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Who's Messing With the Google Book Settlement? Hint: They're in Redmond, Washington

Why would Nintendo of America mess with the Google Book Settlement?

Oh wait, you meant the other well-known company from Redmond.

http://www.nintendo.com/consumer/jacket/jacketrequest.jsp

Nintendo is now including the Wii Remote Jacket for the Wii Remotes in all new hardware being shipped. For Wii owners who purchased their systems prior to this addition, we are offering to send free Wii Remote Jackets for their existing Wii Remotes.

* If your Wii did not come with a Wii Remote Jacket, you may be eligible to receive free Wii Remote Jackets for your existing Wii Remotes. Please complete the form below.

When you bought your Wii, you were actually buying a license to use Nintendo's hardware. You agreed to this license when you first powered the device on.

From the EULA

Chapter II: Unauthorized Software, Services, or Devices or Unlicensed Accessories

            Your Wii Console and the Wii Network Service are not designed for use with unauthorized software, services, or devices or non-licensed accessories, and you may not use any of these with your Wii Console or the Wii Network Service. Such use may be illegal, voids any warranty, and is a breach of this agreement. Such use may also lead to injury to you or others or cause performance issues or damage to your Wii Console or the Wii Network Service. We (and our licensees and distributors) are not responsible for damage or loss caused by unauthorized software, services or devices or non-licensed accessories. We may take steps to disable or delete any unauthorized software, services or device installed in your Wii Console, for example, by detecting and disabling them through the Wii Network Service and/or game software. If we detect unauthorized software, services, or devices, your access to the Wii Network Service may be disabled and/or the Wii Console or games may be unplayable.

Chapter III: Updates/Changes

            You understand that the Wii Console specifications and the Wii Network Service are constantly evolving and that we may update or change your Wii Console or the Wii Network Service in whole or in part, without notice to you. Such updates may be required for you to play new Wii games or continue to access the Wii Network Service. We may also upgrade, change, or terminate the Content or game software or may discontinue offering Products without notice to you.

Using one of the 3rd party cards you can store data on a MicroSD/MicroSDHC and play it back. However this is a device that's normally used for "other" things than playing music... and may/may not be legal where you are. wink,wink nudge,nudge

Nintendo officially supports playing music from an SD card.

A DS even lets you play local MP3 files.

You just blew my mind. I've had a Nintendo DS for several years without this ability ... in fact, I don't even thing there's a way to store data of that size on my DS. What on earth are you talking about?

It's been around since 2006 man... ANCIENT HISTORY.

They need to focus on making the current console more attractive.

They've just recently announced that the base package will come with Wii Sports and Wii Sports Resort, with the included Wiimote now coming equipped with the Wii Motion Plus by default. Linky.

A simple external storage device for downloadable games would be the next real logical step for them.

The old Wii (got mine 3~4 years ago) already comes with a slot for an SD card, and these come in GB sizes these days. Sticking a 2GB card in my Wii's slot gives me a huge amount of room to store downloaded games from the online Wii store.

With an external harddrive/network adapter combination device (wired network should have been standard to start), they could then run a HUGE marketing campaign to get people to start buying the games online instead of in the stores.

Ah. I see you're talking about selling disc-based games online instead, not just the current WiiWare and Virtual Console online offerings. That might fly in Europe, but I wonder if US infrastructure is really up for that? I suppose it would work okay if the games could be bought both online and in disc form. Part of Nintendo's reticence to offer full disc games online might also have to do with control -- I haven't tried popping a Wii disc into a PC, but if the discs use a proprietary data format (non-ISO), or even just if the games require the presence of the disc, it would offer one extra layer of protection against cracks. Disc presence is a bugaboo for PC games, but for a console, it's just expected. I'm not sure if Nintendo (or Sony or MS, for that matter) would be all too willing to give that up.

(wired network should have been standard to start)

From the Wikipedia article:

The Wii console is able to connect to the Internet through its built-in 802.11b/g Wi-Fi or through a USB-to-Ethernet adapter, with both methods allowing players to access the established Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection service.

Admittedly, requiring a USB-Ethernet adapter for wired connectivity is a bit of a barrier, but the option does exist.

