Topic: Wii need a back-up solution

[UncleBob]

Yeah, the title isn't clever - but it's true.

I know I'm just one of a select few people to go through the pain of losing everything in my Wii's memory, but let me tell you - it sucks.

Even if I had backed up everything I could, I'd still me missing several Miis (only 10 per remote, and I only own three remotes), all of my memos/notes, several of my photos (which can't be moved off the system, like PokĂ©mon Snap and Check Mii Out) my Check Mii Out, Everybody Votes and Play History stats, my contact lists and several save files, including Brawl, Mario Kart and Animal Crossing (which, of course, includes items that were distributed for a limited time only and I'll never be able to get again - ever).  That's a lot of stuff to be missing.

So, here's my proposal - a Back-Up Channel.  A free download from the Wii Shop.  It'd be a small program that would take virtually all the save data in your Wii's memory (minus downloaded games, since those can be downloaded again), compresses it to a small file and copies it to your SD card.  This file would be locked to your console (or your replacement console, if necessary), so it would prevent the abuse and misuse that Nintendo is afraid of for games like Brawl and Animal Crossing.

The program could either "Back up now" or have a calendar that would let you set the system to back up on a regular basis (Say, every Monday at 11 PM).

You could set the program to save the last X amount of back-ups.  This way, if someone deletes or screws up, say, your Mario Kart save file and you don't notice it for a month, you could still have a back-up if you set it to save your last five weeks of back-ups.

Even if you would never *need* this program, it'd be nice to have the piece of mind - don't you agree?

PS: Do me a favor and Digg This.  Thanks!

[NinGurl69 *huggles]

Oi.

[Ian Sane]

I would like it console file storage wasn't so dumbed down.  Now probably some of the reason why things are the way they are is to avoid hacks.  They don't want people getting VC games for free for example.  But on a PC this stuff is just so easy.  Find file, copy it to a backup, DONE.  Easy, convenient and reliable.

But with console games you never know what you'll get.  With the Gamecube I ended up buying a new memory card every time Nintendo introduced a larger model.  I typically ran out of space as they increased storage space (I wonder if they tried to design it that way).  In the end with the biggest card I managed to get every Cube game I had on it... except F-Zero GX.  I had to keep this old smaller card around because for SOME reason they coded it so you couldn't move the save.  Bullshit.  That's just being a cockfaced asshole for no reason.

We don't need a back-up channel.  That's just more stupid restrictive console crap.  I want to be able to just copy anything saved on my Wii to an SD card.  All Miis, game saves, DLC, everything and I can pick a choose what I back up and what I don't.

[broodwars]

I'm personally curious why we can't just link our Wiis to a networked computer and transmit our console-locked backup data to them for safe storage, considering the Wii has built-in WiFi.  When I still lived with my folks, they did this all the time with their PCs (my father works for a backup software company).  Yeah, it's complicated; could take a long time to perform depending on your internet connection; and could be abused, but so long as it's console-locked I don't see the problem.  Of course, even my PS3 can't do this for whatever reason (but at least on that system I can backup to an external HDD).

The Wii really does need a competent backup solution, though.  There's no reason that what happened to you should ever happen to anyone with the Wii.

[UncleBob]

But they're not going to let you do that, Ian.

I want to get rid of Friend Codes - but that's not gong to happen either.
Pick and choose your battles.

Not only does this solve the problem of losing what you've got, but it does it in a way that's so easy a caveman can do it - which fits into Nintendo's grand scheme of making everything easy.  Some Wii gamers can't even figure out how to copy files to an e-mail as an attachment.

[NinGurl69 *huggles]

"Bullshit.  That's just being a cockfaced asshole for no reason."

I'd like to Digg this excerpt.

[NWR_Lindy]

Wow UncleBob, that's really lame.

I'd be incredibly surprised if Nintendo fixed this since their ROI would be nil, but they did offer the SD Card Channel.

[UncleBob]

I do agree that there is nothing directly in this for Nintendo.  The only advantage for them would be consumer confidence and, perhaps, saving some manhours in the repair/replacement process.

[Mop it up]

Sounds like a good idea to me, I really hate how those files can't be copied.

Animal Crossing (which, of course, includes items that were distributed for a limited time only and I'll never be able to get again - ever).  That's a lot of stuff to be missing.

You just need to find some people who have them...

[BwrJim!]

