Next week Nintendo launch WiiWare for their phenomenally successful Wii console. WiiWare titles are games and Wii applications that can be purchased via the Wii Shop Channel and downloaded onto machines in the same vein as the retro Virtual Console titles, with players paying for games using the Wii Points currency system.
Chief among the first run of titles is Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: My Life as a King, a Sim City-style spin-off of Square Enix’s hugely popular Final Fantasy series which sees the player taking control of a small township and expanding it into a flourishing kingdom for the whole world to marvel at. Other hotly anticipated titles include Lost Winds, a sort of throwback to the classic 2D platformers of old, Star Soldier R, a retro-style shooter, and an update of the pill-popping Dr. Mario & Germ Buster.
The games themselves are generally smaller in scope than hard copy titles – by eliminating the cost of packaging and distribution, developers can take more risks with innovations in games and recoup losses easily. The games themselves are also pretty cheap, as the following prices (taken from a Eurogamer article) indicate:
FFCC: My Life as a King – 1500 Wii Points (£10.50)
Dr. Mario & Germ Buster – 1000 Wii Points (£7)
Lost Winds – 1000 Wii Points (£7)
Pop – 700 Wii Points (£5)
Star Soldier R – 800 Wii Points (£7)
TV Show King – 1000 Wii Points (£7)
Whilst this represents a big plus for gamers, punters ought to be wary of the strain which WiiWare downloads will have on Britain’s creaky broadband infrastructure. Customers who’ve signed up for packages from PlusNet can take advantage of unlimited overnight usage and simply download WiiWare games in the evening, and Virgin Media customers will be mindful of the peak time (4pm to 9pm) after which they are free to Wii ’til their hearts content.
Last year, Bill Gates announced that BT Vision were to launch a new HD download service for Xbox 360 owners, effectively allowing their machine to double as a high-definition PVR – initial reports suggested that this service was all set to be ship shape by this summer, although BT have been a bit schtum on the issue of late.
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King Boris I said on 16 May 2008 at 9:59 am #
My Life as a King looks amazing. Can’t wait to carve out a kingdom of my own!
King Constantine XI said on 29 May 2008 at 11:14 am #
My Life as a King is great - I sat down to ‘give it a go’ last night and ended up playing for nearly three hours; it was quarter to midnight before I knew it!
It’s a bit cutesy and kiddy, but then again, it was never gonna be GTAIV and it is on the Wii. Lost Winds looks interesting too, haven’t played that yet tho.