Nintendo says its "working on a solution" to Wii storage issue

We'd already seen some hints that Nintendo was working on adding USB devices to the Wii, which seemed to open up the possibility of USB storage devices, but Nintendo Europe's Laurent Fischer has now come out and dampened that notion while also opening up another option. As GamesIndustry.biz reports, he says that Nintendo is in fact "working on a solution" to the Wii storage issue, but that there are "definitely there's no plan to issue hardware," such as an external hard drive. As Joystiq notes, that would seem to indicate that the big N is working on a firmware update to allow downloaded games to be played directly off an SD card, but we obviously won't know for sure until the company decides to let a few more details slip, which Joystiq speculates could maybe, possibly come at the fast-approaching E3.

[Via Joystiq]

[Hudson @ Jun 18th 2008 1:10PM]

When is E3 exactly?

[Low Ranked @ Jun 18th 2008 1:12PM]

July 11-13

[Good_Bytes @ Jun 18th 2008 1:20PM]

JULY!!!!! So far away!
Ooooo maann...
I am not your friend anymore E3!

[Flashpoint @ Jun 18th 2008 2:15PM]

Nintendo Wii is a FAD TOY that is good for the first month and then JUST SITS THERE.

The games aren't that fun to play. I'd rather just play downloaded emulated games from NES, SNES and Genesis.


There are NO killer apps on Wii at all. Every major title has "zelda", "Mario" or "metroid" in the title. That gets boring after you've played the same stuff for the last 10 years.

LOW RANK DEZ....

[aron @ Jun 18th 2008 2:59PM]

I'd agree with flashpoint until I got scarface. Yes, Smash Brothers and Mario Galaxy are good, but hardly any different than whatever was on GC. However, I've noticed that while Scarface is a pretty bad game, the use of a wii-mote really boosts the enjoyment level of these kind of games. I long for the day when I can use a wii-mote to play GTA4 with ps3-level of graphics. How damn fun would it be to use the wii-mote to point Niko's gun around instead of targeting with R3?

I'm still wondering if I should get Forced Unleashed on Wii or PS3. I'm inclined to think, despite the lack of the advanced physics engine found on the PS3 and 360 version, the wii version would likely be more immersive in terms of gameplay. If only we could have the best of both worlds...

[coolbho3000 @ Jun 18th 2008 4:28PM]

Engadget should really get some CAPTCHAs. There are too many autoshitspewers like Flashpoint. =(

[Sam @ Jun 18th 2008 7:03PM]

July 15-17.

[Jon @ Jun 18th 2008 1:13PM]

Lets work on a HD issue while your at it .. My Wii was fun for a month .. now it just sits there : ( 480p isnt cutting it these days

[JimReaper @ Jun 18th 2008 1:23PM]

If 480p prevents you from enjoying your gaming experience then just sell your wii, some people don't care how many pixels their games have, so long as they are fun to play.

[Chris Dunning @ Jun 18th 2008 1:26PM]

Yes, because HD=fun.

There wont be an "HD solution" for the Wii because it's not as simple as plugging something in. The system wasn't designed to handle HD graphics, and there's no way around that. Wait till the next generation, and in the mean time play Super Mario Galaxy, and Smash Bros.

[Jon @ Jun 18th 2008 1:35PM]

Ok then .. After a few weeks , Wii just is not fun .. Zelda,Paper Mario,Mario Galaxy GREAT games .. but then its downhill .. Whatever its a personal choice .. The Wii has just been a disappointment to me , I got a launch unit and it just sits there , the end

[JimReaper @ Jun 18th 2008 1:39PM]

In all honesty Jon I agree with you, my wii sits around unused sometimes also, but I don't think it's the lack of high definition. You could add as many pixels as you like and in my opinion it really isn't going to change the gameplay (which I feel is the most important part of playing a game :D) or the 'fun factor' of the games enough to change the amount I play them.

