Topic: Pretty soon, I'm going to call and email Nintendo.

[that Baby guy]

I plan to make a list of several things I want to know about, then call and email them to see how many answers I get.

Wii general questions:
What new utilities are planned for the SD card?
Are games going to allow for easier access to saving directly to the card?
Why haven't I seen the option to listen to my own music in any more games?
What is being planned for the Wii's USB ports?
Does Nintendo plan to release rechargeable controllers?
Will third party games be allowed access to using the Wii's message system?
Can Nintendo send my Wii a weekly list of licensed games being released on Nintendo's platforms for the week?
Are there any Nintendo games that are in development that will allow simultaneous play for over four people on a single console?
Does voice chat seem a possibility for Wii games on the Nintendo WFC?
How come I haven't seen preview channels for other games, including those of third parties?
Are there more "Month of ______" being planned to commemorate franchise releases on the Wii?
Will we ever receive free points/downloads for purchase of a specific title, say the classic SNES Super Mario Kart for the purchase of the Wii version, or perhaps  the NES's Mega Man for the purchase of some future Mega Man title?  These are just examples, BTW.
Will there be different colors of Wii hardware made available?
Will the Wii I currently own eventually have DVD playback capabilities?  CD playback?  If not, is it possible?  Will future Wii's have these playback options?  (I know it's possible, but I'd like to get their response.)
Why haven't we seen any online capable third party titles?

Wii Virtual Console Questions
Can I expect to see any Virtual Console titles drop in cost?
Why can't I play a virtual console title from my SD card?
Will there be a future update that allows me to reduce the amount of channel space VC titles fill, I.E. a SNES channel for all SNES games, a Favorites channel for my custom list, or an Action channel for said specific genre?
How many Consoles does Nintendo hope to support for the VC?
When will we see the Neo Geo titles?
Previously, we've seen titles receive updates on the Virtual console, for reasons such as adding in optimal control, or increasing in-game performance.  What else can we expect through updates?
Is it possible for VC titles to contain online multiplayer?
Will any older titles have online multiplayer options added?  If so, how will the online system work?
Previously, before the Wii's launch, Nintendo had mentioned that they were working on getting the Wii to play DC titles as a part of the VC.  Has anything come of this?  Can we expect to see DC or Saturn titles on the VC one day?  When?
Does Nintendo plan to campaign and advertise the Virtual Console?
How much does Nintendo profit from a virtual console title sale?
Why was TMNT 100 points more expensive than any other NES title?  Can we expect to see this same pricing system for other licensed titles?  Can we expect any other licensed titles on the VC?
What previously foreign games can the USA expect to see on the VC?  Sin and Punishment?
Will Game Boy, Game Boy Color, Game and Watch, and Game Boy Advance titles be added?
Why can't I play my VC titles on my friend's Wii?
Can Playstation titles be on the VC?

DS/GBA Questions
Why has Nintendo decided to withhold the Starfy and Earthbound series from the USA?
What is Nintendo's stance on Starmen.net's unofficial Mother 3 translation?  (Yes, they already know about it.)
If Mother 3 is successfully translated, should I buy a Japanese cartridge, dump the rom on my computer, patch it, and then play it on a DS emulator?
Why have third parties been slower to create online-capable titles for the DS?
Is anything being planned for the use of the GBA expansion slot in the DS?  Any system upgrades, a la ram upgrade on the 64?  Any memory upgrades, a la controller pak/memory cards?  Will I eventually be able to use the slot to create a permanent friend list that I could use in the future online titles?
Does Nintendo plan to sponsor any Wifi competitions?
What DS colors/special editions can I expect?
Will the Wii ever act as a download station for DS titles?
What are the plans for DS-Wii interaction?
Are there any plans for a Four Swords sequel?
Is there a DS successor in planning?  If so, will it have backwards compatibility with DS titles? GBA titles? GB/GBC?
Will the DS ever be able to download a VC title for temporary play?  Could the expansion bay be used for memory for VC downloaded titles, somewhat similar to the program Nintendo used in Japan to sell the final SNES Fire Emblem title?

General
Will Nintendo sponsor any video game orchestral concerts, like Japan's Smashing Live!
What game soundtracks do Nintendo plan to release?
Does Nintendo plan to release sheet music for instrumental/band arrangements of some of their more memorable songs?
Does Nintendo endorse all of the Mario Bros. ringtones I see advertised on television?
Does Nintendo plan to expand their NY Nintendo World store?  Can I expect to see a Nintendo World a little closer to home one day?
How does Nintendo feel about the ESRB?
Why is it Nintendo's policy not to allow Ao rated games on their platforms?
Do they believe the ESRB can censor a game?
Do they believe the ESRB can kill a game?
Do they believe the ESRB is effective?
Does Nintendo agree with the ratings the ESRB assigns games on their platforms?
If Nintendo were allowed to replace the ESRB, what would Nintendo do/change?
Does Nintendo have any plans to make its stock more available to American investors?
Does Nintendo have any other trials planned to test for the Seattle Mariner's home games?

