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Ten ways to spend your Internet Channel rebate
Some of you are, as of today, five dollars richer, with that five dollars earmarked for the NES Virtual Console game of your choice. You probably have all the Marios and Zeldas you want (and River City Ransom), so we thought we would help you figure out what to do with that windfall. We've picked ten games that you may not have purchased yet. We didn't try to get obscure or anything, because there are only 83 NES games available! So this is basically a list of games we like that we think you're not so likely to have purchased, And there are no imports, because those cost 600 Wii Points. Let us help you spend your money>> #ninbutton { border-style: solid; border-color: #000; border-width: 2px; background-color: #BBB; color: #000; text-decoration: none; width: 100px; text-align: center; padding: 2px 2px 2px 2px; margin: 2px 2px 2px 2px; } .buttontext { color: #000; text-decoration: none; font: bold 14pt Helvetica; } #ninbutton:hover { text-decoration: none; color: #BBB; background-color: #000; }
Free NES game now available to Internet Channel buyers
Good news for the people who were unfortunate enough to get the Wii Internet Channel between July 1, 2007 and September 1 of this year. Yes, you may have gotten taken for 5 bucks, but with today's Wii update, Nintendo of America is giving that money back to you in the form of a free NES game from the Virtual Console. You'll see the message when you turn your Wii on, as with all updates.Don't take too long pretending to face a tough decision, because this offer will expire at the end of the year. Just buy River City Ransom and enjoy it! If you've already got River City Ransom, we've heard good things about that "Castlevania" series.
Wii Internet Channel now free, with updated Flash [update]
Nintendo just dropped the price of the Wii Opera browser in Japan and PAL markets to nothing, its original "price" during the system's launch, when the browser was in beta. VOOKS photographed the Wii message that announced the price drop, which also revealed that the version of Flash used in the Wii browser has been updated from Flash 7 to Flash Lite 3.1-- which should make the Internet Channel much more useful. Users who paid 500 Wii Points for the browser will receive a refund of sorts in October -- a credit that can be used on any NES game.In Japan, the same refund offer applies, and Nintendo is providing more opportunities for free Virtual Console games. Since early this year, Nintendo of Japan has offered 500-point bonuses to Wii owners for helping others get online. Starting October 21, Nintendo will expand this program with new rewards: those who achieve "Helper Meister 10" status (by helping 10 others connect) will gain access to every Nintendo-published Famicom game. "Helper Meister 20" will unlock all Virtual Console games on every platform! That should get people going door to door.Update: The Internet Channel is now free in North America, and the NES Virtual Console download credit will be extended to those who purchased the browser in the region.
PlayOn for Wii beta to be announced tomorrow
We know that some of you streaming media fanatics have been indulging in this one for the better part of a month already, but just in case: tomorrow the kids at MediaMall officially announce the beta release of PlayOn for Wii. The software license runs $39.99, but there is a 14-day free trial -- so you can see for yourself whether or not it makes sense to tie up your console with re-runs of CSI: Miami when you could be better off shakin' your groove thing to Dance Dance Revolution: Hottest Party. Hit the read link and decide for yourself. [Via New York Times]
PlayOn media server now serving Wii customers (in beta, anyway)
We knew good and well that the fine folks over at MediaMall were toiling away in an attempt to bring internet TV content from YouTube, Hulu, Netflix, CBS, CNN and a host of other sources to Nintendo's white-hot Wii, but there's just nothing like hearing that intentions have become reality. Based on an email from MediaMall support to a particularly curious user, the "latest version of PlayOn includes a beta version of Wii functionality in it." Naturally, the company's doing its darnedest to keep this under wraps for now, but we're eager to get legions of Wii users testing it out and reporting back with performance evaluations. The note does mention that quality will be lower than on the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 due to the inherit hardware limitations on Nintendo's baby, but hey, you knew that going in, right? Hop on past the break for the letter in its entirety, which includes instructions on getting this going on your console.[Thanks, Anonymous]
Nintendo encourages UK Wii owners to go online
Nintendo UK has launched an eight-week campaign designed to get more current Wii owners playing online. The first part of the 'Get it Online' campaign includes a section of the Nintendo website that features the above video and instructional clips about connecting the console to the Internet.In addition to talking up online gameplay for stuff like Smash Bros. and Mario Kart Wii, the campaign actually mentions the Virtual Console and WiiWare, which seems like a rare move for anything aimed at the "expanded audience." There's also a Guitar Hero: World Tour trailer which mentions the game's DLC.This approach contrasts with Nintendo of Japan's attempt to bring more Wiis online: a campaign through which Wii owners receive 500 Wii Points for helping someone else go online with their Wii.[Via Edge, New Media Age]
CES 2009: Opera's new SDK could mean better Wii browsing down the line
So, uh, we guess that bit about the updated Internet Channel being done and on the way out the door was spurious after all. Awesome. We're basing that evaluation on two pieces of evidence: first, December came and went; and second, Opera has just now announced a new version of their software development kit for "devices" (as in, not computers). And if Nintendo is just now getting the updated tools, we can expect to wait for a new version of the browser. If Nintendo finished a new version already and Opera just now released an updated SDK, then, uh, there are some grumpy programmers over at Nintendo right now.The new SDK includes Opera Link, which lets users create persistent bookmarks and Speed Dial nodes, which means Wii users could update their bookmarks and such in a less annoying interface. It also includes an updated version of Opera Zoom, for smoother zooming and panning. What it doesn't include is Flash -- updating the Flash Player SDK is Adobe's business.
