Nintendo announces WiiWare - Legal Homebrew On the Wii ?

[Shrygue]

via Games Industry


Nintendo is inviting developers large and small to produce new downloadable games to be sold through the Wii Shop Channel.

The initiative, called "Wii Software" here and "WiiWare" in the US, was announced at a private developers' conference this week and confirmed to press in Europe this afternoon.

"Wii Software provides developers with big ideas - rather than big budgets - an easy and very accessible way to create new games and bring them to the marketplace," European marketing director Laurent Fischer explained.

The service would also offer "great additional value for Wii owners who will be able to download fresh new games", Fischer added.

The first Wii Software titles will launch in early 2008. Users will pay for games using Wii Points.

Nintendo has always said it intended for the Wii Shop to host original downloadable games, but until now the company has only offered budget-priced downloads from the back catalogues of NES, SNES and N64 consoles - as well as SEGA's Megadrive and Hudson's TurboGrafx-16 - through its "Virtual Console" initiative.

Bringing new-game downloads online in 2008 will put the platform holder belatedly into line with Sony and Microsoft, whose PS3 and Xbox 360 consoles already support the option.

Nintendo, however, will be hoping that the Wii's unique motion-sensing control options will inspire developers to produce more interesting software than can be found on either of its competitors' platforms.

IS THIS THE WAY TO LEGAL HOMEBREW CODING ON THE WII

DIGG THIS

[ICE]

yep sounds good. this had been rumored for a while now. glad to see its real.

wii live arcade anyone? lol

[WiiVision]

I'm willing to bet we'll see a Nintendo anouncement shortly about an attached HardDrive. Now with so many items coming to fill your embedded space, there will be a GREAT need for more storage.

[plikita]

Where can we get more info about wiiware, and how to apply ??

[R4mbo]

<3 Nintendo. But dont forget you must pay for this Homebrew... and its not REAL, because you MUST produce for nintendo and they must accept it and put it in wii-shop... no playing around, no alpha and beta versions, i think.

[splodger15]

yeh I would love to be able to program for the Wii aswell

[RV2006]

I personally think they should split this into two areas:
commercial homebrew (very powerful development tools and can sell the games they make, but they have to buy a licence)
and
free public homebrew (simplified development tools, with some restritions, but the games can be downloaded for free, and no license required)

(and both submissions should be monitored by nintendo before put onto the channel, so no hacks or exploits or even emulators can get through)

because everyone will be a winner then!
(as I would love to develop free games for the wii!)

[mcdougall57]

i really wouldnt want to be charged for homebrew games and maybe we could see some more innovation due to the remote controller

[IamAbe]

i would love to be able to make games for wii, but i'm not gonna pay to make my own games. i hope they release a free version that lets me make and play games... not gonna happen (i can dream tho)

[bmemike]

I'm not sure if this will give the option for "true homebrew" on the Wii.

If the only distribution method is through the Wii Shop Channel (and that's what it sounds like to me), then I think that's a major obstacle that needs to be addressed.

If people aren't able to freely obtain and run the code that's being distributed, then that doesn't count as "homebrew" to me.