Nintendo Preparing To Distribute WiiWare Demos

By Ishaan . November 3, 2009 . 12:01pm

Interesting info is already coming out of Nintendo’s earnings briefing Q&A. IGN picked up on an interesting point that Iwata mentioned, namely that Nintendo will be starting a test program for WiiWare demos this month.

The program will only include a few titles — no names were mentioned — but it’s a move they hope will encourage more people to shop online for WiiWare games.

Speaking of demos, it’s surprising that the Doc Louis’ Punch-Out!! game is exclusive to Club Nintendo members. From what I’ve seen of it, it looks like it’d make for an excellent Punch-Out!! demo in general that could get people interested in buying the full game.

TAGS: Nintendo, Wii, WiiWare

Next >

< Prev

EdgeKun

I personally think this is something Nintendo's really been needing for quite some time. Demos can easily convince people to buy games they wouldn't have considered normally, and it confuses me that they're just now implementing it.

I guess better late than never though.

Aoshi00

Yeah, one reason I like XBLA the most if they always put out trials at the same time the full game is released. If you play 10 mins of it and like it, you click and buy it, you don't like it you lose nothing (I tried TMNT Re-shelled and decided to totally not get it). Otherwise it really makes you think twice and go dig out reviews to find out whether this game is actually for you or not. PSN does this too, but they always roll out the trials a lot later, like Bionic Commando Rearmed. Nintendo definitely has lots to improve w/ their online service, Wiiware, etc. It would be nice if they let us try out VC, not just Wiiware too, since sometimes I forget if an old game is actually still fun (it might be fun back then but not in 2009). Case in point, River City Ransom, a blast when I was in grade school, not fun now.. so I regret spending that $5. Or maybe I was thinking of other Kunio games..

I know good demos have made me go "I need to get this game on day 1".

malek86

Only a few titles? Come on now. They seriously needed to do that for all the titles, like MS does for XBLA.

It shouldn't be difficult to implement either. Just put out a time-limited version that can be unlocked with a simple click.

Aoshi00

Sry, my above reply was meant for you :(... speaking of demos for limited time, I don't like that at all because most of the time I'm busy during the week and don't try it until the weekend. They were so cheap w/ Numblast (Qruton) the puzzle game on PSN, I think it had a time limit of 3 days after you d/l'ed it. I didn't read the fine print and left it by the side, and it wasn't working anymore when I tried, thought it was so stupid.. perhaps on my part. Guess trials w/ limited time is still better than none at all.

malek86

I meant more like "after five minutes, the game sends you back to the main screen".

Aoshi00

Oh, that kind of time limit like most XBLA trials.. in that case that's fair. You know I was trying Hasbro's Connect 4 and it only let me play for less than 10 secs, I was like "Conn.ect.. fo..!" then back to the start screen, what a tease, so I didn't end up buying it even it was half price at 400 pt. But yeah, Numblast (both PSP/PS3) 's demo was voided if you don't play it 3 days after your d/l, so they expired before I could even try them.