Wiiware demos are coming

[HaniKazmi]

US, November 3, 2009 - WiiWare is slowly becoming packed with content, especially in Japan where the service often sees four titles released in a single week. Wouldn't it be great to be able to try out some of those games before handing over your precious WiiPoints? Nintendo CEO Satoru Iwata appears to think so!

During the Q&A session at a recent earnings briefing, Iwata told investors that Nintendo would begin a test program for WiiWare demos some time this month. The test will cover just a few titles.

According to Iwata, Nintendo is undertaking this test to see if it can get more players shopping on the Wii Shopping Channel. He admitted that the market for WiiWare and DSi Ware is currently small, with the Wii Shopping Channel and DSi Shop browsed only by people who already know the game they want to get.

Iwata also said that he doesn't feel demos are necessarily the solution to the problem. He may or may not be right, but we're sure some players would appreciate being able to try out certain WiiWare games in advance.

Nintendo hasn't officially announced this WiiWare demo program just yet, so we don't have specifics on titles or a start time frame. It's also unclear if the test will be limited to Japan, or if Nintendo will let the entire world take part.

Once we hear the specifics, we'll be sure and pass along the info to you.

Source

For obvious reasons, I doubt most people here are going to care. Bit late ninty

 

[tj_cool]

Most people here probably arrr them anyway

 

[ca_michelbach]

Seems like great news. Next stop:- game demo's like the PS3 gets.

 

[Hadrian]

I'll probably use it if they give NEW demos and not old ones. I'm someone who has to try most games for themselves rather than rely on reviews and though the games are small, its having to transfer onto SD and then installing it that I can't be arsed with sometimes.

I hope they promote the more indie games out there. Now if only they could get with the times and offer retail games that we can save to SD/HDD. That would get games like Little Kings Story, Madworld and Dead Space Extraction out there more.

 

[GeekyGuy]

Yeah, just read this news over on GoNintendo, and I personally would love it. I don't have a modded Wii and still either buy or rent all of my games for the system. Being able to demo games is a feature that's long overdue.

 

[BiT.SLEDGE]

I like this for the DSi shop because most people here with a Wii as tj_cool said arrr them. Including me. I'd like to try out the Art Style games I don't already have.

 

[EnigmaXtreme]

Wouldnt demos be incredibly large, wouldnt they require like sayyyyyyyy an external HD?

 

[tj_cool]

Wouldnt demos be incredibly large, wouldnt they require like sayyyyyyyy an external HD?

They can't be bigger than real WiiWare games

 

[Satangel]

Wouldnt demos be incredibly large, wouldnt they require like sayyyyyyyy an external HD?

They can't be bigger than real WiiWare games

Yeah, and seeing there's a limit on them of 50 MB (or so, can't be arsed to look it up), it won't be that large

It will max be around 10 MB, a few levels or so of the game.

 

[Maikel Steneker]

Wouldnt demos be incredibly large, wouldnt they require like sayyyyyyyy an external HD?

They can't be bigger than real WiiWare games

Yeah, and seeing there's a limit on them of 50 MB (or so, can't be arsed to look it up), it won't be that large

It will max be around 10 MB, a few levels or so of the game.

Unless developers are lazy and just lock the largest part of the game up. Maybe they'll even use a time limit like the Homebrew Channel prototype did.

 

[RupeeClock]

I welcome demo or lite versions of wiiware, it's one of the things that really helps the iPhone app-store.

 

[zuron7]

What's so bad abt it.
It's actually good for me because I don't get Wii points easily.