I've loved the Virtual Console since the service launched. Partly because I could move some of the clutter of my classic systems out of the living room, partly because some of the money I was spending was actually going to the developer and, finally, because I could get my hands on some games that were either hard-to-find or on hard-to-find systems. With the launch of WiiWare, I find myself even more in love with digital distribution. The discussion on Podtiod got me thinking about the pros and cons of this new distribution method, so I decided to put my thoughts down here.



Pros
1. WiiWare games tend to be smaller and, sometimes, more adventurous. As gaming becomes bigger and bigger business, gamers need indie games to push the boundaries because the large companies generally will not. This is sad, but understandable. If I invest $20 million in a game, I damn sure want some serious profits. By removing this constraint, creativity can thrive and, most likely, trickle into the mainstream releases.

2. My wife and I just bought a condo. It's just under 1,000 square feet. We're working hard to keep it clutter-free. Digital distribution makes this very easy.

3. No more searching at stores for a game. I am sick and tired of having to pre-order any game I want. Also, games are never in-store on the release date. There was a time when a game's release date was its street date, but this is no longer true. I like knowing exactly when a game will be available and that it will be there when I'm ready even without putting up a $5 guarantee. To me, that's heaven. Related to this is a lack of shipping charges and waiting. Since I can never find the games I want without pre-ordering, I mail order frequently. Also, I am very impatient; when I pay for something, I want it now. (When will Castle of Shikigami 3 arrive, damn it?)

4. Restraint inspires creativity. As a graphic designer, I have always found that being creative is easier when I have a specified area to play in. I think this explains why so many 16-bit games are so unique. The creators had ideas but not all of the ideas could fit on a 32 MB cart so they had to work within this structure, and in the process of culling ideas, they are likely to reevaluate all aspects of the design and lose the weaker ones. I also love that smaller space means less pre-rendered cut-scenes. I like playing games, not watching them.

5. Other people, specifically some game store employees. I don't really want someone to tell me that I need GTA IV and Halo and that I should not buy Guilty Gear because it's 2D or Shikigami no Shiro III because it looks boring. Also, there's nothing I want to pre-order, I don't have anything to trade-in, I don't want a game warantee and I don't want your fucking pathetic excuse for a game magazine.

Cons
1. On the Wii, space is a problem. I pray Nintendo presents a solution soon. The system has USB 2.0 ports on the back, which presents myriad solutions - hard drives, card readers and pen drives could all work well.

2. If my system dies, I lose everything. This is probably my biggest concern. Luckily, Nintendo has great customer service and, once you've bought a game you can download it multiple times. Sony also allows multiple downloads. MS, I'm not sure about. As long as this is handled properly, it's not a real problem.

3. Lack of instruction manual and packaging. There was a time that I loved looking through instruction manuals and checking out the design of the packaging. Lately, manuals are really lame; mostly black and white with minimal design effort put into it. Box art is nice, but it clutters the place up.