And, FWIW, I know of a number of people who have not yet gotten a Wii, who are thinking of doing so now that the Netflix partnership is up and running. And I've found that Netflix via our Wii seems to work better than via our MacBook laptop -- I don't know what they changed in the streaming algorithms, but we seldom see buffering problems on the Wii vs. pretty common on the laptop, and the resolution looks better on the Wii as well, less pixelated. YMMV, and all that.

So, a Wii 2 would do nothing more than introduce new hardware which they would have to try and get into everyone's homes where there is still so much more to be done with the Wii before it's "old and crappy".

I agree, wholeheartedly. Part of what made the Wii work so well competition-wise is that it brought something truly novel to the table. I have trouble imagining what the next big novel development would be, but that's the thing about real novelty -- it's new. :) Maybe 3D? That would depend on TV technology, so probably not. Maybe some funky new control scheme? That might open up a whole can of lawsuit worms, but who knows? It's fun thinking about, and anticipating, and it's fun playing the current Wii to, so there you go.

Cheers,

Opera is the web browser for the Wii, so I'm sure they're delighted to be the only browser allowed. On the other hand, the Wii browser hasn't had a meaningful update since 2007, only supports Flash 8, no support for audio/video other than flash (e.g. no mp3), can't view PDF... well that's what the official FAQ says anyway. I stopped using it when I figured out that even Nintendo's own web sites don't work 100% correctly in it.

Gentlemen, I give exhibit A, Mega Man 9, WiiWare, a game which I truly think counts as masocore.

Trust me, the Wily Wars never ended.

After they introduced the "run from SD Card" kludge, it actually has less memory to work with. Ever completely filled your Wii's internal flash and then tried to run something from SD? You get problems like this. Essentially, in order to manage the "run from SD" area they make you keep your Wii's internal memory open.

Worse, this copy situation copies-then-deletes every time you use the "run from SD" function. Since it can't actually run the program from SD and copies it to internal flash instead, your internal flash gets worn on at an accelerated rate. If you download 5 games on your internal and played each once a day, you wrote to your flash precisely once for each game you downloaded. If you download them to SD instead and then "run" at the same rate, you're burning your flash 5+ times per day. We're going to see Wii's with bad internal flash start to pop up in a couple years because Nintendo couldn't make a sane architecture that was actually able to access its own external storage properly.

Seriously, with the lack of promotion, I didn't know DS Download Stations were still around. And even if so, Wii doesn't have anything similar other than perhaps that Metroid Prime 3 streaming video app.

http://www.nintendo.com/consumer/systems/wii/en_na/privacyEULA.jsp

The agreement only restricts what devices/software you can use with the Wii console, not the controller.

Your point is well made, but the UltraHLE threats occurred before the court decision that an emulator is legal. Nowadays, Nintendo's legal department is very careful to sidestep the issue of whether or not the emulator program or a data backup made from a physical medium (as opposed to another copy of the same game downloaded over the Internet) is itself legal, instead focusing on the fact that downloading ROM images of games over the Internet is illegal.

http://www.nintendo.com/corp/legal.jsp#roms

How Does Nintendo Feel About the Emergence of Video Game Emulators?

The introduction of emulators created to play illegally copied Nintendo software represents the greatest threat to date to the intellectual property rights of video game developers. As is the case with any business or industry, when its products become available for free, the revenue stream supporting that industry is threatened. Such emulators have the potential to significantly damage a worldwide entertainment software industry which generates over $15 billion annually, and tens of thousands of jobs.

What Does Nintendo Think of the Argument that Emulators are Actually Good for Nintendo Because it Promotes the Nintendo Brand to PC Users and Leads to More Sales?

Distribution of an emulator developed to play illegally copied Nintendo software hurts Nintendo's goodwill, the millions of dollars invested in research & development and marketing by Nintendo and its licensees. Substantial damages are caused to Nintendo and its licensees. It is irrelevant whether or not someone profits from the distribution of an emulator. The emulator promotes the play of illegal ROMs , NOT authentic games. Thus, not only does it not lead to more sales, it has the opposite effect and purpose.

How Come Nintendo Does Not Take Steps Towards Legitimizing Nintendo Emulators?

