Nintendo Wii Fanboy

The Internet Channel sits there in the Wii Menu with all the other loser channels (as in, all the ones that aren't River City Ransom), just waiting to accidentally be opened when you try to open River City Ransom. Or ... do you use the thing? We know you're not using it to watch TV shows on Hulu, unfortunately, because we tried. We're region-locked out of the BBC iPlayer, as well.

If you are actively Channeling some Internet through your Wii, what are you using it for? Occasional email checking? Obsessive awesome Wii blog checking? Italian Spiderman?

It still puzzles us that the BBC was so keen to make its (admittedly excellent and very popular) iPlayer catch-up service compatible with the Wii. Are there really that many Wii owners out there with internet-ready PCs who would opt to use the service on the Wii's slightly clunky Opera browser? Why not just use your PC to watch the latest editions of Gavin & Stacey and The Apprentice? You know: the one you're using to read these words, right at this very second?

Not only that, but the iPlayer on the Wii is hardly user-friendly. Text is so small that it's almost unreadable, loading times are hardly ideal, and the low resolution of the Wii's browser makes navigation awkward. Cue the intervention of WiiPlayer, a hacked version of the iPlayer that has been optimized for Nintendo's console, and is now available for use at http://defaced.co.uk/wiiplayer.

It won't work on your PC, and it goes without saying you'll still have to reside in the UK to use this, but WiiPlayer does do a sterling job, replacing the iPlayer's teensy text and browser-taxing layout with pleasingly chunky, Wiimote-friendly icons and a cleaner, less cluttered appearance.


[Via Tech Digest]

Those of us too cheap to buy DVRs love that most TV networks offer their programming online -- after all, we'd hate to tell our friends that we couldn't hang out on a Friday night because we had to watch BSG. Even so, we prefer to watch TV on actual televisions rather than computer screens. The Wii seems like a perfect way to compromise this, but until Adobe releases a Flash upgrade on their software development kit, it's not going to happen.

We already know that a lot of you use your Wii's Opera browser, but what do you think of it? Are there any limitations you've noticed besides the Flash issue? What other improvements do you think Opera could make? And are there any games or applications that you find perfect for Wii browsing?

Now we know what makes you people tick: the BBC. Our inboxes (and comments) have been flooded with news about the BBC iPlayer in one of our most-tipped stories ever.

If you're one of the five people who didn't send us this tip and don't know what's up, the BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation) announced today that their iPlayer, which allows viewers to catch up with BBC shows online, is now compatible with the Wii. And yes, that means you'll be able to watch Dr. Who, EastEnders, and other such programmes on your TV to your tea-drinking heart's content.

Should this venture by the BBC become successful (which we think it will -- after the news was announced, the number of people using the iPlayer rose significantly), we wouldn't be surprised to see other major networks adopt their services to Nintendo's console.

That's not to say that the BBC isn't running into some problems with the idea, though. Right now, the network is quarreling with ISPs over who should pay the extra service costs. Even so, the player can be used as soon as today, with more polished video quality promised in the future. You'll probably also be relieved to know that the service is free, although it will cost you money to download Nintendo's internet channel if you haven't done so already.

The other catch? The BBC iPlayer is only available in the UK, for the time being, but BBC Worldwide is apparently working on getting an international player up and running.

[Via TVSquad; thanks to everyone who sent this in!]

It's been awhile since we talked about the Opera browser on the Wii. Maybe because it's been a long time since the thing was free, as anyone interested in surfing the tubes of the interweb on their Wii now has to dish out the monies. Or, maybe it's because we haven't used it in awhile ourselves, as our current lot in life has us chained to a laptop until we die from blogging.

Are you actively hitting the net on your Wii? If so, is it your primary means of reading Wii Fanboy? When was the last time you used the browser? Did you have to pay for it, or did you nab it back when it was free?

A fresh press release from Hullbreach Online, that Wii Internet Channel MMO we reported on a few weeks back, states that some people have decided to give it a try. With 1,175 members, the game has grown a bit. There are now 576 different sectors that players can hyperjump to, as well as numerous quests and combat scenarios to complete. From the press release, it sounds like this thing is growing pretty fast.

While we haven't played it ourselves (darn this blogging), we love to hear about this kind of stuff. Ambition projects are few and far between, it seems, so we look forward to December. Why? Well, that's when the final release hits, which will have NPC interaction, asteroid mining and player-to-player bartering.

Has anyone given this a try? Are you finding it to your liking? Or, is it a waste of time?

