Wiiware
Source: wikipedia.org
WiiWare are downloadable games and applications (called “Channels”) specifically designed and developed for the Wii video game console by Nintendo. These games and applications can only be purchased and downloaded from the Wii Shop Channel under the WiiWare and Channels sections respectively. WiiWare is a companion to the Virtual Console, which specializes in emulated games originally developed for other systems instead of original titles. WiiWare was previously known as Wii Software in Europe. WiiWare is being touted as an avenue for developers with small budgets to release innovative, original, and smaller-scale games without the investment and risk of creating a title to be sold at retail (somewhat akin to Xbox Live Arcade and the PlayStation Store). According to Nintendo, the “remarkable motion controls will give birth to fresh takes on established genres, as well as original ideas that currently exist only in developers’ minds”. Nintendo will handle all pricing options for the downloadable games. Like Virtual Console games, WiiWare is purchased using Wii Points.
