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thnom
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thnom polycounter lvl 18
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/6248780.stm

WiiWare? haha.

Anyhow will anyone be doing this / creating some projects? Looks pretty interesting and is a very different kettle of fish to XNA for the 360. Different toolset, etc.

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  • warby
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    warby polycounter lvl 18
    id love to make a wii game smile.gif
  • ElysiumGX
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    ElysiumGX polycounter lvl 18
    I'm involved in projects for DS Homebrew, Wiiware, and XNA. I'm excited about all of them. It was rumored before the Wii's release that Nintendo would do something like this, and I'm glad. I'm sure there will be many original and fun apps coming from this.

    Poor Sony. Even the industries top developers find the PS3 difficult to design for, while Microsoft and Nintendo release easy tools for hobbyist and small studios.
  • Motz
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    Motz polycounter lvl 12
    [ QUOTE ]
    Poor Sony. Even the industries top developers find the PS3 difficult to design for, while Microsoft and Nintendo release tools for hobbyist and small studios.

    [/ QUOTE ]

    Square/Enix recently stated they love the ps3 for it's ability to push thier imaginations. Frankly I blame lack of motivation to adopt the tech is lack of effort and training for multi core apps. People are the end programmers, people tend to be lazy.

    The wii is just an OC gamecube with a wand. Of course the dev kit is simple, people have been using it for years.
  • Toomas
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    Toomas polycounter lvl 18
    Im sure Square gets the same support as other studios...
    And all their major titles for past 10 years havnt been on Sony platform either..
  • ElysiumGX
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    ElysiumGX polycounter lvl 18
    [ QUOTE ]
    Square/Enix recently stated they love the ps3 for it's ability to push thier imaginations. Frankly I blame lack of motivation to adopt the tech is lack of effort and training for multi core apps. People are the end programmers, people tend to be lazy.

    [/ QUOTE ]

    You are absolutely right. Damn our laziness and lack of multi-million dollar funding!
    http://www.ps3center.net/story-581.html
    http://wiibreak.com/news.php?id=1221

    My original point is we'll rarely to never see small studios and hobbyist developing for the PS3, and that's going to affect their poor sales even more. Let's get back on topic.

    Wii!!!
  • doc rob
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    doc rob polycounter lvl 19
    So, all I have to do is buy a devkit (how much are those?), set up an office (cause they won't let you have a devkit in a personal residence), pay for ESRB rating (how much is that?), and make it through Nintendo QA, and then they'll consider putting my title on the back shelf of their online marketplace? Wow so easy!!

    So, it's clearly not homebrew. It seems oriented towards established developers, but I'm not sure the Wii marketplace has proven itself as far as original titles. All I've heard about is people buying classic Nintendo games. If I was an established developer, I'd want to be on store shelves, and I'm not sure this would help with that.

    I think I'll stick with XNA.
  • Motz
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    Motz polycounter lvl 12
    [ QUOTE ]
    Im sure Square gets the same support as other studios...
    And all their major titles for past 10 years havnt been on Sony platform either..

    [/ QUOTE ]

    Im not even going to coment on that.. how can you possibly say the ps2 was not square enix majority console?

    The ps3 runs linux. You can develop anything you want, without the limitation of sonys devkits currently. How does that not cater to small homebrew apps? Yes I understand you can't just pop in the game an d take full advantage of it, but to say 'poor sony' without stating it's just a matter of programming level comfort is ridiculous.

    The unarguable reason ps3 sales are low is simply the cost of development for a more complex/advanced platform, and the need for a single title to fit lowest common denominator function/features if a multi-console release for a title is wanted.

    On topic. Good for Wii, I still wont use it for lack of normal controller support. How do I tell my friends with limited physical mobility that they can't play some of their favorite games? Though I do see lots fo 2D platformers and shooters incomming, and I like that.

    GX: It hardly takes multi million dollar funding to create th assets for a game. It's the people with the skills demanding the money. Check out some asian MMO's writen by incredibly small groups. I highly doubt thats multi million dollar funding. It also does'nt take millions of dollars to learn how to program for a console.

    http://www.joystiq.com/2007/06/27/wii-hard-drive-just-isnt-happening/

    See thats where I kinad smell difficulty.
  • ElysiumGX
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    ElysiumGX polycounter lvl 18
    So Motz, how is the PS3 appealing to small studios and hobbyist?

