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Will you pay to web browse on your wii

B

bheemer

Member
Browsing the web at 640 480 interlaced resolution is going to suck but will you pay to do it on your tv?

http://www.1up.com/do/newsStory?cId=3153671

Amidst the flurry of announcements today, one of overlooked details was Nintendo's decision to charge money for the ability to browse the Internet on Wii. According to the official wording by Nintendo:

Internet Channel: This channel dramatically changes the relationship between a user's home, the television and the Internet. Users download the Opera browser with Wii points. Then they can surf the Internet right from the comfort of their couch. They can do quick research while watching a television program ("What was that actor's name again?"). Or book travel plans and shop during commercials. The service is compatible with Macromedia Flash.

Keep in mind, however, the browser will be free for some time after Wii's released worldwide; Nintendo will not start charging until June of next year. What the motivation is behind such a specific date, however, is a complete mystery to us, and we wonder why the clarification wasn't made during the US conference.

Will Nintendo offer the service for free overseas, but not here? That would be some bizarre logic, but we currently don't have confirmation one way or the other. Nintendo of America would only confirm to 1UP that the Opera browser will cost Wii points, and couldn't delve into price specifics.

Now, on the one hand, Nintendo also charged for an Opera browser on Nintendo DS, but realistically, they had to. The dual-screen portable doesn't have enough internal memory to keep the program that saved, and DS cartridges, while cheaper to produce than GBA ones, aren't free. With PSP, however, Sony developed a web browser gamers could download, saved forever via Memory Stick.

In this case, Wii has the on-board memory capable of storing Virtual Console games, other downloadable content and a web browser simultaneously.

The Opera browser in its original incarnation is freely available on the Internet itself, but if they can charge for it and people will pay, why not? Just make sure you don't miss the deadline.
 
It might sound a bit sad, but I may buy Opera if it's not too expensive (hopefully much cheaper than the DS version) just for the sake of not having a blotted out option on the Wii firmware GUI. But if it costs way more than I'd like it to be, then I'll just live with it and buy a few SNES games.
 
Dreamcast FTW

why charge people? Dreamcast browsing was free, and you could dowload games saves and junk that people made for the VMUs

7 years later... Nintendo is goign to charge you for browsing.... if you have connection, you arleady have a PC.. so why would you browse on the way and pay?
 
It's free, but say I was one of those peeps who are waiting for the Wii's spring price drop to $200 and the deadline for the free browser passed, well yeah if it was like $10 or less i'd probably buy it just to be complete, even though I would likely never use the feature unless I wanted to show friends my website or GAF while taking a break from Wii'ing.
 
Web browsing on video game consoles is a bit silly if you ask me.

I'm totally for the online gaming experience including all kinds of downloadable media, updates, demos, etc.

I've just never been playing a game (even on the 360) and thought to myself "Man I wish I could leave this game and see what the latest news is."

I get up and turn the computer on. I know there are people who think that's neat, but paying for it goes into the realm of the ridiculous.
 
The Wii channel system encoruages web browsing just because its there, as is the news channel, and weather channel.

Not sure if I want to read GAF on Wii or any gaming console, but it's there. Whether I purchase it or not when Nintendo decides to charge a fee remains to be seen, but I suspect the fee may have something to do with future upgrades for the browser. Players may be able to keep their old Opera out of the box but pay a fee to get a newer version.
 
Is there confirmation that their charging for browsing and not just for downloading the browser? I'm pretty sure there just charging for the browser. I mean free online multiplayer but charge for browsing? wtf. Makes no sense. I doubt this.
 
I probably will if it's not too expensive. It'd be kinda nice to just flip on my wii rather than have to boot up my computer to check the internets.
 
if it was cheap yeah....having this box which integrates so many things and makes it extremely accessible via some always-on box with a nifty pointer - ROCKS. but by cheap i mean CHEAP.

I will download it for free anyway.

I can really see the whole package coming together now though, breaking down barriers between internet, tv, wii and the user.
 
CrushDance said:
Is there confirmation that their charging for browsing and not just for downloading the browser? I'm pretty sure there just charging for the browser. I mean free online multiplayer but charge for browsing? wtf. Makes no sense. I doubt this.
Click to expand...

maybe its nintendo's way of saving money. if you dont want it, you dont pay for it. if you do, opera want some money.

its like the dvd situation, browsers ae quite accessible now so to integrate it in evey box when most people might ignore it would be incurring costs you could easily avoid. Could run into millions of dollars.
 
The Opera browser is free until June 2007, hence [/thread]

Anyway, even if I have to pay, I will do it. There are often times that I just want to turn on the computer, browse something quickly for 2 minutes, then turn the computer off. But most of the time I am put off doing that kind of thing because turning on the computer takes too long.

With Wii, the thing will be switched on within a few seconds, and I will be able to browse the web immediately. Just the thought of this makes me happy. :D
 
They'll never charge for it. Why would they start 6 months after launch? It's just a red herring, related to their ongoing negotiations with Opera.

I'll probably use it for any needed faqs, assuming it's a smooth and easy transition from game to browser and back. After seeing how incredibly smooth and fast transitions in the interface seem, it should work out pretty well.
 
**** no. I'm gonna download that bitch before the deadline, and if they dare to try to charge me after the day they start selling it they can go to hell
 
Sounds like Opera rather than Nintendo is charging for the browser.

They are still a browser based company after all, and they're doing very successfully with their browser branching out onto other devices.

I think they've written up a contract with Nintendo to use the Wii as a trojan horse, but ultimately, they still see the Wii as a good source of potential revenue...

Nintendo will find it hard pressed to justify paying $20 a copy for each Wii console (that would make Opera happy), especially when they start cutting out Wii sports out of the bundle and start lowering the price.
 
It's incredibly ****ing lame that they're charging for this. I guess since the ****ing thing doesn't output HD it doesn't matter that much, but goddamn.

This announcement is horseshit.
 
of course i will. i can't wait until i can surf GAF on my tv and tell you guys how much fun i'm enjoying my wii. in 480p even.


/not
 
It's unlikely that there is any technical reason that Nintendo couldn't manage a 1080i (or maybe even 1080p) framebuffer on the Wii. It would make sense for fairly programs like opera that aren't very processor intensive. This will probably be the deal maker or breaker for me.
 
Haha... Something tells me that the day they start charging for it, they're gonna be releasing a huge ass patch that'll make it a better browser filled with tons more of features. They've got 6 months to whammy everyone.
 
Look people! The web browser is free until June 2007, they will only charge you to buy it once after that.

DIrtyWeasel said:
Does that mean if you download it before June, you get to keep it free.. or once June hits, you have to pay for it?
Click to expand...

If you download it for free before hand, you can keep it without paying any extra.
 
It's displays flash, so yes I'd pay.

Plenty of decent free mouse controlled flash games that I'm sure would be fun on a big tv with the wiimote.
 
I wouldn't even make the transaction if someone gave me the cash tbh.

****ing web browsing PAY. jesus. Name one situation where that would ever be worth it.
 
I'd download it before whatever deadline and I'd actually even use it I think (more if there's some kind of keyboard functionality). But if I had to pay? No.

Although if it's the equivalent of like $5, then I'd probably do. I'm a consumer whore after all.
 
Why even bother asking when it's free until June 07.

No I wouldn't though. I'll only download it out of curiosity, there's no need to use that when I've got a PC.
 
Is it confirmed to be free until June 07 worldwide? If so, yeah I'll download it. If not, depends on the price. If it's cheap, I'll go for it and use it occasionally.

Though, if flash video is supported, that'll be good.
 
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