Interview with the Regginator about WiiWare Indie Games

[jbanes]

Source: http://blog.newsweek.com/blogs/levelup/arc...do-wiiware.aspx

 

Snippets:

Fils-Aime informed us that his company's oversight of WiiWare titles would be minimal. "Nintendo will not do any screening of ideas," he said. "The games have to pass our bug checking process, but that's the only screening that we're doing."

 

Fils-Aime also stressed that all WiiWare content, unlike that on the Virtual Console, would be brand new games. "WiiWare content is new content. It can come from Reggie's Videogame Garage or from EA." (Don't get your hopes up, fanboys; Fils-Aime has no plans to personally make any WiiWare games.) As for pricing, he reiterated that while Nintendo would make the final decision on the pricing of individual games, it would do so in consultation with the developer and/or publisher, with no predetermined limit on the high-end of pricing.

 

Anyone interested? $2,000 for a dev kit, and it sounds like you're golden.

 

Personally, I can't wait to see the games from Reggie's Videogame Garage.

Edited June 28, 2007 by jbanes

[rockman_x_2002]

Sounds like a boat-load of fun, but $2,000 is a bit steep for this college student to shell out for a hobby thing.

 

Think I better stick with Windows and PC programming in general until I get decent enough at the esoteric practice of game programming.

[AtariJr]

wow.. talking about awesome support for getting even more games on the wii. only having to pass the bug test and your approved... freakin cool. cant wait to see whats put on the wii after this takes place.

 

bout time nintendo learned from Live. Go wiiware!

Edited June 28, 2007 by AtariJr

[Bilnick]

Good news. Will be nice to see some original games. I hope they come in the 5-10 dollar range.

 

2008 for the first launch? Better late than never I guess.

 

How about some demo versions of new games and VC titles Nintendo!

[figgler]

only having to pass the bug test and your approved... freakin cool.

 

I don't know about this actually. In theory it sounds cool, but in reality you need to have some screening. I mean you can't have people making games about screwing inflatable dolls or butchering children or something. Not to mention people making games with Donkey Kong or any IP in them. Nintendo's got to be sugar coating if they are saying bug testing is all the screening required. And how does the ESRB factor in?

[Atari Master]

only having to pass the bug test and your approved... freakin cool.

 

I don't know about this actually. In theory it sounds cool, but in reality you need to have some screening. I mean you can't have people making games about screwing inflatable dolls or butchering children or something. Not to mention people making games with Donkey Kong or any IP in them. Nintendo's got to be sugar coating if they are saying bug testing is all the screening required. And how does the ESRB factor in?

 

From what I understand, they have to get their rating first (before they can put it up). That and bug testing are their only requests me thinks.

[King_Salamon]

$2,000 is dirt cheap for a developer... heck I could afford a kit (not that I'd have much use for it as I only play the games!) and who knows... perhaps one day I'll get one!

[Steril707]

Microsoft is asking for only 99 Dollars for the same thing, as far as i know. But, well, i hope some decent games come out of this.

[King_Salamon]

Microsoft is asking for only 99 Dollars for the same thing, as far as i know. But, well, i hope some decent games come out of this.

 

Wow... really? Or are they simply allowing people to download a program for windows to program the games at $99?

 

Not sure how Wii games are built but the language is likely different than the 360.