Emulators developed to play illegally copied Nintendo software promote piracy. That's like asking why doesn't Nintendo legitimize piracy. It doesn't make any business sense. It's that simple and not open to debate.

People Making Nintendo Emulators and Nintendo ROMs are Helping Publishers by Making Old Games Available that are No Longer Being Sold by the Copyright Owner. This Does Not Hurt Anyone and Allows Gamers to Play Old Favorites. What's the Problem?

The problem is that it's illegal. Copyrights and trademarks of games are corporate assets. If these vintage titles are available far and wide, it undermines the value of this intellectual property and adversely affects the right owner. In addition, the assumption that the games involved are vintage or nostalgia games is incorrect. Nintendo is famous for bringing back to life its popular characters for its newer systems, for example, Mario and Donkey Kong have enjoyed their adventures on all Nintendo platforms, going from coin-op machines to our latest hardware platforms. As a copyright owner, and creator of such famous characters, only Nintendo has the right to benefit from such valuable assets.

Huge company with an armada of lawyers steals everything from a startup.

What did they steal? Ideas? Give me a break. Does "An android based E-book reader" constitute a patent worthy idea? Actually, of course it does, and that's why I for one do not see the benefit in supporting such startups in cases like these.

This company is a patent troll. What did they invent? A button that makes text scroll smoothly? A pop up or context sensitive interface? Oh! They invented a two screen device where you control things by moving a stylus on the bottom screen! Perhaps supplemented by additional buttons! How Original!! Yes, indeed, all companies implementing any such mechanism on any e-book whatsoever should have to pay these brilliant engineers for their hard worn innovation. /end scarcasm.

The only people who support this company are those who believe that being the first to develop something, or being the first to spew out any old brain fart, entitles you to exclusive ownership and control over all future implementations and revenues involving that thing. It the proverbial American Dream; Winning the lottery through one crazy scheme. Everybody has one in the back of their head, and so the system stands with popular support. I for one utterly reject this model as a basis for technological development and progression.

Patents need to die. Completely. If you can't stand on your own two feet like startups in every other industry, then you shouldn't be in business. Holding the world back until you get your protection money is a despicable practice, no matter how big or how small you are.

[a music game] that hasn't been either discontinued or sued into oblivion?

As far as DDR goes, there is Stepmania

StepMania comes with no music. In 2005, Konami sued a commercial distributor of StepMania with music for patent infringement. They settled out of court in 2007, with Roxor Games agreeing to transfer all the relevant copyrights and trademarks to Konami. Konami immediately stopped selling the arcade, PC, and PlayStation 2 versions of In the Groove.

As far as Bomberman games go, the best ones were on older generation consoles which can easily be emulated.

For one thing, they're still console games, not PC games, so score one for consoles like Wii. For another, one would first have to dump the ROM. The backup exception in U.S. copyright law (17 USC 117) doesn't apply to downloading "backups" from the Internet. Provided I can find a copy of Super Bomberman on eBay, what do you recommend for dumping Super NES Game Paks to my PC? Otherwise the standard line becomes "consoles are better because you don't have to pirate to play multiplayer games."

Especially since Nintendo seems to have removed the message about repairing at no cost as well...
http://techforums.nintendo.com/nins/board/message?board.id=wii_tech&thread.id=29992

Gazing into the horse's mouth, Nintendo sets out their legal perspective quite thoroughly without mentioning homebrew specifically. http://www.nintendo.com/corp/legal.jsp

But they're definitely all for DCMA type laws, and while they acknowledge the archival exception to illegal copying, they also claim copying devices are only for illegal purposes.

Nintendo disagrees with you about the Wii - it does support WPA2/AES apparently: http://www.nintendo.com/consumer/systems/wii/en_na/onlineWirelessRouterWEPWPA.jsp

If you copy it, they remind you that you only have a license. You can't do *everything* you want to do because you don't own it, you just have a license to listen to it.

You should ask them for replacement media since you didn't purchase a physical object - your license is still valid while you have a product, unusable as it is. If they refuse, ask them if downloading a copy is permissable since you have a license to listen but no way of doing so.

