Has anyone seen this Wii Mini thing?

[MagnaFarce]

http://www.eurogamer...wii-mini-review

 

I didn't know this even existed until today, but I'll tell you right now, I think it's terrible. I already had a huge problem with the original Wii as a 'next gen' console because it was vastly underpowered when compared to the competition, could only display in standard definition (personally, I don't care about this because I kind of prefer SD, but I know a lot of people do care about HD), wouldn't play DVDs even though it had the capability to, had dreadful wifi capabilities (in my experience), and it's only selling point was the wacky controllers which were only fun for a couple months before becoming a major hindrance.

 

Now they have a cheaper, brightly-coloured plastic version which has no internet capabilities, still doesn't play DVDs, is only capable of displaying through composite cables, has no SD card slot, and now won't even play Gamecube games. All that and it's still $100 with no pack-in game. The downgrade is baffling to me.

 

I would expect something like this from some shady, Chinese knockoff brand for $45. I would be completely okay with this system if it actually were in the $45-55 rage, because that's what I think it's worth, what with almost all the features removed or toned down to a near minimal level. Hell, $45 for a few months of solid fun is a pretty good deal. I even kind of like that it's made out of plastic. It kind of reminds me of the SNES, and that's kind of nice.

 

All in all, it's not what I would call a jump forward for Nintendo. In fact, I don't see this being a success at all. Nintendo has had a fairly good track record with their consoles, save a couple ambitious gambles which didn't pay off, but this looks pretty terrible. We'll see how long before there's a price drop.

[MagitekAngel]

I seriously think Nintendo is using Canada as a test market to see how low they can set the bar and still turn a profit. If the mini sells well enough here, expect it to underwhelm American consumers in the near future.

If the Mini weren't bad enough, it's also nigh-impossible to find a regular wii with GameCube ports these days.

[GKC]

I agree with the test market angle in regard to Canada. Did the wii really need to be made any smaller? I've never seen one in person but comparison photos don't really show that big of a difference between the wii mini and the wii.

[Atariboy]

Did the wii really need to be made any smaller?

 

I imagine that's just a byproduct of their cost cutting drive rather than being the point of why they undertook their redesign. Making game console's cheaper to manufacture inevitably means that the manufacturer can slim it down.

[Karyyk]

I'm sure they have a ton of consumer data at this point (how many Wii's have they sold at this point?) and I'm sure that data probably says that a large number of customers have never so much as browsed to the Wii store, much less bought a downloadable game (this is why consoles will not be going diskless anytime in the near future). With their short-term plans probably including closing up shop when it comes to non-WiiU WiiWare, this seems like a natural move to me, even if I don't like it.

 

It seems like there's a lot of anger and vitriol directed at companies that seem to be headed toward a completely digital distribution method (other than Valve...people like Steam), so when Nintendo goes and releases something that is as close to a traditional, got-to-have-game-media console, they're met with...anger and vitriol?

 

The only thing unforgivable here is cutting support for component video and 480p.

Edited January 10, 2013 by Karyyk

[Master Phruby]

It does seem like a strange move to remove the component video/480p. Can't they just add a hdmi port and have it run in standard def instead?

[MagnaFarce]

It seems like there's a lot of anger and vitriol directed at companies that seem to be headed toward a completely digital distribution method (other than Valve...people like Steam), so when Nintendo goes and releases something that is as close to a traditional, got-to-have-game-media console, they're met with...anger and vitriol?

 

Personally, I don't like digital stuff anyway. And if I want to surf the web or watch Netflix I'll use my computer because it's much better suited for the experience. My main problem is that it downgraded the video output quality, doesn't have Gamecube support, and still doesn't play DVDs. Actually, the DVD thing is my main problem, mainly because the whole thing about not including DVD playback when they very well could.

 

Personally, I just dislike the Wii in general, and I got worked up after seeing the Wii Mini and started to rant. I'd bo completely okay with it if it were around the $50 price range. The idea that something this downgraded is still $100 kind of irks me.

[Karyyk]

Personally, I don't like digital stuff anyway. And if I want to surf the web or watch Netflix I'll use my computer because it's much better suited for the experience. My main problem is that it downgraded the video output quality, doesn't have Gamecube support, and still doesn't play DVDs. Actually, the DVD thing is my main problem, mainly because the whole thing about not including DVD playback when they very well could.

 

Personally, I just dislike the Wii in general, and I got worked up after seeing the Wii Mini and started to rant. I'd bo completely okay with it if it were around the $50 price range. The idea that something this downgraded is still $100 kind of irks me.

