Wii Software DLC system explained

By Robert Purchese Published 2 April, 2008

Square Enix taking full advantage.

The Wii Software system for buying downloadable content for your games has been detailed, using the rather pricey example of Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: My Life as a King.

In order to access the in-game store you have to grab an updated version of the game containing it from the Wii Shop, according to the Wired blog.

Once this is done, a "Download additional content" option will be added to the in-game main menu. This will automatically connect you and list the available extras you can buy.

Select an item and it will tell you how many Wii Points you have, and how much you will have left after buying the item. It will also tell you the number of memory blocks you have free and how many you will have left afterwards.

Download the item and it should appear in-game as soon as it has finished transferring.

This is encouraging, then, more so than the price of the content in My Life as a King. The game is the most expensive on the Wii Software service at 1500 Points (GBP 10.50 / EUR 15 approx), and the total cost of the DLC is almost as much.

To get at the non-human Crystal Chronicles races bizarrely not included - Lilty, Selkie, and Yuke - you will have to play 300 Points (GBP 2.10 / EUR 3 approx) for each, or 800 Points (GBP 6 / EUR 8 approx) for all three.

Then, if you want a change of clothes for your King or your assistant Chime then you will need to spend 100 Points (GBP 0.70 / EUR 1 approx) each.

Perhaps you want a Gorgeous House, too - 100 Points (GBP 0.70 / EUR 1 approx), please. What about a Sacred Shrine to buff your warriors? 200 Points (GBP 1.40 / EUR 2 approx), please.

Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: My Life as a King has you building and managing a castle and its surrounding town, sending adventurers out on quests and introducing taxes to gather more money to expand your settlement.

It was one of the launch titles on the Japanese Wii Software (WiiWare) service released on 25th March. There is currently no news on when the service will be available in Europe.

Pop over to our Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: My Life as a King gamepage for a trailer showing what to expect.

Picture of Robert.

About Robert Purchese

Bertie is Eurogamer's Senior Staff Writer. When he's not hunting down news stories he's often found playing with his kids or gabbling about fantasy games and strange online worlds.

Read more articles from Robert by visiting the Robert Purchese archive page.

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Comments (40) Latest comment 4 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • krudster #1 4 years ago

    My issue with any downloadable stuff on the Wii is that I've totally filled up all available memory blocks, and because of the time consuming faff of transferring them over to an SD card (which you can't play the games off - grrrr), I now cannot be bothered most of the time. Anyone else having the same issues?

  • Machetazo #2 4 years ago

    That seems ridiculous. The game should sink without a trace. Project O ought to stomp all over this. :)

  • oceanmotion #3 4 years ago

    Wii with hard drive needed.

  • Tobias24 #4 4 years ago

    lol, points for everything. if you actually got a little bit into this game it would end up costing around the same as a full-priced retail game. people aren't going to get into this. particularly with the lack of a Wii hard drive.

    And this is coming from a self-confessed Nintendo fanboy.

  • bad09 #5 4 years ago

    "Anyone else having the same issues?"

    Not exactly having the same issue as my girlfriend owns the Wii, but when I heard of this problem I told her not to to bother investing in SD cards or downloading stuff. Plus that classic controller you need for a lot of games on VC is wired!!!!!!!!!!!

  • antony_williams #6 4 years ago

    Post deleted at 11:19:54 12-02-2012

  • gingerlink #7 4 years ago

    @bad09, I thought it was wired into the wiimote, making it no worse than a nunchuk?

  • krudster #8 4 years ago

    Yes, it's not wired in the way you imply - but is a bit odd having to have the remote attached.

  • JohnnyWashnGo #9 4 years ago

    Having been a big fan of Crystal Chronicles on the GC and currently loving the DS version, this just stinks.

    I am not a fan of downloadable content in the first place. I always considered it to be a way for developers to rush software out the door and fix it later, or just another way of fleecing the gamer (read: consumer) of more of their hard earned cash.

    So as much I as would love to play this game, I am going to avoid it.

  • Skooch #10 4 years ago

    Ban points - make everything money based, you know, like in the REAL world. Points are the most frustrating, un-transparent method of purchasing EVER! :(

  • afray #11 4 years ago

    eh? the classic controller is wired, but to the wiimote.

  • bad09 #12 4 years ago

    @ gingerlink & krudster

    Ah, thanks for clearing that up for me, although it's still a little weird! Guess I just need Ninty to sort out the SD cards!

  • GamesConnoisseur #13 4 years ago

    "@ gingerlink & krudster

    Ah, thanks for clearing that up for me, although it's still a little weird! Guess I just need Ninty to sort out the SD cards!"

    Quite a few of us have repeated the same comments in the forum previously, regarding the utter stupidity of not allowing files stored on SD to be executable and instead having to go through a lot of hassles to transfer files onto SD and back to internal memory.

    Sure not everyone would have used up all of the internal memory yet, but the idea of payable DLC is more likely to be taken up by those who DO want to download VC, WiiWare, extra contents! So what is the solution?
    Change the attitude towards SD, I dont believe it is impossible and I suggest until Nintendo revise their thinking or provide better solution we can vote with our wallets.

