Dude, where's my MP3s (Wii annoyance #2)

by Kyle Orland on Nov 15th 2006 11:45AM

We've known for a few months now that the Wii would be able to play MP3 music from inserted SD cards, but we weren't sure of the exact form this feature would take until we actually got our hands on the system. Now that we've had a chance to try it out, we're quite underwhelmed by this undersold "feature" of Nintendo's latest system.

While the Wii easily facilitates viewing of digital photos with the intuitively named "Photo Channel" on the main system menu, there is no similar Music Channel to play your MP3s. Instead, users that want to hear some tunes have to go into the Photo Channel, select some pictures, view a slideshow, go into the options, and only then will they be able to choose from their selection of songs.

Calling this photo slideshow soundtrack an "MP3 player" is too generous -- basic features like fast forward and rewind are not even available, and the selected song will simply loop unless another one is actively selected. It's hard to believe that Nintendo equipped the system with the ability to play music without also including some rudimentary music player software, but that is exactly what has happened.

The only other way to play MP3s on the Wii is with custom soundtracks, a feature supported on a game-by-game basis. While setting up and using the feature on Excite Truck was relatively easy, we're a bit miffed that Nintendo didn't decide to build this feature into the system software, so a custom soundtrack could be added over any game at the player's choosing. Making MP3 soundtracks an optional feature that has to be actively added by developers practically ensures that the feature will be underutilized.

Nintendo could theoretically upgrade the MP3 playback function with a future software update, but as it stands now this Wii "feature" pales in comparison to similar music playback offered by Sony and Microsoft.

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Tags: mp3, music, Wii, wiiannoy

Reader Comments (77)

That's quite a shame. We can only hope for a Music Channel later on down the line I'd guess. However just as I'm uninterested in the Wii for DVD playback, I'm equally uninterested for lack of surround output when it comes to music.

I'm sure some will be disappointed, but outside of "Custom Soundtrack" capability in games. I doubt I'd ever have used it.

The Wii is for playing games, not watching DVDs or listening to MP3s.

Yeah, I had heard it wasn't much of a feature. No biggie for me, I have a PC hooked up to the TV/Surround Sound for massive mp3 and video goodness.

Honestly, the Wii playing MP3s is just about as important to me as my iPod playing videogames. NOT AT ALL!!!

The fact that it allows games to incorporate custom soundtracks is great though, and i understand not every game because what does that say to composers who put their life into making an amazing soundtrack like LOZ scores.

Sad yes, hopefully they'll bring out a music channel. But honestly, who just wants an MP3 player on their console? I'm more interested in using the MP3's in game like people are talking for ExciteTruck...

Why would you want to use your Wii to simply play music anyway?

Mp3s as background music to games, I understand. But...
1: Why would you want to play mp3s through your TV speakers?
2: If you're using a receiver for your audio, it's much easier to just plug a mp3 player into the receiver anyway. And who doesn't have a mp3 player nowadays?

The Wii is a gaming machine, with a few other "extras" (online stuff) thrown in. I don't think anyone ever claimed it would be a "media center"

THAT DOES IT! I STOOD IN LINE FOR THIS?! WHO WANTS MY PRE-ORDER!

I hate to play the fanboy, but maybe Nintendo doesn't want a feature overload on day 1. This is afterall supposed to be for non gamers who also may not have ever even heard an MP3.

I'm actually not all that excited about the photo channel either as it seems thrown together from what I've read. I just want to play games on the damn thing leave all that other stuff to my PC or maybe include it as optional channel downloads.

Actually that leads me to a good question for those that have a Wii... Can you hide channels or remove them completely?

TV speakers?

Heh.

My consoles are hooked up to the best sound system in my house, as they are to the largest television in my house. If you play on the folddown TV in your kitchen, maybe that works for you, but for the rest of us, that's the center of our audio visual system, right there.

Which is why I stream audio from my PC to my 360, even if I'm just lounging around reading a book.

yeah right i wish i had a pre-order

for real though i'll still use it in the photo channel for party's. i could defnly use a rewind/ff though. UPDATE POST HASTE NIN!

Im glad to see that the two annoyances thusfar are so minor that I wont be affected at all. The cursor leaves the screen when you arent pointing at it? Point at it? No mp3 player yet, and maybe not at all? Big Deal! If you want to play mp3s on your TV, buy a mini stereo to RCA cable and plug in your MP3 player.

Honestly, whoever listens to MP3s either listens to them on an MP3 player(ipod) or their computer.

All I want the Wii to do is play games. If they would stop adding all of these other useless features then maybe it would bring the price down a bit.

