WiiWare
Encyclopedia
WiiWare is a service that allows Wii
users to download games and applications specifically designed and developed for the Wii video game console made by Nintendo
. These games and applications can only be purchased and downloaded from the Wii Shop Channel
under the WiiWare section. Once the user has downloaded the game or application, it will appear in their Wii Menu or SD Card Menu as a new channel. WiiWare is a companion to the Virtual Console
, which specializes in emulated games originally developed for other systems instead of original titles.
WiiWare is being promoted as an avenue for developers with small budgets to release innovative, original, and smaller-scale games without the cost and risk of creating a title to be sold at retail (akin to Xbox Live Arcade
and the PlayStation Store
).
The development kit costs around US$2000 and developers need to be licensed with and approved by Nintendo.
According to Nintendo, the "remarkable motion controls
will give birth to fresh takes on established genres, as well as original ideas that currently exist only in developers' minds". Nintendo will handle all pricing options for the downloadable games.
Like Virtual Console games, WiiWare is purchased using Nintendo Points. However, unlike Virtual Console games, instruction manuals are stored on the Wii Shop Channel itself.
On November 4, 2009, Nintendo president Satoru Iwata
revealed in Q&A session that they are planning to test downloadable demos for a select few WiiWare titles, starting in Japan later in the month. On November 16, five WiiWare demos were released for the American Wii Shop Channel, with these later being released in Europe. The demos were available to download until January 31, 2010.
More recently, another six demos have become available to download.
On October 10, 2007, Nintendo held a press conference in Japan revealing the first batch of major Japanese WiiWare games including My Pokémon Ranch
, Dr. Mario Online Rx
, and Square Enix
's Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: My Life as a King
. The conference also disclosed information on Family Table Tennis
, Mojipittan, Maruboushikaku
, and Magnetica Twist
. Game developer Hudson
also announced 3 WiiWare titles: Bomberman Blast
, Star Soldier R
, and Joysound
, the latter a karaoke
game. Hudson later revealed that it had at least 10 WiiWare titles in development for the first year of release. Capcom
, Namco
, Sega
, Taito
and Konami
also subsequently announced and later released games for the service.
Among Western developers, Telltale Games
was one of the first to cite interest in the service, announcing the episodic Strong Bad's Cool Game for Attractive People
series of adventure games. GarageGames
has released a version of their game engine to support WiiWare software development. Other Western developers releasing WiiWare games include Gameloft
, Neko Entertainment
, WayForward Technologies
, Zoonami
, Frozen Codebase
and High Voltage Software
. Konami
and Capcom
has also expressed desire to release Western-exclusive WiiWare games.
Currently available WiiWare games in Japan and North America are priced between 500 and 1500 Nintendo Points. Additional downloadable content
has also been announced for several games, with My Life as a King seeing extra content priced between 100 to 800 Points, Final Fantasy IV: The After Years receiving content ranging from 300 to 800 Points, and Mega Man 9
and 10
seeing content priced between 100 to 500 Points.
, founder of Zoonami
has accused Nintendo of inadequately promoting the WiiWare service:
Wii
The Wii is a home video game console released by Nintendo on November 19, 2006. As a seventh-generation console, the Wii primarily competes with Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3. Nintendo states that its console targets a broader demographic than that of the two others...
users to download games and applications specifically designed and developed for the Wii video game console made by Nintendo
Nintendo
is a multinational corporation located in Kyoto, Japan. Founded on September 23, 1889 by Fusajiro Yamauchi, it produced handmade hanafuda cards. By 1963, the company had tried several small niche businesses, such as a cab company and a love hotel....
. These games and applications can only be purchased and downloaded from the Wii Shop Channel
Wii Shop Channel
The Wii Shop Channel is an online shop for the Wii video game console that allows users to download Virtual Console and WiiWare games, and new channels. Downloading may require redeeming Wii Points. The channel launched with Wii on November 19, 2006...
under the WiiWare section. Once the user has downloaded the game or application, it will appear in their Wii Menu or SD Card Menu as a new channel. WiiWare is a companion to the Virtual Console
Virtual console
A virtual console – also known as a virtual terminal – is a conceptual combination of the keyboard and display for a computer user interface. It is a feature of some operating systems such as UnixWare, Linux, and BSD, in which the system console of the computer can be used to switch between...
