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PSA: Wii Shop purchases don't get Club Nintendo coins through Wii U
Here's an annoying situation that could cost you a few of the "Coins" used as currency on Club Nintendo. If you transfer your Wii content to your new Wii U (or just start fresh on the Wii U) then buy WiiWare or Virtual Console games through the Wii U's "Wii Mode," you won't get the Coin value of those purchases.This is because you can't link your Club Nintendo account to the virtual Wii within your Wii U, which you'd use to buy legacy games.The easiest solution would be to buy whatever you want on Wii, and get the Coins, before transferring your Wii data to Wii U. But if it's too late for that, you have the choice either to buy on Wii U and forfeit the potential Coins, or realize it's 2013 and that you've likely been pretty much caught up with WiiWare for the past two years, with the possible exception of La-Mulana.
BBC: Spanish police arrest blackmailing Nintendo hacker [update]
According to a report from BBC News, Spanish police recently arrested a man in the southern province of Malaga who illicitly obtained personal information on over 4,000 "Nintendo users" -- assumedly gamers who made purchases on the Wii and DSi Stores. The man reportedly warned Nintendo that he would contact the country's data protection agency and reveal the gaps in Nintendo's defenses -- though it's unclear whether the info was obtained directly through Nintendo or a third-party source. After Nintendo failed to respond to him, he reportedly began to leak the info onto the internet. We've contacted Nintendo for a comment on the BBC report, but don't have our fingers crossed as this is still an ongoing investigation. Maybe we should contact this incarcerated hacker to get Nintendo's comment, since he's apparently capable of getting all up in their infos. Update: According to a report on El Mundo, the hacked data in question didn't come from one of the console-based services, but a website for upcoming 3DS preview events. ElOtroLado user adan_gecko discovered a vulnerability allowing any user to see or even modify the list of people who signed up for more information. He said that he reported this vulnerability to Nintendo, and this appears to be the infraction in question. Thanks to Elideb for the extra information.
DJ Hero 2 and Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock free DLC available now until Nov. 30
Looking to expand your DJ Hero 2 and/or Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock catalogues at a significant discount? Activision's offering of free DLC for each game seeks to solve your problem, adding a DJ Tiesto-mixed three-track pack to DJ Hero 2 and a My Chemical Romance pack to Warriors of Rock, each of which is free in the US "via redemption code while supplies last." The catch: each pack is free for this week only before becoming paid content on November 30 (also, the content for Warriors of Rock is only available to Xbox 360 owners). Details for both packs can be found after the break, including pricing for when they're no longer free next week. But hey, you're on top of things, so you're totally gonna get them while they're free. Head over to Activision and Coca-Cola's code generating website "while supplies last."
Nintendo selling downloadable games on online store
Nintendo's online store is a great place to get a Game Boy Micro battery door or a copy of Wii Sports, and now you can get a Virtual Console game and a WiiWare game there too. That's right -- one each. For some reason, Nintendo put Pokemon Rumble and Super Mario Bros. 3 up for download through its browser-based online store, for $15 and $5, respectively. Purchasing either will give you a download ticket that you can enter in the Wii Shop to download the game. But why? And why just two games? (Although that's one more game than is available from Amazon's Wii download section.) We're checking with Nintendo about the offering now, and will report back if we hear anything. [Via GoNintendo]
Nintendo debuts Wii 'Bonus Content' feature in Japan
A new system update for Japanese Wii consoles has introduced an intriguing new function to the Wii Shop Channel: bonus content. The feature, which prompts users to enter a 16-digit code when accessed, has so far been used to distribute the Wii Speaker Channel using a key included with Daigasso! Band Brothers DX for the Nintendo DS.Nintendo Everything and Wii Fanboy speculate that the Shop Channel's new feature could potentially be used to redeem codes included with games for everything from free Wii Points to downloadable content and Virtual Console titles. Might we suggest a code that, when entered, simply rewards users with smiles? Nintendo certainly has a lot of them to go around.[Via NWF]
It's official: Nintendo slacking off on Wii Shop releases
Gamasutra has posted an interesting piece that deals with a topic close to (most of) our hearts: the frequency of Wii Shop releases in North America. Its findings seem to support the popular view that Nintendo has slowed down when it comes to digital releases these last few months; as the above graph demonstrates, only 47 items (ten of which are WiiWare titles) have been placed on the Wii Shop during the first five months of this year. That compares with the 81 items (all Virtual Console releases) that appeared in the last six months of 2007.Before you get too angrified about this, know Nintendo is not alone in its recent relaxed approach to digital distribution. Gamasutra also profiled Xbox Live Arcade and the PSN Store and discovered similar results -- only whereas Nintendo is padding out its downloadable releases with more WiiWare releases, XBLA is filling more space with Xbox Originals (while lowering the number of XBLA titles), and the PSN Store is carrying more PSP titles (as it reduces the number of PS1 and PS3 games that also appear on the service).So what's going on? Well, it beats us. As Gamasutra points out, digital releases are ideal for filling an empty spring/summer schedule, so you'd think Nintendo and its rivals would be stocking up on their digital wares at this time of year -- but apparently not! Hit the "Source" link below for more informative and colorful graphs.
