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Sorry, Virtual Console fans looking for your May 12th fix, you'll find nothing but heartbreak today. Due to the fact that Nintendo's new WiiWare service is launching today, the VC is "taking a break", and shall return next week. "But..what the hell is WiiWare? I wants my VC games!", you say? Cammie Dunaway, Nintendo of America’s executive vice
president of Sales & Marketing says regarding the new service:
WiiWare is to the video game industry what independent films are to
Hollywood. WiiWare lets developers experiment
with new ideas and experiences. Combined with our collection of classic
Virtual Console games, Wii provides one-stop shopping for the greatest
games of the past – and the future.
The initial offerings for WiiWare are as follows:
FINAL FANTASY® CRYSTAL CHRONICLES: My Life as a King (1,500 Wii Points),
LostWinds (1,000 Wii Points),
Defend your Castle (500 Wii Points),
Pop (700 Wii Points),
V.I.P. Casino: Blackjack (700 Wii Points) and
TV Show King (1,000 Wii
Points). I've been playing around with Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles' spin-off since the service went live in Japan a while back, and it's the most visually impressive of the lot. I do look forward to what eventually comes of this service...at least it's not going to simply be ports of old Nintendo games we've all played before.
Hit the jump for the full announcement from Nintendo.
NINTENDO LAUNCHES WiiWARE:
AN OPEN PLAYGROUND FOR CREATIVITY
Downloadable Game Service Delivers Developers’ New Ideas Directly to Consumers
REDMOND, Wash., May 12, 2008 – Nintendo’s Wii™ console has already
changed the way people play games. Now its new WiiWare™ service
decisively tears down limitations for how developers create games – and
the way people receive them.
Starting today, Wii owners with an Internet connection can download
new, creative games from a wide range of developers, from large
publishers to indie shops. By reducing the barriers that make console
game development prohibitively expensive, WiiWare showcases original
ideas in the most democratic environment in industry history,
connecting the people who make games more directly with the people who
play them.
WiiWare frees developers from the traditional constraints of video game
development. WiiWare lets developers experiment with big ideas and
small budgets to the benefit of players everywhere. Newer, smaller
teams now have an outlet for their creative ideas. The constantly
growing WiiWare library will have a regular flow of unique video gaming
experiences consumers might not otherwise have access to.
“WiiWare is to the video game industry what independent films are to
Hollywood,” said Cammie Dunaway, Nintendo of America’s executive vice
president of Sales & Marketing. “WiiWare lets developers experiment
with new ideas and experiences. Combined with our collection of classic
Virtual Console games, Wii provides one-stop shopping for the greatest
games of the past – and the future.”
WiiWare games are easy to download. Just go to the WiiWare section of
the Wii Shop Channel, find the game you want, redeem Wii Points™ and
start the download. Wii Points can be purchased in the Wii Shop Channel
or at retail outlets. New games, at various Wii Point values, will be
added to WiiWare on Mondays. The newly launched Nintendo Channel on Wii
will let people view videos of and read information about WiiWare games
and other Nintendo products. Users also can see player opinions to help
them decide what to play next.
Today, the inaugural lineup of WiiWare games is just a taste of things to come:
FINAL FANTASY® CRYSTAL CHRONICLES®: My Life as a King™ (Square Enix, 1
player, Rated E for Everyone – Mild Fantasy Violence, Mild Suggestive
Themes, 1,500 Wii Points): FINAL FANTASY CRYSTAL CHRONICLES: My Life as
a King takes a legendary franchise and launches it into the realm of
simulation gaming. Players are challenged to rebuild a kingdom, leading
its young king on a path of discovery through an adventure bristling
with mystery and intrigue.
LostWinds™ (Frontier Development, 1-2 players, Rated E for Everyone –
Mild Fantasy Violence, 1,000 Wii Points): A fresh, enchanting platform
adventure that puts the power of the wind in the palm of your hand –
from raging tornados to the gentlest breeze. You’ll wield your Wii
Remote™ controller to power Toku’s jumps and glides, suspend and smash
enemies, meet friends and solve puzzles using LostWinds’ novel,
intuitive and playful control system.
Defend your Castle™ (XGen Studios, 1-4 players, Rated E for Everyone –
Cartoon Violence, 500 Wii Points): Defend your Castle takes place on a
grassy plain surrounded by invaders. You are the commander of your
castle, and it is your duty to fling the invading enemies sky-high,
watching them plummet to their demise. As you progress, add powerful
spells and upgrades to your arsenal for repelling the attacks. How long
can you hold them off?
Pop™ (Nnooo, 1-4 players, Rated E for Everyone, 700 Wii Points): Pop
bubbles to score points and stop the timer from running out. Pop can be
enjoyed by anyone – casual gamers can simply play to pop bubbles and
keep the game moving, whereas advanced players will need to pick their
shots rapidly and accurately and generate combos to maximize their
score.
V.I.P. Casino: Blackjack™ (High Voltage Software®, Inc., 1-4 players,
Rated T for Teen – Simulated Gambling, 700 Wii Points): V.I.P. Casino:
Blackjack re-creates the casino experience, with fully animated players
and a realistic Las Vegas dealer. Single players can increase their
bankrolls, while multiple players can engage in a head-to-head
mini-blackjack tournament.
TV Show King (Gameloft, 1-4 players, Rated E for Everyone, 1,000 Wii
Points): TV Show King transforms your living room into a real TV quiz
show studio where you’ll face the challenge of answering more than
3,000 questions across six different categories. Compete against family
and friends and use your Wii Remote controller in original ways to make
it to the finals to see who can win the greatest amount of cash in one
final, deciding duel.
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