21 replies to this topic

[Jess Ragan]

All right, this deserves its own thread, so I'm going to start one. What ideas do you have for Wii channels that you hope Nintendo will implement in later system updates?

I've already posted a handful of ideas for Wii channels in another thread... for your convenience, you'll find those listed below. However, I just had another idea for a Wii channel... one that seems so obvious that I'm not sure how Nintendo missed it. You know how in Shenmue for the Dreamcast, you were able to purchase video game-themed toys and trinkets from vending machines? And you know how you can buy GamerPics on Xbox Live to use as your own personal avatar?

Well, here's something that would bring the two features together. Nintendo should create a Toybox Channel that keeps track of all your game saves. Every time you open the Toybox, the Wii scans all of your game saves, checking for any games you've recently purchased. When it finds new ones, the Wii goes online and downloads one of six action figures based on that game. For instance, if you just got Rayman, you'd get one of those wacky Rabbids as a prize. If you bought Tony Hawk's Downhill Jam, you'd get a skateboarder.

Here's the trick, though. You'd only get ONE action figure for each game you bought, and everybody else would get a different secret toy surprise. This is when you send your friends a message and request a trade. Like the Portrait of Ruin game for the Nintendo DS, everybody gets to keep their own toys, but ALSO gets a copy of their friend's. This encourages participation on the Wii's online network, keeping friends communicating with each other so they can, uh, "catch 'em all".

JR

* Horoscope channel. You enter your birthday, and the system loads up a horoscope that's exclusive to the Wii, and affected by your gaming habits.

* Birthday channel. A year-round celebration for gamers. When it's your birthday, you're given an interactive cake (spin it, slice it, eat it!) along with a list of other Wii owners celebrating their own special days. On the other 364 days of the year, you're just given a list of Wii owners who are celebrating their birthdays.

* Magic 8-Ball channel. Ask a question, then shake the Wiimote to reveal the answer. The purple die rises to the top of the black billiard ball, offering such responses as "Yes," "Outlook doubtful," and "Ask again later." Obviously this concept would work better with the official Magic 8-Ball license.

* Nintendo Power channel. The Wii desperately needs a gaming news channel, and an interactive issue of Nintendo Power would be the best way to address that need. Every month, select articles and reviews from the official Nintendo Power print magazine would appear in a special virtual edition.

* Puzzle channel. Standard crossword puzzles and Sudoku puzzles, updated daily. Both games play like the Sudoku puzzles in Brain Age for the DS, with the player scribbling in their answers with the Wiimote.

* Comics channel. Popular syndicated comics, updated daily and available with a touch of a button! Flip through your favorites with the Wiimote, and mark off the ones you don't like so they won't appear later.

* Fortune cookie channel. Break open the cookie with the Wiimote and find a slip of paper with one of hundreds of inspirational messages inside. The messages are entered into a database which updates on a weekly basis.

[n8littlefield]

I wouldn't be at all surprised if some of these ideas end up happening. The Nintendo Power channel seems like an inevitability as does the Horoscope channel (it's a perfect fit for the non-gamers they are trying to woo). I LOVE the idea of the Comics channel too.

I'd like to see:

Sports Channel - with updated scores, abililty to set up favorite teams, etc.

DS Demo Channel - obvious, download DS demos

TV Guide Channel - search TV listings

Movefone Channel - local movie listings

[Jess Ragan]

A DS demo channel would be incredible. Can the DS and Wii communicate with each other yet? If not, it's time they started!

JR

[-^Cro§Bow^-]

Nintendo stated that the Wii could be used as a download type station for the DS in the future. So a demo channel does seem like a good idea.

However, wouldn't this upset big retailers who sorta advertise the fact they have DS download stations?

I don't know...maybe it doesn't matter to them?

I just wish Nintendo would make a Media type channel that would make it much easier to play movies, MP3, etc from the SD cards. That way, I can have an SD card with just MP3s and still listen to them. And control them with a playlist..etc...

It might seem crazy, but I actually DON'T have a major stereo system or even a PC anywhere near where I use the Wii. My PC is setup in a work at home enviroment in another house actually...

Either way...if they won't let us watch DVDs on them...they need to create a media channel.

[Jess Ragan]

Agreed. It's completely moronic that the Wii doesn't have its own frontend for music, a feature that game systems have had for over fifteen years.

JR

[Bivotar]

-^Cro§Bow^-, on Thu Feb 15, 2007 7:28 PM, said:

Nintendo stated that the Wii could be used as a download type station for the DS in the future. So a demo channel does seem like a good idea.

However, wouldn't this upset big retailers who sorta advertise the fact they have DS download stations?

I don't know...maybe it doesn't matter to them?

The times that I have taken my DS to a shop that has a download station, I get funny looks from the employees. It makes me feel like I am stealing something! Plus you have to leave your DS on after you leave the shop and make the trek home to try the game out.

It would be kick ass if I could download the DS demos from the Wii!

[Student Driver]

Jess Ragan, on Thu Feb 15, 2007 3:25 AM, said:

* Birthday channel. A year-round celebration for gamers. When it's your birthday, you're given an interactive cake (spin it, slice it, eat it!) along with a list of other Wii owners celebrating their own special days. On the other 364 days of the year, you're just given a list of Wii owners who are celebrating their birthdays.

