A Wii Bit Much: A Glance at Nintendo's Wii Storage Problem

So Many Toys, but Where to Store Them All?

Nintendo made a dynamic announcement last week regarding downloadable content for the Wii. With Xbox Live Arcade and Sony's PlayStation Network each specializing in original downloadable games and content, Nintendo has come to the realization that the Wii cannot flourish on classic games alone. Therefore, Nintendo announced that 2008 would see the Wii add a new area to the Wii Shopping Channel. This new area will contain WiiWare - original content and games from various developers. This feature is certainly key to keeping up with Xbox Live Arcade and PlayStation Network, but along with this big step forward, Nintendo has also taken a big step backwards.

Shortly after making this announcement, Nintendo stated that there would be no hard drive attachment coming to the Wii anytime soon, if at all. This is particularly distressing to Nintendo players looking to load up on downloadable content. The Wii only comes equipped with 512 MB of internal flash memory. With essential features like the Mii Channel, the Photo Channel, the Wii Shopping Channel, and the new Internet Channel, it's becoming more difficult for Wii owners to manage the little memory available.

Virtual Console games are coming fast and furiously. Nintendo has amazingly managed to stick to its rigid schedule of three classic games a week. This all comes in light of the fact that Nintendo has barely scratched the surface of their available library. First-party treasure like Super Mario Bros. 3, Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask, Earthbound, and Super Metroid are still waiting in the wings and third-party titles like Super Street Fighter II, Earthworm Jim, and Mega Man X likely won't be far behind. Each game takes up nearly 100 blocks of memory and it won't come as a surprise if by the time 2008 comes, gamers already have their internal flash memory eaten up.