Wii Startup Disc is (surprise!) a set up disk

57 Comments by Ross Miller Nov 3rd 2006 4:55PM
Filed under: Nintendo Wii

"Please insert your Wii Startup Disc. This will set up your Wii console."

The mysterious Wii Startup Disc that was listed on the back of the Wii box has been summoned in public. While glancing over the Wii kiosk set up at the South Shore Mall Software Etc. in Bay Shore, NY, Engadget superstar Paul Miller snapped the above photograph, with the Wii console pleading (with the above message) for the Startup Disc. The request is written in only English, Spanish and French, implying that the disk is region-specific.

It may be a last-minute firmware update, but why not have the console download the update when it connects? After all, Wii is supposed to be connected 24 hours a day. Maybe Nintendo doesn't trust its customers, and the Startup Disc is a mandatory orientation film on how to properly handle the Wiimote (think LOST). Or it might just be a very lame game -- "insert the disc and win!" -- that boosts your self-esteem.

Let's say the Wii Startup Disc is a region-specific firmware update. If a US Wii owner could obtain a Japanese startup disc, could he or she enjoy a more expansive Virtual Console launch lineup?

Tags: firm ware, FirmWare

(Page 1) Reader Comments

vgamer47: Nov 3rd 2006; 5:01PM

I knew it! I say that they must've started making them before the firmware was finalized. I think it's a pretty smart move to get more units out the door on day one.

Mullinator: Nov 3rd 2006; 5:02PM

Why would they have a "mandatory" firmware update as something you download online? That would be incredibly foolish considering not everyone is going to be hooking it up to the internet right away. Of course they are going to include it as a physical disk to ensure everyone ends up getting it.

Eric: Nov 3rd 2006; 5:03PM

Maybe it's because some people dont have WiFi, or any other way to connect Wii to the internet, so this provides those people with a way to have a latest firmware.

Jacob: Nov 3rd 2006; 5:03PM

"It may be a last-minute firmware update, but why not have the console download the update when it connects? After all, Wii is supposed to be connected 24 hours a day. Maybe Nintendo doesn't trust its customers..."

...or maybe some of the customers don't have a broadband connection. (Imagine that...)

mray73: Nov 3rd 2006; 5:03PM

It could be that there might be people buying the console who do not have an internet connection at home, in particular those in the older generation of consumers that Nintendo is aiming for.

Apoklypse: Nov 3rd 2006; 5:05PM

"It may be a last-minute firmware update, but why not have the console download the update when it connects? After all, Wii is supposed to be connected 24 hours a day."

Maybe there was some thinly veiled sarcasm there that I missed, but you are assuming that everyone has access to a wireless internet connection- isn't this supposed to be the videogame system for everyone? I think this disc is the way to go.

Dracula Jones: Nov 3rd 2006; 5:06PM

Firmware update? It seems more likely that it's a calibration/video manual for the Wii — and more importantly, the controller. You know, proper positioning of the sensor bar, pointing at spots on the screen and clicking... things like that.

John Chamard: Nov 3rd 2006; 5:08PM

I think an update that comes with the unit is a good idea. I dislike having to go on line to up-date software that I have bought. I think it's a good idea, then I can use the up-date and start playing right away and avoid the setting up a wiicount.

Zo� K.: Nov 3rd 2006; 5:08PM

No, foolish is thinking that everyone has the internet like you do. That's not the case. And of those who do, a lot less have wireless.

Get off of it, Ross.

Mr. Khan: Nov 3rd 2006; 5:09PM

IF its just a firmware update, i'm glad to see Nintendo own up to the knowledge that the WiFi they embrace is hardly Universal, shows that they're willing to follow the market (unlike during the GameCube Days, Connectivity, Anyone?)

IF it turns out to mere be a system that automatically orients your Wii, i will pass, cuz if there's something i love, its manually orienting things (IT Networking is my other hobby) But again, good of Nintendo to realize that not everyone knows how to set up and doctor a Home Wireless Network, let alone a console...

(Prays that this does not devolve into a flamewar)

Bob: Nov 3rd 2006; 5:12PM

"After all, Wii is supposed to be connected 24 hours a day."

That sounds like sarcasm to me. Take it easy on Ross guys!

pacokorn77: Nov 3rd 2006; 5:13PM

I'd say that they have the disk to permanently set the Wii to a certain region, so that you can't access Japan and European servers to download their stuff (like what you can do on the 360). This way, Nintendo bars you from downloading the uber-cool Japanese VC list and stiffs you with the run-of-the-mill games.

They probably have each disk to set the Wii to the region you buy the Wii in. Buy the Wii in America, and the disk that comes with it sets the Wii permanently to the America servers for VC and whatnot.

Evan: Nov 3rd 2006; 5:20PM

@12 "I'd say that they have the disk to permanently set the Wii to a certain region"

When the console asks you to insert the disk, it displays the message in your region's language. So, the console knows your region, even without the disk.

Todd: Nov 3rd 2006; 5:26PM

Heh, not everyone who owns a console system can afford to have it hooked up to the Internet.