Am I the only one will be using Nintendo new system to, ya know, play games?

"The Wii is for playing games, not watching DVDs or listening to MP3s."

Nor is it for shopping, news, looking at photos, checking the weather or browsing the web, you guys! The Wii is purely for games!

Oh, wait...

This isn't much of an issue for me, but I'm finding that Nintendo really halfassed a lot of the functionality of this system that doesn't directly relate to the controller.

1) The inability to customize the controller for virtual console games.

2) The use of digital shoulder buttons on the virtual console controller instead of analog buttons like on the GCN.

3) Inability to use the analog stick as the D-pad on NES and SNES games.

4) Inability to use the remote with laser-pointer accuracy even though the technology exists. I guess Nintendo felt it would be too difficult for casual users to input the necessary info to specify these settings.

5) No rumble support in virtual console games

6) Difficulty in acquiring component video cables. First they could only be ordered online, then Nintendo said they'd be offered in certain stores for launch, and now an article on IGN implies that the only way to get cables for launch is to order over the phone now.

7) The extremely weak virtual console launch library

Fortunately it seems that most of these issues can be resolved in the future with OS updates.

Thats disappointing, certainly. I really like the custom music feature the 360 has going for it. Oh well, its not like I have a SD card reader on my PC right now anyways. Still, would have been nice to have it available someplace a little bit easier to find. I guess Nintendo doesn't expect their casual target audience to care? It's probably true.

Since when was this a feature? I've never heard Nintendo spout anything about the Wii being an mp3 player. All I knew was you could do custom soundtracks in some games.

#14, I forget where the article was that I read, but component cables for the Wii will be sold in retail stores now.

Steve,
IGN mentioned that over the phone is the only way to secure one before launch. Once the system does launch, then you can go online or in normal stores and pick it up. I agree with your other complaints though.

Shame as it is I hope people understand that this is EXACTLY the kind of reason Nintendo has been working the 24 hour Wii connection stuff.

I would give it 3 months at the most before we find better mp3 support.

Is it possible the Opera browser might be able to play MP3?

Maybe it's just me, but I always understood since September 14th that MP3s on the SD card could only be played back in slideshows on the Photo Channel. There's always the possibility of a Music Channel further down the line, but it's complicated by a few things: digital music players usually don't work with an SD card, if Wii assumes you already have a DVD player then it must also assume you already have a CD player (as they are one and the same), and if or when digital downloads overtake CD sales, it's doubtful Wii will be able to support all or really, any of the DRM schemes the files use.

They have announced new channels will be added, and I'd bet the first one we get will be a music channel. I'm not too worried about this though. I'm getting it to play games, anything else, no matter how small, is just a bonus feature.

Nintedo fans:
Please stop pretending that there isn't a use for DVD playback or decent MP3 playback or streaming HD video. Please don't pretend that leaving music playback to the devs wont result in a feature that rarely is available and must to be set up again and again in every time you play. Yes, if all you play is epic RPG's then maybe that crappy soundtrack really helps you get in the mood, but for most of us, game music gets repetitive pretty quick. You may not 'get it', but everyone I've met with a 360 does. I'll admit that you guys got a good system for legit classic gaming, now please quit pretending to be Luddites for the sake of all mighty Nintendo.
Thanks

http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?id=pcmcat106800050008&type=category&h=387

Joystiq! Run this story!

"My consoles are hooked up to the best sound system in my house, as they are to the largest television in my house. "

So you expected the Wii, which has no hard drive and only 512MB of internal memory, to become your main mode of playing mp3s on this "best sound system"?

You can only fit so many mp3s on a SD card. Nowhere near what most people have on their hard drive. Anyone who claims they expected the Wii to act as a music player is crazy.

I don't really see why so many people are so surprised.

Must be Skwurl, I mean having those other things like the Photo Channel, News, Weather and the other Channels that I'm sure will be added later are nice and all. But the Wii is a gaming machine, its not supposed to be a media center like the PS3 and 360 hope to be. So it doesn't play MP3s, big whoop. My computer is 2 feet away, I want MP3s, there they are, along with my 5.1 surround sound speakers.

And in all honesty, I'm almost positive that a Music Channel will be added to the Wii later. Personally I'm rather glad Nintendo is spending all their time on gimmicks, but instead getting the main machine ready for launch.

Unlike some other consoles I could mention. How many older games aren't backwards compatible with the PS3/360?

uuhhhmmm...

Why don't I just burn a disc of MP3s and playing it on my DVD player that is connected to my home theatre system. I really don't need to play it on my Wii.

