http://www.nintendowiifanboy.com/2008/02/22/gdc08-wi-fi-good-news-bad-news/
[quote]Here's the good news:
Nintendo project leader Takashi Aoyama recently announced that Wii games would soon feature downloadable content. If you're unfamiliar with this service (which is currently prevalent in the other current-gen systems, the PS3 and Xbox 360), this means that you'll be able to download additional content for your games via Wi-Fi.
There's no word on what games will offer DLC (though we can make guesses on a few that will and won't), nor have we heard about potential memory limitations with the inclusion of this service. Add-ons will be available for both Wii Ware titles and disc-based games, though.
As per usual, Wii owners will be able to purchase such content with Wii Points or a credit card.
Now, are you ready for the bad news?
According to Nintendo, not all Wi-Fi services will be free on the Wii. The company is introducing a "Pay and Play" policy, which will make players subscribe to a specific game in order to use that game's online features.
Titles that implement this policy will have a red "Pay and Play" circle instead of the blue "Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection" one that we're used to seeing. Aoyama didn't specify which games would make users pay-to-play, nor did he reveal how much the services would cost.
Now, we could understand Nintendo charging for online services if they were up to snuff with the offerings of its competitors. It's no secret, though, that the company currently falls behind its current-gen counterparts in regards to online play. PSN (the PS3's online network) is still free for gamers, and although XBL requires a monthly subscription, it can't be argued that Microsoft's service is miles ahead of the Wii's.
Perhaps the cost will be minimal, or perhaps most publishers will decide to keep their services free (if the decision is up to them, that is). Let's just hope this doesn't happen with the DS, too.
*Note: Since Nintendo has been vague on "Pay and Play" details, it's not exactly clear what services will require users to cough up cash. We'll keep you posted as we hear more.
.
hope they dont make people pay for brawl .... I would be so ****ed. (angry face)
It'd be the smart thing to do actually.
I was really excited when I found out about DLC for the Wii... but this sounds pretty lame. Depending on how much each game costs individually, it might not turn out to be that much more than paying for a subscription to Xbox Live, though.
...and I don't think they're gonna make people pay for Brawl because it's so close to release and they haven't said anything about it or shown any cover art with "red circles".
Haha, wow. This on top of the fact that WiiWare titles won't have trials or demos and no solid plans for voice chat according to Sakurai. Jesus Christ.
look!!
[quote]SAN FRANCISCO -- Nintendo's Wi-Fi Connection service has always been entirely free of charge, but the company will soon introduce a pay-to-play service for some games, it announced at Game Developers Conference.
"Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection Pay And Play" will let users subscribe on a game-by-game basis to certain titles. Nintendo project leader Takashi Aoyama announced the service at GDC, but did not say what upcoming games would require payment for the service, or how much they would cost.
To avoid customer confusion, Pay-And-Play games will have a red icon on the game's box that reads Pay And Play, in place of the traditional blue Wi-Fi Connection icon, which will only be used for games that are free to play.
This is a pretty big change for Nintendo, who has always been adamant about wanting online gameplay to be free. While this might attract more developers to the service with a new revenue stream, it also might confuse consumers -- and be a hassle if the payment system isn't easy. You'll use Wii Points to pay for the online gaming, so it should be interesting to see if this extends to the DS Lite or if it's just restricted to Wii.
doesn't brawl have a blue icon?! ;)
...You'd think that if some good titles aren't PAY4PLAY then they'd sell much better than the others and eventually lead to them going 100% in either direction. So either every popular game will charge, or this half and half thing won't last long.
That sucks. I hope they don't make Guitar Hero III a pay and play game. I enjoy playing that on Wi-Fi at Amber's house and my sister should be getting it soon.
Also, I liked how Wi-Fi was free because it's just better that way. I dunno if PS3's live system is free or not, but I know 360's $60+ for a year subscription is stupid.
****ING ****
I WAS HOLDING YOU CLOSE TO ME, NINTENDO. :(
Games that are already out won't be affected by this. They're going for more of a XboxLive feel, I think. And they just said there wouldn't be voice chat for Brawl(which sucks) but future titles might. And to use features like that you'd have to pay? I'm sure we'll learn more in the future.