[Steve @ Jun 18th 2008 1:59PM]

480P wouldn't be so bad if their graphics chip was doing anti-aliasing. Its the jaggies that make it look so crappy. Anti-aliasing has been done in hardware for years - its crazy that Wii can't/doesn't do it.

[Dorf @ Jun 18th 2008 2:08PM]

I never owned a Super Nintendo so lately I've been playing the hell out of Super Metroid on my XBMC. If a game is fun, graphics don't mean jack.

[Dusty Nipples @ Jun 18th 2008 2:14PM]

I have to agree. Not necessarily because of the low resolution, but simply because it does not have a good selection of games. I had mine for a few months and finally sold it after it was just sitting there and the 360 got all the love.

Wii = Biggest over hyped product of the last 10 years

[Jon @ Jun 18th 2008 2:28PM]

I don't care if my first comment is low ranked , i started a good discussion .. Maybes its not the lack of HD that isbringing down the Wii .. But how many not so good games were played because of amazing graphics ? a lot more then not so good games with low res graphics , I guess that was my point .. At least somebody other then myself admit the Wii is mostly Hype

[Jon @ Jun 18th 2008 2:28PM]

I don't care if my first comment is low ranked , i started a good discussion .. Maybe its not the lack of HD that isbringing down the Wii .. But how many not so good games were played because of amazing graphics ? a lot more then not so good games with low res graphics , I guess that was my point .. At least somebody other then myself admit the Wii is mostly Hype

[Carl M @ Jun 18th 2008 2:35PM]

The Wii is most fun as a party machine when you have people over.

You should try to make a few friends and experience this yourself.

[SimbaDogg @ Jun 18th 2008 3:06PM]

it may not be the hardware...it might actually be the gameplay. There have been many articles about people buying nintendo woo woos who simply play wiisports w/ their friends, get bored of it in a month, then dont buy any other games. but of course their friends that came over to play the woo woo, they buy one...play for a month, then dont buy any other games. "and they tell two friends, and they tell two friends, and so on, and so on" lots of people say this is the reason why it has such a low attachment rate, compared to ps360

[chefgon_ign @ Jun 18th 2008 3:17PM]

I have a nice HDTV and all three current systems, and I play my Wii twice as much as the other two put together. It's just a difference of opinion. I think those Mario and Metroid games that you got sick of ten years ago are infinitely more entertaining than anything the Xbox 360 and PS3 can offer up.

I'm not saying the others are bad systems, they are all awesome in their own ways, but I personally think the Wii has a lot more to offer right now.

[Alex @ Jun 18th 2008 3:30PM]

@ Jon

I'm with you. I've got the same titles you have plus Resident Evil & No More Heroes, maybe a few others. All great games, but playing my PS3 is way more fun.

Nintendo games are kind of a little too square. We all know it. We've known it since Mortal Kombat came out with censored blood. It's family oriented, which is fine, but I'm an adult with no kids and I like R rated entertainment. Metroid Prime 3 is PG at worst(/best).

I love the wiimote and prefer it for any type of aiming. The motion sensing could be a little better. I do feel like an idiot slashing around in front of others. Something that doesn't happen with a DS3.

As far as being a good party machine, that would require friends with free time that also like gaming.

I love the Orange Box and GTAIV. So for games that are entertaining for adults, I would recommend a PS3 or XBOX360.

[lawyer bird @ Jun 18th 2008 4:14PM]

I WAS using it as a party machine until my friends realized that they can never win in SSBB and they refuse to play against me. There needs to be wayyy more fun multiplayer games. I guess I need to buy mario kart.

[Apreche @ Jun 18th 2008 1:16PM]

It should be trivial to let us play games off of SD cards. The reason they don't do it is because of DRM. They don't want us copying the games around or playing the VC games on our friend's Wiis.

You see, in every past iteration of Nintendo Hardware, all storage mechanisms have been proprietary. All catrdiges, optical discs, and memory cards, were locked down. Nintendo is now in a position where they are going to have to allow standards-based SD or USB storage devices contain game software. People will no longer have to buy shady hardware devices to get at Nintendo Software. They'll just plug these things into their computers as normal.

