Iwata tackles Virtual Console prices, Wii Connect24 [update 3]

@11

Nintendo have already confirmed that the use of any usb-based storage device will be compatible with the Wii. I've got a 300gig external usb hdd ready to go...

The DS downloads the wiiconnect 24 stuff in standby mode which uses as much energy as a 5 watt lightbulb. Basically zip. Your console when turned on uses hundreds of watts per hour.

I, for one, am looking forward to this Wiinternet he seems to be talking about. Not surprisingly, and perhaps by coincidence, Wiinternet domain names are unavailable.

um...just which port do i plug my eternet cable in?
or is it wireless..does this mean i have to get a router or something...?

I have this now. It's called Xbox Live Arcade. It exists now, works great, and will only get better over time. It worked as a disc basd product on Xbox -- long before Wii and it's "virtual console" and now htat it's an integral part of the 360 it is awesome. I do like the idea of automatically pulling down demos when ever they are available, but othewise, it sure sounds like the company who said online was unimportant has gotten MS' religion.

I suspect you will be able to use the DS wifi connector which plugs into a usb port on your comp. Basically it is a cheap wireless router for a Nintendo approved device.

Where are these downloaded games going to be stored?

"He's saying that small teams can create NEW games that they can distribute over their connect24 network for $5. I repeat.... NEW games. Not past games.

It's a way of encouraging companies to take risks on new gameplay without incurring the huge financial risk."

What's really so innovative about this? Microsoft's been doing it since the 360 launch. If it had been the other way around, I'd know that the rabids of Nintendo would be jumping all over "COPYING" and such. Its a nice feature, but it really isn't anything new.

What? Nintendo bash from Ross Miller? No way!

Seriously, mate, if blinking lights bother you you should sleep with an eye cover.

@55: It may have worked best for Microsoft, but Nintendo's had versions of the same thing implemented and usable on their consoles as far back as the NES in the mid-80's.

Credit where credit is due: Nintendo's had this idea for a long time, and they've been trying it repeatedly--the Famicom Modem, Satteliview, X-Band, the 64DD... they even gave connectivity for the Game Boy a shot by shipping a GBC-Cell Phone cable. It's pretty clear Nintendo's been seeing this future for some time.

They just managed to keep botching it, and screwed up the timing. Famicom Modem didn't have the capability to do nearly enough to make it worthwhile. (Most of the interesting stuff was for the Famicom Disk System instead.) Satteliview was clunky and unreliable. X-Band cost too much for too little. And the 64DD was scaled back until it was a Japan-only mail-order release.

It certainly wasn't a new idea when Microsoft picked it up, but they did it better than Nintendo ever managed. One part of it's definitely timing--with the advent of broadband internet, all the stuff Nintendo was trying through arcane methods or hacked-together systems was easy to do. On the other hand, Microsoft had the infrastructure in place to do it all because of their role in the computer industry and the Internet. On the third hand (I'm turning into frickin' Goro here), Nintendo kinda gave it to Microsoft--as far as internet connectivity went for the Gamecube, they kinda phoned it in.

Maybe Nintendo decided to give it a rest after the Dreamcast failed--with their once-primary competitor got knocked out of the market for resting such a strong portion of their strategy on online, and all Nintendo's repeated failures with that technology, they couldn't have much confidence left in it.

Microsoft managed to spot things from a different perspective--they were pretty close to being partners with Sega for the Dreamcast, and while Nintendo's always had the vision, Gates and company have a firm grasp on where technology is and where it's going, and what consumers are willing to use that technology for. They spotted the Dreamcast's online play as one of its biggest defenses against the onslaught of the PS2, despite the Dreamcast's eventual failure, and seeing that bandwith was getting faster and cheaper (and having the luxury of waiting until last to get their system out), resurrecting and improving on one of the Dreamcast's biggest assets for their solo stake in the industry was a no-brainer.

In any case, Microsoft's definitely managed to set the bar with Xbox Live!, and from the looks of online play for the DS, Nintendo's got a plan for meeting--if not exceeding--that bar. It's still to be seen whether or not that plan works, but I'm hopeful--they've certainly always been the most idealistic about what connectivity could mean for gaming, and I think they've finally got it together.

Heck, even if everything falls apart, it can't be as bad as what Sony seems to have as their internet strategy--plop an ethernet jack into the system and hope for the best.

Everyone seems to be going the way of using regular, PC based harddrives for their systems.

PS3, Wii...

This is really great, especially since I have a few harddrives from older computers left over for my use. Now I definately have a reason to purchase a $500 PS3 over the $600.

I wonder if the 360 will get an attachment for something like that.

Oh, by the way.

idioteraser:
"Sony wouldn't exist with Nintendo getting outraged over Sony trying to pull a fast one on them."

HA HA. HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA.

This statement brings up the question... is it possible to erase oneself?

#55 Two things. Nintendo said online was not important for the xbox, cube, ps2 gen. Which in all actuality, it wasnt. Live was out for 4 yrs (which is also the xboxes life cycle) b4 it started growing (mostly because of the free service in 360 i think)

Second, you also had it b4, it was called shareware.

