I really hope a future policy/firmware change allows games from all regions. Really, they are only hurting themselves with that. Every Virtual Console sale is almost all profit for Nintendo. Also, games on SD cards should be playable on any console, but only copied to/from the console you bought it with. That way, a person could bring their Virtual Console games to a friend's house (just like they could in the old days) and play it with them.

Everything else sounds pretty good.

I agree with the whole sd card point above, but on the other side.... the Wii is small enough to travel with.
But it would be much much more convienent, practicle and safe to just travel with a small SD card in your pocket.

Whatever happened to the USB storage alternatives?

As horrible as it is that we can't get VC games from other regions, I can't figure out how it would work legally. Games often have different publishers in different regions. So if Marvelous is offering Harvest Moon for SNES in Japan, Natsume isn't getting that money if US players download the Japanese version. It's a mess, and I think that eventually all sectors of the entertainment business are going to have to shed the regional mentality because the Internet has made it easy for customers to know what's out there in other parts of the world.

Does that mean Australia won't be getting Chrono Trigger AGAIN? Even on VC?

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Originally posted by: Bloodworth
As horrible as it is that we can't get VC games from other regions, I can't figure out how it would work legally. Games often have different publishers in different regions. So if Marvelous is offering Harvest Moon for SNES in Japan, Natsume isn't getting that money if US players download the Japanese version.

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Does that mean Australia won't be getting Chrono Trigger AGAIN? Even on VC?

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I am bothered in that your games are linked to your system, with the 360 they are linked to your account so you can download them on multiple systems. It is kind of dissapointing that my Wii system could die on me and I'd lose all my VC games (that seems to be a tedious process to give it to Nintendo).

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Originally posted by: VGrevolution
I am bothered in that your games are linked to your system, with the 360 they are linked to your account so you can download them on multiple systems. It is kind of dissapointing that my Wii system could die on me and I'd lose all my VC games (that seems to be a tedious process to give it to Nintendo).

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It's been stated many times that you can organize your VC games any way you want (Genre, System, etc...)

I guarantee the linked to a console thing will be blown out of proportion. You know how the DS Online games are linked to your DS? Yeah, it's a major pain in the ass to transfer the settings huh? Relaxe. I'm sure Nintendo just found that it was a really easy way of doing security. They won't screw anyone over if either a system breaks or someone just buys a new color or something.

So wait, you can just use the Gamecube controllers on virtual console games? Pft, so much for getting those "Classic Controllers" than... I can sure say my wallet is happy about it, while my setup will be far less clutered with just GCN and Wiimotes around as opposed to all three.

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Originally posted by: Arbok
So wait, you can just use the Gamecube controllers on virtual console games? Pft, so much for getting those "Classic Controllers" than... I can sure say my wallet is happy about it, while my setup will be far less clutered with just GCN and Wiimotes around as opposed to all three.

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DBZ: BT2 and SSBB both use GameCube controllers, that's all I care about.

I really hope hackers quickly find a way around the VC region locking. The 2006 release schedule for NA sucks compared to Japan, and I don't understand why NA is the only region not getting Donkey Kong Country on the VC this year.

Screw the classic controller, it looks like a dual shock which is so damn uncomfortable it's ridiculous. I hope they do a redesign that is like the 360 controller. As far as standard controllers go, the 360 controller is by far the best (which is just a modified Gamecube controller anyway).

Wouldn't there also be an issue with ESRB ratings for out-of-region games?

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Originally posted by: VGrevolution
...but because there could be some games in the future that utilize it for wii.

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Originally posted by: Guitar Smasher
Wouldn't there also be an issue with ESRB ratings for out-of-region games?

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Originally posted by: Arbok I really can't understand why they won't let the "Classic Controllers" play Gamecube games... unless they would prefer us to use the GCN ones.

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Technically companies don't HAVE to submit their games to the ESRB, but I don't think Nintendo would let unrated games on their systems and I don't think most stores would sell unrated games.

Why this is I don't know since stores are willing to sell unrated movies. Then again, these are the same stores that will sell R rated movies to a 10 year old but not a M rated game.

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Originally posted by: Smash_Brother
Because the Wii doesn't know it isn't a GC when it's emulating a GC.

...

When it's running in GC mode, something tells me that it is, for all intents and purposes, a GC, minus the GBA Player and the network adapter.

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Bah...I called these restrictions a month ago. There needs to be some more leeway here, a way to authorize games on multiple consoles ala iTunes really should have been considered. As there's no way to remix closed-source code, there's no reason for the games to have a more liberal license (like CC for example), but damn it, I should be able to play these games on any system I want, just like the old days. Tying it to an online account would have be the perfect solution.