Wii Warm Up: Wii Plan to Speak
The WiiSpeak microphone is ten bucks cheaper when purchased with Animal Crossing: City Folk. Obviously, it works with Animal Crossing, but it will also work with The Conduit, with the new version of the Opera browser, and on its own via the Wii Speak Channel. Of course, more compatible games will follow. We hope.It occurs to us that even people who like Animal Crossing, but don't necessarily care about catching up with their friends while fishing or shaking trees may have interest in the WiiSpeak mic for other stuff. Are you in that group? Did you pick up the Animal Crossing WiiSpeak bundle with no intention of using the two items together?%Gallery-27704%
Internet Channel updating next month with WiiSpeak support, tabs, huge buttons
The Internet Channel will finally receive a significant update next month, according to GameReactor Magazine. We haven't been able to find the exact location of this item in GameReactor, so we're currently relying on GoNintendo's summary.The new version will support the WiiSpeak microphone in some unknown capacity. It will finally allow tabbed browsing in the form of an exceptionally wacky Tab Cube, each side of which shows a tab. It'll also include the ability to check your Wii messages from inside the browser interface. On top of that, the browser has been updated with big, ugly navigation buttons.The new browser will probably be a free update for current Internet Channel owners, and 500 points for everyone else.
Wii Warm Up: Surfing
It's been awhile since we talked about the Opera browser for the Wii. How often do you use the Internet Channel? We know some of you use it to participate in Game Night, which is awesome, but how else do you enjoy the console's ability to surf the interwebs? Did you get a Wii too late to get the Internet Channel for free? Hate the browser? Love it? Tell us already!
Nintendo encourages friends to help each other get Wiis online
In order to promote use of the Wii's online functions, Nintendo has announced that they'll start including a 3.5 minute movie on each Wii -- in Japan, anyway -- called "Wii de Dekiru Koto" ("Things You Can Do With Wii"). We expect that it will outline things like playing Mario Kart online, downloading Virtual Console and WiiWare games, browsing on the Internet Channel, and voting on frivolous topics. Because, you know, those are the things the Wii does online.The best part of their initiative to get people online is that when one Wii owner helps another get online, they'll both receive 500 free Wii Points from Nintendo. We aren't sure how this information will get to Nintendo -- if it's as easy as sending a survey, then hey, free points for everyone!
Wii Warm Up: The Internet Channel and You
The Internet Channel sits there in the Wii Menu with all the other loser channels (as in, all the ones that aren't River City Ransom), just waiting to accidentally be opened when you try to open River City Ransom. Or ... do you use the thing? We know you're not using it to watch TV shows on Hulu, unfortunately, because we tried. We're region-locked out of the BBC iPlayer, as well.If you are actively Channeling some Internet through your Wii, what are you using it for? Occasional email checking? Obsessive awesome Wii blog checking? Italian Spiderman?
WiiPlayer optimizes iPlayer for Wii
It still puzzles us that the BBC was so keen to make its (admittedly excellent and very popular) iPlayer catch-up service compatible with the Wii. Are there really that many Wii owners out there with internet-ready PCs who would opt to use the service on the Wii's slightly clunky Opera browser? Why not just use your PC to watch the latest editions of Gavin & Stacey and The Apprentice? You know: the one you're using to read these words, right at this very second?Not only that, but the iPlayer on the Wii is hardly user-friendly. Text is so small that it's almost unreadable, loading times are hardly ideal, and the low resolution of the Wii's browser makes navigation awkward. Cue the intervention of WiiPlayer, a hacked version of the iPlayer that has been optimized for Nintendo's console, and is now available for use at http://defaced.co.uk/wiiplayer.It won't work on your PC, and it goes without saying you'll still have to reside in the UK to use this, but WiiPlayer does do a sterling job, replacing the iPlayer's teensy text and browser-taxing layout with pleasingly chunky, Wiimote-friendly icons and a cleaner, less cluttered appearance. %Gallery-24519%[Via Tech Digest]
Wii, meet goo: Japanese web portal offers content for Internet Channel
goo, a Japanese search engine and content portal (think Yahoo!, but without the silly na-- oh, never mind), has unveiled a content channel optimized for the Wii Internet Channel and featuring exclusive stuff for Wii users. Right now, the only new Wii-specific content is found in the far-left link, which goes to a series of quizzes. The other links just go to the kids' goo portal and the games content portal, respectively.A bunch of Japanese quizzes may not be what English-speaking Wii owners want, but it's nice to see the nearly-forgotten Wii Internet Channel get some support.