    Dont bother with DLC if you do not have the spaces and not keen to go through silly motions of spending minutes/hours transferring files back and forth... back and forth.... back and forth......

    EDIT: Yes Darren is correct that 'transferring' is not simply just point wiimote at 'move' but more complicated process of copying and then deleting each item at either site of internal and external memory. Lovely!!!
    Edited by 1 at 02/04/08 @ 12:24

  • WinterSnowblind #14 4 years ago

    This is obviously content they developed for the game and chose to leave out, so they could charge us for it later. Very disrespectful and a complete rip off. I hope nobody is stupid enough to buy this, it's the horse armour all over again.

  • Darren #15 4 years ago

    @krudster - Yep, I'm having the same problems as you, I exhausted the Wii's internal 512 MB of memory before Christmas, thanks to downloading loads of VC games. Foolishly I thought that buying a 2 GB SD card would solve my dilemna but all it does is allow you to copy stuff to it, you cannot run games from it and I'm quite frankly fed up of copying and deleting files (since the Wii stupidly lacks a Move function). Nintendo really need to address this problem a.s.a.p. Surely it's possible for the Wii's operating system to map extra memory as an extension of the internal one so that you can have access to more storage space for game saves and downloads? If not, then I won't be buying anymore content.

    I also emailed Nintendo about this after Christmas but three months later I've yet to receive a reply! /rolls eyes

    Could you contact Nintendo on our behalf and perhaps mention this subject to them, I'm sure they're more likely to listen to EG than me?

  • bad09 #16 4 years ago

    @ GamesConnoisseur

    Yeah it is a silly way to do things, makes you wonder what Ninty were thinking when they did it that way. I'm just glad I found out before I actually invested in SD cards!

  • jlaakso #17 4 years ago

    I actually prefer points to real money. I really don't want to think about my bank balance when I'm gaming. This way I can just make the rational decisions when I'm out of points ("can I afford more points right now?";) and spend the rest of the time spending them in the way I feel like.

    That said, whoah there! I understand micropayments and - in theory - even support the idea, but upwards of 5 euros is not "micro".

  • Gaol #18 4 years ago

    They won't allow executables to be run from an SD card because it would open a very big door with the sign 'PIRATES THIS WAY PLEASE'.

  • Tonka #19 4 years ago

    Yeah com on Nintendo. Give us a HDD or let us play from the SD card. With titles like FF:CC:I*m a pansy ass little king and Lost Winds in the pipeline I can see the storage space running out fast.

  • bad09 #20 4 years ago

    "They won't allow executables to be run from an SD card because it would open a very big door with the sign 'PIRATES THIS WAY PLEASE'."

    This is a problem that pushes people into the hands of pirates rather than deters them (just ask the music industry). Look at PSP, to do many things the PSP is capable of you need to use hacked custom firmware which in turn draws people closer to the world of pirated games. I wonder, how long before a hacker fixes the problem of SD cards for us?

    These corporations really need stop restricting the possibilities of their hardware/software by labeling us all evil pirates. (besides that door is already open for all machines if people really want to, they have never been able to stop it and never will). Just except black markets have always been around and some won't or can't pay, as long as you still make cash who cares if a minority don't pay!

  • Muddtallica #21 4 years ago

    What an absolute rip these prices are...70p for a set of pretend clothes? This is worse than those people on eBay selling air guitars.

  • Dan234 #22 4 years ago

    Not sure why running games an SD card would make piracy easier, games on SD cards are signed and encrypted as they are in the internal memory. Does the additional step of copying games across from the SD card to the memory suddenly put people off piracy?

  • Gaol #23 4 years ago

    @Dan324

    I was referring to running executables off SD Card, not games in particular, cue various programs designed to try and circumvent Nintendo's copy protection..

    Plus it is much easier to rip/modify game images to/from SD than Wii disks.

    Given the issues Nintendo have with piracy on the DS, I think they are absolutely right as a corporation to make piracy as difficult as possible. That's the real reason you have upgradeable firmware too.
    Edited by 1 at 02/04/08 @ 13:02

  • bad09 #24 4 years ago

    @ Gaol

    The SD card hassle hasn't stopped Wii piracy though has it?

  • ColdShoulder #25 4 years ago

    I'll just repeat what everyone is saying. More storage first please.

  • Tomnd #26 4 years ago

    My problem with micro transactions is the fact that when they sold it to us they (MS mostly) said things like, you will be able to make new decals for cars and then sell them to other players. I have yet to see this. Instead they have gone the route of releasing the same old stuff sans some features that we have to pay extra for.

  • erp #27 4 years ago

    Downloadable content: the one easy step to putting me off a game I was previously genuinely interested in buying.

  • rudedudejude #28 4 years ago

    Guitar Hero downloadable tracks please!

  • L0cky #29 4 years ago

    Darren: 'Could you contact Nintendo on our behalf and perhaps mention this subject to them, I'm sure they're more likely to listen to EG than me?'

    I can picture it now... a new section on the site... 'EG Watchdog!'

