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Nintendo admits Wii storage is a problem

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Nintendo admits Wii storage is a problem

Popularity of Virtual Console and WiiWare sees platform holder consider further storage options

Nintendo has for the first time admitted that the limited 512mb internal memory stored inside the Nintendo Wii is beginning to pose a problem, and has stated that it is looking to address it.

NoE’s MD of marketing Laurent Fischer famously said last month that “geeks and otaku are the only people who would want the internal memory issue addressed” – a position that now seems to have changed.

However, speaking to MTV Multiplayer, charismatic NoA boss Reggie File-Aime stated: “We have said publicly that we’re looking hard at the storage situation, that we’re working on a range of solutions. We have nothing to announce now. But certainly it’s an issue we are aware of and we’re working to find a solution and we will.

“From an Americas-centric perspective, here is the reality we see. We have a consumer base who loves virtual console. We have a userbase who really is enjoying WiiWare content. So for us really our challenge really is how do we satisfy all these consumers who are loving all of the product we make available on a download basis?

“As we continue to have things, as you point out, like ‘Mario Kart’ that has its own channel when you’re playing from an internet perspective, we’re just making this challenge tougher and tougher. So in our view this is becoming much more of a mainstream problem, which is why we have a sense of urgency to solve it.”

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what exactly is the problem?

posted by holdmykidney Jul 28, 2008 at 8:25 am
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holdmykidney

I'm not understanding why this is a problem. The PSP never had any internal storage, despite the fact that internet and additional content has always been popular and the fact that you had to buy a memory stick was never an issue. So why is it so hard to rely on consumers buying a £5.99 SD Card?

Is it, perhaps, that Nintendo hid the SD slot away and had never really made it obvious to people?

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Re: what exactly is the problem?

posted by ChristopherM Jul 28, 2008 at 9:34 am
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ChristopherM

1 - The problem is that you can only store games on the SD card. To actually play a game stored on the SD card, you would have to copy it to the Wii's internal memory, which takes an age, particularly for the larger N64 games.

I downloaded the VC version of Mario 64 because is slightly higher res than the original, but I can plug in my N64 and dig out the cartridge more quickly than I can load the "more convenient" VC version from the SD card.

If Nintendo could issue a system upgrade so that games could be played directly from the SD card then everybody would be happy. Unfortunately, the fact that it has not done so already suggests it may be architectually impossible.

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