Wii Warm Up: QWERTY
The Wii now has the rarely-discussed ability to receive input from USB keyboards. You can type in the Wii Message Board and (most importantly) the Internet Channel using the charmingly quaint "hitting buttons with pictures of the letters you want to put on the screen" method instead of the vastly superior, futuristic "pointing at the letters one at a time on your TV" method. But are you?
BBC iPlayer takes the Wii by storm
Now we know what makes you people tick: the BBC. Our inboxes (and comments) have been flooded with news about the BBC iPlayer in one of our most-tipped stories ever.If you're one of the five people who didn't send us this tip and don't know what's up, the BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation) announced today that their iPlayer, which allows viewers to catch up with BBC shows online, is now compatible with the Wii. And yes, that means you'll be able to watch Dr. Who, EastEnders, and other such programmes on your TV to your tea-drinking heart's content.Should this venture by the BBC become successful (which we think it will -- after the news was announced, the number of people using the iPlayer rose significantly), we wouldn't be surprised to see other major networks adopt their services to Nintendo's console. That's not to say that the BBC isn't running into some problems with the idea, though. Right now, the network is quarreling with ISPs over who should pay the extra service costs. Even so, the player can be used as soon as today, with more polished video quality promised in the future. You'll probably also be relieved to know that the service is free, although it will cost you money to download Nintendo's internet channel if you haven't done so already.The other catch? The BBC iPlayer is only available in the UK, for the time being, but BBC Worldwide is apparently working on getting an international player up and running.[Via TVSquad; thanks to everyone who sent this in!]
MMORPG beta out now for Wii's Internet Channel
We normally don't use the terms "MMORPG" and "Wii" in one sentence, but well, there's a first (or second) time for everything.HullBreach Online is a new browser-based MMORPG designed with the Wii's Internet Channel in mind. If you've ever wanted to create a starship pilot, explore the universe, and do other space-related things with your Wiimote, then here's your chance.Interested? You can make an account and download the beta here. It seems pretty basic right now as far as MMORPGs go, but still cool. We don't doubt that this could suck up countless hours of our lives, as any proper game in the genre should.
Nintendo mysteriously updates Everybody Votes, Opera throws the browser a keyboard bone
It was a big day for Nintendo fans. Not only did we get some great announcements out of a surprise conference in Japan, but we were greeted by the friendly blue glow when we were able to tear ourselves away from said news and actually look at our beloved consoles. While exciting on the face, though, today's update ends up being less than thrilling. Much-needed keyboard functionality came to the Opera browser, but it's still limited, and the Wii remote must be used to navigate through text boxes. Take the average search form as an example; at the computer, most of the time, you can type in your search terms and hit enter -- or at the most, tab to the search button and then hit enter. No such luck with the Wii's browser. It's more like this: Navigate to text box with Wii remote Enter text on keyboard Navigate to enter/search button with Wii remote Profit. Very slow and awkward profit, but better than a poke in the eye with ye olde sharp stick.
Cartoon Network targets consoles via the internet
Why make retail games for consoles when you can make Flash games that also happen to work with consoles? That's the attitude Cartoon Network seems to be taking with their recently-announced MEGA series game service developed by AFI's Digital Content Lab. The MEGA series will feature games based on as-yet unannounced Cartoon Network and Adult Swim shows, and it's going to be fully compatible with the Wii browser (oh, and the PS3 also).
Save your website from Wiitis
If you have a website, you may have wondered just what you might need to do to make it Wii-friendly. Luckily, there's a great guide on Opera for the Wii available at the Opera Development Community that goes into all the ins and outs of just what the Wii's browser can do, and plenty of tips to make browsing from the sofa a little easier. The in-depth guide even looks at the smallest of details, such as what is and isn't available in the onscreen keyboard, and what kind of addresses and forms are workable on the console. For anyone looking to make the web a little more Wii-friendly, this is the place to go.
