# Big News for the Wii **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [March 26, 2009, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-news-for-the-wii/490810 "2009-03-26T00:07:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Gangster\_Octopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a8b319/32.png) [@Gangster\_Octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gangster_Octopus)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2009, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-news-for-the-wii/490810/1 "2009-03-26T00:07:42Z")
Starting today you can play Wii games directly off an SD card…up to 32 GB! Before you use to have to store the game on a card and transfer it to the console and it was all very cumbersome and awkward. Announcement at todays [url=“[http://wii.ign.com/articles/965/965783p1.html](http://wii.ign.com/articles/965/965783p1.html)”]Game Developers Conference. Sweet. ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2009, 1:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-news-for-the-wii/490810/2 "2009-03-26T13:11:50Z")
This is a really nice feature. It just boggled my mind that they didn’t do it from the start. Nintendo gets so many things right, that it really throws you for a loop when they bungle something like that up. Someone tell me again why I have to use a gamecube controller for gamecube games. I know it’s a legit reason, I just can’t think of it. ---
**Author:** ![Pleonast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pleonast/32/1183_2.png) [@Pleonast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pleonast)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2009, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-news-for-the-wii/490810/3 "2009-03-26T13:56:15Z")
Can you explain what it means, to someone who does not have a Wii? ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2009, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-news-for-the-wii/490810/4 "2009-03-26T14:06:25Z")
> [@Pleonast](#): > > Can you explain what it means, to someone who does not have a Wii? (long cumbersome explanation deleted) It has expanded the Wii’s useable storage from 512 mb to 32 GB. The only cost to you is the cost of an SD card. ---
**Author:** ![Gangster\_Octopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a8b319/32.png) [@Gangster\_Octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gangster_Octopus)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2009, 3:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-news-for-the-wii/490810/5 "2009-03-26T15:38:47Z")
> [@Munch](#): > > (long cumbersome explanation deleted) > > It has expanded the Wii’s useable storage from 512 mb to 32 GB. The only cost to you is the cost of an SD card. Which should be enough, but in reality, of course you can have unlimited storage by just swapping out SD cards. ---
**Author:** ![Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e480ec/32.png) [@Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Least_Original_User_Name_Ever)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2009, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-news-for-the-wii/490810/6 "2009-03-26T16:38:49Z")
> [@Munch](#): > > This is a really nice feature. It just boggled my mind that they didn’t do it from the start. Nintendo gets so many things right, that it really throws you for a loop when they bungle something like that up. > > Someone tell me again why I have to use a gamecube controller for gamecube games. I know it’s a legit reason, I just can’t think of it. I think it’s an admission that they might have been wrong about the entire “online content” thing. It’s a good move, though. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2009, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-news-for-the-wii/490810/7 "2009-03-26T17:06:49Z")
> [@Gangster\_Octopus](#): > > Starting today you can play Wii games directly off an SD card…up to 32 GB! Before you use to have to store the game on a card and transfer it to the console and it was all very cumbersome and awkward. How is this going to be implemented? Firmware updates? Hardware changes? ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2009, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-news-for-the-wii/490810/8 "2009-03-26T17:10:18Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > How is this going to be implemented? Firmware updates? Hardware changes? I’m pretty sure it’s firmware, since this morning my Wii’s disc slot was glowing bright blue, which is its notification that there are updates waiting. ---
**Author:** ![Gangster\_Octopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a8b319/32.png) [@Gangster\_Octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gangster_Octopus)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2009, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-news-for-the-wii/490810/9 "2009-03-26T17:16:05Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > How is this going to be implemented? Firmware updates? Hardware changes? Firmware update, should be available right now on people’s Wii. ---
**Author:** ![bouv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bc8723/32.png) [@bouv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bouv)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2009, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-news-for-the-wii/490810/10 "2009-03-26T17:46:31Z")
> [@Munch](#): > > Someone tell me again why I have to use a gamecube controller for gamecube games. I know it’s a legit reason, I just can’t think of it. Umm…how else would you play Gamecube games? The Wii controllers would not function well for Gamecube games. Plus, from what I understand, the GC games run in pretty much their own set of hardware within the Wii, so even if you _wanted_ to try and use the motion control system on a GC game, the hardware won’t allow it. Plus, I think it would be really awkward. ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2009, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-news-for-the-wii/490810/11 "2009-03-26T18:23:49Z")