Gift services go live worldwide for holidays
Sure, maybe a lot of you don't find the idea itself terribly exciting, but we are definitely pleased to hear that the Wii Shop Channel's new gift feature will be live worldwide in time for the holidays. Now you'll be able to gift friends with awesome old games without having to track them down in physical form -- and without unloading a lot of cash, either. That's a win all around.It might also be worth noting that Gamefront's headline on the announcement had the "Wii Gift Channel" in English, and since "das Gift" means "poison" in German, Google's autotranslator informed us that the Wii Poison Channel would be a go in December. We're not quite as excited about that one, frankly.
Revealed: New Wii Shop 'gift' feature
Currently, the Wii barely has chance to make itself comfortable on shop shelves, such is its popularity with consumers. But that's not quite enough for Satoru Iwata and co. -- they want to rule the online roost as well. Problem is, quite a lot of people aren't terribly fussed about checking the weather or catching up on the news on their Wii, and let's not kid ourselves here: as far as online gaming goes, right now the Wii just can't measure up to some of the competition.Something needs to be done then, something to get more people surfing this series of tubes using Nintendo's waggle box. Enter the firm's latest brainwave, a new Wii Shop feature which allows users to buy gifts for one another, such as a Virtual Console game. The lucky recipient will then receive notice of their present, and can start downloading it instantly from the Wii Shop."We think this will be a breakthrough in encouraging customers to spread news of fun games [other than by?] word of mouth," Iwata said of the new feature, which has no release date yet. "We also hope to spur more users to connect their Wiis to the Internet."Is this the move that gets more people online on their Wiis? Do you envisage yourself using it? Share your thoughts, and we shall listen intently.
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.
F-Zero X is Euro Virtual Console's 100th game
The N64's ludicrously kinetic racer, F-Zero X (or F0X, if you want to be trite) today marks the 100th release on Nintendo's European Virtual Console service. Pro-G reports that the game arrives on the PAL Wii at a cost of 1000 Wii Points and is joined by side-scrolling TurboGrafx platformer, J.J. & Jeff, for 600 Wii Points.America's Virtual Console received its 100th title last week in the form of Zelda II: The Adventure of Link, highlighting Nintendo's steady release of retro titles since the Wii launched in November 2006. The quantity of titles is certainly not an issue, but the lack of enhancements and the occasional, questionable release makes passing judgment on quality and pricing more difficult, especially when we so easily get ourselves wrapped in the warm blanket of nostalgia. We expect things to get interesting once the Wii Shop joins Xbox Live Arcade and PlayStation Network in providing original games.
Impossible Mission to stay in Wii Shop Channel... forever!
Impossible Mission is set to be the first downloadable Wii title that doesn't run on the Virtual Console. Eurogamer reports (via Nintendo Power magazine) that the remake of the Commodore 64 platformer will be made available in the online Wii Shop channel, making it the first new(ish) visitor to Nintendo's virtual aisles. Given the inescapable nature of the in-store music, we wouldn't be surprised to see the game stay awhile or indeed, stay foreeeeeverrr.For those unfamiliar with the title and the nefarious Professor Atombender, Impossible Mission will provide a retro mode in addition to the revamped adventure, much like the recent Jetpac Refuelled did on Xbox Live Arcade. Fight robots, keep atoms straight and sell an Xbox 360 in Japan this Summer when the game hits the Wii, PS2, PSP and DS.
VC Friday: Damn, it feels good to be a scroller
What does Nintendo Europe do to follow up Ocarina of Time? Throw a few more side-scrolling titles onto the Virtual Console, of course! At this point, we're starting to think that the VC's subtitle should be something like: All the side-scrolling fun you'll ever need!If all the shooty/fighty games aren't quite your style, there's a little variety, too. Four games -- not a bad week!Available in Europe on this fine Friday: Bio-hazard Battle (Sega Mega Drive) - 800 Wii points Chew-Man-Fu (TurboGrafx) - 600 Wii points Streets of Rage (Sega Mega Drive) - 800 Wii points Sword of Vermillion (Sega Mega Drive) - 800 Wii points
Wii to get original downloadable titles, 'Game Channel' possible
Remarks made by Hudson Entertainment director of marketing John Lee, during an interview with Game Informer, have sparked rumor that a 'Game Channel,' dealing in original downloadable titles, could be headed to Wii. Lee didn't make any specific implications, but did cleverly acknowledge that Nintendo had plans to distribute original downloadable games. When asked if Hudson had plans to do so, Lee claimed, "No," but added, "However, in the future, you should rephrase that question to: Are there any plans to launch original content on some downloadable service on the Wii, and you might get a different answer."CVG brought the issue up with Nintendo, which responded, "We cannot confirm at this time in what format the new content will be delivered, but in the future there will be original games available for download through the Wii Shop." While still unconfirmed, it's likely that Nintendo could launch a new Channel to further separate original games, once purchased from Wii Shop Channel, from Virtual Console fare. We also suspect that most of these new offerings will utilize the Wiimote (and Nunchuk) instead of the Classic Controller.