, which specializes in emulated games originally developed for other systems instead of original titles.
WiiWare is being promoted as an avenue for developers with small budgets to release innovative, original, and smaller-scale games without the cost and risk of creating a title to be sold at retail (akin to Xbox Live Arcade
Xbox Live Arcade
Xbox Live Arcade is a type of video game download distribution available primarily in a section of the Xbox Live Marketplace, Microsoft's digital distribution network for the Xbox 360, that focuses on smaller downloadable games from both major publishers and independent game developers...
and the PlayStation Store
PlayStation Store
The PlayStation Store is an online virtual market available to users of Sony's PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Portable game consoles via the PlayStation Network. The Store offers a range of downloadable content both for purchase and available free of charge. Available content includes full games,...
).
The development kit costs around US$2000 and developers need to be licensed with and approved by Nintendo.
According to Nintendo, the "remarkable motion controls
Wii Remote
The , also known as the Wiimote, is the primary controller for Nintendo's Wii console. A main feature of the Wii Remote is its motion sensing capability, which allows the user to interact with and manipulate items on screen via gesture recognition and pointing through the use of accelerometer and...
will give birth to fresh takes on established genres, as well as original ideas that currently exist only in developers' minds". Nintendo will handle all pricing options for the downloadable games.
Like Virtual Console games, WiiWare is purchased using Nintendo Points. However, unlike Virtual Console games, instruction manuals are stored on the Wii Shop Channel itself.
On November 4, 2009, Nintendo president Satoru Iwata
Satoru Iwata
is the fourth president of Nintendo, succeeding the long-standing previous president of the company, Hiroshi Yamauchi in 2002. He was responsible in great part for defining Nintendo's strategy both before and during the release of its Nintendo GameCube video game console in 2001, a vision which...
revealed in Q&A session that they are planning to test downloadable demos for a select few WiiWare titles, starting in Japan later in the month. On November 16, five WiiWare demos were released for the American Wii Shop Channel, with these later being released in Europe. The demos were available to download until January 31, 2010.
More recently, another six demos have become available to download.
Games
The WiiWare service was officially launched on March 25, 2008, in Japan, on May 12, 2008, in North America, and on May 20, 2008, in the PAL/UK regions.On October 10, 2007, Nintendo held a press conference in Japan revealing the first batch of major Japanese WiiWare games including My Pokémon Ranch
My Pokémon Ranch
is a Pokémon video game developed for the Wii by Ambrella. My Pokémon Ranch was released via the WiiWare download service on March 25, 2008 in Japan, in the Americas on June 9, 2008 and in Europe on July 4, 2008 for 1000 Wii Points....
, Dr. Mario Online Rx
Dr. Mario Online Rx
Dr. Mario Online Rx, released as in Japan and as Dr. Mario & Germ Buster in Europe and Australia, is a puzzle video game starring Dr. Mario. It was one of the WiiWare launch games in Japan, Europe, and Australia, and was released on March 25, 2008 and May 20, 2008 . It was released in North...
, and Square Enix
Square Enix
is a Japanese video game and publishing company best known for its console role-playing game franchises, which include the Final Fantasy series, the Dragon Quest series, and the action-RPG Kingdom Hearts series...
's Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: My Life as a King
Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: My Life as a King
Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: My Life as a King is a video game developed for the WiiWare service of the Nintendo Wii console by Square Enix...
. The conference also disclosed information on Family Table Tennis
Family Table Tennis
Family Table Tennis is a table tennis video game developed by Arc System Works for the Wii. It was released as a WiiWare launch title in Japan on March 25, 2008, and on May 26, 2008 in North America at a cost of 500 Wii Points...
, Mojipittan, Maruboushikaku
MaBoShi: The Three Shape Arcade
MaBoShi: The Three Shape Arcade is a WiiWare puzzle video game developed by Mindware Corp. Its Japanese title, Katachi no Game: Maru Bou Shikaku translates to Game of Shapes: Ball, Stick, Square...