Celestkixy: Nov 3rd 2006; 5:29PM

This is probably the equivalent of the iTunes disc that used to be packaged with iPods. A way to install what's needed if you don't have an internet connection.

iceatcs: Nov 3rd 2006; 5:29PM

Good thing they rid the blue light in the slot.

Raynre: Nov 3rd 2006; 5:33PM

"Good thing they rid the blue light in the slot."

They didnt get rid of it. It just doesnt stay on 24/7.

Frankie: Nov 3rd 2006; 5:33PM

probably just a firmware update fore EVERYONE who does not have wifi or the wired internet adapter dongle thing

RUSKULL: Nov 3rd 2006; 5:34PM

not everyone who will buy the system will even have an internet connection. And even if they did, and were to download all at once, it would likely chug servers and then nobody could play :P

vidGuy: Nov 3rd 2006; 5:40PM

I extremely doubt it is a firmware update. Surely it is a calibration of and how-to-use for the Wii Remote.

Other things that it could be used for:
- placement of the sensor bar
- walk-through for internet hookup
- naming console (nickname)
- how-to use the Wii Shop channel
- creation of the first Mii
- etc

scott: Nov 3rd 2006; 5:47PM

3 thoughts:

1. It could be a way to change hardware settings such as internet settings and controller calibration instead of storing that code on the Wii.
2. it could be intallation software for the Opera browser that will given away for the 1st year.
3. or a traing demo for the controlers.

Nintendudster: Nov 3rd 2006; 5:53PM

Hmmm. If the Wii Start Up Disk is only for a firmware update, might Nintendo come out with more, like the PSP? And if so, will they be downloadable from the internet? I guess we'll have to wait and see.

carlos: Nov 3rd 2006; 5:53PM

hey maybve ill check it out over the weekend i only live a cuople of minutes away

ben: Nov 3rd 2006; 5:54PM

Wii = New Coke 2

Pixel Cowboy: Nov 3rd 2006; 5:58PM

"The request is written in only English, Spanish and French, implying that the disk is region-specific."

This request is generated by the console prior to the disc being inserted, so it's the console which is region specific, not the disc.
Most likely, it's the console's firmware which dertermines locality.

pocketmnky: Nov 3rd 2006; 6:00PM

I'm going to have to go with the idea that Nintendo knew that they weren't going to finish the firmware until after production started so they laid ahead this (rather brilliant) method of getting Millions of production units built before the firmware was finalized.

Think about it this way: they were still making last-minute decisions about the Opera browser and other Wii Channels long after production had probably started. WTG Nintendo.

AssemblyLineHuman: Nov 3rd 2006; 6:10PM

I'm inclined to agree with pocketmnky. I can't cite any specific examples off the top of my head, but the way Nintendo has talked recently, I got the impression that they weren't finalizing the Wii Channels and such until VERY recently. There was no way they could hold off production until they were done and still have the Wii ready for a good launch, so they did exactly what pocketmnky described. It's the most logical theory. I suppose they could include some sort of tutorial or something on the disk, but I highly doubt that's its purpose.

SethMess: Nov 3rd 2006; 6:11PM

New Coke 2? It was just New Coke.

Yay Redundancy!
Yay!

TB: Nov 3rd 2006; 6:26PM

Oh I cant wait. If its firmware, the wii will be the fastest hacked console in history.

Fabre: Nov 3rd 2006; 6:30PM

It probably sets the unique identifier of the console for the Virtual Console DRM. I'm sure it would be easier to manufacture 4 million discs including unique IDs to lock consoles to and 4 million identical Wii consoles than it would be to manufacture 4 million Wii consoles with the unique ID set up in the factory.

Christopher: Nov 3rd 2006; 6:34PM

Hes saying that the Wii is analgous to the New Coke situation. In other words he believes that this will be another flop like New Coke was. Hence the 2. Stupid.

tekkenking: Nov 3rd 2006; 6:41PM

maybe because not everyone has 24/7 wifi broadband access?
has anyone thought of that yet?

oh wait, EVERY SINGLE POSTER HAS SAID THE SAME THING SO FAR !
jeez guys, read the other comments before you knee-jerk into your keyboard.

anyway, it's probably some combo of firmware update / tutorial stuff / maybe a demo or two .

Psaakyrn: Nov 3rd 2006; 7:03PM

But more importantly.. Who was in charge of setting up the console? I think someone was not doing their job properly..

dvddesign: Nov 3rd 2006; 8:07PM

From reading the blog on Destructoid over the disc's use, it's a one time only deal, and it loads fast.

A controller/sensor bar calibration utility is already built into the Wii interface, as seen in other pics floating on the web, and the IGN video.

Man, if this is firmware like I think it is, I'm counting the days till someone cracks a foreign region firmware disc and uploads the ISO, cause I wanna get me some Japanese VC. I've got some SD cards all ready to go.

Borat: Nov 3rd 2006; 8:12PM

the author of this blog seriously can't be that retarded to think everyone has the internet

number40one: Nov 3rd 2006; 8:25PM

Though the system has WiiConnect24, not everyone who buys the console will connect to the internet, so downloading firmware that way would be a no-go.