> [@bouv](#): > > Umm…how else would you play Gamecube games? The Wii controllers would not function well for Gamecube games. Plus, from what I understand, the GC games run in pretty much their own set of hardware within the Wii, so even if you _wanted_ to try and use the motion control system on a GC game, the hardware won’t allow it. > > Plus, I think it would be really awkward. The classic controller that connects to a wiimote would be nice. Then it’d be wireless and I wouldn’t have to sit on the floor by my Wii to do it. ---
**Author:** ![Jragon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19b73/32.png) [@Jragon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jragon)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2009, 6:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-news-for-the-wii/490810/12 "2009-03-26T18:34:03Z")
> [@Munch](#): > > The classic controller that connects to a wiimote would be nice. Then it’d be wireless and I wouldn’t have to sit on the floor by my Wii to do it. See if you can track down a Wavebird (wireless Gamecube controller), my local Toys R Us still sells them for God knows what reason. Also, I think the classic controller has 1 too few buttons (GC has that one extra shoulder button). ---
**Author:** ![gazpacho](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/6f9a4e/32.png) [@gazpacho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gazpacho)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2009, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-news-for-the-wii/490810/13 "2009-03-26T18:39:21Z")
> [@Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](#): > > I think it’s an admission that they might have been wrong about the entire “online content” thing. It’s a good move, though. Wrong in what sense? This make the online content thing even more useful. I personally am at the limit of what can be stored on my wii so I have not purchased any more games because I just did not care to move things around on SD cards. ---
**Author:** ![Amp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Amp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amp)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2009, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-news-for-the-wii/490810/14 "2009-03-26T18:48:00Z")
Just downloaded the update. Still can’t play saved games off the SD card. Maybe they’ll take of that BS in their next firmware update. ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2009, 7:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-news-for-the-wii/490810/15 "2009-03-26T19:01:01Z")
> [@Amp](#): > > Just downloaded the update. Still can’t play saved games off the SD card. Maybe they’ll take of that BS in their next firmware update. Really? There isn’t a little SD Card Menu icon on the front menu? ---
**Author:** ![Amp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Amp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amp)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2009, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-news-for-the-wii/490810/16 "2009-03-26T19:05:10Z")
This is what the menu says about saved data. > [@](#): > > **About Save Data** > > Save data cannot be loaded directly from the SD cards. To use save data stored on SD cards, first move it to the Wii system memory. That’s from the help menu from the SD Card Menu screen. ---
**Author:** ![bouv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bc8723/32.png) [@bouv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bouv)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2009, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-news-for-the-wii/490810/17 "2009-03-26T19:24:51Z")
> [@Munch](#): > > The classic controller that connects to a wiimote would be nice. Then it’d be wireless and I wouldn’t have to sit on the floor by my Wii to do it. But like I said, the Wii hardware is almost completely separate from the GC hardware. It’s not like a software emulation, like all the VC games are, it’s basically a small GC inside of the Wii. Could they have connected them better so you can use the classic controller? Maybe…but as said there is one less shoulder button on the classic controller. And the Wavebird is a really great wireless GC controller. If you can’t find any in the stores (they did stop making them, but some places might have extra stock,) they are easy to find new/never opened on eBay. I’m still pissed my old roommates stole mine…:mad: (Along with several DVDs, $500 cash from my room, and over two months of rent not paid…) ---
**Author:** ![Gangster\_Octopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a8b319/32.png) [@Gangster\_Octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gangster_Octopus)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2009, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-news-for-the-wii/490810/18 "2009-03-26T19:32:40Z")
> [@Amp](#): > > This is what the menu says about saved data. > > That’s from the help menu from the SD Card Menu screen. So it cannot play saved games, meaning in progress games of like Zelda? ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2009, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-news-for-the-wii/490810/19 "2009-03-26T19:34:02Z")
> [@Gangster\_Octopus](#): > > So it cannot play saved games, meaning in progress games of like Zelda? Can’t use them straight off the card. It works fine if you access the saved games that are on the unit’s built-in memory. ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2009, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-news-for-the-wii/490810/20 "2009-03-26T19:50:20Z")
> [@bouv](#): > > But like I said, the Wii hardware is almost completely separate from the GC hardware. It’s not like a software emulation, like all the VC games are, it’s basically a small GC inside of the Wii. Yup - that’s what I remember. Unfortunately, I actually saw a wavebird at Circuit City during the liquidation, but didn’t get one. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/big-news-for-the-wii/490810.md?page=2)