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Ok, I am not one to usually do this kind of stuff, but this is something PolyVector and I have been excited about ever since Nintendo’s first official keynote regarding the Wii. We wanted very badly to try and break into Wii development. in fact we were so disappointed that this hasn’t been announced yet we were debating on getting into Xbox Live Arcade development. So here is the thing I normally never do, and that is post a link and blurb from another blog. I will be sitting at the edge of my seat tomorrow waiting for the official announcement and see what nifty things are possible on the Punk Software horizon for the Wii. Stay tuned, this could be good!

Nintendo to announce WiiWare, offer original downloadable games:

It’s 2:10 on the good ol’ west coast, and I’m tired. Dog tired, boss. But here I am, delirious with fatigue, getting this post ready for you night owls and early-to-risers. Why? It’s big news, that’s why. Wii owners and those of us who shake our tiny fists at the heavens at every quick-and-dirty VC release will be pleased to know that tomorrow morning (or four to six hours from now, y’know, whatever), Nintendo will unveil WiiWare, downloadable games for the underdog console that would be king. Unlike the currently available Virtual Console line of emulated classic titles. WiiWare will be home to original games in an arrangement meant to rival Xbox Live Arcade and the PlayStation Network.
The scoop comes to us via Newsweek’s N’Gai Croal who, with bated breath, had been strung along by Reggie and the gang since GDC concerning some big announcement for Nintendo’s little white box. Indeed, this is big. The development of a strategy similar to Microsoft’s wildly popular Xbox Live Arcade could be what puts the Wii’s online strategy on the map, especially if the right crews hop on board to provide content. Big-name developers won’t be the only ones contributing, though. From the article:

What’s more interesting is that Nintendo isn’t only seeking WiiWare from established publishers and developers like Ubisoft and Sega. At a Nintendo developer’s conference earlier this week, the company informed attendees that it was seeking from indie developers as well. Shorter, original, more creative games from small teams with big ideas; these are the buzzwords that you’ll be hearing from Nintendo when its Wednesday announcement goes wide.

As already evidenced by the wide variety of remote-heavy flash games playable via the Wii’s web browser, there’s plenty of room for creativity with the system, thanks in no small part to Nintendo’s unconventional control scheme. With every developer and their dead grandmothers looking to catch the Wii’s thunder, it’s not unlikely that we’ll be seeing plenty of unusual efforts in these shorter, original titles. Me? I’m hoping for Aquaria — you hear that, Bit Blot? Make some calls, get things in motion. I’m sleepy and making irrational demands! Do it now!
We’ll keep you posted when Nintendo’s official announcement drops tomorrow (or later today, depending on your sleep schedule).

Ok, I think it is time for me to get ready for bed myself. It is also about 2:55 AM here.

Added: PolyVector is already bursting my bubble on this. Alright, bed time, seriously.

Updated: Looks like Nintendo did confirm this but we won’t be seeing anything till about 2008.