Developer | Nintendo |
---|---|
Type | Online service |
Launch date | November 19, 2006 |
Discontinued | June 27, 2013 |
Platform(s) | Wii |
Website | nintendo |
WiiConnect24 is a discontinued feature of Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection for the Wii. It was first announced at Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) in mid-2006 by Nintendo. [1] It enabled the user to remain connected to the Internet while the console was on standby. For example, in Animal Crossing: City Folk , a friend could send messages to another player without the recipient being present in the game at the same time as the sender.
On June 27, 2013, Nintendo shut down WiiConnect24. Consequently, the Wii channels that required it, online data exchange via Wii Message Board, and passive online features for certain games (the latter two of which made use of 16-digit Wii Friend Codes) were all rendered unusable. [2] [3]
The Wii U does not officially support WiiConnect24, therefore most preloaded and downloadable Wii channels were unavailable on the Wii U's Wii Mode menu and Wii Shop Channel, even prior to WiiConnect24's shutdown. On the shutdown date, the defunct downloadable Wii channels were removed from the Wii Shop Channel.
WiiConnect24 was succeeded by SpotPass, a different trademark name for similar content-pushing functions that the Nintendo Network service could perform for the newer Nintendo 3DS and Wii U consoles. SpotPass shut down alongside the Nintendo Network on April 8, 2024.
In 2015 and 2020, fan-made services, called RiiConnect24 and WiiLink24 respectively, were established as a replacement for WiiConnect24, aiming to bring back WiiConnect24 to those who have a homebrewed Wii console. On December 29, 2023, RiiConnect24 and WiiLink24 combined to become one project and henceforth is simply known as WiiLink. [4] Currently, WiiLink offers access to most services using the functionality, as well as sending messages to other users in the Wii Message Board. [5]
WiiConnect24 was used to receive content such as Wii Message Board messages sent from other Wii consoles, Miis, emails, updated channel and game content, and notifications of software updates. If the Standby Connect mode of WiiConnect24 is enabled, this content can also be received when the Wii is left in standby mode. While running in standby mode with Standby Connection enabled, the Wii uses about 9.6 watts, compared to 1.3 watts without WiiConnect24. [6]
WiiConnect24 can still be turned on or off via the setup interface. If it is on, the user is allowed to enable or disable Standby Connect mode. While the console is in standby, the power LED indicates the current status of the standby connection; red indicating Standby Connect is off and yellow indicating Standby Connect mode is on. If the power button on the console is pressed and held down for three to four seconds, the Wii goes into standby mode with Standby Connect off. If the Wii is cut off from power and power is later restored, it goes into standby mode with Standby Connect mode off, and WiiConnect24 will not operate until the console is turned on.
The Wii's optical drive will glow a neon-blue colour when Wii Message Board data has been received through WiiConnect24 in Standby Connect mode and, with firmware 3.0 and above, it will briefly flash when the console is turned on. The brightness level of this blue light can be changed via the Setup Interface with the options of Bright, Dim, or Off.
The flowing light on the Wii is timed with the bird call of the Japanese bush warbler. [7]
When game messages are received with pictures, the player can view and customise them in the Photo Channel. The player would also be able to send them to other Wii consoles. Nintendo would also send messages to players, which they could opt out of.
During an interview with the Japanese newspaper Nikkei Business Publications , Nintendo's CEO, Satoru Iwata, revealed that the WiiConnect24 could be used for the downloading of demos for the Nintendo DS (this was later revealed to be the Nintendo Channel). [8]
"Let's say your Wii is connected to the Internet in a mode that allows activation on a 24-hour basis. This would allow Nintendo to send monthly promotional demos for the DS, during the night, to the Wii consoles in each household. Users would wake up each morning, find the LED lamp on their Wii flashing, and know that Nintendo has sent them something. They would then be able to download the promotional demo from their Wii systems to their Nintendo DS's."