That's it for right now, there's more, but I'm tired of thinking.  Yes, I plan to ask all of these over the phone.  Yes, I am taking suggestions, though be warned that I may not use all suggestions.  Feel free to use the list one your own, too.

[GoldenPhoenix]

Hang up Get

[that Baby guy]

Probably.  Then I'll try to contact them about these as an investor, using my stock as an excuse.

[Ghisy]

DAMN, that is a whole lot of questions in only one post. o_O

[UncleBob]

Message(#6851-000605-1925\6051925)

Hello,

With the highly anticipated updating of Wii firmware, we have been overwhelmed with inquiries and interest in the exciting new features to be added.  You may be interested to know that the answers to many of the questions we've been asked can be found on our Wii-dedicated website (http://wii.nintendo.com), which contains all of our official information and announcements regarding the system.  If the answer you seek isn't found there yet, then chances are it will be sometime before or right after the new firmware is ready to download.  On behalf of Nintendo, I appreciate your interest.

Sincerely,

(not) Nintendo of America Inc.
UncleBob

Nintendo's home page: http://www.nintendo.com/
Power Line (Automated Product Info): (425) 885-7529

-----

Take our Survey! You have been chosen to participate in an e-mail quality survey. This should take less than 5 minutes. Please click here: http://www.nintendo.com/consumersurvey.jsp?ref=theunclebob@hotmail.com

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ORIGINAL MESSAGE:
-----------------

I plan to make a list of several things I want to know about, then call and email them to see how many answers I get.

Wii general questions:
What new utilities are planned for the SD card?
Are games going to allow for easier access to saving directly to the card?
Why haven't I seen the option to listen to my own music in any more games?
What is being planned for the Wii's USB ports?
Does Nintendo plan to release rechargeable controllers?
Will third party games be allowed access to using the Wii's message system?
Can Nintendo send my Wii a weekly list of licensed games being released on Nintendo's platforms for the week?
Are there any Nintendo games that are in development that will allow simultaneous play for over four people on a single console?
Does voice chat seem a possibility for Wii games on the Nintendo WFC?
How come I haven't seen preview channels for other games, including those of third parties?
Are there more "Month of ______" being planned to commemorate franchise releases on the Wii?
Will we ever receive free points/downloads for purchase of a specific title, say the classic SNES Super Mario Kart for the purchase of the Wii version, or perhaps the NES's Mega Man for the purchase of some future Mega Man title? These are just examples, BTW.
Will there be different colors of Wii hardware made available?
Will the Wii I currently own eventually have DVD playback capabilities? CD playback? If not, is it possible? Will future Wii's have these playback options? (I know it's possible, but I'd like to get their response.)
Why haven't we seen any online capable third party titles?

Wii Virtual Console Questions
Can I expect to see any Virtual Console titles drop in cost?
Why can't I play a virtual console title from my SD card?
Will there be a future update that allows me to reduce the amount of channel space VC titles fill, I.E. a SNES channel for all SNES games, a Favorites channel for my custom list, or an Action channel for said specific genre?
How many Consoles does Nintendo hope to support for the VC?
When will we see the Neo Geo titles?
Previously, we've seen titles receive updates on the Virtual console, for reasons such as adding in optimal control, or increasing in-game performance. What else can we expect through updates?
Is it possible for VC titles to contain online multiplayer?
Will any older titles have online multiplayer options added? If so, how will the online system work?
Previously, before the Wii's launch, Nintendo had mentioned that they were working on getting the Wii to play DC titles as a part of the VC. Has anything come of this? Can we expect to see DC or Saturn titles on the VC one day? When?
Does Nintendo plan to campaign and advertise the Virtual Console?
How much does Nintendo profit from a virtual console title sale?
Why was TMNT 100 points more expensive than any other NES title? Can we expect to see this same pricing system for other licensed titles? Can we expect any other licensed titles on the VC?
What previously foreign games can the USA expect to see on the VC? Sin and Punishment?
Will Game Boy, Game Boy Color, Game and Watch, and Game Boy Advance titles be added?
Why can't I play my VC titles on my friend's Wii?
Can Playstation titles be on the VC?

