http://videogames.yahoo.com/feature/wii-ware-is-this-nintendo-s-first-blunder-/1215130

Wii Ware: Is This Nintendo's First Blunder?

By Mike Smith

Nintendo's Wii console unveiled its own slate of original, downloadable games this month, and the service promises to broaden this unique machine's appeal still further. With low distribution costs and little barrier to entry, it's a hit among smaller, risk-averse developers.

But after being bewildered by bizarre interfaces, confused by storage limits and inexplicably accosted by orange Marios, we're left wondering: could this be the Wii's first blunder?

Packing a launch portfolio containing some surprisingly compelling titles, WiiWare, as the new service is called, certainly has all the right ideas behind it. It's intended to support smaller developers in much the same way as competing services on the Xbox 360 and PS3. Distributing games directly to consumers via digital download services cuts out both publisher and retailer, meaning developers can afford to take more risks, and -- in theory -- give consumers like us a better deal.

Try it out, though, and you'll find some big problems. The interface is average at best, and the limited storage of the Wii console means trouble for heavy users of the machine's Virtual Console service (which lets you download classic games), who are suddenly going to have to make some tough choices about which games to keep. With only 512 MB of on-board storage, players are running out of room, and although you can store games on an SD card, you have to copy them back before you can play them. If keen players are already reaching the limit, what's it going to be like in a few years?

This is, to put it mildly, a shame, because there are already a couple of gems waiting for WiiWare browsers. Despite having a title long enough to fill up the Wii's memory on its own, Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: My Life as a King is harder to quit than crack cocaine and a real bargain at $15. LostWinds, an innovative platform game from a small British developer, is receiving some decent reviews and clocks in at only $10.

That's assuming you have the patience to get them downloaded in the first place. Compare and contrast the Wii's Shop interface with similar offerings on the PS3 and Xbox 360, and you'll see that although Nintendo is unquestionably the master at building easy-to-use, appealing hardware, it has a lot to learn about interface design.

Here's a hint: make it easy for us to give you money. The Wii Shop won't save credit card information, which probably makes it slightly more secure, but inputting all those numbers with a remote control is silly and tiresome. That's nothing next to the inconvenience of having to fill out the billing address every time, though, and the Wii makes you do that in minute, exhaustive detail. Hey, Nintendo: If my Wii gets stolen from my front room, it's a safe bet the culprits already know where I live.

OK, so you've juggled memory around to make space and filled out enough forms to give a mortgage broker nightmares. Surely things get better when you actually start downloading games, right? No, Nintendo has a treat in store for you there as well. Once you've purchased your chosen game, you'll be greeted with a cheery (and, for some reason, orange) Mario running repeatedly across the screen grabbing gold coins. What purpose this serves isn't immediately clear. Presumably it's some type of progress bar, but -- as far as we're aware -- there's no apparent relationship between fat Italian plumbers, orange or not, and download progress. Maybe Mario's interminable transit symbolizes Nintendo gobbling up the revenue from your purchase. Who knows.

Moreover, why are we still watching him? On the 360, we could be playing Grand Theft Auto by now, simply waiting for the helpful pop-up notification while a whole stack of games download in the background. Coin-grabbing Mario, as he sucks down my dollars, looks awfully happy about this state of affairs, but we're not.

Seriously, Nintendo, we're delighted you're supporting independent developers (and Square-Enix) and encouraging yet more innovation on what's already the most novel and exciting games platform out there. With the Virtual Console and WiiWare, you're well on the way to beating the selections of the competition's download services. But did you have to make it such a pain to use?

The lack of background downloading I'm sure is a pain.

And the shuffling around data is probably also a pain, but not many people have that problem.

The interface could be slicker like XBLM or PSN, but it's their first try, so give them a break.

Wow you really have to enter your credit card details every time you buy something? And no background downloading?
Nintendo sure can get away with things Sony or MS would be and have been crucified for.

Sounds like Wii bashing. There are people who want to nit-pick about console and its games. They appear to be "in the bag" for what they thought or what they liked. Another example would be AP's Lou Kesten who has been down on the Wii lately. Link: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080519/ap_en_ot/games_wiiware

The only relevant point is the Yahoo story is the storage issue (which I hope we will hear something about at E3). I plan to DL some stuff today. Maybe after that I will have some similar issues. But I use points cards and have never had any problem using it to DL for the Virtual Console). It sounds as if this person has never heard of such. (I also find typing on the Wii a lot better than typing on the original Xbox).

Mike from Morgantown

The storage problem is real, and must be solved as quickly as possible. I have no experience with the credit card thing, but that last part about downloading is just bitching in my opinion.

I seriously doubt that this will be a "blunder" at all.

The old Shop Channel interface was better than the current one. You should be able to go straight to the games list, and have the search separately.

As for the coing collecting Mario, if it's the same as Virtual Console has, it shows the DL speed and progress of the download.

Someone forgot to take his Ritalin.

awww please. Seems like another rant from someone who just got too used to having it good. Last thing that i would want is my credit card info saved on my wii or xbox. What better way to bein some serious sh*t if by any chance someone manages to steal it.

And seriously, background downloading? What for?? These games are 40 MB max. If someone has a good and fast internet connection, there's no problem, just a matter of.......3 minutes? My connection is over 7mbit/s so i can't complain obviously. People just have it too good nowadays and they start complaining if something isn't given to them on a silver platter......silver? Geez most would still be mad if they got things on a daimond platter.

Seriously, the things they say are so trivial that I don't care except, of course, for the storage problem. Nintendo needs to do something about it. Maybe a 4-8 GB Flash drive?

Huh, I just bought the games with Wii points, it's no hassle.

Also there is nothing wrong with the interface.
Yes you have to wait while it is downloading but as the games are limited to a size (I think it's 40MB right?) it doesn't take longer than 3 minutes, what exactly are you going to do in 3 minutes.

And the Mario is a progress bar, at 33, 66 and 99% downloaded he jumps up and hits one of the blocks, and I think from counting the coins there are 39/40 in total up to 99% (at which point it goes haywire and sends loads of coins for the last 1%)

I agree there is the space limitation for Wii users and surely enough, 4-5 Wiiware games down the line I will be moving some of my VC games onto an SD card. I am not especially miffed at this because I haven't been playing them much (last time I went on one was in February I think)

I will be more miffed if I eventually run out of purely Wiiware space though, I mean I think without the VC games (but with the Wii game saves and the extra Wii channels) I should have about 1800 blocks, and if most of the Wiiware games I get turn out to be 200-250 blocks I will only be able to fit 8-9 games on it.