It's going to be very interesting how Nintendo implements the DRM that you know they are going to implement, and how long it takes to crack it.

[Good_Bytes @ Jun 18th 2008 1:22PM]

Nha, they will probably release a new device that fits in a SD card slot but doesn't work like an SD card and probably gets encrypted with your Wii serial number.
This way you can't use it on your computer nor move or even play your files to another Wii.

[Chris Dunning @ Jun 18th 2008 1:29PM]

Virtual console games are already linked to one specific Wii console. It wouldn't matter if you could boot from an SD card or not, it can just check to see if the system it's being booted on is the one that it was purchased on.

[Steve @ Jun 18th 2008 2:06PM]

I'd settle for being able to make my SD card be the place games are saved. The 360 lets me pick which storage device I use for saves - why doesn't the Wii?

They say the SD slot is for backing up, but you have to copy each game to it one by one and it takes ages - its ridiculous.

At least if the saves were on the SD, that would let them use the freed up internal storage for games (though I realize games are much bigger than saves)

[telepheedian @ Jun 18th 2008 3:23PM]

Some games let you do that, although the most notorious one that doesn't is Super Smash Bros. Brawl, it takes up a huge chunk of memory, and is pretty much permanently tied to the console. The reason they did this is so people wouldn't download fully unlocked saves from the internet and then play.

[Ignatius @ Jun 18th 2008 1:25PM]

Hay, I've got an idea.

How about you allow people to buy online storage space? Then they could have a server with a few terabytes of space and allow users to purchase it. The availability could be tied to the Wii's serial number.

[Torgen @ Jun 18th 2008 1:28PM]

Considering you can re-download anything you've ever bought for free, why would this be necessary?

[a @ Jun 18th 2008 1:30PM]

Exactly what I was thinking... Nintendo online storage 2 GB free with purchase of large fries :)

Although not everyone has internet access... But if you don't, then you don't need the storage because you aren't downloading games, now are you...

[decypher44 @ Jun 18th 2008 2:45PM]

You beat me to it. I'm thinking Nintendo will have personal virtual hard drives. Maybe have a tiered structure:

2GB = Free
8GB = $5/mo
20GB = $10/mo

[Jarhead2012 @ Jun 18th 2008 3:11PM]

"I just recently re-bought a Wii. Primarily for Mario Galaxy. I thought i would be able to re-download all my previously downloaded VC titles 'cause i figgured it was associated with my Nintendo account. NOPE. Nintendo told me I had to re-purchase them all. What a crock of dookie." -Ostego_Undead

He makes a very good point. At the very least Nintendo should do what Microsoft did and link your NWFC account to your Nintendo Online account and then link all your downloads to that account as opposed to the system itself.

[blizz419 @ Jun 18th 2008 3:17PM]

@ "a" some people who do not have internet actually do download games, my friend brings his wii over to my house every couple weeks to download games

[Darkroom @ Jun 18th 2008 1:27PM]

i though i read "Nintendo says its "working on a solution" to Wii SHORTAGE issue"

[94 taurus owner @ Jun 18th 2008 1:33PM]

That's what they need to work on. I've been waiting months to get my hands on one.

[Kamokazi @ Jun 18th 2008 1:55PM]

Ditto.

Where are all the people claiming they don't play their Wii anymore? (like the 2nd poster Jon here) I'd buy it off them. They couldn't possibly be PS3/360 fanboys just pretending to have one. I mean, no one lies on the interwebs! Right...?

[Squid7085 @ Jun 18th 2008 2:00PM]

Hah, good to see I am not the only one that read it that way. I guess thats the headline we all WANT to see. :-)

[Jarhead2012 @ Jun 18th 2008 2:56PM]

No, they all aren't. In true honesty, my sister and I got a Wii last Christmas. for the first few months, it was like, ZOMG, a Wii! after that, thought, the novelty began to wear off. Wii sports is still fun occasionally, but now the only games coming out are fun for a while before losing their entertaining characteristics. The Wii is not worth its price, and I'm glad that I also got a 360 the year before the Wii, as I still play that regularly.

