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GDC 08: WiiWare channel to launch May 12th; no demos planned photo

WiiWare, the Wii’s channel for original downloadable games, will officially launch in North America on May 12th, according to all around awesome guy N’Gai Croal over at Newsweek’s Level Up.

This is very exciting for people (like me!) who are very much looking forward to the creativity and overall retro feel most seemingly simple downloadable games have to offer. With the continued success of the Wii, a lot of smaller, independent publishers will have the opportunity to have their games seen by millions of people around the world.

Sadly, as mentioned in Croal’s same article (and being whispered about here in the halls of GDC), no demos will be available for any of these original downloads. How gamers are going to know which games to purchase in what is sure to be a sea of options is beyond me. Says Nintendo:

The key for us is not to impose too many restrictions on the content creators and allow them to create the content that and the features that they think are more suitable to express their vision of the product. And creating demos or having demos as a requirement is a very costly type of endeavor, so it's not a requirement from Nintendo.

I am a huge Nintendo supporter, but am very worried about this decision. Hopefully there is more to this story as Nintendo promises to reveal much more information about WiiWare over the next few days of GDC. What do you think? Is Nintendo shooting itself in the foot with this news?


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28 comments | showing # 1 to 28

F Whipple's Avatar - Comment posted on 02/20/2008 13:20
F Whipple
If I'm reading it correctly it said that demos are not required. So it's still possible for demos to be released perhaps?
Dr Milkdad's Avatar - Comment posted on 02/20/2008 13:21
Dr Milkdad
I was just about to say... The story below looks exactly the same... I'm freaking out here!
CaffeinePowered's Avatar - Comment posted on 02/20/2008 13:26
CaffeinePowered
Can you really do full Wii demos? Maybe VC games, I think even Wiiware might be a stretch.

Unless they decided to allow external HDDs...
Gameboi's Avatar - Comment posted on 02/20/2008 13:26
Gameboi
Sorry about that snafu, folks. We pull from the same sources, and sometimes we get a little mixed up.
BlindsideDork's Avatar - Comment posted on 02/20/2008 13:28
BlindsideDork
Nintendo STOP being a fail! haha
Chad Concelmo's Avatar - Comment posted on 02/20/2008 13:28
Chad Concelmo
The double post was totally my fault. I heard the news here at GDC and typed the post. Gameboi is amazing. Chad fails. :)
ScottyG's Avatar - Comment posted on 02/20/2008 13:28
ScottyG
Gameboi's had a better picture, altough I am envious of your 10000 Wii points. :p
ScottyG's Avatar - Comment posted on 02/20/2008 13:29
ScottyG
Gameboi's had a better picture, altough I am envious of your 10000 Wii points. :p
Gameboi's Avatar - Comment posted on 02/20/2008 13:30
Gameboi
Wrong. Chad is amazing, and at GDC . Gameboi fails :-)
Chad Concelmo's Avatar - Comment posted on 02/20/2008 13:30
Chad Concelmo
@F Whipple,
That is what I am hoping to find out more about in the next few days. I am reading it the same way as you (mainly that it is not a requirement, but is still possible), but game developers here seem to be spreading the word that it is not an option at all. Hopefully more will be revealed soon ...
mix's Avatar - Comment posted on 02/20/2008 13:30
mix
I download tons of demo and I have bought games based on the demo that I normally wouldn't have purchased. I think demos should done.
king3vbo's Avatar - Comment posted on 02/20/2008 13:36
king3vbo
Woot
NihonTiger90's Avatar - Comment posted on 02/20/2008 13:43
NihonTiger90
I can't wait.

Oh, and Chad, guess what your points card gift might be going towards? Can you say WiiWare launch titles?
pedrovay2003's Avatar - Comment posted on 02/20/2008 13:46
pedrovay2003
Well, they just said it's not a requirement, not that it would never happen.

I have this same problem with the PlayStation Network. I barely own any downloadable games on my PS3, because I can't try them first. I hope the developers realize that demos are pretty much essential in this day and age.
MiOdd's Avatar - Comment posted on 02/20/2008 14:14
MiOdd
I think demos would be nice but I don't think its a problem if they're omitted.

I've never owned a TG16 in the past, so all those games are completely new to me. Everytime one comes to the VC I find enough information and reviews before making my purchase and for the most part the system works...
monosylabik's Avatar - Comment posted on 02/20/2008 14:20
monosylabik
since thats my birthday i wonder if i can get a gift repciet with that...
nosinging's Avatar - Comment posted on 02/20/2008 14:30
nosinging
Has there been any announcement on using external hard drives or playing from SD cards? Where are we supposed to put all these new games?
drMario1337's Avatar - Comment posted on 02/20/2008 14:43
drMario1337
on the console... i guess.
Gavin's Avatar - Comment posted on 02/20/2008 14:44
Gavin
Demos would show that Nintendo really cares about their online strategy, which we all know they don't give two shits about. This should come as a surprise to nobody.
Remo's Avatar - Comment posted on 02/20/2008 14:51
Remo
To be honest many wiiware games will probably be so small a demo would be giving you half the game.
Samit Sarkar's Avatar - Comment posted on 02/20/2008 15:01
Samit Sarkar
Yeah, aside from Gameboi’s other article on this story, he also put up a feature about why the PSN has so few demos, and most PS3 owners seemed to agree that demos are a good thing (in general). Not allowing demos at all just seems shortsighted, and frankly, rather dumb. But hey, I don’t own a Wii, so it makes no difference to me either way.
Guagloves's Avatar - Comment posted on 02/20/2008 15:34
Guagloves
No Demos? Sad. I guess that's what happens when the Wii has very little space.
Holyetheline's Avatar - Comment posted on 02/20/2008 17:09
Holyetheline
No shoot in the foot. Sad with a lack of demos though.
konchu's Avatar - Comment posted on 02/20/2008 18:17
konchu
Demos are nice and they don't have to take extra space just look at xbox live games, the game demos and full version are the same size you pretty much just unlock the demo. I think Snakeball on PS3 was the 1st PS3 game to do this too. I personally think demos are very good and sort of like there being a requirement as it helps purchasing decisions and really the demos don't really have to be much more than a time limit or level limit.
Necros's Avatar - Comment posted on 02/21/2008 03:42
Necros
The Wii doesn't have room for demos, so I'm not surprised.
wardrox's Avatar - Comment posted on 02/21/2008 03:43
wardrox
Even without demos, I think it'll be good to see some third party devs able to cheaply make games for the Wii.
Burnt Meatloaf's Avatar - Comment posted on 02/21/2008 14:33
Burnt Meatloaf
I think Nintendo is just trying to see how far they can push the community before they complain. It's not like people complain often, after all.
BlackSunEmpire's Avatar - Comment posted on 02/21/2008 19:14
BlackSunEmpire
Chad, can you do me a big favour and kidnap someone at GDC who either works for Nintendo or is a family member of someone who does. Then refuse to let them go until they announce when WiiWare will find its way out of Japan and N America. Maybe not Reggie, he looks big, could you stalk him and see if he has a little girlfriend or something.

If you take any heat just say I asked you nicely. It should be sweet, I know a few cops.
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