They can't have it both ways.

Currently it is handled as a warranty item for console gaming - as if you purchased a physical product (example uses Wii)
http://www.nintendo.com/consumer/systems/wii/en_na/ts/gameDiscReplacement.jsp

Yes but I only ever saw it on their online store. They still have them in fact:

http://www.nintendo.com/consumer/systems/gameboyadvance/accessories.jsp

I bought two sets of madcatz adapters that allowed me to charge and plug in head phones at the same time. The most disappointing thing about the SP related to the GBA was that when you played four swords you could not charge. The great thing about it (even the first rev SP) was the backlight and small size.

Just because you can build 1:1 tracking in some applications with gyros doesn't mean that Nintendo's hardware can do it too,

Ok genius, why does the Wii Motion Plus exist then? If it does the exact same thing as before, then it must be an empty piece of plastic, right?

as mentioned there is an axis missing

No one mentioned anything of the sort. All axises are tracked by the Wii Motion Plus. Orientation != Axis. It's the classic problem of mixing spherical coordinates with Cartesian coordinates. It works fine in a 3D game because the game is in a pre-defined virtual space. But when in a real-world space, you need to map the virtual coordinate system with the real-world coordinates. Using line of sight is an excellent way to do that. Which is why ALL THE 1:1 SOLUTIONS DO IT.

the gyros only give rotational rate instead of angle and instead of velocity you only have acceleration.

Oh, I see. So the accelerometers magically disappear when you plug in the WM+. Makes perfect sense.

Also the Wiimote follows very different movement patterns then say an aircraft.

You're right. An aircraft can pull a few dozen Gs for extended periods and the instruments will still know exactly when where and why the plane is. The Wii Remote doesn't have to deal with anywhere near those kinds of stresses.

This video doesn't show any precise paddle control, it doesn't really show any positional peddle control at all

So the paddle is just hanging there in mid-air and moves left and right? There's no twisting of the paddle, backhanding the paddle, or anything of the sort? Have you had your eyes checked recently?

Let's try the brochure for a moment:

Every slight movement players make with their wrist or arm is rendered identically in real time on the screen, providing a true 1:1 response in their game play.

Nintendo is claiming 1:1 motion. Are you seriously saying that they are opening themselves up to a lawsuit by making a false claim to the public? If so, you're as dumb as you are blind.

Let me explain this to you: Your statements are provably false. The evidence is right in front of you. The entire industry has analyzed the Wii Motion+ over the last year and has accepted the claims of 1:1 motion. And if you knew anything about the technology you wouldn't be making the utterly batshit insane statements your making.

I'm not usually one to call people fanboys. It's usually a term used to excuse not listening to someone. But I have listened and all I've heard from you is complete and utter nonsense. You are quite obviously blinded by your fanaticism. It has made you deaf, dumb, and blind to reality.

You sir, are a moron.

Why the hell is there no Wii version? Don't tell me the Wii is weaker than the Dreamcast because it's not true.

Also don't tell me it's beause of the Wiimote because the Wii also have a Classic Controller.

So, what gives?

Bad, screw them anyway. I'm just gonna go play the Neo-Geo version of Samurai Shodown on my Wii.

Except that's not true (even if the act did apply in Germany):

One condition of a full warranty under that act:

"may not exclude or limit consequential damages for a breach of any written or implied warranty on the product, unless the exclusion or limitation conspicuously appears on the face of the warranty"

And in very prominent text on the standard Nintendo Hardware warranty (their caps, not mine):

"THIS WARRANTY SHALL NOT APPLY IF THIS PRODUCT: (a) IS USED WITH PRODUCTS NOT SOLD OR LICENSED BY NINTENDO (INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, NON-LICENSED GAME ENHANCEMENT AND COPIER DEVICES, ADAPTERS, AND POWER SUPPLIES); (b) IS USED FOR COMMERCIAL PURPOSES (INCLUDING RENTAL); (c) IS MODIFIED OR TAMPERED WITH; (d) IS DAMAGED BY NEGLIGENCE, ACCIDENT, UNREASONABLE USE, OR BY OTHER CAUSES UNRELATED TO DEFECTIVE MATERIALS OR WORKMANSHIP; OR (e) HAS HAD THE SERIAL NUMBER ALTERED, DEFACED OR REMOVED."

