For a proper devkit, yeah, you have to be industrially zoned and all kinds of stuff. Not at all restrictive for a group that's really serious about developing for a living, but nigh on impossible for someone who just wants to do it for fun

Though i believe the Homebrew Channel has its own development "kit" (which is just a software package, iirc), that woud allow you to do what you primarily want to: make Wii games (hell, you could make full-sized GC games, since Homebrew can read directly off the SD card, and GC games tapped out at 1.5 GB)

What do you have to do to start a wiiware game then? What software to get and where to get it?

I'm an illustrator/graphic artist, Music Composer and my brother is a writer. We are film-makers but love to get together with someone to make a wiiware game.

i would love to join too, but all i could really do is pixel art and level design.'

i can "program" in gamemaker, but i'm positive coding for the wii would be a lot different (aka harder)

got some sample of you work?

Here's ours

Art and Films

http://indigobluestudio.deviantart.com/

Music

http://www.reverbnation.com/jonathanrobinson