Talk about nitpicking. You guys are kind of blatent Wii haters...

Nintendo never said there would be a Music Channel. they always said the music was for photo slideshows. A music player was NEVER announced. So I dont see it as an annoyance really. If they actually do an update with a music channel that would rock, but they never said they would.

Nintendo only ever said that there is MP3-playing capabilities for the purpose of slideshows. I don't know why anybody is surprised.

Extremely weak VC library? Did you not see Super Mario All Stars?

Super Nintendo:

* Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars
* Kirby's Super Star
* Super Metroid
* Kirby's Dream Land 3

Nintendo 64:

* Mario Kart 64
* Starfox 64
* Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time

Weak isn't what comes to mind when I see those games. Awesomeness is what I see.

Easily fixed with a software update. Big deal!

I don't think anybody is "surprised" exactly, it's just another example of Nintendo half-assing something about this system.

It's like Nintendo spent all their time on the controller and just threw everything else together (and even the controller is showing minor issues). It's just one half-assed feature after another, and it's starting to annoy all but the most dedicated Nintendo fanboy.

DOOOOM! WII IS DOOOOOMED!

I knew right away that the "it's only for games anyway" defense would pop-up immediately. MP3 playback that doesn't suck is expected nowadays. It's so basic, there's really no excuse not to implement something halfway decent.

"Mp3s as background music to games, I understand. But...
1: Why would you want to play mp3s through your TV speakers?"

Even the wimpy speakers on my bigscreen do a good job.

"2: If you're using a receiver for your audio, it's much easier to just plug a mp3 player into the receiver anyway. And who doesn't have a mp3 player nowadays?"

No actually. You must not own a 360; changing songs from the controller is SOOOO much better. Not to mention, you still get the game's sound effects through the same speakers. Essentially, you are replacing the probably-crappy game's sound track. It's nice! It was nice on the original Xbox as well. With racing and XBLA games...I HAVE to have the feature now.

I'm disappointed. There's bound to be annoying music is some really fun game that will have to be "rigged" to cover up. Not that Metroid and Mario will have that issue, but there will be others. *jigs to the Mario 2 title screen theme*

I don't think Nintendo is half-assing anything. It's a photo-channel, not a all-in-one media channel. It's supposed to be used with Digi-cams, not MP3 players. Had Nintendo had a Music Channel, which had minimal support, then I'd say that Nintendo is half-assing it. However, as it stands, Nintendo has a pretty full-featured photo-channel, complete with photo-editing features.

Just another in a long line of half-assed bullet points being revealed in the weeks leading the Wii launch. None of them major, but they ALL seem like they could have easily been implemented. Instead they get bungled in the classic Nintendo style. I'll be getting my Wii at launch, but I was hoping for a more "with-it" Nintendo this gen.

How about you guys just fess up that you are getting jacked by spending 250$ on a game system that cant play dvds, and that doesnt let you store music.Seriously last gen consoles sported these features.And for everyone complaining that it's for games, well why have a web browser?I keep hearing people saying that their tvs are like 2 feet away etc.well why not just make the wii a pure gaming console?

It really takes a fanboy to ignore the truth.We are getting nickeled and dimed gere guys.For another 50$ you can actually get a 360!!!!At least you will be able to play dvds, and have hi def graphics!!!!And dont even start on games as the wii wont have nearly the top notch games as the 360 and ps3.

Theres a guy on here(joystiq) that even though he is a fanboy, nevertheless he speaks a lot of truth.His name is T- bag.Now before you get all defensive just listen to his remarks without anY preconcieved thoughts and you will find a lot of truth.

I have never met people that didnt want additional features to things that they already own.Would you like the next car you own to have a mp3 player for the same price as the same make and model of one that didnt have a mp3 player?Or are you gonna yell cars are made to drive from point A-point B?

Theres a reason that you guys like the VC.Not just because of the games, but because of the additional features that can be added.I love xbox live because I can download music, demos and even movie trailers.Trust me in the case of consoles except price more is good.And enabling the wii to play mp3's with a full mp3 function wouldnt have cost nothing extra.

BLIND FANBOYS.

The Wii is like a Kia while the PS3 is like a Lexus... both will get you from A to B, one is fully loaded the other is... FUN!!... thats how its gonna be percieved by the public.

And, technology moves on, you can get a $20 SD mp3 player and Nintendo cant give you an easy way to play mps3?