[Sean @ Jun 18th 2008 3:30PM]

@ 94 taurus owner
@ Kamokazi

Try Craigslist... my version typically has one or two people a day looking to offload their Wii. Usually pretty good deals because they want to get rid of everything they bought and most take a slight loss if you buy everything off them.

My local Walmart also has them in stock all the time now too.

No more selling them to crazy parents looking for a last minute gift.. tear...

[alexmueller @ Jun 18th 2008 4:36PM]

They have been "working on it" for over a year now, if they haven't figured it out by now, they never will.

[SteveJ @ Jun 18th 2008 1:37PM]

SD cards are the obvious solution, but does the Wii support SDHC? If not, then VC and WiiWare would be no problem, but Rock Band, GH, etc, downloads would be questionable. It seems to me that they'd really like to have a version of Rock Band for the Wii that has full downloadable song support, so I hope they support SDHC (and that prices for 32+ GB SDHC cards get reasonable.)

It would also be nice if they took this route with the DS Lite, via either a new model with an SDHC slot and/or a GBA-slot add-on.

[digitallysick @ Jun 18th 2008 1:41PM]

i don't understand why it cant support any SD card, i think 8 and 32 gb should be enough.

[94 taurus owner @ Jun 18th 2008 1:45PM]

Possibly the same reason my Navigon does not work with A samsung Phone charging plug.

It's all marketing my Navigon did work until that recent Update.

[94 taurus owner @ Jun 18th 2008 1:46PM]

Or maybe the SD card has been Modified for Game playing.

[Otsego_Undead @ Jun 18th 2008 2:05PM]

one acronym: DRM
Nintendo doesnt want you trading games with your friends. An SD card makes this easier.

I just recently re-bought a Wii. Primarily for Mario Galaxy. I thought i would be able to re-download all my previously downloaded VC titles 'cause i figgured it was associated with my Nintendo account. NOPE. Nintendo told me I had to re-purchase them all. What a crock of dookie.

[CosterMonger @ Jun 18th 2008 2:18PM]

SD is so cheap, why not?
I still think people need an unique account if the Wii stops working.

RCR!

[SteveJ @ Jun 18th 2008 2:19PM]

Otsego - that truly sucks. Boy are people going to be unhappy when their Wii bites the dust, they get a replacement, and they discover that they've lost all their VC and WiiWare games. Ouch. For me that means, if and when I get a Wii, I'll be staying out of that store. How does it work on the PS3 and 360? Are downloaded games locked into a specific console?

[Jarhead2012 @ Jun 18th 2008 3:01PM]

@ SteveJ

IDK about the PS3, but I can help you with the 360. You see, you can re-download whatever you like if you've bought it before with your XBL account signed in. HOWEVER, to sign in to your XBL account on another 360, you have to completely migrate it. This means that you can't have your account stored on multiple 360s at once. Also, the content is locked to the original system you DL it on, and you can play it on other consoles just as long as ur XBL account is signed in on that 360. So this means that you can't download it on another system and leave it there while going back home and playing. Things get a bit hairy, however, if you get a new system. In this case, even thought you have the same HD and XBL account, you will ALWAYS have to be signed into XBL to use your downloaded content. I like the way Microsoft does this, even though there is a problem like that. Realistically, though, the way Microsoft handles the DRM problem on their 360 is probably the easiest way to deal with.

[Plothole @ Jun 18th 2008 4:50PM]

Most 4GB cards, as well as all capacities above that, are actually SDHC (SD 2.0) cards. The Wii only supports the SD 1.1 standard, which officially maxes out at 2GB (with a few manufactourss producing 4GB SD1.1 cards with flaky compatibility).

[Plothole @ Jun 18th 2008 4:52PM]

*manufacturers (hit the add comment button on accident before I could fix that)