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[supermackem]

Wii dont even get trauma center or excite truck at launch here in pal land.

 

[enishi]

Checking to see if the firmware is universal might be easy enough if you just go to the Wii menu. Mine says I'm running 2.0U, as I recall. I'd imagine that means firmware 2.0, USA, but I could be wrong.

Version of firmware on Japan Wii is 2.0J. So, "U" means US...

 

[Ecrofirt]

Version of firmware on Japan Wii is 2.0J. So, "U" means US...

And there we go. Sounds to me like it's region specific firmware, but again, that's just a guess based on the J and U.

 

[Balzac]

Once somene figures out a way to run unsigned code, I bet we'll be able to emulate firmwares on a an SD card much like how PSP firmware emulation functions now.

 

[NotWii]

I have a feeling the firmware is universal just like with GC. Find the jumper, HELLO JPN VC! (Two SD cards required to back up different region data/VC downloads).

The current US firmware is version 2.0U
And there is Firmware 2.0J and 2.0E for Japan and Europe.

I would not be surprised if the region locks are only implemented in software and that all the Wiis have identical hardware. If THIS is true, then that means hacked firmware will grant us all the region freedom we want

 

[PantherLotus]

 

[norinrad21]

Absolutely nothing, nothing is going to stop me from importing a US/JP Wii, i will stop at nothing not even the region lock.

 

[Suikoguy]

2) 480p, no shader tech
4) Slow, deliberate, terrible VC releases
5) VC expensive and tied to machine
6) VC Region lock
7) Drought of games
8) Official component cables only available online
9) $60 controllers

He has some good points though, if it were not for the mirrored port of Twilight Princess, the Wii would have arguably the worst launch lineup of any Nintendo system ever.

He does come of as whining though :lol
It's also hard to tell exactly what will come out over the next year, but regardless it will be interesting to see how much bitching will happen once people finish zelda and get tired of wii sports.

 

[Pellham]

1) $250
2) 480p, no shader tech
3) promising the world (Zelda, Mario, Metroid at launch!), then staggering releases
4) Slow, deliberate, terrible VC releases
5) VC expensive and tied to machine
6) VC Region lock
7) Drought of games
8) Official component cables only available online
9) $60 controllers (don't kid yourself)
10) Classic controller tethered to wiimote
11) ALL OF THE ABOVE SEEMS TO BE FOLLOWING THE GAMECUBE PATH, PROBABLY WORSE

Nintendo is like the abusive parent of gaming: "I'm gonna rape you and you're gonna like it! No KY 4 U!"

I wish I hated their games so I didn't have to deal with this crap.

funny thing is I agree with all your points (except for #10 which is a stupid complaint and#11 which is an irrelevant asumption), but I still think of the Wii as a success because it does deliver what it promised (a new gaming experience) and besides, you gotta admit that Sony screwed up the PS3 far worse than Nintendo did with the Wii. Look at all the diehard Sony fans complaining about that system in the PS3 related threads.

 

[Fantasmo]

I'm very familiar with GAF and that guys bitching still strikes me as unusually whiney.

90% facts, 10% prediction. Just because you love your Wii doesn't mean I have to.

With Wii having last gen tech, I figured games would flood the market but here we are in November and the next 6 months looks pretty damn barren. So far, its looking like GC and N64 all over again.

Just a hunch that will keep my money in my wallet until I see things change.

 

[Conrad Link]

When I try loading up a PAL GameCube game using the Freeloader on my NTSC Wii I get a blank screen but can still hear the game running in the background. :\

The PAL game ran fine on my NTSC GameCube.

Do NTSC Wii's not have the ability to display a PAL signal?

Japanese Cube games run fine on my Wii through the Freeloader, but thats a NTSC signal still.

Hmmmmmmmmmmm.

 

[Neko Tsukimi]

If Tokimeki Memorial ever appears on the VC in Japan, I'll totally import a Japanese Wii just for that. That's the only game that would be worth it for me. And possibly Pulseman...

 

[Bert]

7) Drought of games

IT'S BEEN OUT A WEEK!

 

[Kreed]

With Wii having last gen tech, I figured games would flood the market but here we are in November and the next 6 months looks pretty damn barren. So far, its looking like GC and N64 all over again.

What N64 were you playing and in what region? Because I remember going to the store on launch day and only having Mario 64 and Pilotwings to choose from for months until that special edition Mortal Kombat came out in October, followed by Mario Kart 64 in February.

Also, the Gamecube launch didn't have a real killer ap. Rogue Squadron was "decent" but not a system seller like Halo. Twilight Princess arguably fills this requirement.

A better comparison Nintendo wise would be the DS, which was launched in 2004, but didn't pick up steam title wise until the last half of 2005.

 

[DCharlie]

7) Drought of games

IT'S BEEN OUT A WEEK!

... and it already has 23 games out!!

:/

one of which is a new Zelda!

Twilight Princess arguably fills this requirement

Arguably? It's selling at 75% or so to the hardware, i'd say it's pretyt solid at the very least as a launch title regardless of it's dev background. And it's pretty fricken good so far.

 

[Pellham]

Yeah if anything, the Wii is most likely to follow the same path that the DS has taken. Especially since the DS has become a hit among people who aren't normally gamers, and that is likely going to hold true with the Wii. This was never the case with N64 or Gamecube.

 

[Stage On]

With any luck all it will take is a simple free loader to be made and we'll be back in the importing game busness. Then again if all we are waiting on is say Bleach and Naruto then we're ok as they are pretty sure to make it over here anyhow.

 

[Martini]

i didnt want to waste space with a new thread. this might be a dumb question, but are the wii prepaid points cards region specific? thanks in advance

 

[Grok4Spock]

i didnt want to waste space with a new thread. this might be a dumb question, but are the wii prepaid points cards region specific? thanks in advance

Yes just like everything else associated with Wii, the points cards are "region locked"...

 

[andthebeatgoeson]

... and it already has 23 games out!!

:/

one of which is a new Zelda!

Well, yeah but he meant drought of Nintendo games. *snicker*

It has Madden, Splinter Cell and COD ports, Red steel (a new IP), Zelda, Excite truck, Monkey Ball and a host of crap like Happy feet and it has a drought? Oh yeah, Trauma Center and I'm sure I forgot about something. I guess drought it is.

 

[B-Genius]

With any luck all it will take is a simple free loader to be made and we'll be back in the importing game busness. Then again if all we are waiting on is say Bleach and Naruto then we're ok as they are pretty sure to make it over here anyhow.

An eerily good point. The only import games I have for GC are Naruto GNT3 and ... can't even remember the other one.

I have a friend who thinks it's "cooler" to have a Japanese Wii. Is he mental? Surely if you want to play the majority of games in English, not have to faff about with the VC, and want bundled Wii Sports (although still paying about £30 more for a UK one at any rate), then a PAL Wii is fine.

Seeing as a Freeloader type thing is bound to arrive from the heavens eventually, I guess it's just a matter of which language you're willing to play in most of all. Say, for instance, you want loads of kooky Japanese Wii titles, but need Zelda in English to be able to enjoy it... PAL/US Zelda is your Freeloader exception as opposed to Naruto.