According to Nintendo's European micro-site for the Wii, WiiConnect24 could be used to send SMS messages "to family members that are out and about", and exchange pictures and messages with other Wii users. [9]
The following were Wii Menu channels that used WiiConnect24 that were released in North America:
Channel | Description | Release date | Discontinuation date |
---|---|---|---|
Mii Channel | Miis created by friends can be shared | November 19, 2006 (came with console) | — |
Wii Shop Channel | Download games by using "Wii Points" | November 19, 2006 (came with console) | January 30, 2019 |
Forecast Channel | Current local and worldwide weather conditions | December 20, 2006 (an update was required to activate the channel in launch consoles) | June 27, 2013 |
News Channel | The latest news articles and headlines | January 24, 2007 (an update was required to activate the channel in launch consoles) | June 27, 2013 |
Everybody Votes Channel | View polls and results | February 14, 2007 | June 27, 2013 |
Check Mii Out Channel/Mii Contest Channel | Miis can be shared as well as judged on a global scale | November 11, 2007 | June 27, 2013 |
Mario Kart Channel | Can race ghost data, view worldwide racing times, view friend list, participate in competitions like tournaments | April 10, 2008 (Japan), April 11, 2008 (Europe), April 24, 2008 (Australia), April 27, 2008 (America) | May 20, 2014 [10] |
Nintendo Channel | Allows Wii users to watch trailers for games and download demos for the Nintendo DS. | November 27, 2007 (Japan), May 7, 2008 (America), May 30, 2008 (Europe and Australia) | June 27, 2013 |
Wii Speak Channel | Allows users to leave voice messages on friends' message boards. | December 5, 2008 (users must have Wii Speak to download) | May 20, 2014 [10] |
Metroid Prime 3 Preview Channel | Allows users to watch trailers and previews of Metroid Prime 3: Corruption before it released. | August 10, 2007 (America), October 15, 2007 (Europe) | December 31, 2007 |
The Forecast Channel and News Channel required WiiConnect24 and Standby Connection to be enabled; if WiiConnect24 was enabled and Standby Connection was disabled, the channels would give an error message upon launch and return the user to the Wii Menu. This was required so the channels could download up-to-date information.
The initial firmware update caused some parts of the console to be inaccessible to a small portion of people who purchased the Wii at launch. Those Wii consoles received constant error codes. [11] For those users it was necessary to contact Nintendo's customer service to replace or repair the console. [12]
In some countries, trying to connect to WiiConnect24 displayed a screen stating that the service "is currently not being offered". This could be circumvented by selecting a different country as a location. It is currently unknown what the actual availability map of the service was.
The PAL versions of the Wii connected with RGB SCART cables continue to send a SCART switching signal when the Wii is in WiiConnect24 standby mode. This occurs with both official Nintendo RGB SCART cables, and any third party RGB SCART cables that carry the SCART switching signal. This problem can be alleviated by disabling standby mode, but leaving WiiConnect24 running.
When the disc slot light glows, it can cause the Wii to get hot in standby mode. This is because the fan is turned off while the console is in standby mode.
On June 28, 2013, Nintendo discontinued all WiiConnect24 services. The Wii Shop Channel closed on January 30, 2019, and remaining video-on-demand services on Wii also ended on that date. [13]
SCART is a French-originated standard and associated 21-pin connector for connecting audio-visual (AV) equipment. The name SCART comes from Syndicat des Constructeurs d'Appareils Radiorécepteurs et Téléviseurs, "Radio and Television Receiver Manufacturers' Association", the French organisation that created the connector in the mid-1970s. The related European standard EN 50049 was refined and published in 1978 by CENELEC, calling it péritelevision, but it is commonly called by the abbreviation péritel in French.
The Wii is a home video game console developed and marketed by Nintendo. It was released on November 19, 2006, in North America, and in December 2006 for most other regions of the world. It is Nintendo's fifth major home game console, following the GameCube, and is a seventh-generation console alongside Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3.
The Nintendo DS is a 32-bit foldable handheld game console produced by Nintendo, released globally across 2004 and 2005. The DS, an initialism for "Developers' System" or "Dual Screen", introduced distinctive new features to handheld games: two LCD screens working in tandem, a built-in microphone, and support for wireless connectivity. Both screens are encompassed within a clamshell design similar to the Game Boy Advance SP. The Nintendo DS also features the ability for multiple DS consoles to directly interact with each other over Wi-Fi within a short range without the need to connect to an existing wireless network. Alternatively, they could interact online using the now-defunct Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection service. Its main competitor was Sony's PlayStation Portable during the seventh generation of video game consoles.
Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection was an online multiplayer gaming service run by Nintendo that formerly provided free online play in compatible Nintendo DS and Wii games. The service included the company's Wii Shop Channel and DSi Shop game download services. It also ran features for the Wii and Nintendo DS systems.