Also the vc was annouced b4 xbox live arcade and msoft also said that downloadin old games was a gimmick and guess wat the next 360 anticipated title is..........................street fighter

Maybe when it's downloading, the Wii's light around the disc slot will glow like K.I.T.T. from "Knight Rider". Now that would be cool..... then you could hop on and drive your hybrid Wii around town while it makes you toast...!

n8dogg bother to look up where the name Playstation came from it was a Sony made accessory to the SNES. Sony wouldn't have the playstation if not for Nintendo.

Nintendo has stated they wanted to do online when it could be done cheaply, easy to setup and make a profit. Wifi is the way Nintendo has decided for that. Online gaming for consoles wasn't that big when Iwata made his often misquoted statements about Nintendo's view of online. Less then ten percent of xbox owners went online that doesn't ring a success especially if you spent hundreds of millions of dollars on it.

In response to comment 61 ah the PS3 harddrives will be from Sony there comments indicate upgrading the 500 dollar PS3 will cost far more since guess what pc componets aren't supported by sony as well as their size. If the PS3 is jam packed like Sony claims with the hardware you couldn't fit anything into it. How are you supposed to add usb ports hacksaw the console? Seems any upgrade will violate the warranty and cause mass potential for failed PS3s.

Benjamin wrote:
"Nintendo started out with a 5-button controller with no analog controls at all, no loading screens, 15 seconds from start up to gameplay era."

Fifteen seconds? Hah....the time it takes to start up gameplay in almost any NES game solely depends on how fast you can press the start button. You can be playing level 1 of SMB in a *fraction* of a second. The only delay would be from unskippable intro sequences, but those are rare on the NES.

The same is true even for the N64! You can be running around in SM64 in less than five seconds from the moment you push the power button. You can see why they thought the risk of not having the storage space of a CD was worth it. Too bad it didn't work out for them commercially, I sure preferred it.



As for the Virtual Console price mentioned, it's already been said that it was for newly developed games, but EVEN if it was for old games, if any one of the many epic RPG's or what have you (Yoshi's Island anyone?) on te SNES aren't worth 5 dollars to you (especially since they still beat like 80% of the trash on the market today) then....I'd try to say something clever but I can only think of how horrible that is.

"Let's say your Wii is connected to the Internet in a mode that allows activation on a 24-hour basis."

This "mode" implies that there are more modes.

i.e. a "totally off" mode, a "download stuff but not DS demos" mode, a "download ds demos but not stuff" mode, adn stuff like that

Well it all sounds good in theroy..but now it's time for them to stop talking and to DELIVER. The real war will be at Christmas....

As #58 said...$5 for NEW Games. They haven't mentioned any price point for classic retro games yet:

"Nintendo's Virtual Console would allow developers to 'create a reasonably entertaining game in 2 months with a team of three' and sell it for around 500 yen (likely $5 in the US)."

New games...for 5 bucks? I'm there. Notice it doesn't mention anything about retro games. Yes, it's an important distinction Iwata-san made clear. So before everyone starts screaming bloody murder for $5 a game, read carefully...NEW games.

Hell, if the old games were $5, I wouldn't mind. But as of yet, there's no price set for the retro stuff...plus...this sounds speculative anyway, even coming from Iwata. The prices mentioned don't sound final...so the wait continues.

idioteraser, you really do have to erase yourself.

"PS3 harddrives will be from Sony there comments indicate upgrading the 500 dollar PS3 will cost far more since guess what pc componets aren't supported by sony as well as their size."

Sony already said that you will be able to plug in any HDD from any computer that you want.
http://ps3.qj.net/index.php?pg=49&aid=40464

If the PS3 is jam packed like Sony claims with the hardware you couldn't fit anything into it. How are you supposed to add usb ports hacksaw the console? Seems any upgrade will violate the warranty and cause mass potential for failed PS3s.

The PS3 has USB ports, so put the hacksaw back in your daddys tool shed before you hurt yourself.

Idioteraser,

No matter how many times you repeat a myth, it will not become true. Microsoft never made any acquisition overtures to Nintendo. The closest this ever came to reality was when a reporter asked Bill Gates whether he would want to do it. Gates reply was the rational answer, that if Nintendo was seeking a buyout it would have to be considered.

That was it. A speculative conversation with no relation to any real world events.

Microsoft did enter negotiations with Sega back before reality had completely set in for the game maker. They were still hell bent on self-destruction, so Microsoft withdrew their offer and events continued on their course.

As a matter of fact, Microsoft has more than enough cash on hand to buy Nintendo. The price of a controlling interest in NCL stock wouldn't even severely deplete that cash stockpile. That hardly matters since the Japanese government would simply never approve the purchase unless Nintendo was tottering on collapse and no Japanese entity was interested in making the purchase. An extraordinarily unlikely circumstance.

#65

Please. You make it sound like Sony was completely oblivious to gaming when Nintendo proposed a partnership that failed to produce a product. Sony was going to pursue gaming regardless of whether the did it with Nintendo or on their own.

