The Shrine

Basically, there's a validation process that will come with the next system update in the spring and it seems like it'll only work/activate when your internal memory is full

http://wii.ign.com/articles/916/916979p1.html

Iwata wrote:We will make it so that, when there is not enough room on the Wii's internal memory, you will be able to purchase and download Virtual Console and WiiWare software directly from the Shopping Channel to an SD memory card. We will also make it so that you will need to go through just one process in order to transfer Virtual Console or WiiWare software stored on an SD card to the Wii console and then be able to play it.

Ugh. Why add the restriction of being able to download to an SD card only if your memory is full? And why not just allow gamers to play games directly from the SD card?

The whole thing is a shemozzle. Are they worried about people pirating NES ROMs? That ship has circumnavigated the globe about eighteen times, Nintendo!

I don't think that's an actual restriction where they won't let you use this functionality unless they run some check and see that 99% of your memory is full. I think Iwata was just using it as an example of when you'd use this feature. That's my impression, at least.

I agree that it's all pretty craptacular anyway though. They're shoehorning a solution in here that just doesn't work. You basically have to decide ahead of time which things you want on the SD card and which you want on the console because there is going to be a process of transferring the license info.

Lox wrote:You basically have to decide ahead of time which things you want on the SD card and which you want on the console because there is going to be a process of transferring the license info.

Yeah, that's why it's so freakin' convoluted for something that's so simple. But I hope you can just choose to store it on your SD card or the Flash Memory and play off of either (since the internal memory is basically the same thing). I assume you'll still need to transfer from one to the other and can't have copies for the licencing reason.

Andrew, don't forget this is also for Wiiware games so it's not just ROMs that everyone's had for a decade