The Virtual Console was a line of downloadable retro video games for Nintendo's Wii and Wii U home video game consoles and the Nintendo 3DS family of systems. The Virtual Console lineup consisted of titles originally released on past home and handheld consoles and were run in their original forms through software emulation, therefore remaining mostly unaltered, and could be purchased from the Wii Shop Channel or Nintendo eShop for between 500 and 1200 Wii Points, or using real currency, with prices depending on the system, rarity, and/or demand.
Animal Crossing: City Folk, released as Animal Crossing: Let's Go to the City in PAL territories, is a 2008 social simulation video game developed and published by Nintendo for the Wii console and the third game in the Animal Crossing series. It is also one of the first titles that was re-released as a part of the Nintendo Selects collection in 2011.
Nintendo Zone was a download service and an extension of the DS Download Station. Users could access content, third-party data, and other services from a hotspot or download station. The service had demos of upcoming and currently available games and may have location-specific content. When the service debuted, users could also connect to the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection and DSi Shop.
The Wii Shop Channel is a discontinued digital distribution service for the Wii video game console. The service allowed users to purchase and play additional software for the Wii, including exclusive games, and games from prior generations of video games. The Wii Shop Channel launched on November 19, 2006, and ceased operations on January 30, 2019.
The Wii system software is a discontinued set of updatable firmware versions and a software frontend on the Wii, a home video game console. Updates, which could be downloaded over the Internet or read from a game disc, allowed Nintendo to add additional features and software, as well as to patch security vulnerabilities used by users to load homebrew software. When a new update became available, Nintendo sent a message to the Wii Message Board of Internet-connected systems notifying them of the available update.
The Check Mii Out Channel, known as the Mii Contest Channel outside of North America, was a channel for the Nintendo Wii that allowed players to share their digital avatars, called Miis, and enter them into popularity contests.
Wii no Ma was a Wii channel that featured a video-on-demand, film rental and shopping service operated by Nintendo and Dentsu. Wii no Ma was released on 1 May 2009, exclusively in Japan, and it could be downloaded from the Wii Shop Channel for free, although paid videos could be purchased with Wii Points. The service was shut down on 30 April 2012.
The Nintendo DSi system software is a discontinued set of updatable firmware versions, and a software frontend on the Nintendo DSi video game console. Updates, which are downloaded via the system's Internet connection, allow Nintendo to add and remove features and software. All updates also include all changes from previous updates.
The Nintendo 3DS system software is an updatable operating system used for the Nintendo 3DS handheld system. The Nintendo Switch system software is believed to have evolved from the Nintendo 3DS operating system.
The Nintendo eShop is a digital distribution service for the Nintendo Switch, and formerly available via the Nintendo Network for the Wii U and Nintendo 3DS. Launched in June 2011 on the Nintendo 3DS, the Nintendo eShop served as the successor to both the Wii Shop Channel and DSi Shop. It is also a multitasking application, which means it is easily accessible even when a game is already running in the background through the system software. The Nintendo eShop features downloadable games, demos, applications, streaming videos, consumer rating feedback, and other information on upcoming game releases. The service was discontinued globally for the Wii U and Nintendo 3DS in March 2023, continuing only on the Switch.
Online console gaming involves connecting a console to a network over the Internet for services. Through this connection, it provides users the ability to play games with other users online, in addition to other online services.
The Nintendo Network was an online service formerly run by Nintendo that provided free online functionalities for the Nintendo 3DS and Wii U systems and their compatible games. Launched in 2012, it was Nintendo's second online service after Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection; the Nintendo Network was not a component of the Nintendo Switch, which uses the subscription based Nintendo Switch Online, although Nintendo Network IDs were able to be linked to the Switch via Nintendo Accounts.
The Wii U operating system, also known internally as Cafe OS, is the official firmware version and system software for the Nintendo's Wii U home video game console. Nintendo maintains the Wii U's systemwide features and applications by offering system software updates via the Internet. Updates are optional to each console owner, but may be required in order to retain interoperability with Nintendo's online services. Each update is cumulative, including all changes from previous updates.
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TV no Tomo Channel: G-Guide for Wii was a Wii channel that featured an electronic program guide service developed by Nintendo and HAL Laboratory and operated by G-Guide.