No reason to bound the files (they are yours, the pics, notes and whatnot) to the wii.   I've had a ton of popular mii's back in the day, until smash came out and I had to send in my wii console.   My mii's were good enough to be showcased on ign and for people to request more.   

shame really..  I was only able to save a few and thats it.  8(

[Flames_of_chaos]

I recently ran into this with my PS3 dying and I will  have to send it to Sony. I never anticipated the power supply to die so I couldn't run the backup utility. In Sony's repair FAQs it states that:

"The data on your system will not be saved by our service facility. We highly recommend deleting all personal information, including any PlayStation®Network account details prior to sending your system in for service."

No reason to bound the files (they are yours, the pics, notes and whatnot) to the wii.   I've had a ton of popular mii's back in the day, until smash came out and I had to send in my wii console.   My mii's were good enough to be showcased on ign and for people to request more.   

shame really..  I was only able to save a few and thats it.  8(

The truth is that every system have some kind of protected save data which can't be moved or copied. It's a pain yes, but it that's a tool that the console manufactures gave.

[kraken613]

What the Wii needs is a freaking HDD to save all your data too and to not lock down online game saves. Very good idea though, the PS3 has a similar utility, and when my 360 died 6 times I just took my HDD off and sent in the console and when they came back I plugged it in and everything was there.

[NinGurl69 *huggles]

"and when my 360 died 6 times"

There are other issue more important than save data. k

[kraken613]

Been about two years since I have had a RRoD.  I had it die right before Halo 3 then again right before Mass Effect. That was the last time it died.

[Flames_of_chaos]

What the Wii needs is a freaking HDD to save all your data too and to not lock down online game saves. Very good idea though, the PS3 has a similar utility, and when my 360 died 6 times I just took my HDD off and sent in the console and when they came back I plugged it in and everything was there.

PS3 backup utility doesn't backup protected save data, which is like protected save data on Wii.

[kraken613]

Didn't know that, never used the utility.

And this is why Microsoft reigns supreme. Because when I take my 360 HDD to a fiends house I just pop the HDD in and there is my game saves and profile. You can't use the XBLA titles but you can easily move your license to another console so you can.

[broodwars]

What the Wii needs is a freaking HDD to save all your data too and to not lock down online game saves. Very good idea though, the PS3 has a similar utility, and when my 360 died 6 times I just took my HDD off and sent in the console and when they came back I plugged it in and everything was there.

PS3 backup utility doesn't backup protected save data, which is like protected save data on Wii.

No, it doesn't but so far I think only a handful of games use protected save data (like Ninja Gaiden Sigma and Street Fighter IV).  I'm getting my PS3 back tommorow, so I guess I'll see if any of my games used protected save data.  Honestly, how hard would it have been for Nintendo to put a USB input on the Wii for external backup use?  It's not like a backup utility is particularly complicated: when I sent my PS3 in for repairs, all it took was to run the backup utility; select the external HDD; and then off it goes.  There's no reason the Wii couldn't have something similar.

[UncleBob]

All this talk about external hard drives and such... it's all nice - but we need to remember, Nintendo does things the Nintendo way.  If they wanted a hard drive, we likely would have had one by now.  We have an SD card slot.  There's really no need for an external hard drive for backing up your save data when a $10 memory card would work perfectly.

[broodwars]

All this talk about external hard drives and such... it's all nice - but we need to remember, Nintendo does things the Nintendo way.  If they wanted a hard drive, we likely would have had one by now.  We have an SD card slot.  There's really no need for an external hard drive for backing up your save data when a $10 memory card would work perfectly.

Like you said, Nintendo does things the Nintendo way.  That includes forcing you to replay all your old games to get your save data back, which distracts you from noticing the distinct lack of worthwhile software on their console.  It's like that old NBC catch-phrase: "if you don't have a save file, it's new to you!"

(yes, I was just kidding...mostly...kind of...a little bit.    )

Seriously, I can't wait for someone to ask Nintendo about a backup utility so they have an excuse to say "We don't see the need to develop an SD card backup channel, because we're working on something better!"  Or some such nonsense, anyway.  Like everyone else has said: probably the vast majority of the casual Wii owners play maybe a handful of games on the system, and I don't see they or Nintendo really caring about lost data...especially when it costs Nintendo money to produce and they get nothing out of it.  Maybe with the Wii HD and its massive 1 GB HDD we might see a solution, but I doubt we'll ever see such a thing on the Wii.

[NinGurl69 *huggles]

And no one's gonna ask about backup solutions cuz the press will only ask about these couple things first:

0) (VC/WiiWare storage)

1)  Wii HD?

2)  Wii price cut?

They press have to satisfy their own fancies before thinking about general customer issues (as in really general audience).