[Via press release]

It was a big day for Nintendo fans. Not only did we get some great announcements out of a surprise conference in Japan, but we were greeted by the friendly blue glow when we were able to tear ourselves away from said news and actually look at our beloved consoles.

While exciting on the face, though, today's update ends up being less than thrilling. Much-needed keyboard functionality came to the Opera browser, but it's still limited, and the Wii remote must be used to navigate through text boxes. Take the average search form as an example; at the computer, most of the time, you can type in your search terms and hit enter -- or at the most, tab to the search button and then hit enter. No such luck with the Wii's browser. It's more like this:

1. Navigate to text box with Wii remote
2. Enter text on keyboard
3. Navigate to enter/search button with Wii remote
   
4. Profit. Very slow and awkward profit, but better than a poke in the eye with ye olde sharp stick.

Every Tuesday, Mike Sylvester brings you REVOLUTIONARY, a look at the wide world of Wii possibilities.

Are you getting tired of "Wii gimmicks?" Has waggling lost its charm? Has the Wii's cheese become old and moldy and sent you looking for the bathroom? And are you tired of seeing everyday words being pwiif ... *ahem* - prefixed with "Wii?" If the answer to all of those questions is a resounding "Heck no!" then read on as we wiicap Revolutionaries past, and wiivisit the projects and hobbies previously featured and see how they've progressed since last we discussed them.

If you've been in the vicinity of your Wii within the last few minutes, you might have noticed it started glowing. With the latest system update and new Metroid Prime 3 channel, we thought it might be something worthwhile. And, while its contents aren't anything spectacular as far as news goes, it does show that Nintendo cares.

The latest system update fixes a supposed known glitch with the Wii's Opera browser. Apparently, some have had their system lock up while using the thing, which this new update so happens to correct. Also, the update adds some stability to the Wii LAN adapter, which we can't comment on using since our HQ is all fancy-schmancy with its wireless capabilities.

[Thanks to everyone that sent this in!]

After spending some time with the game on our DS, we fell in love with the experience that Picross DS provided. Now, we can get that on our Wii, as wiipicross.com allows Wii owners to take on several different puzzles, as well as an ever-changing daily puzzle, whenever they like. After giving it a whirl ourselves, we found the puzzles to be challenging and fun.

Wait, don't tell us you forgot to get the browser before June 30th?

[Thanks, hvnlysoldr!]

Those of you looking to invest some time in a new web-based game should hit up the official site for Live Free or Die Hard. Custom-tailored for the Wii, the game features controls suited for the Wiimote. And, after playing it for a few minutes, we should note that we found it to be a tad bit monotonous, as we jabbed our way to victory against a handful of terrorists.

[Thanks, hvnlysoldr; via 4cr]

In releasing the final version of the Opera web browser for the Wii, it was believed that all security threats evident in the trial version of the channel were fixed. Turns out, that might not be the case, as hackers are finding a new exploit in the included browser's Flash Player. Through this loophole, it's believed that hackers could get emulators running on the system. This, for obvious reasons, would be a disaster for Nintendo.

Every Tuesday, Mike Sylvester brings you REVOLUTIONARY, a look at the wide world of Wii possibilities.

When WiiWare was announced, it seemed like a godsend for the garage developer wishing to make Wii games for mass appreciation. But details on how to get your hands on a WiiWare development kit and the costs involved are not public knowledge, and the official launch of the distribution channel (on the Wii Shop Channel) isn't going to be happening until some time next year. So what's a Wii-loving, budget-restricted developer to do in the meanwhile? Making games for Wii's Opera Browser is one option.

No doubt, you're well-informed and have been enjoying the Opera browser on your Wii for months, without a single care in the world. Or, you live a life of danger and have been waiting, in anticipation of almost missing the free grace period to download the browser, in the hopes that your life would become more exciting through stupidity danger. Or, maybe you just forgot.

Regardless of which camp you fall in, it would do you well to inform one and all that starting July 1st, the Opera browser will set you back a cool 500 Wii Points ($5 USD). Everyone who downloads the browser before then will have it for free, for the life of the system, obviously. So, if you have yet to even get your own Wii (GASP!), you might want to run out and nab it now, then download the Opera browser. It'll save you 5 bucks!

[Thanks, Nushio!]

Why make retail games for consoles when you can make Flash games that also happen to work with consoles? That's the attitude Cartoon Network seems to be taking with their recently-announced MEGA series game service developed by AFI's Digital Content Lab. The MEGA series will feature games based on as-yet unannounced Cartoon Network and Adult Swim shows, and it's going to be fully compatible with the Wii browser (oh, and the PS3 also).