Aliens and explorers enter Virtual Console lineup
Taking a break from watching obscure Japanese commercials, the fine fellows at Bits Bytes Pixels & Sprites recently poked their noses into the various nooks and crannies of Hudson Entertainment's website. Along with a vague smell of bacon, they discovered the product pages for two, as yet unannounced Virtual Console games. Though there's no mention of a release date, Alien Crush and Dungeon Explorer are both set to appear on the Wii's TurboGrafx-16 emulator. Memory refresh: Alien Crush sees you playing pinball on the faces of some rather menacing aliens, whereas Dungeon Explorer adequately equips you with tools clearly intended for hacking and slashing. Presumably, you also get to explore dungeons in the company of a "knome." If either of these floats your cup of nostalgia, be sure to check back with us on Monday -- there's a decent chance they'll become available then.
It's so catchy! (Wii delight #003)
Only until we managed to force Nintendo's ingenious concoction of beeps and boops out of our heads, did we realize how shockingly hollow life was without it. The masterful music emanating from the Wii Shop Channel is quite obviously the greatest composition in the history of the universe, its infectious melody gripping you like a malfunctioning elevator door. Though you may be sprawled across a couch with a limp wrist interacting with the screen, this tantalizing tune will transfer you to a store populated by charming 8-bit sprites that move about in an eerie, staccato manner. Just moments after entering, the song will have wormed its way into your brain and taken control of your vocal chords. You're humming along, you're bobbing your head and you are happy. The happiest you've ever been in your entire life. Why not spread the joy and infect delight others with it? Refer them to this Youtube video (depicting the infamous browser hack) and tell them to shut up. Shut up and listen.(By the way, could we have some remixes?)PS3 delights vs. PS3 annoyances Wii delights vs. Wii annoyances Xbox 360 delights vs. Xbox 360 annoyances
Wii channels not yet fully operational
Most of the online functions of the Wii will not be ready when we start bringing the consoles home this weekend. According to a recent press release, the forecast channel will debut on December 20, while the news channel will debut next year, in late January. The shopping channel will be up and running, however, with twelve Virtual Console titles ready on launch day. The Virtual Console will be updated every Monday with new content, though the release did not specify if that would begin November 20, or the following Monday -- not that we have long to wait until we find out.The press release included no information about the forthcoming Opera browser other than that it would be downloaded to the console via the Wii Shop channel. [Via Joystiq]
The skinny on Wii Channels
The new interface of the Nintendo Wii is organized into "channels", each containing different services and functions. The English version of wii.com gives a nice summary of the initial channels. Here's what they do: The Disc channel is simply for playing games based off of optical media, i.e. Wii or Gamecube discs. Nothing fancy here. The Mii channel allows a player to create his or her own digital avatar. These avatars will most likely be your online "identity", but will also appear in certain software, such as Wii Sports. The Photo channel is a channel that allows you to view and share digital photos and movies from an external source. The Wii also contains an iPhoto-like functionality, allowing you to touch up, alter, and distort your photos to your heart's content. The Forecast channel will give you a look at local weather. You can also zoom out in a very Google Earth-esque fashion, and view data for pretty much anywhere in the world. The News channel is for, well, news. Various topics will be broken down into topical categories for your viewing pleasure. Remember, this and the weather service are free of charge. The Wii Shop channel is, as expected, the online marketplace for the Wii. You'll mainly be in here buying games for the Virtual Console, but you can also purchase Opera's web browser and whatever else Nintendo decides to charge. Hopefully, extra multiplayer maps and the like will remain free, but we suppose that's up to the publisher. The Virtual Console channels are the channels that allow you to play games from any of the various systems supported: NES, SNES, N64, Sega Genesis, and the TurboGrafx-16. The Internet channel allows one to surf the internet. However, this is not free; an Opera browser must be purchased for a currently unknown price. However, the browser supports Adobe Flash, AJAX software, and essentially every feature a major browser should; it's a nice step up from the DS version. The Message Board channel allows users to post messages on various boards, and send messages or photos directly to PCs or cell phones. This is also the service through which games will be updated and patched. And there you have it! Looks like we're gonna be doing some hardcore channel surfing when the Wii hits the streets.
