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Wii Internet Channel is free now photo

When the Wii first launched, there was a brief window of opportunity in which customers could download the Internet Channel for free and browse the net via the gift of motion control. However, despite being a rather inconvenient, slow and altogether rubbish feature, Nintendo started charging 500 Wii Points for it. Anybody stupid enough to buy it must be kicking themselves now, because it's free again.

If you are among the retards who paid good money for it, however, do not worry. Nintendo hasn't forgotten its gullible audience and will be rewarding anybody who bought the Internet Channel with a free NES game from the Virtual Console. There's no word on what the game will be, but it will launch in late October. I hope it's something really awful, like Bart vs. The Space Mutants

This feature should always have been free, really, since it couldn't hope to replace a real Internet browser and exists as a mere curiorisity and a poor man's method of watching Youtube videos on the TV.


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37 comments | showing # 1 to 37

SonicTHP's Avatar - Comment posted on 09/01/2009 10:04
SonicTHP
I'm pretty sure this is Nintendo's version of a price cut.
Black Nexus's Avatar - Comment posted on 09/01/2009 10:05
Black Nexus
Download it quick before they start charging for it again.
lewness's Avatar - Comment posted on 09/01/2009 10:06
lewness
How about Action 52? Yeah, now that would stir up a riot.
PhazonYoshi's Avatar - Comment posted on 09/01/2009 10:09
PhazonYoshi
About damn time. I got it for free for reasons I'm not entirely sure of, and it's alright. Not worth 50 points though, never mind 500.
Sonic9jct's Avatar - Comment posted on 09/01/2009 10:12
Sonic9jct
maybe this is a good time for an UPDATE Nintendo! Make it so we can actually USE your internet channel on any site made after 2006.
MuddBstrd's Avatar - Comment posted on 09/01/2009 10:19
MuddBstrd
... I really liked Bart vs. The Space Mutants. Yeah, I was 6, but still, that game was fun!
F Whipple's Avatar - Comment posted on 09/01/2009 10:20
F Whipple
I never had to pay for it so it worked fine for me, unless something used flash.
GoldenGamerXero's Avatar - Comment posted on 09/01/2009 10:22
GoldenGamerXero
I got some leftover points after downloading Super mario Bros 3 and thought why not? At least I didn't get completely fucked over. (Unlesss that free game is Super Mario Bros 3.)

@Sonic9jct

They did.
MasterBalls's Avatar - Comment posted on 09/01/2009 10:24
MasterBalls
Yay I'm among those retards. I hope we get to choose the game.

Who am I kidding. I'll have Super Mario Bros twice over
Crock23A's Avatar - Comment posted on 09/01/2009 10:29
Crock23A
Hulu Support Please
shogunu's Avatar - Comment posted on 09/01/2009 10:33
shogunu
Free at last, as it should be!
tirkaro's Avatar - Comment posted on 09/01/2009 10:36
tirkaro
The Wii Browser still goes faster than my computer :{
flabzilla's Avatar - Comment posted on 09/01/2009 10:44
flabzilla
Hmmm so there going with the "Yeah it's crap but at least it's free!" route, so it will be left to further rot until the next Nintendo console.

Kind of dissapointing but oh well.
Ganjookie's Avatar - Comment posted on 09/01/2009 10:51
Ganjookie
AWW FUCK! I just bought it on Friday
Sonic9jct's Avatar - Comment posted on 09/01/2009 10:54
Sonic9jct
@Golden Gamer Xero
You sure? Ever since the turn of 2007, almost every site I went to that used flashed said that the Adobe Flash needed to be updated, many sites worth visiting on your TV basically failed to function.
ejamer's Avatar - Comment posted on 09/01/2009 10:56
ejamer
It's not a real web browser and does have limitations, but it's not crap either (although the Flash update was definitely needed!)

Of course fanboyism prefers ridiculous "all or nothing" statements, so go ahead and keep talking shit guys.
PEICanada7's Avatar - Comment posted on 09/01/2009 10:58
PEICanada7
"maybe this is a good time for an UPDATE Nintendo!"

They did updated it, that's the whole point of them making it free now. I can't believe people are complaining about free things. What do you want, for them to pay you? Supposedly everyone who spent the 500 points, are getting them back now. But that's just what I heard on the IGN messageboards, from people in Europe, who already got the update. So I'd imagine that it will be the same for people here in North America.

