Nintendo offers keyboard support for Wii!

Wow, I just updated to firmware v3.1 on my Wii yesterday, only to find out that Nintendo finally, FINALLY added keyboard support to their console. I was hoping for a day that surfing the Opera Browser would be far easier (assuming that was the intent of this update). Seems like I'm game with it, using the Wiimote like a mouse, and now USB keyboard support, I'm beginning to love my Wii more and more everyday with this type of stuff:

http://kotaku.com/gaming/upgrades/wii-firmware-31-brings-keyboard-support-309169.php

I just only wish Nintendo updated the Wii itself so the Wii's "Home Menu" (the one you hit the Home Button for) was loaded-in and handled by the Wii itself, rather than relying on the game to do it for them....

As it stands there's no room for improvement in that manner without every game having what was at the time the 'latest' version....Nintendo needs to rip-off 360's dashboard system. ;/

Anyways, rant over, back onto keyboard support, yep, long needed, was about time they added it, was figuring they were never going to improve the base system itself, but I guess I was wrong.
(now if only the system had a harddrive so the Internet Channel could actually cache my results)

Shame I'm selling my Wii, haven't used it in ages and I'm sorry but paper mario and metroid can't compete with the 360's offerings.

Might be but they don't cost as much as 360 offerings as well :)


Waited for that and assumed that it would soon appear. there are still a few nintendo projects that would highly benefit of keyboards ... and this raised the chance that they might appear sooner than later

Like the gurantee to brick offerings?

Andy:
What about Mario Galaxy? Mario Kart? Super Smash Brothers? These are all coming out shortly.

Smash Bros got delayed to February. ;/

Shame Nintendo isn't pushing more unique IPs rather than just tossing Mario in everything....was looking forward to see'ing how Project HAMMER would handle, but then Nintendo just shoved it into the closet.

Exactly. Selling your Wii right now would be like selling a 360 a month before Halo 3 came out, it doesn't make much sense. I am really enjoying the recent virtual console titles like the Japan import, Sin and Punishment. Check it out:

http://www.vc-reviews.com/review/570/sin-and-punishment.php

Mario Strikers Charged is another great game that's out right now with Wi-Fi multiplayer. Recent news suggests that Dr. Mario will be released via WiiWare, also with online multiplayer - and Nintendo just gave all Wii owners 4 FREE remote jackets!

http://www.vc-reviews.com/news/174/dress-up-your-wii-remote-for-free.php

I don't see how things could be much better!

I'm not really a mario. I didn't like n64 mario kart or double dash. I don't like smash bros and am not that keen on 3D mario platfrom games.
There's other ways to play virtual console games, without having to shell out over the odds prices for them.

There's a tonne of games I want to play on the 360, that have no chance in coming out on the Wii, unless they're massivle degraded in teh graphics department, and to be honest, the novelty of the wiimote and nunchuck has worn off.

As for multiplay, I've been playing full multiplayer voice enabled games on xbox for the last three years, and it's now the standard on Xbox games, nintendo really aren't going to pull me in with their talk of more multiplayer titles coming soon, there's not even a microphone for the wii so who are they kidding?

Right, and paying a subscription fee for it.

I've never understood the allure of using a microphone in multiplayer games. I can see how it could be useful in certain team oriented games, but for the average release it is definitely not a necessary feature. Who wants to talk to a bunch of kids, anyway?

If the prospect of four player Smash Bros. online doesn't excite you, I agree that you should probably sell the Wii.

They aren't kidding anyone. Nintendo needed a year less than Microsoft to reach the same amount of sold consoles,yet they still outsell the X360 quite easily although all said that the novelity factor will wear of after 6 months.
The ones that got to be kidding is microsoft by praising the superiority of eye candy instead of content.
Oh did we mention: the best point is the fact that the female percentage on Wii and NDS is significantly higher than on any other game capable platform with a near 50% share?

But thats why there is more than one console.
There is a console for those who want high end graphics and one for those who want innovative games and ideas, which can not be done on X360 due to the little fact of the multi million budget needed to create a HD 5.1 sound game which is required to publish on X360.