 

New Wii's haven't had Gamecube support in some time (both of mine thankfully do) and, as you pointed out, they've never had DVD playback due to the whole licensing/royalty aspect (the reason Windows 8 also doesn't have native DVD playback). In a move where Nintendo is obviously trying to cut as much guts out of the machine as they can (and maximize profits...to the point of being greedy IMHO), I can't see them choosing to add it now.

 

Historically, I've liked the Wii, but a lot of what I liked about it has been stripped from this model. No component video is a deal-breaker. No network connectivity is a deal breaker (a lot of people would buy a Wii simply to stream Netflix...not a possibility here). No backward-compatibility is a deal breaker. When it comes to making games, Nintendo is still ahead of other first parties, but when it comes to internal decisions concerning their hardware, where it's going, what's trending, etc. they've consistently shown themselves to be either years behind the competition or off-the-mark completely.

Edited January 10, 2013 by Karyyk

[Rex Dart]

I hope it at least gets hacked to support the full range of homebrew... Space Invaders: Get Even was a download-only title, but it was some of the most fun I've had with the system. It'd be a shame for it to be totally incompatible with the new hardware.

[Atariboy]

Can't they just add a hdmi port and have it run in standard def instead?

 

They shouldn't of even stopped there.

 

They should've added an internal scaling chip so Wii output would be better quality on an average HDTV, they should've reintroduced GameCube compatibility, they should've finally supported the Game Boy Player via an optional base purchased from Nintendo's online store that would connect the Wii and a Game Boy Player together (Perhaps with a USB jumper cable connecting the two so they don't have to include a port on the bottom of the Wii that many user's wouldn't use), they should've released a menu app to put the system into Game Boy Player mode without the disc, they should've anted up for the necessary licenses to introduce CD and DVD playback, they should've internalized the WaveBird receivers and returned the WaveBird to production, added the ability to utilize virtual memory cards for GameCube games while still supporting the physical memory cards, they should've upped the internal memory several times over, they should've finally included a ethernet port out of the box, etc.

 

But sadly they were out to create a budget console with the frills their future Wii customer's are unlikely to care about stripped out to drive the cost as far down as possible instead of tacking on another $100 to the price of the Wii to create a premium version of the console with additional frills like it seem's clear everyone was hoping and wanting this device to do (And like they've done traditionally with their handhelds outside of removing BC a time or two as things like screen size and quality jump with each revision while additional features are typically added).

 

It's unfortunately a budget console aimed at new customer's that haven't yet taken the plunge on a Wii rather than something meant to supersede earlier version's of the Wii to lure existing customer's into buying a second version of the system. So it's useless to anyone that has an earlier version of the Wii (Particularly the original design with GCN compatibility).

 

I hope it at least gets hacked to support the full range of homebrew... Space Invaders: Get Even was a download-only title, but it was some of the most fun I've had with the system. It'd be a shame for it to be totally incompatible with the new hardware.

 

It at least has a single USB port for some bizarre reason despite their cost cutting drive (There weren't exactly a ton of legitimate reasons for a customer to be using the USB port's on their Wii as it was and two of the most common uses there were for it are now unnecessary... the Wii Speak peripheral and the wired ethernet adapter are both useless with no internet capabilities... yet a USB port remains despite there barely being any uses left for it).

 

So there's at least a possible connection method to an external hard drive for homebrew via that USB port. But the type of person going above and beyond the factory capabilities of their console strikes me as the type of customer that isn't going to be just be sticking with the included composite cables.

 

I imagine the lack of component video capabilities would greatly limit most of the interest in homebrew on a Wii Mini.

Edited January 10, 2013 by Atariboy

[godslabrat]

But sadly they were out to create a budget console with the frills their future Wii customer's are unlikely to care about stripped out to drive the cost as far down as possible instead of tacking on another $100 to the price of the Wii to create a premium version of the console with additional frills like it seem's clear everyone was hoping and wanting this device to do (And like they've done traditionally with their handhelds outside of removing BC a time or two as things like screen size and quality jump with each revision while additional features are typically added).

 

It's unfortunately a budget console aimed at new customer's that haven't yet taken the plunge on a Wii rather than something meant to supersede earlier version's of the Wii to lure existing customer's into buying a second version of the system. So it's useless to anyone that has an earlier version of the Wii (Particularly the original design with GCN compatibility).

 

 

If Nintendo had created a Super Wii Deluxe, I can just hear the outcry from fans saying THEY WAITING TILL WE ALL BOUGHT ONE, THEN RELEASED THE GOOD ONE!!!!!!!! See GBA SP, HDMI Xbox 360. People feel ripped off when better versions of existing hardware are released. It might not make sense, but it's true.

 

I see it as an incentive to be an early adopter. Wii owners who bought early got the best possible hardware and enjoyed it longer.

