WiiWare file size limit disputed

By Tom Bramwell Published 14 November, 2007

Nintendo comments on claims.

Nintendo has disputed some of the Wii Software (WiiWare) details announced in an IGN podcast this week, which claimed that WiiWare titles would be capped at 40MB, that developers would set their own prices and be limited to releasing one game per month.

"I can confirm as we originally said at the announcement of the Wii Ware service earlier in the year that Wii Ware games will come in a range of sizes but we will encourage smaller, more compact games for the service," a Nintendo spokesperson told Eurogamer today.

"I can also confirm we are contemplating that developers will be able to release one game per month during the launch window in order for us to address potential volume issues.

"We have not revealed any details about who sets pricing for Wii Ware titles. However it is important to remember that one of the keys aspects of the Wii Ware service is to allow everyone access to fresh, new content at a low price."

So in other words, there's some truth in what's being said, but some of the finer details might be a bit off. Nintendo is officially classifying the information as "speculation", despite the statement above.

Wii Software - more commonly known as WiiWare because America and Japan are bigger than us - is a system a bit like Xbox Live Arcade or PlayStation Network that allows developers to create smaller games and sell them to consumers for lower prices than boxed copies.

Nintendo hopes the service will encourage independent teams and those who lack the wherewithal to produce big games to get involved with Wii development as the console's installed base grows and its free online service, Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection, continues to attract users.

Picture of Tom.

About Tom Bramwell

Tom is Operations director of Eurogamer Network and Editor-at-Large of Eurogamer.net. He joined the company in February 2000.

Read more articles from Tom by visiting the Tom Bramwell archive page.

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Comments (20) Latest comment 4 years ago

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

  • Zomoniac #1 4 years ago

    Did they say whether or not they intend to do something about the minute amount of storage space it has and the ridiculous fact that it can't play off SD?

    Edit: Typo
    Edited by 1 at 14/11/07 @ 10:20

  • Darren #2 4 years ago

    The big problem with the Wii is that it only has 512 MB of internal storage and even though you can use 1 and 2 GB memory cards, you can't actually run anything off them. This is a serious limitation of the machine that needs addressing a.s.a.p. I only have 102 blocks left after downloading numerous VC games for example and having to keep moving games back and forth to an external memory card isn't exactly ideal. Nintendo need to update the Wii so it can access other memory cards as it does the internal memory and add games stored on it to the main interface.

  • skillian #3 4 years ago

    ^ Nintendo were obviously ware of those limitations before they released the Wii, and they haven't hurt sales of the unit, so I don't see them changing it anytime soon.

    Nintendo have always done the most to try and prevent piracy (carts while everyone else were using discs, then those mini DVDs), and allowing games to run off external memory cards would just be a headache they are unlikely to happily give themselves.

  • Eighthours #4 4 years ago

    Wii Software - more commonly known as WiiWare because America and Japan are bigger than us -

    And because it's a far better name. Why change it for us?

  • Darren #5 4 years ago

    @Skillian - So that means I'll be buying fewer and fewer VC games then as I can't be doing with moving games around everytime I want to play one. I think I'll email them about this (and I suggest others do as well) otherwise they definitely won't do anything about it.

  • LazyDan #6 4 years ago

    My best theory about the Euro name change is that WiiWare might sound like something dodgy in one of the European languages, or even some of the different English dialects like Scottish.

    Like Wii Fit had to be changed to Wii Fitness, because in Britain specifically, the term 'fit' means to have an epileptic seizure. So Wii Fit has an extra, possibly offensive meaning which it doesn't have in America or Japan.

    I'll be a bit miffed if our name change for this is because in French "WiiWare" sounds a bit like "Paedo cat rapist" - why can't they have different names where these clashes occur for the individual countries rather than lumping us all together?

  • Ignatius_Cheese #7 4 years ago

    As long as they rename "Wii Software" to "WiiWare" in Europe, I don't give a rat's ass about the capped file size.

  • bushwod #8 4 years ago

    What is in a name?

    A 'Paedo cat rapist' by any other name would smell as sweet.

  • aldo_14 #9 4 years ago

    What is in a name?

    A 'Paedo cat rapist' by any other name would smell as sweet.

    Yes, of cat shit & fear.
    Edited by 1 at 14/11/07 @ 10:48

  • nippy58 #10 4 years ago

    Surely its not beyond a simple firmware upgrade to allow content to be cached on the SD cards. Take mySims for example - disc acess is shocking but the ability to cache files on the SD card would make it MUCH more playable. Wiiware titles would also benefit from such a move.

    If they are worried about piracy then use a PSK with the inbuilt storage.

    Come on Nintendo - you CAN do it.......... cant you?

  • AliRay #11 4 years ago

    Erm... USB Hard disk anyone? Plenty of people would buy it, it's not as if they have a small userbase now.

    I'd get one if demos and better quality WiiWare titles were available

  • thisisatempaccount #12 4 years ago

    Nintendo in PR equivocation shocker!

  • ResidentKnievel #13 4 years ago

    A hard drive would be lovely, but they could sort out the memory problems for a lot of people by allowing us to access games straight off the SD cards. Plus it would be cheaper for the consumer.

  • Eraser #14 4 years ago

    "Plus it would be cheaper for the consumer."

    And less profitable for Nintendo.
    I think Nintendo will come with an external harddrive or flash memory expansion of their own sooner or later.
    Edited by 1 at 14/11/07 @ 13:13

  • aine #15 4 years ago

    Like Wii Fit had to be changed to Wii Fitness, because in Britain specifically, the term 'fit' means to have an epileptic seizure.

    ...and it also means "cunt" in certain scandinavian languages, i believe.

  • mossychops001 #16 4 years ago

    "Wii Cunts?

  • Chim_chimma_nee! #17 4 years ago

    You realise that if Nintendo hear us suggesting what we want, they'll make sure it'll never happen.

    I'd HATE a Hard Disk, and I DREAD downloadable demos Nintendo.

  • escalinci #18 4 years ago

    Up in Aberdeen fit means 'what.'

    I think, realistically, there's a limit, but you're allowed to break it if your name is Square-Enix.

  • redgiemental #19 4 years ago

    See the problem is as soon Nintendo make it possible to run games from outside storage that means its almost envitable someone is going to make it possible to put wii games on them and make them run on a wii.

    Obvisously Nintendo is not going to let that happen.

  • sneetch #20 4 years ago

    "I'll be a bit miffed if our name change for this is because in French "WiiWare" sounds a bit like "Paedo cat rapist" - why can't they have different names where these clashes occur for the individual countries rather than lumping us all together?"

    Is the name important? Does it really make any difference if it's called WiiWare or Wii Software? Any difference at all?

    People will call it whatever they feel like.