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So what about that blue slotlight Nintendo?

S

Squeak

Member
The blue slot light on the Wii has to be one of the most superfly bling features ever on a console and yet it is only used for half a second at start up and for telling you that you have a message.
WTF is up with that?!

Why can't I have it on all the time if I want?
Wasn't it originally rationalized by reasoning that people would be able to better see the slot in a darkened room?
It could at least be on for 30 - 20 second after start up to help with that.
But best of course, would be if I could decide for myself when and how the light should be on.

It seems an awful waste as it is used now.

Discuss.
 
Originally it wasn't going to be implemented at all and was only used for promo shots.
I never look at the system while I'm playing so I see no reason why it should stay on all the time.
 
BrodiemanTTR said:
I continue to be surprised by the lack of a hard or soft mod that leaves it always on.
Click to expand...
There's a few around, hell, there's one that makes the light react when any sound is made on the Wii. E.G, when you point at a channel.
 
BGBW said:
Originally it wasn't going to be implemented at all and was only used for promo shots.
I never look at the system while I'm playing so I see no reason why it should stay on all the time.
Click to expand...
Because it looks freak'n good! That's why.
It's nice to have nice looking things if you didn't know...
 
Interestingly, it was on while I was playing Battalion Wars Wii at Leipzig, maybe just to show off to press in the run up to launch?
 
Demo units almost always had the blue slot powered constantly on. Hell, you can do it yourself, actually.

Register one of your personal emails into your Address Book (you can reg either other Wii Friend Codes, OR external emails), and once your console is booted up and running a game or whatever, send your Wii a message via your computer. Within minutes, the blue light will be on, and will remain so until you check that message, or shut down-and-power up again.

That said, I wouldn't mind a bit of customization in regards to how we can use that slot light. It's pretty hot, and being able to adjust brightness or disable it just doesn't cut it for me either.

For the record, I've had my console on standby (with WiiConnect24 enabled) since launch day, except for the 3 minutes or so I had to fully power down and disable WiiConnect24 when switching from WLAN to LAN mode.
 
The way it works now where it pulsates when you get a message seems pretty cool to me. I guess I don't really care about it otherwise.
 
Testicular Sound Express said:
how was that game anyways?
Click to expand...

Not as bad as what people are saying. I was playing player vs. player system link on a 6 minute round. The island arena was pretty big, and you could lay the smackdown and try to break through to each other's base. Me and my other staff member completely pwned the other player, who was some German suit. Graphics were on par with the GC version to be honest, but waggle wasn't as complicated as I thought, it plays like a FPS in 3rd Person view, similar to GRAW. However, we got unlimited units so the demo could be kept to a set time limit before the very saucy booth babes moved us along to Wii Music, which was equally satisfying, but hardly mind blowing.
 
There should've been an option to leave it on all the time but, as was pointed out previously, you CAN do it if you really want to. I understand what Nintendo was going for; that it would alert players to messages; but they could've used a different method for that.
 
Mejilan said:
Wii supports system link, Xbox style?
Click to expand...

Well that's what I played in BWii, one player on one player, separate Wii's, separate displays, in the same booth. It might have been used as a demo to the machine for press and representatives of the retailers, but if this doesn't make it into the main game I'll eat AniHawk.
 
Couldn't they just put out a system update that gives you the option to leave it on?

I wish they would.

Edit: BTW, a way around it? Send your Wii an email. It will light up and stay like that until the next time you turn it on.
 
homez99 said:
Well that's what I played in BWii, one player on one player, separate Wii's, separate displays, in the same booth. It might have been used as a demo to the machine for press and representatives of the retailers, but if this doesn't make it into the main game I'll eat AniHawk.
Click to expand...

Huh. Interesting. Via USB, then? An early, local version of the eventual (hopefully?) online mode?

Iam Canadian said:
There should've been an option to leave it on all the time but, as was pointed out previously, you CAN do it if you really want to. I understand what Nintendo was going for; that it would alert players to messages; but they could've used a different method for that.
Click to expand...

Constant (dim/bright) light for the pretty, pulsing (bright/dim) light for the notifications, for example.
 
Mejilan said:
Huh. Interesting. Via USB, then? An early, local version of the eventual (hopefully?) online mode?
Click to expand...

I couldn't see the back of the machine. In fact all I could see was the blue slot light, and a large cabinet underneath, probably hiding a dev kit or something, but I had the impression it was using WiFi Ad-Hoc between Wii's.
 
Mejilan said:
Huh. Interesting. Via USB, then? An early, local version of the eventual (hopefully?) online mode?



Constant (dim/bright) light for the pretty, pulsing (bright/dim) light for the notifications, for example.
Click to expand...

It's wireless LAN :)
 
Wow, neat. Like the DS' shortrange wireless multiplayer? I don't remember this feature ever being advertised for the Wii...
 