I'm guessing the reason Nintendo is restricting the sharing of VC games is because they want to prevent people from buying the game, then giving it to everyone they know, allowing them to just own the game instead of buying it. And when people don't buy it, Nintendo gets no moolah...

I agree with the restriction of sharing, but not being able to play it on any Wii system? What if I downloaded a cool N64 game, my system dies down and I want to play it on my friend's Wii. I can't do it?

I'm sure someone will find a way around it. or at least Nintendo will probably realize that people don't like this and change it.

Them classic controllers might be good to have around for a decent D-pad and a traditional face button layout for older games.

I think the one console thing makes a lot of sense. Since games can be transfered to a SD card, and if its not made so it is exclusive to the console. A person could just put it up on the net and offer it for free or a charge. So making it exclusive to the console is a pretty good idea.

On a funny note. When I went to E3 and talked to Nintendo about me publishing for the virtual console. (i.e. making games and either doing it myself as a channel, or going through them. This is one of the things I brought up since at GDC I talked to a security expert about this very technology. Which the rep I was talking with seemed very interested in. I doubt this is the reason Nintendo is using since anything NOA plans to do they first have to send it to NCL for a approval. I'm currently getting a profilio together to send to the person at NOA and hopefully it will get sent to NCL.

A reason for making things regoinal is for polling purposes, it makes book work a lot easier on the respective division to say how many games are being bought and where, what type, so the correct games get released for the area.

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Technically companies don't HAVE to submit their games to the ESRB, but I don't think Nintendo would let unrated games on their systems and I don't think most stores would sell unrated games.

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Hooray, I'll never see TurboGrafx games ever, thanks region restrictions!

Although I am pleased that I'll be able to use my Hori GameCube pad to play my SNES games, that works out great.

As was said a few posts ago you still may get the games even if they were not orginally released in your territory. Its up to the orginal owners and/or Nintendo depending on how popular the service is the games may be given new life and ported to the area.

When people talk about a hack for being able to download games from Japan, how exactly would that work. I dont really know too much about all this Tech stuff but I just want to be able to download the older Fire Emblems.

They may find there way here. But it would work simular to what they did with the Xbox they modify the MAC in the system, to one that are found in Japan.

I hope publishers or even developers will spread games to regions they weren't available in before. After all there won't be any licensing issues if noone licensed the distribution rights for that region anyway.

There's still hope at getting Terranigma in the U.S.! ;_;

Ah, right, Terranigma. I hope S-E jumps on board so we'll get that game. Never played any of the SNES action RPGs myself (mostly due to a general lack of funds in the SNES era) so I've got quite a bit of catching up to do (and not only with the SNES, I never had a NES, N64, PC Engine or Mega Drive).

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Originally posted by: Smash_Brother

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Originally posted by: Arbok I really can't understand why they won't let the "Classic Controllers" play Gamecube games... unless they would prefer us to use the GCN ones.

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Because the Wii doesn't know it isn't a GC when it's emulating a GC.

There's basically a GC built into the top of the Wii. Funny how it didn't cost Nintendo that much while Sony needed the PS3 to have a PS2 built in...

They'd need to reprogram the GC hardware to utilize the bluetooth interface that both the classic controller and the Wiimote use.

When it's running in GC mode, something tells me that it is, for all intents and purposes, a GC, minus the GBA Player and the network adapter.

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The Wii and GC are based on pretty much the same fundamental architecture. Code compiled to run on a given architecture is compatible with other systems running the same architecture, but not on systems running different architecture. It is not emulation, it just runs. PS2 and PS3 are based on totally different architectures, code written for one does not work on the other. That is why the GBA had an original GB built into it, the GBA architecture was not compatible with code written for the GB. Same with the DS having a GBA built into it, or the GC GBA player basically being a GBA without the screen. You can think of it in terms of the new intel Macs. Code written for PowerPC-based Macs does not work natively on an intel-based Mac (i.e. without hardware emulation). They code has to be recompiled to work on intel/AMD-based processors because they are based on fundamentally different processor architectures. However, programs that run on, say a Pentium 2 will also run on a Pentium 3, Pentium 4, Pentium M, Core Duo, Core Solo, (ideally) AMD chips, and any other processor based on the same architecture. The processor may not be able to run it well, but it is fundamentally compatible. Similarly, ATI and Nvidia chips are based on the more or less the same architecture, so games written for one (ideally) work with the other.