That condition stands out clearly on the warranty ( http://www.nintendo.com/consumer/manuals/warrantytext_eng.jsp ) which itself is fairly short and easy to understand.

Uh, what? Why would you need a new Zapper? The current one is adequate (there are numerous other options as well.) Mind you, it won't work with the motionplus, because you need the nunchuk to have full zapper functionality.

What is your opinion on abandonware games? A lot of people share old ROMS of games online - games just like these books, in that no one knows who owns them, or if they DO know who owns them, the owners don't support them, and have no intentions of producing them.

What once was old is new again... these companies are starting to sell old games again, through systems like Nintendo's Virtual Console (Wii), Steam (Windows), GOG (Windows), or GameTap (Windows 32-bit).

hell i bet you think DS means dual screen too Flame away.

http://www.nintendo.com/consumer/systems/ds/faq.jsp#ds

It can.

It's not that hard to actually check, you know. The DS has about 500 games available for it, according to Nintendo. The GameBoy Advance has about 950 games.

The iPhone currently has 17,367 total native apps available for it, of which 4,460 are tagged as games and 4,806 as entertainment (many of those are tagged as both). It's really no contest. Apple is by far the largest marketplace for handheld gaming, beating the DS by an order of magnitude. And I'm not counting web games (most of which don't run on the iPhone since Apple seems to hate Flash for some reason.)

Like I said, though... a lot of those games are poor quality right now. But they're getting better fast, and downloads have doubled in the last month according to developers, so it's a growth market.

It's not that hard to actually check, you know. The DS has about 500 games available for it, according to Nintendo. The GameBoy Advance has about 950 games.

The iPhone currently has 17,367 total native apps available for it, of which 4,460 are tagged as games and 4,806 as entertainment (many of those are tagged as both). It's really no contest. Apple is by far the largest marketplace for handheld gaming, beating the DS by an order of magnitude. And I'm not counting web games (most of which don't run on the iPhone since Apple seems to hate Flash for some reason.)

Like I said, though... a lot of those games are poor quality right now. But they're getting better fast, and downloads have doubled in the last month according to developers, so it's a growth market.

Coins don't reset every year. Gold/Platinum status resets every year. Coins expire between 2 and 3 years.
From the FAQ, Coins and Status (Gold, Platinum):

Gold or Platinum status is based on the number of Coins earned in a Club Nintendo year. Each Club Nintendo year begins on July 1 and ends on June 30. If you earn 300 Coins during a Club Nintendo year you will reach Gold status. Earn 600 Coins during a Club Nintendo year and reach Platinum status! [...] Your status will reset annually on June 30.

Unredeemed Coins will expire two (2) full Club Nintendo years (July 1 - June 30), plus whatever is left in the current Club Nintendo year, after they are earned.

I second this recommendation. Looks like almost exactly what you're after.

From Nintendo's site:

  If life were an endless vacation, what would you do? Go fishing, collect shells or watch fireworks with friends? Build a snowman, exchange presents with family or decorate your house for the holidays? Take a trip to the city, go on a shopping spree or visit friends from all over the globe? In Animal Crossing: City Folk, life moves at a relaxed pace, but the world brims with endless possibilities.

* Thereâ(TM)s always something new to do. In the living, breathing world of Animal Crossing: City Folk, days and seasons pass in real time, so thereâ(TM)s always something to discover. Catch fireflies in the summer, go trick-or-treating on Halloween or hunt for eggs on Bunny Day. If youâ(TM)re in the mood for something a little faster paced, take a bus to a new urban city area thatâ(TM)s unique to Animal Crossing: City Folk. There you can catch a show at the theater or check out the sales at Gracieâ(TM)s boutique. But if you donâ(TM)t show your face back home for too long, your neighbors will miss you.

* Up to four people from your household can live and work together to build the perfect town. Design clothes and patterns, write letters and post messages on the bulletin board for each other, or invite up to three friends to visit your town using Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection. With the new WiiSpeak microphone, itâ(TM)s like youâ(TM)re all in the same room. The microphone sits atop the sensor bar and picks up the conversation of everyone in the room to encourage a more inclusive experience.