Mejilan said:
Wow, neat. Like the DS' shortrange wireless multiplayer? I don't remember this feature ever being advertised for the Wii...
Click to expand...

Indeed, I was staring at the other player in disbelief, before asking the hot booth babe if I was actually playing him and not some AI opponent, and I got my friend to double check.
 
Add your email to your contacts then send from it some message to your Wii, don't open it and tah-dah, Blue light all the time.

EDIT: Eh, Beaten, I just had this thread open since it was created and just got to respond now :/
 
I just wish it would glow when you are in the channel interface. That would be a nice tradeoff.

Too bad the friend shit isn't more robust, or we wouldn't be having this issue to begin with ;)
 
BGBW said:
Originally it wasn't going to be implemented at all and was only used for promo shots.
Click to expand...
No thats wrong.
BGBW said:
I never look at the system while I'm playing so I see no reason why it should stay on all the time.
Click to expand...
This is the worst logic ever.

Might as while say "Why make a system look nice, i never look at it anyway"

edit - lol, just saw your post history, I knew it.
 
The light on my Wii has been on since I finished Zelda, and it's been pulsing for around a month or so (I think it's because of an update or something, but I'm pretty sure it'll shut off if I turn the system on). It's probably going to do so until Super Paper Mario comes out.
 
I love the current use of the blue light, to warn you of new features or messages. That's the whole point of Wii Connect 24. Otherwise, how would you know you have got new updates/messages for your system?

I just hope it will be used more frequently in the future, for game-specific updates maybe?
 
Meta-Knight said:
Otherwise, how would you know you have got new updates/messages for your system?
Click to expand...
Leave it solid blue on always and when you get a message or something it starts to pulse and blink.
 
ant1532 said:
Leave it solid blue on always and when you get a message or something it starts to pulse and blink.
Click to expand...
I'm pathetic, and send an email to my Wii almost everytime I turn it off, so it'll turn blue.
 
Buttonbasher said:
I'm pathetic, and send an email to my Wii almost everytime I turn it off, so it'll turn blue.
Click to expand...
:lol I did that 2 times but I just gave up. But now that you reminded me of it, I'm gunna do it right now. :D
 
Meta-Knight said:
I love the current use of the blue light, to warn you of new features or messages. That's the whole point of Wii Connect 24. Otherwise, how would you know you have got new updates/messages for your system?

I just hope it will be used more frequently in the future, for game-specific updates maybe?
Click to expand...

It'd be nice if the light triggered for in-channel changes. Say, new polls/results in the Everybody Votes Channel, emergency (only) alerts in the Weather Channel, breaking (only) news in the News Channel, with the ability to toggle which of these Channels could cause a blue light notification. (Might want to disable the news and weather notifications, for example...)
 
Wouldn't it just be easier to set up automated message delivery using Outlook or Lotus Notes or whatever email client you use to send you a few messages a day, periodically?

The Wii inbox cleanup would certainly be easier.

Spam... :lol
 
Mejilan said:
Wouldn't it just be easier to set up automated message delivery using Outlook or Lotus Notes or whatever email client you use to send you a few messages a day, periodically?

The Wii inbox cleanup would certainly be easier.

Spam... :lol
Click to expand...
I don't care that much. Plus when the lights on, everyone thinks I left the console on.
 
Mejilan said:
I wasn't responding to you, but to the one that suggested spam as an option.
Click to expand...
cry.jpg

Well...Excuuuuuuse me princess!

Just Kidding. My bad. Thought it applied to me.
 
ant1532 said:
This is the worst logic ever.

Might as while say "Why make a system look nice, i never look at it anyway"
Click to expand...
It's called an opinion, amazing things aren't they.
I don't mind that the light isn't on constantly. In fact, because the light is hardly ever on getting a message and seeing the pulsing light makes it feel slightly special.

ant1532 said:
edit - lol, just saw your post history, I knew it.
Click to expand...
Knew what?
 
Not a big deal. I've sent my Wii a couple of messages via my gmail account, but I too haven't really bothered to set up an agent to do it for me periodically. :)
 
Gadeus said:
The light on my Wii has been on since I finished Zelda, and it's been pulsing for around a month or so (I think it's because of an update or something, but I'm pretty sure it'll shut off if I turn the system on). It's probably going to do so until Super Paper Mario comes out.
Click to expand...
an almost commendable stealth troll!
 
BGBW said:
It's called an opinion, amazing things aren't they.
I don't mind that the light isn't on constantly. In fact, because the light is hardly ever on getting a message and seeing the pulsing light makes it feel slightly special.
Click to expand...
I'm saying using this:
BGBW said:
I never look at the system while I'm playing so I see no reason why it should stay on all the time.
Click to expand...

as a reason to defend it not being on is ridiculous.

Oh and that edit was made to the wrong post.
 
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