    Btw:
    [ QUOTE ]
    On topic. Good for Wii, I still wont use it for lack of normal controller support. How do I tell my friends with limited physical mobility that they can't play some of their favorite games?

    [/ QUOTE ]

    http://www.amazon.com/Nintendo-Wii-Classic-Controller/dp/B000IN0BSU
    and also the Gamecube controllers, and some versions are wireless.

    Start by telling those friends your opinions are not based on facts or research.
  • Richard Kain
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    Richard Kain polycounter lvl 18
    [ QUOTE ]
    So, all I have to do is buy a devkit (how much are those?), set up an office (cause they won't let you have a devkit in a personal residence), pay for ESRB rating (how much is that?), and make it through Nintendo QA, and then they'll consider putting my title on the back shelf of their online marketplace? Wow so easy!!

    So, it's clearly not homebrew. It seems oriented towards established developers, but I'm not sure the Wii marketplace has proven itself as far as original titles. All I've heard about is people buying classic Nintendo games. If I was an established developer, I'd want to be on store shelves, and I'm not sure this would help with that.

    I think I'll stick with XNA.

    [/ QUOTE ]

    Wii DevKits cost about $2,000. About as much as a mid to high-level PC. And I really don't think you have to set up an office. That would seem counterproductive. Many people these days have home offices. I'm not sure how much an ESRB rating costs. I imagine it isn't necessarily cheap, since they have to pay someone to sit there and go over all the provided material. (as well as filing fees and all that silliness) Also, I would imagine that the ESRB expense would be less for smaller games. (since it wouldn't take as long)

    As to Nintendo QA, you don't have to pay for that. And Nintendo has stated that they are only concerned with making sure the game is bug-free. Apparently they will be letting the ESRB judge the actual content. Microsoft's policy for acceptance of XNA titles is far more Draconian. (one of the only indie titles they've accepted was produced by some of their own interns) As to not hearing about original titles before...of course you haven't! There haven't been any up to this point. That was the entire point of this announcement!
  • ElysiumGX
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    ElysiumGX polycounter lvl 18
    Wii DevKits are dirt cheap for developers. And renting office space isn't expensive. Nintendo is obviously promoting a market place for small studios and hobbyist, in much the same way Microsoft is. Each have programs that benefit these efforts.
  • doc rob
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    doc rob polycounter lvl 19
    My points are:

    1) It's not homebrew.

    You DO need to have an office and be an established developer to be granted the privilege of buying a devkit from Nintendo

    2) It's a big leap of faith. #1 means you have to make a significant investment, and it's not proven that Wii owners will even pay attention even if you do jump through all the hoops.

    If you develop with XNA (for at most $100) and MS decides to not put it on XBLA - big deal, you can still release on PC.

    Don't get me wrong, WiiWare is a good thing, it's just not as cool as it sounds at first. It's only really an option for established developers who couldn't sell their concept to Nintendo or a big publisher previously, and now are willing to make a leap of faith of their own.
  • ElysiumGX
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    ElysiumGX polycounter lvl 18
    1. Prototyping and Demo'ing the game can start as a Homebrew project for the DS.

    2. It's not as much of an investment, now that studios and publishers have taken note of the changing market and ability to drive production costs down.

    Releasing a small XNA game to the PC doesn't grab as wide an audience. Even more so if MS turns it down.

    I'm optimistic. "Nintendo isn't only seeking WiiWare from established publishers and developers like Ubisoft and Sega. At a Nintendo developer's conference earlier this week, the company informed attendees that it was seeking from indie developers as well. Shorter, original, more creative games from small teams with big ideas"

    Sure some ideas will not get far. The industry is full of bad ideas, even from the established efforts. But this is an opportunity for those with good ideas to succeed.
  • doc rob
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    doc rob polycounter lvl 19
    You can port DS games for the Wii with a recompile? Nice, I didn't know that.

    [ QUOTE ]
    Releasing a small XNA game to the PC doesn't grab as wide an audience. Even more so if MS turns it down.

