Virtual Console Up Close
Part 2: Threats, hopes and dreams.
If you haven't already, take a gander at part one of our examination of the Wii's online capabilities. Today, we're going to leap into the hazy distance and throw some ideas out there for your digestion or rejection. We're as keen as you are to see what Nintendo has in store for us with their Channel updates, WiiConnect 24 and online gaming.
The Virtual Console Games Experience:
Right now, we the Wii has a meagre selection of retro Nintendo and past-rival platform titles currently available for various points-amounts on the Wii Shop channel. Considering there are some 700-plus NES title out there alone, launching with this microscopic sliver, a cross-section if you will, of the gaming ages is pretty lax.
The Wii should, by all rights, be the ultimate merging of gaming platforms and styles. With the Virtual Console being touted as integral to Nintendo's ongoing commitment to online gaming and services, it should be leveraging the potential of their back-catalogue far more than it has so far.
OFLC ratings, or the lack thereof, are likely holding back many A-grade titles from gaining a local release. Specifically, those wondering where the TurboGrafx-16 games are should look no further than the logistics of getting these games reviewed under the OFLC's examination process.
We're confident that eventually these titles will make their way to Australian shores. However, timeliness is always a paramount concern for gamers - and rightly so. Sure, these are titles that haven't seen a local release before, so there is interest here, if not guaranteed sales. But how much longer should we be forced to wait after waiting as long as we already have?
So what are our biggest wishes for the Virtual Console?
Weekly Updates:
The rest of the world has it, so why shouldn't Australia join the party? We want to see Nintendo commit to releasing 2-4 titles per week going forward. This shouldn't be a big ask - there are so many title out there that are ready to be uploaded. It serves no real purpose to space them out just for the sake of it. A stronger initial showing is needed.
NTSC Titles Given PAL Releases:
Can you believe there is a generation of gamers out there who have never experienced Chrono Trigger? How about Earthbound? Or Super Mario RPG? There are so many titles from the 16-bit era alone that are absolute shoo-ins for local release. Many come from just one studio, too: Square Enix. PAL gamers were horridly neglected by Squaresoft back in the day. It's time to mend some bridges, guys.
Indy-developed Games:
Much like Xbox Live! Arcade's fostering of lower development cost gaming, the Virtual Console would make an excellent platform for small-time developers to cut their teeth. So many excellent game concepts fly under the radar without a legitimate platform to publish them on - Nintendo, along with their sponsored game-school, DigiPen, should be looking at making Wii VC development very cost-effective and developer friendly.
Better PAL conversions:
Although the Wii VC titles are purely software emulations, there is no reason (outside of cost-cutting, of course) that titles should be shipping only in 50hz mode, which makes speedy games like Sonic run noticeably slower. Companies should take the time to bring these titles up to scratch, with no rush-job ports with black borders and speed-reduction enforced anymore. We're not living in the early 90s anymore, so it's time PAL gamers were given the option to run these titles with superior quality.
Demos, Demos, Demos.
Even 500 points is a lot to spend on a game you've never tried before - regardless of whether it's retro or not. Again, Xbox Live Marketplace has set the standard here, and it's up to Nintendo to give players what they want - and that is, some sort of demo of what they're able to purchase. Again, we suspect cost-reduction is the primary reason why these games haven't been retooled to include a timed demo or sample level.
Price Rescaling:
AU7ドル.50 for an NES game? 12ドル for SNES? 15ドル for N64? That's a lot of money for something intangible and likely already owned and cherished. We think gamers should be paying about half of the set prices. In all honesty, although we'd never condone it, many gamers will take one look at the cost, look at in emulator-filled internet browser, and then make up their own minds. Chances are, they will choose the highly-illegal, yet cheap-as-free emulated ROMs. If Nintendo really want to make this console as widely accepted and loved by generations, they should stop the profiteering for mostly ancient games. Or, if they want to stick with this pricing scheme, they need to instate our above hopes.
Channel Updates: What's in store for all those empty slots?
Nintendo's other ace-in-the-hole, their Channels setup, is built on the back of Nintendo's desire to integrate the Wii into all aspects of its owner's lives. So far, just three legitimate Channels are listed, in addition to the stock-standard images, Mii and Game channels - Wii Shop. Weather and News.
As we covered, Wii Shop is up and running, worldwide. However, no nation yet has access to News or Weather. Obviously, Nintendo is still smoothing out the wrinkles and logistics of providing a 24-hour news service and weather tool. But what about the other dozens of empty channels?
Here's our top picks for Nintendo's next Channels:
Internet Browser (Shock!):
No surprises here - Nintendo will be offering the Opera browser as a free download some time in the near future. There is already a little teaser on the Wii Shop channel outlining their hopes for integrating the internet with into the Wii. Here's hoping it's up and running soon.
Dedicated Music, Video and Media Channels:
One of the biggest gripes we have with the Wii is that you cannot play MP3s outside of the slideshow - which means, no custom soundtracks in games. This is a bit of a shame, but one that would be easily rectified by creating a dedicated music Channel to store and play tunes in. For a distinctly Nintendo-edge to proceedings, they could integrate Mii characters as blinged-out rappers to spin the discs as the music plays on a visual synthesizer. Then there is the lack of a dedicated video playback function, too - again, another quick fix in the same style. We're expecting Nintendo to roll these out pronto.
Mii Play Channel
Here's an interesting one - how about combining some of the micro-games from Wii Play into an 'introduction to online gaming' Mii Play channel. Enter this channel, select a friend from your list and instantly choose from a host of freebie micro-games to pass the time. Sounds like fun to us. It would be a good way of introducing the basics of online play to a generation of younger gamers or the significantly old to the concepts of multiplayer over the net.
Wii Paint Channel
How about a little throwback to the glory days of the SNES and Mario Paint? Beyond the basic art tools provided in the Photo Channel, on this channel, you can paint, create, stamp, edit, splash and scribble with a host of different art tools. Once you've created your masterpiece, it can be saved to SD or sent to friends...
Wii Share Channel
...Through the Wii Share Channel. A broader message board system, the Wii Share Channel could link Wii Paint and the internet browser together so that gamers can exchange Wii-created images, items, game saves and more. Controlling the content would be tricky, but more freedom of expression is a big step towards building a recognisable Wii community.
Wii-zine channel
Using WiiConnect 24, what if the Wii could pluck the latest IGN headlines, tailored to your preferences, and compile them in a cool, image-laden format? Wii-zines could be the next big thing in games journalism. Choosing the platforms you want covered (or perhaps limited to Nintendo systems), gamers could get an at-a-glance idea of the latest gaming news without the hassle of browsing the net, and updated daily. The SD slot could even allow the 'zine to be saved in PDF form for printing.
That's just the tip of the iceberg. We envision loads of channels eventually populating our Wii interface - likely with concepts so odd and brilliant that it takes a free-thinking company like Nintendo to think of them. As it stands right now, we're eagerly awaiting an official announcement before too long about what the future holds for Nintendo's online kingdom.
Do you have a cool idea for a Wii Channel? Sound off in the IGN AU forums!