Nintendo will offer demos of WiiWare games beginning later this month in a bid to stimulate sales of downloadable titles.
The test programme was confirmed by Nintendo president Satoru Iwata during a financial results briefing, reports IGN. Initially it will cover only a few select titles and it's currently unclear whether it will run outside of Japan.
Iwata said that downloadable sales on Nintendo platforms make up just a small part of the company's business and that he wasn't yet sure if offering demos was the best way to grow WiiWare.
Pitched as an environment that's financially safer for developers to experiment within and create "unusual ideas, quirky games and things that would never have a chance in retail stores", the WiiWare service was launched in March 2008 in Japan and in May 2008 in North America, Europe and Australia.
WiiWare recently saw its hundredth release in Europe and the latest issue of Edge, E208, features an examination of the current state of the service.
This will definitely boost sales of online purchases for its Wiware titles. I am sure pretty sure everyone would love to have demoes to try before you buy. It would have certainly helped me keep away from one or two stinkers on Wiiware... Onslaught, I am looking at you! =)
p.s. I am aware that Onslaught was great for what it crammed in compared to it's size... still pretty pants though
Haven't even benn online with my wii, since I bought World of Goo.
Too many titles, which ones are good, which ones are bad? No way to find out, unless you want to spend a laborious time searching reviws on the internet. And then it's still a subjective opinion.
So I stopped caring and it hurts me to know that I've probably missed out on a few good titles, but I just can't be bothered, Too much work, and then you may still end up with a crappy title.
So, yes, free trials and demoes ROCK (if you want my money) and are the only sane way to do this.
If only it'll get to Europe. And let it include all titles, not just a select few!
They really do. The only reason i haven't really bothered witht the games on PSN other than flower is because you just don't know wht you're getting half the time.
The trial systems the best thing about both arcade and community games as it allows you to take a chance and find some really great games.
I MAED A GAME WITH ZOMBIES IN IT! for example. well worth the 80ms i paid for it after giving the trial a whirl. I know its not much but i don't think anyone would bother trying community games at all if it wasn't for the feature.
Considering the wealth of great games on wiiware its a shame that more people aren't playing them. hopefully this'll remedy the situation.
This will definitely boost sales of online purchases for its Wiware titles. I am sure pretty sure everyone would love to have demoes to try before you buy.
Agree with you there bud.
It would have certainly helped me keep away from one or two stinkers on Wiiware... Onslaught, I am looking at you! =)
And that's one of the downsides. All the crap games that people only ever bought out of naiveness or having false will now be less likely to sell (unless out of foolishness or a gran buying for her grandkids etc).
Not that developers of XBLA games seem to complain but I can imagine all the shovelware WiiWare developers doing so (like they already have with the retail ones).
Copyright 2006 - 2009 Future Publishing Limited, Beauford Court, 30 Monmouth Street, Bath, UK BA1 2BW England and Wales company registration number 2008885
