We want more Miis (Wii annoyance #012)

by Kyle Orland { Jan 11th 2007 at 12:30PM }

When we first read in the Wii manual that "up to 100 Miis can stay in your Mii Plaza," we weren't overly concerned. After all, how many different oblong-headed caricatures do you need on one system. Now that we're actually bumping up against the Mii limit after only a few months of use, though, we can't help but be annoyed at what seems to be an arbitrary restriction.

Granted, most Wii users probably won't fill up their Mii channel quite this quickly. We're both blessed and cursed with friends whose obsession with Mii creation leads to new arrivals in our Mii plaza every other day. And sure, we could probably stand to clean out some of the less inspired Mii examples in favor of some of the dozens interesting creatures running around our Mii parade.

But why should we have to? We have hundreds of blocks of space left on our Wii's internal memory, and nothing much to do with it unless we suddenly decide to download Urban Champion. It should only take a relatively simple system update to let us fill that unused space with hundreds more Miis -- enough to create a Where's Waldo? style scene of Mii inasanity. Even if technical issues prevent showing that many Miis on one screen, the over-100 excess could be placed in seperate rooms in the Mii plaza.

We know we've had some harsh words for the Mii channel in the past, but really there's no limit to our enjoyment of the little character maker. That is, of course, except for the limit Nintendo places on it. Free the Mii Channel from your self-imposed shackles, Nintendo. You have nothing to lose but your chains.

PS3 delights vs. PS3 annoyances
Wii delights vs. Wii annoyances
Xbox 360 delights vs. Xbox 360 annoyances

Tags: limit, mii, mii channel, MiiChannel, wii, wiiannoy

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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Inspired @ Jan 11th 2007 12:41PM

Stop playing the Wii so damn much and you won't be annoyed.

Fred T @ Jan 11th 2007 12:42PM

This post is about Kyle doing a little damage control.

Brian @ Jan 11th 2007 12:47PM

... are you willing to sacrifice frame rate for more Miis? There's a cap for a reason. Nintendo's not going to let you make 200 Miis because you'll start seeing a frame rate hit every time you order them and whatnot. Again, they're not going to put a cap at 100 if they could've gotten away with allowing 200.

Martin @ Jan 11th 2007 12:51PM

Joystiq always being so Anti-Wii!!! God you would think Sony was running this site just to bash 360 and Wii!!!

Sorry, just had to do this after the last articles fun fun comments about how posting news on Sony is anti Sony... at least this article is actually opinion when you bash Wii (though it is a good concern actually)

Grog @ Jan 11th 2007 12:52PM

Did you know that there are actually two Wii Delight #002s, but only one of them got tagged? There should be 4 Wii Delights total.

Slaziman @ Jan 11th 2007 12:56PM

This post read like damage control, since it's written by the same guy that wrote the other article everyone bitched about being biased.

Not arguing with the truth of this article, but come on, hundred Mii's is a lot, I doubt many people will cross that line, but who knows. If it becomes a problem it's firmware fixable.

IanC @ Jan 11th 2007 12:58PM

Oh look, another Wii annoyance! Why am i not surprised.

ConstyXIV @ Jan 11th 2007 12:57PM

Can't you just have an innumerable swarm of Miis on-screen at once with the Mii-Parade? That would cut out the frame-rate issue. My guess is that they just put an arbitrary cap on the amount of Miis you can have so people don't ask why their Wii explodes when you have 65536 Miis on your Wii at once. The things are probably just straight XML-ish files, which means that you could fit quite a few on the Wii...
until the filesystem explodes. I've managed to put enough files on my flashdrive once hit the FAT32 limit (either 256 or 512 per folder, I think)

Steve @ Jan 11th 2007 12:58PM

Uh-ho... As a Wii owner myself I've come up with a list of things that could be changed with a software update solution, and I've gotta warn you Kyle: the minute you question any decision made by Nintendo the fanboys are going to swoop down and tear your opinion to shreds! First they'll blast you for "being dumb" with your Mii channel, and then it's anyone's guess on what bizarre tangant they'll take things. They won't even limit even themselves to the content that you wrote because they'll even start making things up off the top of their head to argue against!

Just a recommendation, but if someone starts tearing you new one about an issue that you've already addressed, don't bother repeating yourself. If they didn't read it the first time they won't bother the second, third, or forth time you mention it.

Grog @ Jan 11th 2007 1:01PM

Here's the other Wii Delight #002 (posted by Vlad):
http://www.joystiq.com/2006/11/19/wiis-size-advantage-wii-delight-002/

Can we get this tagged and renumber them?

Wien @ Jan 11th 2007 1:10PM

You mean to tell me that there are 12 things that annoy you about the Wii, as opposed to 3 delights? while there are 4 things that annoy you about the PS3 to 2 delights, and 15 things that annoy you about the 360 to 11 delights?

So i guess this means that the Wii is, by a LARGE margin, the least preferred of the next gen system by the Joystiq staff, with the 360 in the lead and the PS3 in a close 2nd?

Virtua Fanboy @ Jan 11th 2007 1:14PM

How fucking DARE you say something bad about the Wii. I don't give a flying shit if it isn't perfect you shouldn't say ANYthing bad about it. HD graphics are last gen, and so is actually speaking to your friends online. Fuck all of that nonsense. LOL /Sarcasim (Labeled for those of you stupid enough not to see it.)

Derbeste @ Jan 11th 2007 1:22PM

You know....I find it really funny that after getting flack for being "biased against Sony", the best criticism Kyle could come up with against Nintendo to balance things is "Wii want more!" LOL

Seriously....it's not biased. Sony really is fucking up. To bash or praise all systems equally would to state that all three are equal.....AND THEY ARE NOT!!!!

