After a seven-year run, Nintendo has announced that it will no longer keep many Wii channels up and running on the system as a result of a “very low participation rate.”
It seems as though the heydays of Nintendo’s Wii console are officially over in that the company will no longer support the Wii News, Forecast, Everybody Votes, Nintendo Channel, Mii Contest, and the Check Mii Out Channels. These “channels” operate as the “apps” on the Nintendo Wii.
The transfer of data between users on WiiConnect24, Nintendo’s Wii “always online” server, will also no longer occur. However, the Nintendo Shop Channel, where players can buy retro video games, will continue operation, most likely indefinitely.
The channels will cease to operate in the U.K. as of June 28, and everywhere else in the world assumedly soon after, according to Eurogamer.
The channels on the Nintendo Wii allow users to access information like weather forecasts, worldwide news updates, and information and trailers for new Nintendo games. When it came out in 2006, the Nintendo Wii was a hard-to-find system due to its initial popularity. However, with the news of these channels shutting down, it doesn’t seem as if the console was able to set itself up for longevity.
The Check Mii Out Channel is a great creative outlet for users to see the awesome Mii creations of other Nintendo Wii users. The Miis, which are tiny caricature avatars exclusive to Nintendo consoles, can be downloaded to the user’s Wii system. The fun part about these Miis is that they may appear on the sidelines of games like Mario Kart Wii and Super Smash Bros. Brawl.
The Everybody Votes Channel takes in questions from players that can be voted upon worldwide. The questions usually range somewhere from “Vanilla or chocolate ice cream” to “Zelda or Mario.”
The creativity and accessibility of the Nintendo Wii’s channels will be missed. However, it may be time for the Wii to move on to the great beyond, what with the Wii U hot on its heels.
Are you upset by the end of the Wii’s channels? Did you even use them anymore?
Images source: Nintendo