Your thoughts of this possibly being a region-specifying disk is intriguing. I'll be searching for a Japanese one on eBay and brush up on my Nihongo while I wait for the 19th.

J. Evans Turner: Nov 3rd 2006; 8:47PM

It's not a firmware update. It's a first-time setup disc with instructions for setting up the sensor bar, callibrating the controllers, etc. It probably also includes a WiFi setup wizard and a Mii setup wizard.

There is NO INDICATION THAT IT IS A FIRMWARE UPDATE.

J. Evans Turner: Nov 3rd 2006; 9:02PM

There hasn't been a single indication that this is any kind of firmware update. Speculators cite that Nintendo was not finished with the Wii channels, but these are all online content that the Wii does not have anyway if it's not connected. There is absolutely no reason for the disc to be a firmware update unless Nintendo discovered some crippling flaw. Given that the system has had the most relaxed development process of any console (it's an upgraded Gamecube with remote technology that was originally developed for GCN), I would have to say that it's extremely unlikely to be a firmware update. It's far more likely to be a first-time setup wizard for the Wii remote callibration / sensor bar placement and callibration, WiFi setup, Mii setup, etc. Is it possible that there is a firmware update on the disc? Yes. Is it likely? No. There are no indicators that it is a firmware update, so anyone who assumes so (including the original blogger) is contributing to the collective stupidity of the Internet.

J. Evans Turner: Nov 3rd 2006; 9:07PM

The fact that it shows English, Spanish, and French (the three most common languages in North America) 100% confirm that the already-installed firmware recognizes already that it is a North American unit!

SethMess: Nov 3rd 2006; 9:19PM

I understand the implication but it'd still be New Coke, "stupid."

Zero_: Nov 3rd 2006; 9:20PM

So... the Wii is becoming more like a PC than the PS3 eh? Heh, I kid... I kid.

Bryan: Nov 3rd 2006; 10:00PM

Regarding the VC lineup: Japan gets the Wii a few weeks after the US. Nintendo already confirmed that ~30 more VC titles will be released before the end of the year. Don't you think that by the time the Wii is released in Japan, we may be getting their VC titles in the US?

Mess: Nov 3rd 2006; 10:42PM

Or MAYBE they started final production of the Wii consoles before they were finished with the firmware, software and such?

mocax: Nov 3rd 2006; 11:19PM

They don't want to cram an instructional video into the ROM, so they use the disc.

People who have manual-phobia will be forced to go through the initialization/calibration stuff before they decide to return the console on grounds of "I don't know what the !@#$ is going on, this game is broken!"

TaiZ: Nov 4th 2006; 12:10AM

Hopefully if there ever are any firmware updates, they will let you download and burn them to a CD and update the Wii that way, for those of us without a way to bring the Wii online.

Give me Stars or Give me Death!: Nov 4th 2006; 12:47AM

@ J. Evans Turner,
I'm not calling you a liar just yet, but do you have any proof that the Wiimote was originally developed for the Cube?

And everybody already knows what the disc does. When inserted into the Wii, the disc initiates the oh-so talked about "final surprise". For the unitiated it goes something like this. The disc sends a signal from the Wii to any DS within a seventy-five mile radius which is in turn beamed to any number of satellites. The satellites, using an undisclosed reactor, harness the energy from the beams and transmit the now pure energy to a conducter which is connected to a special room at NOA headquarters. The energy is distributed through a docking station on the floor and attached to the docking station by a thin cable is a special pair of boots. These boots, when fully charged, allow Reggie to kick asses to a factor of infinity. The subsequent upheaval will be unparalleled in the annals of humankind. Be prepared but not afraid. The Revolution is coming. You heard it here first.

Cyant: Nov 4th 2006; 7:23AM

Maybe theres a GPS unit in the console and depending on the region it lock out other region disc! If you are in the US then only NA disc work. If you are in japan only Japanese discs work! Imagine that...

Jahgah: Nov 4th 2006; 11:58AM

I was gonna add the generic smart ass comment offerd above (about not everyone having broadban or internet connection) but I have decided to. But here is a problem I have with that. Where ae the new firmware updates gonna be distributed from nintendo. I mean these people will get left out of the loop. Big N isn't gonna spend millions on sending out periodic upgrades. I think some people will end up out of the loop. Thats ok though, if you complain enough or have a friend with broadband, maybe you could upload the disc your self or some garbage like that.

Ballistic: Nov 4th 2006; 9:05PM

This is not a firmware update. It takes a bit of common sense to figure this out. If they made a firmware update partway through production, they would have had to go back to put that screen in. If they were to do that, they could have gone back and installed the update instead of bothering with the disc and screen.

yonderboy: Nov 4th 2006; 9:27PM

Instead of pointing out the obvious advantages of a startup disc like everyone else, I'll mock Joystiq for pretending to be journalistic but yet still saying "Or it might just be a very lame game -- "insert the disc and win!" -- that boosts your self-esteem."

Consider those who go to Joystiq for any reason other than entertainment and stuff to make fun of as being mocked too.

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