Sony was hardly unexposed to gaming in Japan throughout the 80s. They were one of the comanies producing MSX computers and software. MSX was the major gaming platform for several years before consoles became dominant in that market. Of course, those types of computers were very console-like from a development perspective, so it wasn't a great a gulf as that between consoles and PCs.

Ethan*
The PS3 will only have one usb port
Dumb-ass.

Your comments: As Jenga suggested I'm sure there will be some option like 'download
all Animal Crossing Content' or 'Don't download DS demos' even
'always prompt me before downloading'. Nintendo must realize that
amount of space they are providing wouldn't be enough for all the
content all the time. Do you really think they would assume you have
madden 07 and put the updated rosters for 08 on your system without
making sure you have it? get real. About the pricing, I think it's
ok, apparently the N64 games are going to be $10 (I payed 14 for
Majoras Mask(last year) and that was a great deal) Although it may be
a bit steep at 5 dollars for an NES game, I don't think its outrageous
to ask that much for a SNES game, not at all. The blinking light idea
is something that actually really excites me, I don't know why
joystiq is whining about this maybe we should make it so your alarm
won't make a noise when its supposed to turn on...Whats the big deal?
I'm thinking it will probably be the small white LED on the power
button that changes from red (sleep - assumption) back to white or
something like that, nothing that will burn your retina's. And they
have stated numerous times that while Wii is asleep is will only use
as much power as a miniature light bulb (judging from Iwatas hand
indications I would assume he meant a nightlight sized light, maybe
even a christmas light.)
And You can connect any external HDD to your Wii, through the USB port.

Wow, I'm surprised no one has mentioned Tivo Suggestions yet. For anyone who doesn't know, Tivo has the option to automatically record programs that are similar to shows you already watch. You have the option to not record the shows, and you can always delete them.

Nintendo won't require that the content be downloaded, but it'll be an option. I could see them implementing something like Tivo suggestions where you indicate what types of demos and trailers you'd like to see, and those matching your specifications (1st party or third party? action, rpg, or puzzler?) are automatically downloaded. It's not so much "push" content as it is an easier way to get content you "might" be interested in. Of course, YOU'LL BE ABLE TO DELETE THE CONTENT AT ANY TIME. Why would they automatically use up your storage and not let you delete anything?

And you'll have the option to extend your memory with an SD card or an external HDD (I've got an old 40GB harddrive ready to be put in an external case and used as my Wii drive). Also, remember that many of the virtual console games are going to be in the KBs, not MBs. So 512 MB will go quite a way.

As far as VC pricing, as previously mentioned, the $5 price is for NEW indie games (think extended Live arcade games, or Steam games). I imagine that most NES and SNES games will be around the $1 or $2 mark. Actually, Nintendo would probably profit quite a bit by packaging codes for specific downloads with new games - package a free download of Super Metroid with Metroid Prime 3, for example. The cost of making Super Metroid free is nil, but you'd be attracting more buyers for the new $50 game.

I could see Nintendo packaging Super Mario Galaxy with a free download of the Mario game of your choice. Or Mario Kart Wii with Super Mario Kart. The more free games Nintendo gives out, the larger the user base for the Virtual Console and the more likely premium content will be purchased.

If Nintendo plays their cards right, the Virtual Console could be bigger than XBOX Live, and that's truely saying something.

Sony took every thing they had learned during that partnership. Bother to look things up. Japanese corporations aren't protected by the Japanese goverment that is a myth. There are numerous foregin corportations that have set up shop in Japan.

Microsoft doesn't have enough money to buy Nintendo who investors and assests in the tens of billions. Cash on hand and assests wise Nintendo has more then Microsoft does. Yamunchi the former President of Nintendo is worth more then the founder of Sony.

Numerous Nintendo people are Billionaries. They own the Nintendo shares. Nintendo shares are worth more then Sony and Microsoft on a per share basis.

The recent book "Opening the Box" did state Microsoft tried to buy Nintendo for 25 billion dollars. Nintendo is worth more then that. They considered the offer insulting and stated they would rather burn down the company to the ground then accept any buy out offer.

http://biz.gamedaily.com/industry/feature/?id=12859

...better graphics to come...

back on topic:
If you don't want downloads over night, disconnect your wireless access point or block the Wii's i.p. or Mac address temporarily...you can set hours of operation on certain routers.

But in reality why is this even an issue? "Wah, I need to diss the Wii!" is all I hear.

Also if you read Shiggy's interview at E3, he said NES games would be a "couple" of bucks and SNES, like $5.

@49 lol what a noob, Iwata already said that when the Wii is in 'sleep' mode, connected to the internet it will use the same electricity a small light bulb uses.

Try again.

What's that nonsense Joystiq's complainin about?

The DS downloads are a nice addition. If you don't have a DS then just turn them off. Heck, don't even get the internet line connected if necessary. What's the problem with that? And blinkin lights? You mean there is NOTHING in your house that has a little light on even when it's supposed to be off?