The Dependability of the Virtual Console

[Raskolnikov]

The other day I was going through my box of old stuff and trying to decide which SNES games I wanted to keep, and which ones I really didn't need anymore, and can sell off on eBay. I thought, "Well, I guess I can sell this off and just download it from the 'Virtual Console' when I get my Wii." Then, as I looked at the old piece of hardware in my hand, and thought about the future, a notion suddenly occurred to me: "How dependable is the Virtual Console in the future?"

I only know the fundamentals of the feature: you apparently hook it up to your PC, and download it onto your Wii. Well ... once it's on there ... how long is it on there? It's not like a concrete piece of hardware that you can plug into your old console and play as long as you have the required hook-ups and TV inputs (and a clean game cartridge), it's all digital, and abstract. That's why they call it the "Virtual Console." So, is it going to be on your Wii for as long as you have one? Long after the Wii becomes obsolete? Long after the theoretical extinction of the Internet, and there's no online interface for your Wii? Maybe we should save our old games.

But then ... maybe we'll eventually lose the ability to hook them up to our TVs! NO!

I don't know. What do people who know more about this stuff than me have to say? Is this notion stupid? I have been awake for a very long time.

[Doctor Fugue]

There are, um, a few things we could talk about in your post. Not sure what you mean by hooking the Wii up to your PC, unless you mean that you need to hook up the Wii to an internet connection to download games...you do need that.

Let's see...Nintendo has said that future consoles will support the Virtual Console and any purchases you make now will be playable on the next Nintendo console. However, I don't believe anything a company says, and I will have to see it to believe it.

Ummm...other stuff..."how long is it on there" you ask. Forever. Ha. No, not really! Why? Keep reading for the worst part about downloading games...

You DO NOT own the games. You are buying a license. Read the small print. Nintendo (and Sony and Microsoft) can take away your games at any time they feel like it. They can't physically remove the games from your memory or hard drive (can they?). However, if they choose to not keep a game on their servers and your Wii blows up...you will not still have access once you get a new Wii and you cannot re-download the game because it doesn't exist anywhere for you to download. Of course, with an actual disc, you can play as long as you find a working console.

There are several extreme possible situations where all your downloaded games would become unusable and a disc or cart would be preferable to have.

I'm too tired to think of other bad things about downloading games. They do have certain advantages of course, because you never have to clean a cart or disc or worry about physical damage. And changing games is a hassle for the ultra-lazy gamer.

Edit: What is this doing in Together Retro? Let's have it in another section, please.

[Raskolnikov]

There are, um, a few things we could talk about in your post. Not sure what you mean by hooking the Wii up to your PC, unless you mean that you need to hook up the Wii to an internet connection to download games...you do need that.

Let's see...Nintendo has said that future consoles will support the Virtual Console and any purchases you make now will be playable on the next Nintendo console. However, I don't believe anything a company says, and I will have to see it to believe it.

Ummm...other stuff..."how long is it on there" you ask. Forever. Ha. No, not really! Why? Keep reading for the worst part about downloading games...

You DO NOT own the games. You are buying a license. Read the small print. Nintendo (and Sony and Microsoft) can take away your games at any time they feel like it. They can't physically remove the games from your memory or hard drive (can they?). However, if they choose to not keep a game on their servers and your Wii blows up...you will not still have access once you get a new Wii and you cannot re-download the game because it doesn't exist anywhere for you to download. Of course, with an actual disc, you can play as long as you find a working console.

There are several extreme possible situations where all your downloaded games would become unusable and a disc or cart would be preferable to have.

I'm too tired to think of other bad things about downloading games. They do have certain advantages of course, because you never have to clean a cart or disc or worry about physical damage. And changing games is a hassle for the ultra-lazy gamer.

Edit: What is this doing in Together Retro? Let's have it in another section, please.

Okay, so let's say I download a Virtual Console game. Where is it? On my Wii's hard drive? I would think if you can play it on a Wii without having it connected to the Internet, and the Wii has an internal computer brain, then you can play as long as your Wii is in working condition. Could you possibly lose the data? Or am I wrong about that?

[Doctor Fugue]

Okay, so let's say I download a Virtual Console game. Where is it? On my Wii's hard drive? I would think if you can play it on a Wii without having it connected to the Internet, and the Wii has an internal computer brain, then you can play as long as your Wii is in working condition. Could you possibly lose the data? Or am I wrong about that?

Yes, it is on your Wii and you can play it without being connected to the internet. It could be possible for the data to become corrupt, but not likely.

BUT, the problem is that the game is only on your console; if your console breaks, the license needs to be transferred to your new console...a service which may not exist in 50 years! You can't trade the game, you can't sell it, and you generally can't play it on someone else's console without some hassle...although there are slightly different rules for Sony and Microsoft and Nintendo. A disc or cart can be carried around and played on an unlimited number of consoles, forever, without conditions, without restrictions, as long as you can find a working console.

[Raskolnikov]

Yes, it is on your Wii and you can play it without being connected to the internet. It could be possible for the data to become corrupt, but not likely.

BUT, the problem is that the game is only on your console; if your console breaks, the license needs to be transferred to your new console...a service which may not exist in 50 years! You can't trade the game, you can't sell it, and you generally can't play it on someone else's console without some hassle...although there are slightly different rules for Sony and Microsoft and Nintendo. A disc or cart can be carried around and played on an unlimited number of consoles, forever, without conditions, without restrictions, as long as you can find a working console.

So, I guess multiple Wiis are in order. If I buy 10, I'll have 50 years!

[D.D.D.]

I think the best thing is to back up your stuff to SD, then drop it on your PC and eventually there will be a way to put your VC games on a new Wii should yours croak one day.

[Ender]

Best thing is to keep the old carts.
It's all about retro-style

[ThunderPrince]

Protip:Homebrew, saves you lots of money and you can play whatever you want, I wish I knew about it sooner. Ive probably spent $100-150 on VC games . wii dies? no loss of data.

[Krooze L-Roy]

I've found myself wondering about this same issue. Like, what exactly keeps this save data on the Wii? I wouldn't trust that little watch battery in my Saturn to babysit Hitler. Is the Wii's memory kept in check by a similar sort of battery?

Also, with the 360; all those "Community Games" are essentially long-term rentals, since you need to be logged on to Live to play them for some mysterious reason. So if MS ever tanks, goodbye Weapon of Choice (which you need to check out if you haven't BTW). This also means that you can't bring your console to a friend's house for some co-op action (unless (s)he also has Live). Don't get too attached to your downloads.

[elvis]

Never sell your old games.

I sold 4 Sega Master System games when I was 10. That was the first and last time, as I've regretted it ever since.

Hoard, hoard, and hoard some more.