    [/ QUOTE ]

    I strongly disagree. The PC Casual Games market is by far the largest and most well established. It's a bit fragmented, but there are proven sucesses for every type of game imaginable. Plus, PC is an open platform, you can release ANYTHING on PC. Good luck getting that Wiimote rape simulator past Nintendo.

    [ QUOTE ]
    I'm optimistic. "Nintendo isn't only seeking WiiWare from established publishers and developers like Ubisoft and Sega. At a Nintendo developer's conference earlier this week, the company informed attendees that it was seeking from indie developers as well. Shorter, original, more creative games from small teams with big ideas"

    [/ QUOTE ]

    Nice marketing quote there. Sounds a bit like MS's "YouTube for Games" which is equally bullshit.

    Again, WiiWare is a good thing, but you have to put it in a realistic perspective with respect to development costs and market opportunity.
  • ElysiumGX
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    ElysiumGX polycounter lvl 18
    [ QUOTE ]
    Good luck getting that Wiimote rape simulator past Nintendo.

    [/ QUOTE ]

    Good luck getting ANY rape simulator past the FBI. laugh.gif

    [ QUOTE ]
    You can port DS games for the Wii with a recompile? Nice, I didn't know that.

    [/ QUOTE ]

    Because it's not true. Who gave you that idea?
  • Mister Sentient
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    Mister Sentient polycounter lvl 18
    [ QUOTE ]

    I strongly disagree. The PC Casual Games market is by far the largest and most well established. It's a bit fragmented, but there are proven sucesses for every type of game imaginable.

    [/ QUOTE ]

    Yes but that market is ruled by a select few (popcap games etc)and is saturated with miriad clones of games like bejewelled. It is a lot harder to break into this market without significant marketing since people are presented with so many games to choose from leaving yours with less of the pie unless you get lucky.
  • sonic
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    sonic polycounter lvl 18
    [ QUOTE ]
    1. Prototyping and Demo'ing the game can start as a Homebrew project for the DS.

    [/ QUOTE ]

    So you'd prototype a game for a console that is played on TVs with a wireless bluetooth motion detecting/IR controller... on a handheld console with 2 super tiny LCD touchscreens?

    The point doc_rob is trying to make is that this isn't intended, or at least isn't good for, people interested in homebrew or personal projects. It will possibly make things cheaper and/or easier for small studios. Microsoft's XNA is aimed at homebrew, personal projects, and small studios, but I hate that you have to be a member of the XNA program to play the games.
  • ElysiumGX
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    ElysiumGX polycounter lvl 18
    Yes. I'm of course referring to the simple yet creative point and click games Nintendo is aiming for. The DS stylus and wiimote are similar. A good programmer could start a DS homebrew project now as a prototype for testing mechanics, using one or both screens, and later port it to the Wii. Turn the DS sideways and think of it as a split screen. That can be converted to take up one TV screen.

    You guys make this all sound like an awful unappealing task. XNA has many limitations as well (like membership and basic PC functionality), but it's just as much an option. As I stated, I'm working with an XNA project, as well as a DS Homebrew project that the programmers are interested in porting to the Wii, or perhaps a published DS title. As a hobbyist, I never thought this would be wiimotely possible (get it :P).
  • Motz
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    Motz polycounter lvl 12
    [ QUOTE ]
    So Motz, how is the PS3 appealing to small studios and hobbyist?

    Btw:
    [ QUOTE ]
    On topic. Good for Wii, I still wont use it for lack of normal controller support. How do I tell my friends with limited physical mobility that they can't play some of their favorite games?

    [/ QUOTE ]

    http://www.amazon.com/Nintendo-Wii-Classic-Controller/dp/B000IN0BSU
    and also the Gamecube controllers, and some versions are wireless.

    Start by telling those friends your opinions are not based on facts or research.

    [/ QUOTE ]


    That controller is for use with the virtual console. Most of the normal games don't support it. So read your own link before you start spouting nonsense about not researching it. And you are more than welcome to tell him that he cant play wii sports or metroid or smashbros because his MD prevents him from the motions for very long asshole.

