Rob's Rants: WiiWare is Not a Failure

Filed in archive Features on July 30, 2008

WiiWare. Only a few months old, and already some are calling it a dissapointment. But is that true?

No, it isn't.

The only thing WiiWare is guilty of is not revolutionizing downloadable content. But was that ever the goal? Seems to me the purpose of WiiWare was to provide an avenue for the smaller developers (and large developers) to cheaply distribute software that probably, for various reasons, don't quite work out in boxed retail form.

Mainly, what WiiWare's detractors forget is that by and large most gamers prefer buying boxed copies. It is hard to see that changing. This isn't to say that downloadable content doesn't have importance. It is an emerging new market. But it isn't going to instantly take over the world, and that puts a limit on what we see on the various services.

Does WiiWare have 4 or 5 games that look worth playing, after only being around for a few months? Yes, it does. Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: My Life as a King, Gyrostarr, Lost Winds, Dr. Mario, and Star Soldier R all have merit, as do other titles.

And with new content in the pipe such as the greatly anticipated Strong Bad's Cool Game For Attractive People, the service has a bright future. And once Nintendo announces the storage solution that we all know is coming, it'll be even better!