[Jinks]

Yeah everyone in Canada seen them for awhile now sitting on a shelf.. cause they suck..buy a real wii a old cube compat. best bang for buck console ever!! majority agrees sometimes it tells ya something ex beetle, model t, f150, corolla, so on so on..

[Master Phruby]

It sounds like you want a Super Game Cube. Just get rid of the motion control crap and add ethernet, built in wavebird, GBC cart slot, HDMI, DVD/CD support and internet.

[Jinks]

It sounds like you want a Super Game Cube. Just get rid of the motion control crap and add ethernet, built in wavebird, GBC cart slot, HDMI, DVD/CD support and internet.

Now thats what I am talking bout!!!

[godslabrat]

Now thats what I am talking bout!!!

 

While we're at it, I'd love it if Nintendo did that to the NES.

[Hatta]

It at least has a single USB port for some bizarre reason despite their cost cutting drive (There weren't exactly a ton of legitimate reasons for a customer to be using the USB port's on their Wii as it was and two of the most common uses there were for it are now unnecessary... the Wii Speak peripheral and the wired ethernet adapter are both useless with no internet capabilities... yet a USB port remains despite there barely being any uses left for it).

 

My controller charger runs off of USB power. It's the Nintendo blessed one from Sanyo, so that's a pretty important reason to leave a USB port. Launching games from hard disk is also completely legtimate if you own the DVDs.

[godslabrat]

My controller charger runs off of USB power. It's the Nintendo blessed one from Sanyo, so that's a pretty important reason to leave a USB port. Launching games from hard disk is also completely legtimate if you own the DVDs.

 

NFL Training Camp uses an accessory that needs the USB port.

[roland p]

I hope it at least gets hacked to support the full range of homebrew...

Yeah, it will probably hacked and turned into something useful, including component video outputs.

[twoquickcapri]

I would bet that they removed 480p, SD card, Wi-Fi, and Wii Ware/VC because I would think at least 75% of the users didn't use them. All the non-gamers I know use it as a Wii Sports box.

[MagnaFarce]

I would bet that they removed 480p, SD card, Wi-Fi, and Wii Ware/VC because I would think at least 75% of the users didn't use them. All the non-gamers I know use it as a Wii Sports box.

All the non-gamers I know used it for Wii Sports for about the first four or five months and now just use it as a Netflix box.

[+wood_jl]

* No Gamecube backward compatibility (although the previous redesign lacked it, too)

* No Wi-Fi

* No USB Ethernet adapter support

* No SD Card slot

* No Component or S-video

* Not much smaller than the original Wii

 

From this thread, where it's all been argued-out already, for 4 pages.....

 

http://www.atariage.com/forums/topic/205816-news-of-a-redesigned-wii-may-have-been-substantiated/

[MagnaFarce]

From this thread, where it's all been argued-out already, for 4 pages.....

 

http://www.atariage.com/forums/topic/205816-news-of-a-redesigned-wii-may-have-been-substantiated/

Thanks for posting that. I'm going to go check it out. I did a search for 'Wii Mini' because I didn't want to make a double post, but nothing came up so I started this.

[Atariboy]

My controller charger runs off of USB power. It's the Nintendo blessed one from Sanyo, so that's a pretty important reason to leave a USB port. Launching games from hard disk is also completely legtimate if you own the DVDs.

 

Are you sure it's officially licensed by Nintendo?

 

Just to clarify, I'm aware if has uses including with official equipment even with the removal of online support. But the functions left that it can handle aren't exactly teaming with consumer's that are regularly utilizing them. And particularly for new Wii owners from here on out, i doubt things like a Sanyo charger will exactly be flying off the shelves.

 

Nintendo hasn't shown reluctance in removing useful features in the past in the drive to cut cost. So in light of that and the elimination of online support that was the most important feature for many Wii owner's in regard to their USB ports, I think it's fair to be puzzled why they chose to retain a USB port on this redesign.

 

They've seemingly removed everything else they could possibly remove to trim cost, so why keep this? About the only thing I can think of are dancing and singing games. They seem to be a popular genre with the casual Wii fanbase. Do any of them have USB accessories like mic's?

Edited January 13, 2013 by Atariboy

[MagnaFarce]

They've seemingly removed everything else they could possibly remove to trim cost, so why keep this? About the only thing I can think of are dancing and singing games. They seem to be a popular genre with the casual Wii fanbase. Do any of them have USB accessories like mic's?

I know Rock Band uses the USB port, and I assume that Guitar Hero does too. Those games seem to be some of the most widely played games among casual players, so I guess it makes sense that they would leave it in if they're focusing on the casual user.

[Hatta]

Are you sure it's officially licensed by Nintendo?

 

It's this one:

Detail:

SANYO N-WR03S Wii Remote Charging System is Officially Licensed by Nintendo!

Their emphasis.