    "According to Satoru Iwata, it would be meant for playing "the existing games, Virtual Console games, and multi-platform games" from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wii_Remote

    I understand the Wii may appeal to certain smaller devs GX, but frankly the PS3 is more appealing to me as a dev. Hard Drive, not having ot use live, no friends code crap, more powerful, bluray, HD over Wii's 480p, linux etc. But Ill stick to the unbeatable PC

    Im done.
  • ElysiumGX
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    ElysiumGX polycounter lvl 18
    You criticized the Wii for not having normal controller support, not the games. Those games are specifically design to show off the remote capabilities.

    [ QUOTE ]
    And you are more than welcome to tell him that he cant play wii sports or metroid or smashbros because his MD prevents him from the motions for very long asshole.

    [/ QUOTE ]

    That sounds like his doctor's responsibility. How is your friend at playing Guitar Hero? Perhaps we should not create video games at all, instead switching to word association games, so that we make life easier for those suffering from Photosensitive Epilepsy. I sure your friend doesn't need to be told he has limited mobility requiring a lifestyle change.

    Your quote does not refer to the classic controller, but to a previously announced shell for the remote (still requiring motion). The classic controller itself can be used to play Super Smash Bros. Brawl (explained in your link).

    Thanks for the name calling, kid.
  • Motz
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    Motz polycounter lvl 12
    Again it's not reffering to the shell. Do you even read anything at all before posting? The shell is mentioned in the later section of that article as a previous announcement.

    "Nintendo had previously announced a controller "shell" which resembled a traditional game controller, often referred to as a "classic-style expansion controller."

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wii_Remote#Classic_Controller

    http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/custome...index=3#gallery

    It's reffering to the modern, buy in the store today, classic controller. I now see the smash bros mention though, and thats a good start.

    And you are rather heartless. There are few things that make the kid happy, and I'm sure he's not the only one who can't play his fav franchise because of the ridiculous decisions to make this gimmik remote wand. He cant play guitar hero for more than 10 mins.

    Just to argue the other side. The wii remote is good for certain types of physical therapy, but it woudl be nice to be able to use both. The entire point is that im not using a dev kit focused on this controller.

    I'm 37, and will defend your comments about not researching it as well as I can. You are an asshole, I've had these arguments with you before.
  • ElysiumGX
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    ElysiumGX polycounter lvl 18
    [ QUOTE ]
    Nintendo had previously announced a controller "shell" which resembled a traditional game controller, often referred to as a "classic-style expansion controller."[45] As described at the time, the Wii Remote would fit inside the shell, allowing gamers to play games using a traditional-style gamepad, while allowing use of the remote’s motion sensing capability. It would allow controls similar to a PlayStation 3 controller. According to Satoru Iwata, it would be meant for playing "the existing games, Virtual Console games, and multi-platform games."

    [/ QUOTE ]

    There, all in the same paragraph.

    In the end, I believe it's up to the developers how to utilize the controllers. Attempting to get back on topic, here we see Nintendo giving small dev teams the opportunity to use the new controller in creative ways.

    I have a cousin with MD. I assume his inability to play the new Metroid is the least of his worries.

    I'm sorry you are angry at Nintendo because your friend can't move his arms. But look at it this way, some people are blind. I'm sorry to sound like a "heartless asshole", but you're getting emo in a thread about Wii games. If you don't want to use the Wii dev kit due to personal issues, no one cares. So stop posting inaccurate and misleading info.
  • [MILES]
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    [MILES] polycounter lvl 17
    You are probably looking at somewhere around $2,000 for an ESRB rating, in addition to the cost of the devkit. So that's what...about $4,000 before additional costs?
  • HonkyPunch
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    HonkyPunch polycounter lvl 18
  • Parnell
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    Parnell polycounter lvl 18
    $4k to make a game that could very well be released onto a console that is selling like crazy. Not a bad deal:)
    XNA is pimp too.
    If you are REALLY wanting to make a cheap Wii game...make a Flash game and then use your Wii Browser to play it.
    Wiicade.com is a perfect example. Test it on the web then if you are really serious try to get it on WiiWare. You won't get 100% functionality of the wiimote but it's a great starting point if you are broke.
    B
  • Parnell
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    Parnell polycounter lvl 18
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