  • Dan234 #30 4 years ago

    @ Gaol: Piracy from the SD card is different to modding the Wii and putting an pirate DVD in it.

    For a start the Wii doesn't boot from SD. Secondly on both internal flash memory or the SD card the Wii checks the file before opening it and if it's not signed and encrypted using the Wii's private key it refuses to acknowledge that it even exists. This is why you can't copy channels or VC games saved onto an SD card in other Wiis to internal memory then run them. There was a signing bug but that's been found now, and if Nintendo were to add a 'run channels from SD card' feature they'd patch this bug.

    If a game is pirated in a way which means it reads the game from the SD card instead of DVD drive then that means the Wii must have been compromised anyway (see Zelda Twilight hack), and any security feature in the console like 'make the user copy the file before running' isn't going to work anyway.

    So copying from SD card to internal flash memory before running just seems an annoying intermediate step which won't stop piracy.

  • Darren #31 4 years ago

    Can I run my backed up VC games on my 2GB SD card on another Wii besides the one I downloaded them onto if I copied them to its internal memory?

    I'm assuming not as the content is presumably locked to your particular Wii, right? If that is the case then I really don't see why VC games cannot be run directly from SD cards or why we can't save game files directly to them too. It's ridiculous that Nintendo are pushing things like DLC and WiiWare when it's clear that the 512 MB of internal memory is insufficient.

  • penhalion #32 4 years ago

    Yep the storage part of the Wii is totally screwed up and no mistake. I suspect the majority of people will not have the space for Wii-ware games. I know that I am starting to wonder why there isn't a HD in or attached to the thing.

  • GamesConnoisseur #33 4 years ago

    Nintendo is simply on cloud 9, their consoles are selling like hot cakes and they want to protect their profits by not opening another avenue for piracy by allowing SD to be executable.

    1) Piracy is still easy for Wii, with chip in and couple of my mates never buy retail games for Wii, running everything via downloaded piracy. Personally I dont, as disagree with the piracy.

    2) Those who would pirate already doing so, and those who arent like us here ARE being punished! How about rewarding us as those who purchase legimately would be the ones with frustrations at transferring dlc instead of playing pirated dlc or games. So I would consider chipping in my console if it turn out more easier for me to play dlc.

    3) Nintendo may know their hardware is inferior in terms of power but still selling due to the whole package being desirable, their inferiority with dlc files may be seen on a similar basis. But it is MORE about the unfriendlyness and awkwardness of their dlc system with 512mb internal ram that is a threat to their dlc strategy from being taken off more and appreciated better.

  • Gaol #34 4 years ago

    @Dan234

    You're still assuming an awful lot; pirates think laterally and I doubt it would be a straightforward SD card you would be inserting if Ninendo allowed executing files from that slot. But points taken, the Wii has more rigorous protection than previous Nintendo consoles and it certainly impacts the legitimate user's experience.

  • Dan234 #35 4 years ago

    Well the latest version of the Twilight hack already executes stuff from the SD card so Nintendo making people copy stuff to internal memory first doesn't help or hinder piracy.

    However it may be there's a good technical reason for making users copy files to internal memory first. One reason that springs to mind (just a guess, I don't know if it's true) is it's easier for the CPU to address internal flash memory than SD Card memory. In which case Nintendo should make the process as invisible as possible for the user (ideally it would be that the Wii automatically copies stuff to/from the SD card when the game needs it)... Oddly enough like the Twilight hack.

  • GiarcYekrub #36 4 years ago

    Is this really downloadable content or is it pay to unlock stuff already on the disk? Will an action Replay or some such be able to unlock some of this stuff for free in the future?

  • Bitkari #37 4 years ago

    This is the worse example of what paid DLC should be.

    I thought that people had learned from the whole horse armour debacle.

    Though, I suppose since that made a profit there are certain folk who thought that it was precisely the sort of DLC that should be made - soon enough we're going to have game companies nickel-and-diming people just like Apple do right now. Pity.

  • dk_rare #38 4 years ago

    Damn, I thought Nintendo was going to be immune to the download content scourge of modern gaming. Now we have to pay for horse armor like the rest of the gaming world >.

  • WinterSnowblind #39 4 years ago

    Hey, there's nothing wrong with DLC. Developers selling us new content in small little bundles is great, it adds more replay value to the game, and are essentially mini expansion packs. If anything I'd like to see more games do it. However, there's definitely a line. When they're charging so much for individual costumes, buildings, races and whatever else, we're paying a lot more than we would be if it were simply released as one big pack. What's even worse is when content like this was clearly ready to be put into the game, but held back so they could charge for it separately.

    Fortunatly, I think most gamers are smart enough to see around this, and most developers seem to have learned from the backlash Bethesda recieved from the horse armour, but clearly not all. I'm very disappointed that Square Enix would stoop to this level of disrespect towards their fans.

  • canIdoyabombsforya #40 4 years ago

    Bunch of moaners, why do you need to keep all your VC games internally? they are stored on Nintendo's servers for you. Just delete what you are not playing this week.