May 12, 2009
Nintendo Celebrates First
Anniversary of WiiWare Downloadable Game Service
WiiWare Continues to Deliver
Great New Games to Consumers
WiiWare launched one year ago today.
It arrived with a promise to provide a venue for game developers to showcase
their ideas, while delivering to consumers the newest, most interesting games
available at accessible prices, directly through the Wii Shop Channel in their
Wii consoles. With 81 games in its library, WiiWare ensures that there’s
something for everyone. But beyond quantity, WiiWare offers quality games and
experiences for all types of Wii owners.
WiiWare removes barriers that make
console game development expensive, and helps developers connect directly with
consumers. WiiWare games have been created by more than 40 different development
studios, from large companies to small startups. In fact, more than half the
games in the WiiWare library were created and self-published by small
independent studios, many with five or fewer employees.
"The first anniversary of our
WiiWare service is a milestone that marks how far the service has come and how
much great content is currently available," said Cammie Dunaway, Nintendo of
America’s executive vice president of Sales & Marketing. "We encourage everyone
to get their Wii consoles connected to the Internet so they have access to the
full range of WiiWare games."
Nintendo’s roster of quality WiiWare
games stands as an example of what creative minds can accomplish. Titles range
from completely original creations to names that are instantly familiar and
beloved. Just look at a small sampling of what has been accomplished in just one
year’s time:
-
World of Goo from 2D BOY won
numerous industry awards after showing that a small development team with a
big idea could make an incredible physics-based goo construction game. -
Tetris Party from Tetris Online,
Inc., introduces a new version of the classic game, complete with multiplayer
options, new game modes and support for the Wii Balance Board (sold separately
with Wii Fit). -
Strong Bad’s Cool Game for
Attractive People from Telltale Games, the first episodic series on a console,
is a hilarious five-part adventure game series featuring the popular
Homestarrunner.com characters. -
The critically acclaimed
retro-styled BIT.TRIP BEAT from Aksys Games and Gaijin Games reminds longtime
video game fans of their gaming roots. -
LIT from WayForward Technologies
is a stylish horror action puzzle that has players fending off creepy – and
creeping – darkness. -
The beautifully enchanting
LostWinds from FRONTIER lets players use the Wii Remote controller to control
the power of the wind. -
Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles:
My Life as a King from SQUARE ENIX brings a unique adventure from the hugely
popular franchise to WiiWare. -
Mega Man 9 from CAPCOM returns a
classic franchise to its old-school, retro looks and lets players relive the
glory days of gaming. -
Dr. Mario Online Rx from Nintendo
brings online multiplayer game play to everyone’s favorite virus-busting
puzzle game.
Bonsai Barber™ from Nintendo is the
first-ever first-person grooming game that requires players to give haircuts to
a colorful cast of oddball and demanding plant-based characters.
Looking ahead, consumers can
anticipate yet another year of interesting WiiWare games, including:
-
Cave Story from Nicalis, arguably
the best-known indie game of all time. Cave Story takes players into a world
where a race of rabbit-like creatures runs free on a serene island. -
Icarian Kindred Spirits from Over
the Top Games, where players control Nyx, an enigmatic winged girl, who must
descend from heaven in search of her missing friend Icarus. -
Super Meat Boy from Team Meat, an
indie game in which players take the role of a cube of raw meat who must save
his princess from the clutches of evil. -
BIT.TRIP CORE from Aksys Games,
the follow-up to the well-reviewed BIT.TRIP BEAT with a similar graphic style
and rhythm component, but featuring a completely different retro game
mechanic. -
Final Fantasy IV: The After Years
from SQUARE ENIX, the long-awaited sequel to Final Fantasy IV that takes place
over a series of nine episodes.
Remember that Wii features parental
controls that let adults manage the content their children can access. For more
information about this and other Wii features, visit
www.Nintendo.com.
For more information about WiiWare,
visit www.WiiWare.com.