I bet people will find some way to complain about that as well though. (Damn you Nintendo, for giving us our points back. Now I have to get up and dust off my WiiMote to use it. I hate you Nintendo.) I'm sure Jim could find a way to make it another negative story, seeing as how he's really good at doing that when it comes to anything Nintendo!
theswitcher's Avatar - Comment posted on 09/01/2009 10:59
theswitcher
Um, actually this browser was updated last year, and it runs alot smoother and faster and while it still lacks proper flash support (boo) it's still better than the PS3/360's net browser. Oh wait.

Jim would surely know that the browser had been updated, you know, if he actually knew anything about the Wii past 2007, instead of pulling random insults from his considerable backside.
PEICanada7's Avatar - Comment posted on 09/01/2009 11:07
PEICanada7
"Jim would surely know that the browser had been updated, you know, if he actually knew anything about the Wii past 2007, instead of pulling random insults from his considerable backside."

I think that's what gets Nintendo fans pissed off the most about Jim. He acts like he knows everything about the system, from when he owned one back in 2007. As if the Wii can never be updated like the PS3, or 360. Which it obviously can, as Nintendo proved with the 4.0 update earlier this year, by solving the storage issue. I'm surprised Jim's still not harping on about that, how his 2007 Wii still needs a storage solution!
zombiekiller13's Avatar - Comment posted on 09/01/2009 11:11
zombiekiller13
Hmmmm. I'll probably grab it, even though I don't plan to use it...just in case they start charging for it again.

And Bart vs. The Space Mutants? Got it as a gift from my parents when I was little. At least it wasn't Deadly Towers.

Oh wait. They bought that one for me, too. Sad.
Xzyliac's Avatar - Comment posted on 09/01/2009 11:24
Xzyliac
I never got why they charged for it in the first place.
Tubatic's Avatar - Comment posted on 09/01/2009 11:38
Tubatic
So wait, did they update the flash? Before I could get youtube and G4, and not much else.
Jon B's Avatar - Comment posted on 09/01/2009 11:51
Jon B
Or, as an even better alternative, just plug your damn TV into your computer. Not hard.

And if you're truly amazing, use GlovePie to use the WiiMote on your PC too.
ejamer's Avatar - Comment posted on 09/01/2009 11:55
ejamer
@Tubatic: Flash has been updated. I don't know what you can/can't get with the new browser, or what version of Flash is supported now... but I do know that it's been updated.



Also, I rather enjoyed the first level of Bart vs The Space Mutants. The rest of the game was rubbish, but the first level used the license in some really clever ways (even if it did control poorly). Shame that the game went downhill rapidly from there.
ejamer's Avatar - Comment posted on 09/01/2009 11:59
ejamer
Oh, apparently Wii now supports Adobe Flash Lite 3.1.

Check here for details:
http://www.adobe.com/products/flashlite/faq/
Arch649's Avatar - Comment posted on 09/01/2009 12:32
Arch649
Just downloaded it. I'll stick with Firefox
Arch649's Avatar - Comment posted on 09/01/2009 12:33
Arch649
Just downloaded it. I'll stick with Firefox
Chack's Avatar - Comment posted on 09/01/2009 13:06
Chack
If I can't access streaming porn sites I'm not sold... Oh, that's right, I just got it when it was free the first time.

You guys say it's an updated version? I'll download it!
Cadtalfryn's Avatar - Comment posted on 09/01/2009 13:14
Cadtalfryn
Free? Nintendo? I do not understand.
Dexter345's Avatar - Comment posted on 09/01/2009 13:54
Dexter345
I had forgotten that they started making people pay for this. I've used my Internet Channel a few times, but it is obnoxiously slow and difficult to navigate.
theswitcher's Avatar - Comment posted on 09/01/2009 15:24
theswitcher
If you read anything so far, you'd know this is the 3rd update to the broweser, the second update improved the speed and navigation.
Im OK's Avatar - Comment posted on 09/01/2009 15:51
Im OK
I downloaded this back when it was first free, used it for about 10 minutes to play some Strong Bad games, then deleted it and promptly forgot that it existed, until now. I might give it another look later, maybe play those Strong Bad games again or something.
ShadowMoses's Avatar - Comment posted on 09/01/2009 16:41
ShadowMoses
Nice and blurry!
SetoChaos's Avatar - Comment posted on 09/01/2009 16:50
SetoChaos
I brought it when my laptop broke since it was the only way I could access the internet. At least I get a free game now :)
CypherVR's Avatar - Comment posted on 09/02/2009 10:17
CypherVR
i is makin` a comment from the wii internet browser, this shoulda been free in the first place - the DSi internet browser was free :/
10 Minute Warning's Avatar - Comment posted on 09/07/2009 16:29
10 Minute Warning
it
s good for porn purposes
VivaSonata's Avatar - Comment posted on 09/08/2009 08:49
VivaSonata
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