The new firmware, version 3.1, lets Wii owners purchase Virtual Console games for friends in a Wii owner's Wii Address Book. The "Gift" option appears next to the "Download" button on a VC game purchase page. The price of a gifted VC game is the same as one you would buy for yourself.
If you choose to gift a game, you will be asked to select a friend from your Address Book to receive it. If you select a friend that already owns the game, you will not be able to send them the game again. A message appears stating that a friend could not recieve the game because they already have it, or possibly because they are in a different region than you.
Also new for this update, Nintendo has included an option in the Wii Shop Channel Settings area (speaking of which, the Shop Channel has a new icon) that will allow people to turn off the ability to receive gifts, if they so choose. If someone attempts to give a gift to someone that has this option turned on, they will receive the same generic message as if they were giving a game to someone that already owned it.
Nintendo is also taking the update opportunity to remind everyone about the Photo Channel update that adds AAC music support, among other things, at the expense of removing MP3 support. The Photo Channel 1.1 update is optional, but can be downloaded from the Wii Ware section of the Wii Shop Channel should you choose to get the new version.
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Originally posted by: jpc168
the photo channel update is odd... why couldnt they allow for both mp3s and aacs to be played?
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Originally posted by: TheYoungerPlumber
Nintendo has your money already. You aren't charged unless your gift is actually delivered to your friend.
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Originally posted by: KDR_11k
Who even uses AAC? Give us MP3 and OGG please so we can actually play the music we have.
Also boo for "Your friend is in a different region".
Quoteactually, curiously enough, this update doesn't increment the version number... (3.1 was the October update)
Originally posted by: NewsBot
The new firmware, version 3.1 (...)
QuoteNintendo's already paid for our MP3 licensing, but I assume the new Wiis will come with the new firmware, therefore without MP3 support.
I don't get it. If deleting the 1.1 update restores the MP3 functionality, then that functionality was never really removed in the first place. It was merely disabled. What's the point of that? Even if the licensing is cheaper, I doubt Nintendo can get refunds if we all download the new version.