DO NOT ****ING WANT CHAT FOR BRAWL
Congratulations, you're in about a 1% minority. But it's too late for that to happen.
Personally, I can't wait to pay for games featuring Nintendo's extravagent friend code system. :cookie:
Huh, I had forgotten about the whole friend code thing. Really seems like a feature of a free online service to me.
lol
I don't care that much, because I'm not a huge online gamer, and Brawl will be free.
But...this smells like GBA/GC Connectivity. Or in other words, Nintendo making something they think is great and awesome and innovative, that costs a lot of money.
"WITH PAY AND PLAY, LOOK AT ALL THE COOL THINGS YOU CAN UNLOCK IN THIS GAME LOL!" So my guess is that a lot of pay and play unlockables are going to be a lot of stupid obscure things that, in essence, are cool, but really not worth the money in most cases.
Yeah, doesn't make much sense to have friend codes if you need a parent to pay for the service, you know? One or the other, nintendo!
Animal Crossing MMO.
It's f[COLOR=lightgreen]u[/COLOR]cking obvious.
Expecting Nintendo to charge for a service they're already providing or do that for some games but not others is the stupidist idea I've ever heard. Obviously they're going to add something significant if they're going to charge for it. I figure they won't do Xbox Live (or charge that much either). But if announcing DLC and subscriptions for specific games doesn't say MMO in SOME way I don't know what does.
Hmm, yes that's highly probable.
At the very least it's a way to allow other companies to do MMOs or some other kind of game with a constant stream of downloadable content. There's nothing about their online service that makes me think they want to copy Xbox Live, sorry guys but it's clearly not going to happen. The subscription has to be for something else.
Oh great, mmos on consoles... just what I've always wanted
needs more shootan!!!!!!!!!
I guess it makes sense. It also works for the point system, 2000 points gives enough leeway to spend small amounts on things worth buying in MMOs without it being outrageously overpriced. I'm looking forward to what this may hold.
I acctually hope that after the paying thing happens, friend codes will be gone (NOT GOING TO HAPPEN THOUGH)
[quote=Vampiro V. Empire;821035]Oh great, mmos on consoles... just what I've always wanted
BY NOW YOU SHOULD HAVE REALISED THAT NINTENDO DOESN'T CARE ABOUT WHAT YOU WANT, VAMP.
A subscription to a game wouldn't even have to be something that involves game servers. It could anything that needs a constant revenue stream. Animal Crossing with a constant supply of new furniture/items/features would sell like crazy.
Can't wait to see Nintendo's take on achievements. Phantom Hourglass even had its own spin on them.
Uh, it did? What's that got to do with DLC and subscriptions?
It seems the NWFC's getting an overhaul to keep up with the competition, so I figured they'd implement something similar to what the 360 and PS3 have.
As for PH's achievements - check Battle Mode.
Keep up with the competition? You haven't noticed after their pissing off Live fans for 3 years that they don't care about the competition? With the amount of people in their target audience using their service over anyone elses in the console market what would be worth beating?
Nintendo's not making Xbox Live. Get over it. Even if they did We wouldn't have Smash Bros or Mario Kart on it this generation. I can't see them putting the effort in before Wii dies when they'll have already blown those two.
The introduction of downloadable content flies in the face of the idea that they're not doing something to create a comparable service.
It's cool to not care. Nintendo's cool.
[quote=The X;821087]The introduction of downloadable content flies in the face of the idea that they're not doing something to create a comparable service.
PC games have DLC. Their online services are further away from Xbox Live than WFC is, at least in terms of it being unified. You're using the fact that they're adding one feature that XBL (and every other online service) has to make the assumption that whatever they haven't announced will also be similar. Considering their track record and what they want out of an online service it's unrealistic and just pure wishful thinking.
That's like saying why is s[COLOR="White"]h[/COLOR]it worse than vomit.
Haha, you are such a fucking crybaby.
Well, I'm now convinced that a certain two people can not step foot in the same thread without derailing it with a pointless argument. But hey it's amusing.
Anyway, this Pay and Play thing probably won't be a big deal. After all, Brawl will be free and that's the only game anyone with a Wii will be playing online from now until the end of eternity.
Ill have to find a Wii first before they can make me pay for the WiFi -.-