However, it is not just a matter of the processors, it is a matter of the other hardware as well. GC games are written to interact with GC hardware like the GC controller ports and GC controllers. Without some sort of hardware virtualizer that makes one controller appear to be the another to the games it would not be possible to get it to work. The problem is that the GC games most likely take over the processors and use them for their own purposes. It may be very difficult to get the CPU to run code for a controller emulator like that while they are running code for the GC game at the same time if the GC game has been given complete control over what the CPU does already.

In principle that is true, but all Nintendo would have to do is update the firmware for the GC portion in order to make use of Wii hardware. Nintendo chose not to do this for the GBA on DS (firmware is identical to a real GBA except for a single byte to determine hardware it's running on), and it looks like they decided not to put any time into it for GC on Wii either.

well, i give it two months before its hacked wide open and we download games from torrent sites.

Well, I won't download games from torrent sites, you dirty rat!

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Originally posted by: Bill Aurion
There's still hope at getting Terranigma in the U.S.! ;_;

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I have an order in for two Classic Controllers, and I don't know if I should cancel it or not. I don't have Wavebirds, so maybe I should still buy them. My reasoning there is that I'd rather have wireless controllers instead of my wired GameCube controllers, and since the Classic Controllers plug into the Wiimote that solves that problem right there. If I bought Wavebirds it would cost me more, and I'd have a ton of GC controllers lying around.

Will wavebirds still work with the Wii, I wonder?

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Originally posted by: therat
well, i give it two months before its hacked wide open and we download games from torrent sites.

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For the billionth time, yes the Wii allows Wavebirds...

Sorry, just never seen the question answered before.

Yeah I also think IGN is getting sick of that question. When they were showing off the Dev unit they procured they showed a picture of it with the Wavebird adapter. And the caption read something like see it fits perfectly.

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Originally posted by: Smash_Brother
Whatever happened to the USB storage alternatives?

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NOPE HAW HAW HAW

Yeah, you can't save on USB storage device, not initially at least. It's possible that in the future a firmware upgrade will allow it, but don't your breath. Sorry.

Everyone talking about "cracking" the VC: Why?! All of the ROMs that will ever be available on the VC are currently trivial to find online and download for free. The whole point of the VC is to offer a legal way to play those games. If you want to use a GCN controller for your emulated games, go ahead and buy a GCN-USB adapter (actually, I don't know if they exist, but they probably do).

The VC games will probably just be a ROM along with a signature saying that Nintendo verifies that Wii#NNN is authorized to play this ROM. Whether or not it is encrypted does not matter. The Wii would simply refuse to play ROMs with that signature, and that would be secure. In order to crack it, you would have to modify or remove the signature check, which, if Nintendo is smart, would be handled in ROM, not in the flash. I guess if it is handled by the flash, then it would be possible to modify the VC software to ignore the check and just play any downloaded ROM (put into the Wii VC format).

"Everyone talking about 'cracking' the VC: Why?! All of the ROMs that will ever be available on the VC are currently trivial to find online and download for free. The whole point of the VC is to offer a legal way to play those games. If you want to use a GCN controller for your emulated games, go ahead and buy a GCN-USB adapter (actually, I don't know if they exist, but they probably do)."

Technically you can pirate import games as well but many of us still obtain import games legally. For me at least I want to buy some games that originally were never released in North America. Finding some way to bypass the region limitation but still being able to purchase the game allows me to get the game I want without stealing it. What we really want is something like we have now where we can just import a game and everything is legal. That sadly is probably not possible with the VC.

Odds are the "solution" will be illegally downloaded roms. Any solution to bypass region coding would probably just allow free games period.

If you want to use a GCN controller for your emulated games, go ahead and buy a GCN-USB adapter (actually, I don't know if they exist, but they probably do).

Lik-Sang used to make and sell those (SmartJoy was a part of them) but as we all know Sony nuked them.

The VC will be near impossible to crack without permanently crippling your Wii.

You do realize that Nintendo has some ulterior motives for the WiiConnect24 thing right? It's the perfect piracy prevention. They can check your Wii out whenever they want! perverts!

If I remember the article correctly you can play with gamecube controllers. It just that if there is a Wii controller on it has priority over the Gamecube controller. (Which gives credence that they just use a chip that reconizes Gamecube Games and allows access to the Gamecube functions.

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Originally posted by: AnyoneEB
Everyone talking about "cracking" the VC: Why?! All of the ROMs that will ever be available on the VC are currently trivial to find online and download for free. The whole point of the VC is to offer a legal way to play those games. If you want to use a GCN controller for your emulated games, go ahead and buy a GCN-USB adapter (actually, I don't know if they exist, but they probably do).

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