From now on, any time I see anyone accuse joystiq of bias against ANY system, I will not read the rest of their post. I'm done with them.

ill trooper @ Jan 11th 2007 1:29PM

The Mii situation needs the following updates to keep things fun:

1. More noses
2. more clothes
3. pets (no pets from the company that reinvented itself with Nintendogs? c'mon)

And why does the PS3 online situation get so slammed while the Wii's vastly INFERIOR online friend system get so much slack? At least you can OPT to play 'Resistance' with your friends online...

Wien @ Jan 11th 2007 1:36PM

I find the sheer number of Wii annoyances as a sign of the systems favor with joystiq, as you are clearly playing the Wii more than the PS3, lest the PS3 is SO awesome that it puts you in a euphoric trance, so much so that upon exiting the trance you can find no words to describe its glory, or any errors in its design.

moominsean @ Jan 11th 2007 1:42PM

who the hell wants to make 200 miis? i made *one*.

Slaziman @ Jan 11th 2007 1:50PM

Yes the Wii online thing sucks. But it's supposed to be kid friendly and shit, and with Nintendo's kiddie image pedo's would know where to get victims. Not like that makes it any better though.

BUT, did you see Shigeru Miyamoto saying the 360 is last gen and the next gen didn't start until Nintendo said so? Nintendo delivers what it promises, and although it's not always great, you are not cheated with shit like "1080p at 120fps in four dimensions", then deliver something inferior or equal to what the competition offers. Nintendo didn't make their online gaming a huge selling point, Sony did.

Falsoman @ Jan 11th 2007 8:34PM

I just want my miis to have ears. =(

Skwurl @ Jan 11th 2007 2:27PM

Pure, unadulterated damage control.

WedgeTalon @ Jan 11th 2007 2:59PM

Joystiq, get your act together on tagging!

Missing Wii Delights:
http://www.joystiq.com/2006/11/19/wiis-size-advantage-wii-delight-002/
http://www.joystiq.com/2006/12/05/virtual-console-game-suspension-wii-delight-004/

NintendoFanbot @ Jan 11th 2007 3:00PM

@ Virtua Fanboy

What's sarcasim? LOL.

This article doesn't seem very annoying moreso than a complaint some might have and label it an annoyance. For some the Mii Channel existing at all is a major annoyance, one that I don't empathize.

Anyways, I don't need 200. I'm having trouble just getting to 50 (so I can swarm the Mii Parade with all kinds of fun crap). 100 is enough. I don't feel held back by 'tyrannical Nintendo's ever-controlling limitation'.

Maybe in a couple of generations though, we'll be able to have a stadium full of Miis (though Online likely, not saved to our HDs).

And what's up with the large difference between Wii delights and Wii annoyances? Even 4colorrebellion could find some (like the Help Cat!).

JustinL @ Jan 11th 2007 3:59PM

Not sure why the vitriolic reaction to the post. There are a lot more Wii annoyances posted, but I think it's because the Wii is getting played more and has more potential - I wouldn't want to come on every day and read "didn't really play the PS3 today, no games."

I agree completely with the annoyance as well. I love the Mii system, but there are many limitations that could be taken away to make it much better.

I'm still praying that an update comes to improve the options for Mii creation. I think doubling the hair, nose and eye choices, and turning hair and skin color into a color wheel would not be too time-consuming, but would be greatly received. I've been able to nail some people when making a Mii, but others not so much.

maunders @ Jan 11th 2007 3:58PM

I still check the Mii channel each time I boot up the Wii to see if anyone new has shown up. I'm getting up near the 100 limit myself now.

The cap is kind of annoying, but I'm still having a lot of fun with the feature. I'm looking forward to using the Miis in WarioWare and other titles.

Jason @ Jan 11th 2007 4:26PM

off topic : use Spore to create Mii's

DISCUSS!

adam @ Jan 11th 2007 5:00PM

custom made Mii buttons! with your Mii face and Wii number! www.miibuttons.blogspot.com

quicksilver @ Jan 11th 2007 5:30PM

Nice link to the Marxist website, I was confused because I didn't click on the tab right away and had no clue where it came from until I reread your linked sentence.

I have made 76 Miis myself, many of them being duplicates of the best from MiiPlaza and I'm obviously getting close, but I disagree with you. 100 is plenty because you should, like you said, just delete the lame ones. Just drag them and delete. Once you get too high, its hard to find anything when selecting characters for Wii sports or play or Wario Ware or any game that uses Miis, the prime function of them. I love creating Miis, but don't forget what you use them for.

AssemblyLineHuman @ Jan 11th 2007 5:11PM

Haha...I was saying a day or two after the Wii came out that the 100-Mii cap was going to be WAY too small. Honestly, if you can fit 10 Miis in the Wii Remote's 6 KB of internet memory, that means the Miis are no more than 600 bytes each. With 512 MB in the Wii, you should be able to fit hundreds of thousands of Miis on your Wii. Why, then, is Nintendo imposing a limit of 100?

...Jan... @ Jan 11th 2007 5:38PM

You know, I always saw the Mii channel as a player creator for people who play the Wii. I only make Miis for people who play. When my friends want to use their Miis, they place it on their remotes.
A regular person shouldn't even have 100 family/friends that play your Wii. Heck, if you do have hundreds of friends who like it so much, you'd think they'd buy their own and bring it on their Wiimotes.
Plus, I'm one of those people who don't make countless of Jesus and Hitler Miis.