* Get to know your neighbors. The heart of Animal Crossing: City Folk is building relationships with the animals in your town as well as with other players. Befriend your animal neighbors by exchanging letters, gifts and favors. Animals can also move from town to town, bringing their memories and stories from their old towns with them. And since animals are notoriously loose-lipped, they spill all the juicy details.

* Express your personal style. Customize your town, your house and yourself by collecting bugs, fish, fossils, art, furniture, clothes and accessories. You can also go to the salon in the city to change your hairstyle and get a Miiâ makeover. Plus, if you design clothes in the tailorâ(TM)s shop, animals will wear them and maybe even bring them to other towns.

But they're still making 2d platformers!

New Super Mario Brothers for DS
Gish for PC
Mega Man 9 for Wii

They aren't as common as they were, but there are still some cracking 2d platformers out there. While some are sequels from the big studios, titles like Gish (it's cheap and on Steam) show that indie developers can still produce innovative mechanics in one of the oldest genres.

What happened was that most companies saw the Wii as an "also ran" once again. The XBox barely beat out the Gamecube lastgen (both getting their asses handed to them by the PS2). So, when Nintendo said "less power more immersive", the developers scratched their heads then "ooh"ed and "aah"ed over PS3 and 360 graphics. As with most of the market, they were thinking only of the core market (14-25 males) and what they would bring.

(It should be noted that the DS was only coming into its own right leading up to the Wii's launch, so the whole "it prints money" thing hadn't connected yet.)

Fast forward a year after release. 360's numbers are still looking alright, but Sony can't give away PS3 consoles (which were free with any HDTV purchase above a grand at many stores for a while). Wii, in the mean time, either has already surpassed the 360 in sales or is set to do so in a month or two's time, despite having a year's handicap. Suddenly, developers are going "oh shit" and want to jump on the money train. They see the success of games like Wii Sports (duh, as it's packaged with the Wii), Wii Play, and Rayman Raving Rabbids (which is quite fun) and think "We an pump out a bunch of minigame games". So we get isles of shovelware for Wii Year 2. In this time we get a bunch of good games as well, but it's starting to suffer the same way the PS2 did.

But we're coming up on Year 3 and it seems that a lot of companies are announcing original properties or new titles for the console. We have MadWorld, Tales of Symphonia: Dawn of a New World, The Conduit, and Fatal Frame (4): Mask of the Lunar Eclipse. For the casuals, there are plenty of other enticing options, such as Rayman Raving Rabbids TV Party, Wii Music (along with other Nintendo Wii titles), and Dance Dance Revolution: Hottest Party 2. At the same time, the Wii is becoming more than an afterthought. For instance, Rock Band 2 will not be crippled like the original Rock Band Wii was.

I think, though, that Year 3 will not be the year of casuals, as that's more of an over-arching thing, partly because casual gamers are far more likely to buy older titles they haven't played or only rented/borrowed before, whereas "core" gamers are much more likely to stick with new releases. Instead, a trend that I see developing for late Year 3/early Year 4 is ports, either straight or enhanced. We've had Resident Evil 4 and Okami, as well as other titles like House of the Dead (2 & 3). Capcom has announced Dead Rising: Chop Till You Drop and Sega has Samba de Amigo. Only two titles, sure, but as Wii sales continue on their steady pace (and stores continue to sell out), more and more developers are going to reach into their catalog of PS2, XBox, and Dreamcast games and grab some of the more popular titles to bring to the Wii. Because the expectations lower, they won't need to spend much time ramping up graphics, and by this point many studios have gotten good with applying the Wii controls. Throw in a bit of extra content here and there, price it at $30 or $40, and you have an easy seller.

Nintendo did have a bad E3 (I mean, wow), but this allows 3rd parties to step up not just for casual gaming, but for the core market as well. Over time some of those casuals will come over to the dark side, spurring "core"

Here it is : http://www.nintendo.com/ds

Well, according to Nintendo, it must be.

Also feel free to check this out. It's not fantastic, but it's not bad.

Well, according to Nintendo, it must be.