, and Magnetica Twist
Magnetica
Magnetica is a puzzle game for the Nintendo DS, released as part of the Touch! Generations series. The game was developed by Mitchell Corporation and published by Nintendo, and is based on Mitchell's 1998 arcade game Puzz Loop.The game was first revealed at Nintendo Japan's 2006 Conference...
. Game developer Hudson
Hudson Soft
, formally known as , is a majority-owned subsidiary of Konami Corporation is a Japanese electronic entertainment publisher headquartered in the Midtown Tower in Tokyo Midtown, Akasaka, Minato, Tokyo, Japan, with an additional office in the Hudson Building in Sapporo. It was founded on May 18, 1973...
also announced 3 WiiWare titles: Bomberman Blast
Bomberman Blast
Bomberman Blast is an action game developed and published by Hudson Soft for the Wii and WiiWare. It is part of the Bomberman series. It is the second in a trilogy of downloadable Bomberman games, after Bomberman Live for Xbox Live Arcade, and followed by Bomberman Ultra for PlayStation Network.The...
, Star Soldier R
Star Soldier R
Star Soldier R is a futuristic scrolling shooter video game developed by Hudson Soft, and is the seventh installment in the Star Soldier series. The game features classic Star Soldier gameplay combined with 3D graphics....
, and Joysound
Karaoke Joysound Wii
Karaoke Joysound Wii is a karaoke video game by Hudson Soft for Wii. It licenses the Joysound online song library from Japanese karaoke service provider Xing, who also helped co-develop the game with Hudson...
, the latter a karaoke
Karaoke
is a form of interactive entertainment or video game in which amateur singers sing along with recorded music using a microphone and public address system. The music is typically a well-known pop song minus the lead vocal. Lyrics are usually displayed on a video screen, along with a moving symbol,...
game. Hudson later revealed that it had at least 10 WiiWare titles in development for the first year of release. Capcom
Capcom
is a Japanese developer and publisher of video games, known for creating multi-million-selling franchises such as Devil May Cry, Chaos Legion, Street Fighter, Mega Man and Resident Evil. Capcom developed and published Bionic Commando, Lost Planet and Dark Void too, but they are less known. Its...
, Namco
Namco
is a Japanese corporation best known as a former video game developer and publisher. Following a merger with Bandai in September 2005, the two companies' game production assets were spun off into Namco Bandai Games on March 31, 2006. Namco Ltd. was re-established to continue domestic operation of...
, Sega
Sega
, usually styled as SEGA, is a multinational video game software developer and an arcade software and hardware development company headquartered in Ōta, Tokyo, Japan, with various offices around the world...
, Taito
Taito Corporation
The is a Japanese publisher of video game software and arcade hardware wholly owned by publisher Square Enix. Taito has their headquarters in the Shinjuku Bunka Quint Building in Yoyogi, Shibuya, Tokyo, sharing the facility with its parent company....
and Konami
Konami
is a Japanese leading developer and publisher of numerous popular and strong-selling toys, trading cards, anime, tokusatsu, slot machines, arcade cabinets and video games...
also subsequently announced and later released games for the service.
Among Western developers, Telltale Games
Telltale Games
Telltale Games is a leading independent digital first publisher and game developer founded in June 2004 as Telltale, Incorporated. Based in San Rafael, California, the studio includes designers formerly employed by LucasArts...
was one of the first to cite interest in the service, announcing the episodic Strong Bad's Cool Game for Attractive People
Strong Bad's Cool Game for Attractive People
Strong Bad's Cool Game for Attractive People is an episodic point-and-click adventure game developed by Telltale Games based on the Homestar Runner web cartoon, with Strong Bad as the lead character. A total of five episodes were released for WiiWare and Windows between August 11, 2008 and...
series of adventure games. GarageGames
GarageGames
GarageGames is located in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA, where it was moved after being acquired by IAC in 2007. As the makers of Torque game development technology, they have provided cross-platform technology and tools since 2000...
has released a version of their game engine to support WiiWare software development. Other Western developers releasing WiiWare games include Gameloft
Gameloft
Gameloft SA is a major French computer and video game developer and publisher headquartered in Paris, France. The company also has subsidiaries in 31 countries around the world....
