the demos. This sounds like the best information I've heard about WiiWare yet. I love the look of the games coming, but without a way to play for myself like the demos Xbox Live has, I doubt I'll be spending a lot of money on games.

Opening up a review system for the whole community is an excellent idea. I don't know if it will be open to Virtual console games, but I purchased some titles early on that I regret. I'd love to write negative reviews about them to prevent others from making the same mistake.

Also, if the reviews are open for Virtual Console titles, it will be interesting to see what younger people think. Are some 'classic' games getting lower reviews cause new players don't have the nostalgia factor? Never having had an N64, I find most of its games pretty deplorable.
There's good and bad with that. Leave it unmoderated and it'll end up looking like the "user reviews" on GameStop's site. That's helped by the 1 hour playtime requirement, but that's not going to filter out everything.

If it's moderated, it'd be all to easy to remove the negative reviews, since that's bad for business. And really, what publisher is going to allow negative reviews of thier games to be right there next to the spot where they're for sale?

I love the idea in theory, but that's going to be tough for them to pull of in practice. I wish them luck.

[Baron Samedi]

Also, if the reviews are open for Virtual Console titles, it will be interesting to see what younger people think. Are some 'classic' games getting lower reviews cause new players don't have the nostalgia factor? Never having had an N64, I find most of its games pretty deplorable.

Nah, most 64 games haven't aged well at all. Lower reviews, probably. But younger readers don't have the refined sensibilities that come with age, so they're more likely to gloss over the flaws. A key difference is how many 2D games you've played. Most kids today probably don't care for them.

[Kamalot]

There's good and bad with that. Leave it unmoderated and it'll end up looking like the "user reviews" on GameStop's site. That's helped by the 1 hour playtime requirement, but that's not going to filter out everything.

If it's moderated, it'd be all to easy to remove the negative reviews, since that's bad for business. And really, what publisher is going to allow negative reviews of thier games to be right there next to the spot where they're for sale?

I love the idea in theory, but that's going to be tough for them to pull of in practice. I wish them luck.

I can see the 'written' portions of reviews as moderated, but separate from a 'score' that would be calculated and averaged. Probably a 1/5 star rating system.

[Heretic Machine]

There's good and bad with that. Leave it unmoderated and it'll end up looking like the "user reviews" on GameStop's site. That's helped by the 1 hour playtime requirement, but that's not going to filter out everything.

At least I won't be seeing one of those classic, "i havent playd this yet buht it rox! u shuld buy it too" reviews.