Also feel free to check this out. It's not fantastic, but it's not bad.

"there is nothing like Photoshop, and no killer video capture and editing software, and for some, games are important too"

Photoshop under Linux

CINELERRA, the first Linux based real-time editing

For games, buy a PlayStation or Nintendo ..

What does Nintendo do to help protect the environment?

Nintendo is very concerned with doing our part to help preserve the environment. We're always researching new products and procedures to make our products and operations as environmental-friendly as possible.

Some things Nintendo is already doing:

• In Nintendo of America offices:

• We recycle the paper we use company-wide.
• We limit our use of colored paper, since it's not easily recycled.
• We purchase recycled paper towels, report covers, message pads, and writing pads.
• We currently recycle more than 70% of the waste that is generated at our headquarters.
• We actively promote the recycling of aluminum cans, plastic bottles, and glass in our corporate cafeterias.
• We re-use or recycle over 99% of any returned product that we receive from retailers and customers

• In our products:

• We use at least 80% recycled paper in all of our shipping packaging.
• We don't use Styrofoam in any of our packaging.
• Many of our instruction manuals are printed on recycled paper.
• Our clamshell packaging is recyclable and most recycling centers accept it.
• As is stated in the manuals of the Wii console and DS Lite, neither product contains latex, lead, mercury, cadmium, hexavalent chromium, polybrominated biphenyl (PBB), or polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE). Additionally, we have been phasing out the use of PVC in our packaging, using a safer, recyclable plastic instead.
• We take great care to comply with all relevant regulations on avoiding the use of dangerous materials. All Nintendo products supplied worldwide are designed to comply with relevant global standards. In order to certify that Nintendo products comply with standards for hazardous chemical substances, Nintendo has established the Green Procurement Standards, which require our component suppliers to certify that any parts they deliver do not include hazardous chemical substances, and ensure that Nintendo fully controls its products internally.

http://www.nintendo.com/corp/faq.jsp#environment Assuming you ignore that. This is a repeat of old news anyways. Their criticisms of Nintendo basically boil down to them not having an answer to everything on their checklist exactly how they like it. Greenpeace means well but they tend to demonstrate a horrifying lack of thought or genuine consideration of anything other than their own agenda.

Yeah, your Wii's GPU went bad. That has happened to some people. You should check the warranty. It's good for one year, and if you register the serial number, they extend the warranty another 90 days. If something's wrong, don't let the warranty expire!

It's a pretty pain-free process. They actually track the purchase date when the system is bought and scanned at the store, so you don't need to track down any receipts for the warranty repair, just read them the serial number printed on the console. Then they send a shipping label, so you don't even have to pay shipping.

If the warranty is up, I hear it costs $75 to have them to repair it. That's a much better option than re-buying a new one for $250. And even if you don't care about owning a Wii anymore, why not repair it and sell it?

"Daddy, why doesn't my Nintendo DS do online play?"

Whoops, some consumer devices don't support WPA.

Unless you still have one that (sorta) works like me. Plus you are all welcome to blow my Wii :-)

I don't mind them taking time to get it right, but a second delay is quite unprofessional. I think that they should release a demo in all regions to make up for the delay. They already plan to release a demo in Japan, and I know that they have multiple demo builds from events like Whooby, E for All, and a couple others that they could simply upload onto the Wii Shop, or distribute disks of in Nintendo Power. It would be easy for them to do, and it would placate the masses (including myself). I have sent them an email to this effect already. If enough people do, perhaps they'll listen. It seems downright silly that they don't plan to release a demo outside Japan already. http://www.nintendo.com/consumer/webform.jsp

I expect it depends on your definition of "full game" :). I can't find any direct quote either, but I doubt that it's going to be a "full game" in the sense most people think.

The DS has had the "download play" feature since it was released, but this is essentially a wireless version of the same GBA feature that allowed games to be downloaded and played on the GBA, off either the GameCube or another GBA. Anyone remember Final Fantasy: Crystal Chronicles? That game downloaded a small game (really more of an app) to the GBA and then used the GBA as a very expensive controller. (Another example would be the "Tingle Tuner" from Wind Waker.)