DS/GBA Questions
Why has Nintendo decided to withhold the Starfy and Earthbound series from the USA?
What is Nintendo's stance on Starmen.net's unofficial Mother 3 translation? (Yes, they already know about it.)
If Mother 3 is successfully translated, should I buy a Japanese cartridge, dump the rom on my computer, patch it, and then play it on a DS emulator?
Why have third parties been slower to create online-capable titles for the DS?
Is anything being planned for the use of the GBA expansion slot in the DS? Any system upgrades, a la ram upgrade on the 64? Any memory upgrades, a la controller pak/memory cards? Will I eventually be able to use the slot to create a permanent friend list that I could use in the future online titles?
Does Nintendo plan to sponsor any Wifi competitions?
What DS colors/special editions can I expect?
Will the Wii ever act as a download station for DS titles?
What are the plans for DS-Wii interaction?
Are there any plans for a Four Swords sequel?
Is there a DS successor in planning? If so, will it have backwards compatibility with DS titles? GBA titles? GB/GBC?
Will the DS ever be able to download a VC title for temporary play? Could the expansion bay be used for memory for VC downloaded titles, somewhat similar to the program Nintendo used in Japan to sell the final SNES Fire Emblem title?

General
Will Nintendo sponsor any video game orchestral concerts, like Japan's Smashing Live!
What game soundtracks do Nintendo plan to release?
Does Nintendo plan to release sheet music for instrumental/band arrangements of some of their more memorable songs?
Does Nintendo endorse all of the Mario Bros. ringtones I see advertised on television?
Does Nintendo plan to expand their NY Nintendo World store? Can I expect to see a Nintendo World a little closer to home one day?
How does Nintendo feel about the ESRB?
Why is it Nintendo's policy not to allow Ao rated games on their platforms?
Do they believe the ESRB can censor a game?
Do they believe the ESRB can kill a game?
Do they believe the ESRB is effective?
Does Nintendo agree with the ratings the ESRB assigns games on their platforms?
If Nintendo were allowed to replace the ESRB, what would Nintendo do/change?
Does Nintendo have any plans to make its stock more available to American investors?
Does Nintendo have any other trials planned to test for the Seattle Mariner's home games?

That's it for right now, there's more, but I'm tired of thinking. Yes, I plan to ask all of these over the phone. Yes, I am taking suggestions, though be warned that I may not use all suggestions. Feel free to use the list one your own, too.

[KDR_11k]

"Why the F### are console games 50% more expensive in Europe compared tot he US when PC games don't exhibit a similar price difference?"
"Why does Nintendo take half a year to translate a game when everyone else seems to be capable of simultaneous releases in Europe and the US?"
"Can you name ONE good reason for including region lock in a console?"
"Why do you keep breaking Freeloader compatibility? There's no way that happened accidentally."

[BlackNMild2k1]

region lock is in place because sometimes specific publishers publish certain games in one territory and an different publisher in another.
(ie. R* publishes GTA in the US & EUR, but Capcom does it in Japan)

Now if everyone started importing the R* version in Japan right before Capcom released the Japanese version, then Capcom wouldn't be very happy as they would make enough money to make publishing the game worth it. Then all the non importers miss out on GTA cause it never gor released Japan.

[that Baby guy]

Well, I'll have to just dial up the UncleBob helpline, I suppose, and bug them until I get something somewhat close to what I want!

Err...What would that be, exactly?

[Athrun Zala]

better call, NOA's email service is pretty much useless

[that Baby guy]

Yeah, that's why I'm doing both, and then possibly calling a second time under a different premise.

I figure copying and pasting a list won't hurt, making mailing pretty simple.

[GoldenPhoenix]

You should record the conversation for all of us to hear!

[that Baby guy]

Look's like I can strike one off of my list.

Edit:  Actually, I can't.  I thought I put VC advertising on there, but I suppose I didn't.

[Caliban]

Whoa, that's pretty cool, I wonder where it is that they have those interactive adverts.

[KDR_11k]

Quote
Originally posted by: BlackNMild2k1
region lock is in place because sometimes specific publishers publish certain games in one territory and an different publisher in another.
(ie. R* publishes GTA in the US & EUR, but Capcom does it in Japan)

Now if everyone started importing the R* version in Japan right before Capcom released the Japanese version, then Capcom wouldn't be very happy as they would make enough money to make publishing the game worth it. Then all the non importers miss out on GTA cause it never gor released Japan.

But people could have imported the PC version of GTA yet Capcom still published the console one.