I would be much more impressed with a general network streaming media player a la Front Row than just Winamp off the SD card. I plan on storing Games and Game Saves on the SD card, not music, pictures, or movies. Since network code isn't exactly Nintendo's forte, I'll leave it to entrepenureal (spelling?) third parties to offer just that kind of software in the future.

Meophist:

Not being able to fast-forward or rewind? No playlists for slideshows and having to actively select each song? Oh yeah, Nintendo didn't half-ass ANYTHING.

I agree withe you guys on the having to go through the photo channel thing, that is pretty lame.

But being able to put a custom soundtrack in any game would be a stupid feature from a developer's standpoint. Music is important in a lot of games. I'm sure Aonuma doesn't want somebody playing Zelda with "Cut my life into pieces" in the back, when Koji Kondo has made music specifically for that game that is important to the mood and feel.

I do hope more games include custom soundtracks, but being able to put custom soundtracks in any game would be pretty lame.

Hopefully, though, Nintendo will add a music channel in the future using firmware.

"we're a bit miffed that Nintendo didn't decide to build this feature into the system software, so a custom soundtrack could be added over any game at the player's choosing"

The problem with that is that it only works for games that have bad or unimportant soundtracks. I'm sure you remember that in games like HALO or HALO 2 the original game soundtrack is incredibly crucial for setting the mood and tempo of the game.

Game designers who create games that have interchangeable soundtracks will be able to benefit from allowing users to listen to their own songs as they play, while designers who see the music they choose as a crucial part of the gameplay won't be stuck putting their product on a system that allows users to easily override a key element of the game.

While an MP3/CD channel (with visualizer) would have been nice, I think Nintendo did the right thing in allowing the game designers to decide if players can listen to their own soundtracks, and not giving that control to the gamers themselves.

to #35:

Half-assed? Ever tried the "media" functions on the 360 upon its release? The crappy DVD movie function (really really bad navigation controls!)? Horrible media support (streaming via MediaCenter PC? Only supporting WMV and such?)? How about that mp3 player functionthat has no fast forward option? Yeah, the stuff is there... but it's all half assed. At least with the latest dashboard upgrade they allow you to use an external hard drive (support fat32 only!)... oh but all your videos show up on one huge list that's hard to navigate.

C'mon, the Wii was not marketed as a multimedia device like the 360 and ps3. Heck, the so-called mp3 playing feature wasn't even mentioned but more "found" by folks. Just like how the 360 is undergoing dashboard updates, so will the Wii (thanks to Wii-Connect 24).

Coming to think of it, even the PS3 has issues with some of its media features (but it's looking tons better than the 360 one, even after the latest dashboard update).

The Wii is for gaming first. Yeah, it's not the most powerful hardware with the latest in media functions. The important thing is, it's going to rock millions of worlds out there, including mine.

No one cares except for bitchy game site bloggers who are looking to fill their post quota.

I'm sure that the channel system in the Wii is locked down to high heaven.

But imagine an iTunes channel that would let me browse and stream my iTunes library from my computer would be ace.

31. gphoenix51 said:

>>Extremely weak VC library? Did you not see Super
>>Mario All Stars?

Where have you seen that information? Super Mario All -Stars is my top must-have virtual console game, but I haven't seen it appear on any list! All those great titles with improved graphics, no annoying GBA vocal work, and a price that should be cheaper than buying the NES versions individually.

>> Super Nintendo:
>> * Mario RPG: Legend of the Seven Stars
>> * Kirby's Super Star
>> * Super Metroid
>> * Kirby's Dream Land 3

Nice entries, but they were not on the launch list. From what I read they are supposed to be released in 2007.

>> Nintendo 64:
>> * Mario Kart 64
>> * Starfox 64
>> * Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time

Again, these aren't launch titles are they? And it's a pretty tiny list of titles. Zelda is not an attraction for me because I already own the GCN version.

>> Weak isn't what comes to mind when I see those
>> games. Awesomeness is what I see.

If the virtual console library contains those games on launch day I'll be very happy. It's still small, but certainly large enough to keep me happy. The last time I saw Nintendo's launch list it was filled with early 1986-type NES games, a couple early SNES titles, and 1 N64 title: Super Mario 64 (a game quite frankly I believe was a poor 2D to 3D transition). It seemed that Sega and Hudson are taking the virtual console more seriously than Nintendo!

Playing MP3's? Huh? It's a video game console. Who is their right mind would sit infront of their TV sets and watch pics and listen to music. MP3 player anyone? You can get one for $10 now. Gamers paid more money for old-gen systems without music-playing capabilities. Maybe I'm old-school but just give me some good games and we can call it even.

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Dude, where's my MP3s (Wii annoyance #2)

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