Add to this an "On this date" historical/pop-cultural overview and/or a "Born Today" celebrity/historical figure list and I'd bother using it. Just knowing Jimmy in Ames, IA, is turning 19 isn't enough.

Quote

* Puzzle channel. Standard crossword puzzles and Sudoku puzzles, updated daily. Both games play like the Sudoku puzzles in Brain Age for the DS, with the player scribbling in their answers with the Wiimote.

I have yet to see an electronic implementation of crosswords that plays as well as pencil and paper, but I think word searches, mazes, and paint-by-numbers (ala Picross) would work well with the Wii controller.

Do they have a sports score/recap channel?

[Jess Ragan]

Not exactly. There's a vague wrap-up of major sporting events in the Associated Press newsfeed, but that's it.

JR

[n8littlefield]

Yeah - the Sports page is really something I'd like to see. I'm thinking that after the Game Developer's Conference we may see more as that seems to be when Nintendo is unveiling some of their developer tools for original games downloads, so maybe channels will go with that.

[AtariJr]

http://www.joystiq.c...nintendo-power/

who was it, Jess? who said they wanted nintendo power channel..

well eat your hearts out.

[Jess Ragan]

Mmm, heart! Can I have humble pie for dessert?

(Wait, I didn't say they WOULDN'T make a Nintendo Power channel... just that they SHOULD!)

JR

[AtariJr]

Jess Ragan, on Sun Feb 18, 2007 5:34 PM, said:

Mmm, heart! Can I have humble pie for dessert?

(Wait, I didn't say they WOULDN'T make a Nintendo Power channel... just that they SHOULD!)

JR

yea i know, i thought youd be excited you might have predicted that to come true.. i woudlnt have though they would do that.

[Jess Ragan]

Frankly, I didn't think they would take this approach. Evidently they want to offer articles from classic issues of Nintendo Power, rather than the most recent ones. It's a daring idea, but I like it!

JR

[AtariJr]

Jess Ragan, on Sun Feb 18, 2007 7:31 PM, said:

Frankly, I didn't think they would take this approach. Evidently they want to offer articles from classic issues of Nintendo Power, rather than the most recent ones. It's a daring idea, but I like it!

JR

even seeing some of the old cover art or articles on "new" games would be fun to see.. and ive love to see the ones before 1998 when i started suscribing when i got np for the first time..

[jbanes]

Jess Ragan, on Sun Feb 18, 2007 9:31 PM, said:

Frankly, I didn't think they would take this approach. Evidently they want to offer articles from classic issues of Nintendo Power, rather than the most recent ones. It's a daring idea, but I like it!

I'm almost wondering if they're going to attach some of the Nintendo Power content to Virtual Console downloads and new game purchases. e.g. If you purchase Metroid from VC, you'll get access to the original Nintendo Power maps, reviews, walkthroughs, and cheats for the game.

That would so rock.

[Jess Ragan]

Now you're thinkin'!

JR

[-^Cro§Bow^-]

Wouldn't help in some games where Nintendo has made some changes to the Roms...

I didn't know this because I never had it back in the day, but apparently none of the Kid Icarus passwords from old will work on the VC version?

So while maps and most strategies would still probably be viable...I don't know that some cheats would still work.

[AtariJr]

-^Cro§Bow^-, on Tue Feb 20, 2007 12:06 PM, said:

Wouldn't help in some games where Nintendo has made some changes to the Roms...

I didn't know this because I never had it back in the day, but apparently none of the Kid Icarus passwords from old will work on the VC version?

So while maps and most strategies would still probably be viable...I don't know that some cheats would still work.

rememeber the roms arent being tampered with.. they are direct ports.. its just thatthe ghost save feature in mario cart and the cheats in Kid relied on external hardware.. since its not there (ie chip in the cart, or a mem card in teh controller) those features are nill.. they are taking the game directly from the the game.. no tampering to make it "emulate" what the external hardward did.

[jbanes]

-^Cro§Bow^-, on Tue Feb 20, 2007 2:06 PM, said:

Wouldn't help in some games where Nintendo has made some changes to the Roms...

I didn't know this because I never had it back in the day, but apparently none of the Kid Icarus passwords from old will work on the VC version?

According to Nintendo, they did not mess with the ROM. The cheat code passwords were apparently supported by a hardware chip in the cartridge that Nintendo won't emulate. That's why Kid Icarus won't work. I expect that JUSTIN BALEY will work fine when Metroid is released, as it *is* a valid password for the game. (It's actually not a cheat at all. Just an oddly named password that produces desirable results.)

[-^Cro§Bow^-]

As I said..I never owned (Still don't own) Kid Icarus for the NES. So the VC version is my first time playing the title. I wasn't aware of any special hardware inside the original cart that enabled these cheats. I was just noting what some others have been stressing over on other forums..

[AtariJr]

-^Cro§Bow^-, on Tue Feb 20, 2007 1:31 PM, said:

As I said..I never owned (Still don't own) Kid Icarus for the NES. So the VC version is my first time playing the title. I wasn't aware of any special hardware inside the original cart that enabled these cheats. I was just noting what some others have been stressing over on other forums..

dude its ok, we were just updatin ya

[MegaManFan]

The passwords for Kid Icarus are pointless anyway since the Wii save states your current progress up to where you quit anyway. Therefore I'm currently on the third stage where with the old KI I could never be bothered to write them down and input them back in so I always had to start from scratch.