, Neko Entertainment
Neko Entertainment
Neko Entertainment is a French video game developer and publisher based out of a suburb of Paris, France. It was founded in 1999. Neko's productions are based around an evolutionary development platform for 3D consoles called the Neko Game Development Kit which allows the company to simultaneously...
, WayForward Technologies
WayForward Technologies
WayForward Technologies is a game development company based in Valencia, California. Founded in 1990 by technology entrepreneur Voldi Way, WayForward started by developing games for consoles such as the Super Nintendo Entertainment System and Sega Genesis, as well as TV games and PC educational...
, Zoonami
Zoonami
Zoonami is a video game development company, founded in 2000 by Martin Hollis, the director and producer of GoldenEye 007. He left Rare shortly before Perfect Dark was released while other members of the GoldenEye 007 team formed Free Radical Design....
, Frozen Codebase
Frozen Codebase
Frozen Codebase is an independent video game developer founded in 2006 by Ben Geisler. The company develops games for Microsoft's Xbox 360, Microsoft Windows, Sony's PlayStation 3, Nintendo's Wii and WiiWare.-Teams:...
and High Voltage Software
High Voltage Software
High Voltage Software is an independent game development company located at Illinois' Hoffman Estates. Established in 1993, it now employs approximately 95 staff members. Red Eye Studios, a motion capture facility, is a wholly owned subsidiary of HVS...
. Konami
Konami
is a Japanese leading developer and publisher of numerous popular and strong-selling toys, trading cards, anime, tokusatsu, slot machines, arcade cabinets and video games...
and Capcom
Capcom
is a Japanese developer and publisher of video games, known for creating multi-million-selling franchises such as Devil May Cry, Chaos Legion, Street Fighter, Mega Man and Resident Evil. Capcom developed and published Bionic Commando, Lost Planet and Dark Void too, but they are less known. Its...
has also expressed desire to release Western-exclusive WiiWare games.
Currently available WiiWare games in Japan and North America are priced between 500 and 1500 Nintendo Points. Additional downloadable content
Downloadable content
Downloadable content is official additional content for a video game distributed through the Internet. Downloadable content can be of several types, ranging from a single in-game outfit to an entirely new, extensive storyline, similarly to an expansion pack. As such, DLC may add new game modes,...
has also been announced for several games, with My Life as a King seeing extra content priced between 100 to 800 Points, Final Fantasy IV: The After Years receiving content ranging from 300 to 800 Points, and Mega Man 9
Mega Man 9
Mega Man 9, known in Japan as , is a video game developed by Capcom and Inti Creates. It is the ninth numbered game in the original Mega Man series. Mega Man 9 is the first, new home console game in the original Mega Man series since Mega Man 8 and Mega Man & Bass, which were released at least one...
and 10
Mega Man 10
Mega Man 10, known in Japan as , is a video game developed by Capcom and Inti Creates. It is the tenth main entry of the original Mega Man series...
seeing content priced between 100 to 500 Points.
Criticism
Martin HollisMartin Hollis
Martin Hollis is a computer and video game designer and the founder and CEO of Zoonami. He has worked in the computer and video game industry for over 19 years and was Head of Software at Rare...
, founder of Zoonami
Zoonami
Zoonami is a video game development company, founded in 2000 by Martin Hollis, the director and producer of GoldenEye 007. He left Rare shortly before Perfect Dark was released while other members of the GoldenEye 007 team formed Free Radical Design....
has accused Nintendo of inadequately promoting the WiiWare service:
- "Apple have had such massive success in capturing media attention - they've sucked all of the air out of it, I don't know that Nintendo's putting a great deal of energy into trying to generate PR for WiiWare or DSiWare."
See also
- Wii Shop ChannelWii Shop ChannelThe Wii Shop Channel is an online shop for the Wii video game console that allows users to download Virtual Console and WiiWare games, and new channels. Downloading may require redeeming Wii Points. The channel launched with Wii on November 19, 2006...
- DSiWare
- List of WiiWare games
- List of Wii games
- List of Virtual Console games