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Wii update provides minor menu changes, could brick modded consoles
It's that time again folks -- the moment when you're rushing out of the house, but you make the oh-so-wise decision to head in even later rather than leaving that glowing Wii unattended. Today, Wii owners in Europe, Japan, and the US can download a shiny new firmware update, which institutes a new digital clock on the main menu, a few "aesthetic changes to the Wii Shop," an updated Forecast Channel window, a "Today's Accomplishments" note on the message board, and a made over Wii Shop that "changes the way Virtual Console games are ordered." Also of note, some users are reporting that a message appears before updating that states: "If your Wii console has an unauthorized technical modification, this upgrade could cause interoperability of your console." Of course, this shouldn't come as a surprise considering the Big N's crackdown on modders, but in our single attempt of updating a Wii not left on standby, the aforementioned statement did not appear. So go on, head on down and get to updatin' (if you're not chipped, that is), and do let us know how your experience goes.[Via The Wolf Web]UPDATE: We've seen numerous reports of the new firmware not bricking modded Wii consoles, and that includes machines using Cyclowiz and WiiKey. If you're courageous enough, give it a go yourself and let us know how it turns out in comments.
Wii Warm Up: Channel surfing
Besides the disc channel, of course, what channel gets the most screen time on your Wii? Are you a Mii-maker, or do you prefer to browse from the comfort of the sofa when you're not gaming? Do you like to get into the voting, or are you constantly window shopping for new Virtual Console titles? We'd like to know how you spend your Wii time.
Forecast channel under casual fire
IGN's Matt Casamassina, the world's crankiest Nintendo fan, is complaining again. We'll bet the sky is blue. This time, however, Matt may be correct; his latest rant regards the Forecast Channel's outdated reporting and with that, we have to agree. This morning, we compared the Forecast channel to the local news reports and to the Weather Underground, and the Wii was off by 14 degrees. Considering the current temp was from midnight, however, that's not too suprising.Matt C.'s final statement is that if they can't get it right, they shouldn't bother, and to hell with the fact that the Forecast Channel is interesting, pretty ... and new. He doesn't want to be tempted by something that isn't up-to-the-minute correct. We can see that point, but pose one in return: how often do you check the weather to get the current temperature and conditions? We usually just, y'know, walk outside for that. When it came to the daily high and low temperature, as well as condition and the extended predictions, the Forecast Channel was spot on with the other guys. It was only the current temperature that was incorrect. While that's certainly mind-boggingly annoying, it's probably also fixable.Canadian commenters at IGN noted that they weren't having the reporting problems that Matt (and we) seemed to have, and we'd be curious to hear about how up to date the Forecast Channel is elsewhere. For instance, is it on the money in Japan? As the provider is headquartered there, we'd guess so. So what do you guys think? Is it a big deal to you whether (heh) or not the current displayed temp is accurate? Is it accurate for you? Do you think the system will change over time? We say yes to that last.
Real stars in Wii weather
Gamer, Josef Faulkner poked around in the Wii Forecast Channel, discovering that the stars generally correlate to actual astronomy patterns. He identified a few constellations, including Orion and Ursa Major on his Wii.Have you tagged other constellations? Southern Hemisphere gamers, are your stars in the right place?[Via digg]
Wii system update: Forecast today, Opera on Friday [update 1]
If you woke up today bathed in a glorious blue light, know that your Wii received a message in the early morning hours and is eagerly waiting to tell you all about the Forecast channel. After you apply the system update, the Wii's weather service channel will be available from the main menu. Think of it as an informative warning system, constantly reminding you of the deadly UV rays, bone-crushing hail and tumultuous tornadoes that await you in the outside world. Stay inside with some games if you want to survive.In related news, the official Opera website has been updated, revealing the official release date for the Wii's internet browser. A trial version will be released this Friday, December 22nd, with the full version following sometime next Spring. Update: As previously announced, the full version of the browser will remain free until June 2007. After that, it will cost 500 Wii points ($5) to download.[Thanks, Spence!]
Wii Forecast and News channels get dated for release
According to the Wii Channel Gallery, release dates for the Wii's Forecast and News Channels have finally been determined. With the Forecast Channel becoming available on December 20th and the New Channel able to be used on January 27th, Wii owners will finally be able to take part in some of the Wii's nifty, promised features outside of its great games. Sure, they're "novelty" features for the console, but we can't be the only ones interested in using them on a regular basis. As gamers, we're more likely to sit in front of our console(s) for hours, likely missing our local news broadcasts. Yes, we could check the internet, but the appeal of getting essential information with real-world relevance while engaged in our games is great. Are we alone?[Thanks JR!]
