In Japan at least - shouldn't be much longer before everyone gets it. I so can't wait for this - more than anything else. Imagine having demos to hundreds of DS games for free - at your fingertips! We might even get some "free" full (mini?) games.

http://au.wii.ign.com/articles/826/826152p1.html

US, October 10, 2007 - Joining the flood of Wii Ware announcements at Nintendo's press briefing in Japan today was first mention of two new channels that will help to keep your Wii powered on.

Mii Contest Channel is a channel for showing off your Miis to other players. This channel will include a plaza where you can take home the Miis that other players have created, and a contest mode where everyone judges your Mii.

Minna no Nintendo Channel (Everybody's Nintendo Channel) is the long-awaited Wii implementation of Nintendo's DS Station retail kiosk. Using this channel, you'll be able to view promotional videos of upcoming titles and download DS game demos. The service will also include search features that assist in finding games that suit your needs based on a database that's built out of information from other Wii players.

The new channels will both be available in Japan in November. Check out the screens below for a first look.

 

 

 

WOW....this is more than the reason why I'm buying a Wii sometime next week.

W29 said: WOW....this is more than the reason why I'm buying a Wii sometime next week.

The irony is *this* alone would be enough reason for me to buy a Wii.

Its the perfect accessory to the DS. Imagine what this will do to Wii sales in Japan - pretty much every home will want (need?) one. 

...

Also wonder if this is a preview to getting a more permanent solution for "downloadable" titles on the DS. All Ninty have to do is release a special (R/W cart, with some mem protection) - and its possible.

 

You know what they need to release as well? Expandable storage for your DS that can save downloads permanently (or maybe for five additional plays, something like that).

They could charge $5 for 256MB, $10 for 512, $20 for 1GB, and it'd make a killing.

shams said: Its the perfect accessory to the DS. Imagine what this will do to Wii sales in Japan - pretty much every home will want (need?) one.

 Imagine what this will do to DS sales.  I've been sitting on the fence about the DS for a while, and now I'm definitely feeling a pull in one direction.

I can't wait for this one. I was under the impression that Nintendo was going to have something like this ready to go in 2006 so I've been waiting for it for a while.

I'm thinking the same thing Shams. Nintendo could release a 2GB SD card for the DS that you could save download only DS games on. There would be lots of opportunity with such a system. Imagine being able to download a Wii/DS version of Pokemon farm. Play it on the Wii and when you have to go transfer it to your DS until you get back. Or another option would be to allow you to download new levels/scenarios for DS downloadable games (DS games also if they had GBA memory card also, or someway to not lock up the system by removing one DS card for another). I like Zelda online a lot but it'd be nice if you could download new maps (I'd pay a fiver for another 10-20).

Anyhow those are just a couple of ideas but given the difficulty of getting a hard drive or headset from Nintendo I'm not exactly encouraged about the prospects any of that happening. It would still be cool though.

W29 said: WOW....this is more than the reason why I'm buying a Wii sometime next week.

 While you haven't got a ds? While you wont get a ds?

JMan said: shams said: Its the perfect accessory to the DS. Imagine what this will do to Wii sales in Japan - pretty much every home will want (need?) one.   Imagine what this will do to DS sales. I've been sitting on the fence about the DS for a while, and now I'm definitely feeling a pull in one direction.

Too true.

God... can you imagine what happens if they incorporate a "Buy Now" (online shopping) option through the Wii for DS games (so they get posted out to you)? I would have serious issues restraining myself... "Just one... more... so ... easy... to...spend...money..."

Maybe one day we'll see the class "family" pack - Wii + 2 DS's in a single combo package.

...

What this will do, is help to extend the life of the DS by a couple more years.

 

 

...WHOA. The Demo potential will be insane!

albionus said: I can't wait for this one. I was under the impression that Nintendo was going to have something like this ready to go in 2006 so I've been waiting for it for a while. I'm thinking the same thing Shams. Nintendo could release a 2GB SD card for the DS that you could save download only DS games on. There would be lots of opportunity with such a system. Imagine being able to download a Wii/DS version of Pokemon farm. Play it on the Wii and when you have to go transfer it to your DS until you get back. Or another option would be to allow you to download new levels/scenarios for DS downloadable games (DS games also if they had GBA memory card also, or someway to not lock up the system by removing one DS card for another). I like Zelda online a lot but it'd be nice if you could download new maps (I'd pay a fiver for another 10-20). Anyhow those are just a couple of ideas but given the difficulty of getting a hard drive or headset from Nintendo I'm not exactly encouraged about the prospects any of that happening. It would still be cool though.

The problem with this is that SD card readers are the primary tool that people use to pirate games on the DS.  Nintendo selling something of the sort would be them shooting themselves in the foot.