I expect this is similar to that - the DS has essentially the same feature. So you'll probably be able to download small minigames to the Wii, which will then upload them to a DS via its built-in wireless. And these could be complete games, depending on their size - but not a "full game," really. As an example, Nintendo already has Download Stations available in some stores, so it's not a big stretch to allow the Wii to act as a Download Station.

Anyway, I can't find any mention of such a feature on the Nintendo site, but I don't think the DS has any form of permanent storage. Unless they're releasing a flash-card for the DS themselves, I doubt we'll be seeing downloaded full DS games.

But who knows, maybe they are - there's just not enough information yet. The entire thing seems to revolve around Fils-Aime saying "complete game" at some point.

I would bet that, while it can't replace actual sports, it could replace other healthy activities like meditation, yoga, stretching or even light aerobics. The Wii Balance Board looks like it can help people with those, and I'm sure there are some health benefits from those like lower stress etc. While you might stretch the health benefits of something akin to DDR with a dancepad, it's still a step in a good direction for better health while still having fun with video games.

Wii - $250 Wii Play w/Wiimote - $50, Two more Wiimotes - $80, An extra Nunchuk - $20, Component Video Cable - $20

Wii Play and remote bundle, sure. Extra nunchuck? Yeah, if you want to to box against a human.

But two extra remotes? And a component cable? Sorry, dude, not necessary. If you can find two extra friends to share your Wii-xperience, they can buy their own damn remotes. :-j And there's plenty of returned component cables out there since many many people can't even detect the difference between 480i and 470p; I got a good deal on a used one at a Game Stop.

People who buy the Wii want it for the innovative game play, and nothing else satisfies that demand.

Spot on. I am in the key Wii-mographic. I'm a formumble-something who has never owned a video game; there has been little point since I've already spent thousands of dollars on computers over the years -- plus I'm really lousy at shoot 'em ups. Hell, I'm having trouble to find one person to come play Wii with me... my wife can't even handle Wii Sports tennis . After all, the only way I could convince her to let me [cough] buy one is to get my butt off the chair in front of the computer and get some exercise. (It worked too until I got a cold and got sucked into Paper Mario , a great game for people like me who have... less than nimble fingers.. make that much less.)

Uh... where was I? Oh yeah; what I'm saying is that key Wii-mographic Wii-ple will buy just enough extras to get started and get more if they become sucked into the Wii-xperience. Take me for example. I bought the Wii Play when I got the unit. A month or so later I bought a component. Another few weeks and I've downloaded a few virtual console games. Now I have my eyes on Rayman Raving Rabbids . If it wasn't for the fact that I already have a bunch of rechargable batteries I'd have sunk more money into my new addic... er, pastime.

Would you not play a game like Mario Galaxy - which is the second-highest reviewed game of all time - just because it looks like it is suitable for children?

The question is rhetorical, by the way, and the implication I'm trying to make is that not playing a game because it appear "childish" is extremely strange.

Psychonauts has a deep story, interesting characters, good gameplay, and is amazingly written, yet you disclaim it because it seems childish to you.

I was trying to express that I just do not understand your decision not to play a game because it seems suitable for children.

This is the kind of decision a teenager would make, who feels it necessary to dissociate himself from children.

ESRB does have sub categories that it uses to modify ratings.

• Nudity
• Partial Nudity
• Sexual Content
• Sexual Themes
• Sexual Violence
• Strong Sexual Content

These can be used to modify and signify whether an AO rating is primarily due to sex. Compare this to the movie industry's rating system and you just don't have the same amount of information.

Nintendo and Sony (can't find a link at the moment) have said using blanket statements that they will not have Adult only games on their consoles regardless of what you might imply.

100% agreed. About the ONLY thing that doesn't compare to today's games is the sheer graphical power. It matches or exceeds today's games in music (Trent Reznor's soundtrack is awesome), gameplay, level design, weapons (I just love the nail gun), multiplayer and overall fun.
 
Super Mario Bros isn't anything to look at graphically, but I'm playing The Lost Levels more on my Wii than any of my Wii games...

Arggh! Here are the missing links:
Buy a Nintendo DS, get a Games-n-Music card, and install some PDA software.