One of the best parts about Xbox Live Arcade is the potential for independent game developers to create cheap and innovative games for the service. When Nintendo announced the inclusion of the Virtual Console for the Wii, many thought it would provide an even greater outlet for independent creativity. Well, thanks to Nintendo’s apparent sluggishness on providing the tools, the whole process is under one big delay. Here’s the latest:
Ian Bogost of Persuasive Games claims that Nintendo is having so much trouble meeting the demand of publishers that it can’t supply consoles to indie teams.
Originally, Nintendo was hoping to begin its Wii Independent Developer Program last month, but now the indie-initiative is “on hold.” Developers who don’t have a publishing contract will have to wait until Nintendo supplies its licensed publishers, who are, according to Bogost’s contact, “…taking all of the available inventory, and more.”
Nintendo still plans to work with indie developers, but won’t start reviewing their applications until the end of this month at the earliest. This, in turn, means that we probably won’t start seeing independent Wii projects until much later this year, if not 2008. We’ll be sure to keep you posted on the Big N’s indie program as new information is released.
Time to get on the ball Nintendo. I personally don’t play VC games because I already played them … 20 years ago. I’d much rather play new and fresh titles made by people who can figure out innovative ways of using the Wiimote.