Oh and then there is the console for those who want to throw out money, now in a new version for europe: PS3, 40GB hd and they removed the only feature that made this piece of crap worth any money: PS2 backward compatibility. And the best: even in that useless condition it is still as expensive as the X360 Elite rofl ... that was the last nail in PS3s coffin in europe.
First they didn't release the 20GB non HDMI version here, now the remove the 60GB PS3 with PS2 support from europe. Why did they even release it here initially if they didn't have any further plans than make fun of us ^^

If you ask me, any game that includes texting should have voice-chat as well. Only problem that Nintendo is still creating is the whole friend-code PER-GAME crap, it's ruining the system's chance of having a universal friend-list (re: the one already stored on your contact list) by enforcing that, let alone still removing any means of communications with other players other than canned phrases....

The Wii isn't going to get anywhere online until Nintendo breaks down that 'child-safe' barrier for those of us whom already know how to handle ourselves with strangers.
(not to mention a harddrive, for cheat-prevention updates)

Looking forward to SSBB online myself, but I still can't stand the fact Nintendo's going the route the DS took with regards to how it's setup....

I really feel Nintendo just needs to bite the bullet and rip-off what Microsoft's got going in their XBLive! service and just rip the whole dashboard idea out and implement it into their Home Menu.
(it's going to suck when the Wii has a lot of decent online games, but you have no means of knowing which of your friends are online, and what they're playing)

This is wrong Genexi.
Wii never had unique friend code per game. Wii is friend code per console!

Only NDS is unique friend code per game.

I actually don't like the way this system works very much. Would like to add friends online directly ... and I as well would like an "MMO like" game which will never happen as long as the friends code part is enforced ...

Depends on the game, some do it per console (Metroid Prime3 for example, albeit it's not exactly an 'online' game), but last I heard, Mario Strikers uses a per-game setup, and same for Madden '08.

Mario Strikers Charged has friend codes that only pertain to that game. Metroid 3 lets you send vouchers to anyone on your Wii contact list. I personally don't have a problem with the friend code system as long as there is a way to search for random matches. It would be nice to carry over your friends to each game, but until then I just don't bother with the friend system at all.

Think there'll ever be a chance of being able to host your own games or join one via a lobby?

I only know of Madden '08 having one, and that's because EA went out of their way to actually include one, where-as all the Nintendo games appear to just have a standard-rules matchmaking system with no way of specifying if you wanted it to play it in this style or another.
(which will be a big deal for me in SSBB, stock match, time match, survival, all those gameplay tweaks you can choose....etc)

Don't think should be a problem. Has been possible in several Nintendo NDS games already.
Its just that if a game has no configurable elements, it makes no sense if you can configure them ^^

I think it's great that nintendo have managed to sell this many units. Especially as it's not a high-tech platform (compared to 360+PS3), the games are more expensive and there really aren't many to choose from.

The main problem I have with the Wii to be honest, is all these party games coming for it. I'm not interested in them at all. I want engaging games that draw me in, such as first person shooters, racing games and maybe MMO's. I really can't see the Wii having an MMO anytime soon, and not to the scale that could be handled by the 360.

As for the online service. I'm happy to pay for a quality service, and now it's gettign even better with cross platform play against PC's. Microsoft really have cornered the market with their online system, and they're able to do this partly because it's a paid for service. Nintendo have an appalling online service, you can't even download demos. Sony keep promising the earth with their "Home" system, but that's still to see the light of day. So for me, Microsoft is still really the way to go.

Some good news though I hear for you Wii owners, you're getting sega bass fishing (ported from a seven year old dreamcast game), go you!

If the Wii get better in the future maybe I'll get one again, but for now I'm jumping ship.

The scale is not the problem for MMO. Its the friend code system. From what I read somewhere, there was an MMO project that was dropped or modified due to it. As "all open play with each other" isn't "desired" by nintendo

But you are right on the dragging in games. there are really only few. But they are going to come. Nintendo so far did what they targeted: getting new audience and make the Wii a living room family experience, not the hardcore experience.

Well theres no denying that the current available games for the Wii is lacking quality, and they are quite behind in the multiplayer arena. Nintendo seems to be very comfortable with their current situation and is quite firm in their family-friendly stance and simple casual gaming. Especially since they're getting non gamers to actually play the Wii now. I do believe that they are aware that people (hardcore gamers) are begining to talk, but how they're gonna handle that is still left out in the open. Considering how well Metroid Prime 3 did in the US alone is proof that Wii gamers still enjoy the hardcore stuff too. But, there big name games comming out soon so.....

Why, sure, and the most anticipated couple of Wii games now would be Super Mario Galaxy and Super Smash Brothers Brawl. Outside of that, it may be a while before anything good come into play, maybe Mario Kart Wii, but that's about it.

What? You're saying you wouldnt buy Ninja Bread Man? Come on!!! :p