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[IbizaPocholo]

The Wii and DSi Shop channels are down worldwide with no explanation from Nintendo | VGC

Users are reporting that the Nintendo Wii Shop Channel and the Nintendo DSi Shop Channels are both down, with no prior warning from Nintendo.

www.videogameschronicle.com

Players who attempt to access the Wii Shop in order to re-download previously purchased content will be greeted with a blank page, which after a few minutes will return an error message;

“Error Code: 209601. Unable to connect to the server.

Please wait a moment and try again. Visit support.nintendo.com for assistance.”

According to Nintendo’s support site, this error “generally indicates the inability to get a good connection due to wireless interference.”

While the Nintendo Wii Shop Channel did cease to allow new purchases in 2019, the ability to re-download previously purchased content was not affected.

It was announced at the time that the ability to redownload this content would end at some undisclosed point in the future, however, no further announcement has been made.

Users attempting to access the Nintendo DSi Shop are being met with error 290502, which according to Nintendo is related to “wireless interference”.

With both systems seemingly resulting in similar error messages, this may be an unintentional error on Nintendo’s part, however, at the time of publication, the publisher hasn’t commented on the issue or its intentionality.

 

[TidusYuna]

Hopefully, this is just an error that will be fixed so gamers will be able to re-download the digital games they purchased on the Wii.

But if it isn't, this is why you buy physical games. The servers will eventually go down.

 

[Bakkus]

I regret not getting Rondo of Blood before they shut down sales.

 

[spons]

They'll be back up since they haven't made an official announcement. AFAIK the terms state 1 month in advance before any closure.

 

[TidusYuna]

They'll be back up since they haven't made an official announcement. AFAIK the terms state 1 month in advance before any closure.

I'm no expert on ToS so I hope you are right. However, Nintendo has already officially closed the Wii store and gave everyone notice. What gamers are losing now is the ability to re-download digital games they have purchased. It may actually be gone for good, hopefully its not though.

https://en-americas-support.nintend...a_id/27560/~/wii-shop-channel-discontinuation

"The Wii Shop Channel, which has been available on Wii systems since December 2006, closed on January 30, 2019. We sincerely thank our loyal customers for their support. It is no longer possible to purchase new content from the Wii Shop. However, for the time being you may continue to re-download content you have purchased or transfer that content from a Wii system to a Wii U system. Be aware that these features will eventually end at a future date. Thank you for supporting the Wii Shop Channel and for being such great fans of Nintendo."



This is something that will eventually happen to all digital storefronts, Sony and Microsoft included. So if you purchase games digitally, be aware that if you have to re-download games because you can't fit all your purchases on your console harddrive, when they stop supporting older hardware/software digitally, you will eventually lose access to not only the ability to purchase digital games, but the ability to re-download your purchases as well.

 

[Kataploom]

If this was made on purpose, then that's is an actual anti-consumer move from Nintendo I can actually call so, not a simple "thing I didn't like" as everything else... Not the closure, but the fact of not announcing it

 

[lh032]

Nintendo quality of seal-ing access.

 

[ReBurn]

How did anyone notice?

 

[HerjansEagleFeeder]

If this was made on purpose, then that's is an actual anti-consumer move from Nintendo I can actually call so, not a simple "thing I didn't like" as everything else... Not the closure, but the fact of not announcing it

Not like Nintendo doesn't have a history of doing this for years. They're probably the most anti-consumer of all the big three.

 

[Kataploom]

Not like Nintendo doesn't have a history of doing this for years. They're probably the most anti-consumer of all the big three.

I don't think they are, not more than the others ay least

 

[IFireflyl]

This is why game backups are important.

 

[nush]

How did anyone notice?

because there must be a small dedicated group of individuals checking old console digital storefronts every day waiting for the chance to be outraged that they are down.

 

[EDMIX]

 

[Goalus]

This is something that will eventually happen to all digital storefronts, Sony and Microsoft included.

It won't happen to Microsoft, unless they go out of business.

 

[ViolentP]

Servers do one of two things: stay up and go down.

 

[Captain Toad]

I don't know if it's related, but Amazon sent me this warning email.

"
Hello from Amazon,
We are writing to let you know that the following detail pages have been removed from our catalog:

ASIN: B0009VXBAQ, SKU: PB-QPIF-FX1O, Title: Wii
This product has been identified as a radio frequency (RF) device product that does not have an FCC ID entry in the fcc_radio_frequency_emission_compliance attribute. For instructions on how to add an FCC ID to the fcc_radio_frequency_emission_compliance attribute for your listing, please see https://sellercentral.amazon.com/he...ref=efph_4SMR4GXQ3PYD8BK_cont_51&locale=en_US.

Why is this happening?
We took this action because this product is not permitted for sale on Amazon.com. It is your obligation to make sure the products you offer comply with all applicable laws, regulations, and Amazon's policies.
What actions do I need to take?
- If any of the above ASINs are Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) offers, please initiate a removal request for the ASIN(s) referenced above to have your inventory sent to a location of your choosing. If you fail to initiate a removal request within 30 days of this notification, we may dispose of it in accordance with the Amazon Services Business Solutions Agreement and FBA policies. For more information on our FBA policies, please review https://sellercentral.amazon.com/gp/help/201030350 and https://sellercentral.amazon.com/gp/help/200140860.
- Within 48 hours of this warning, please review your listings and close, delete, or archive any listings that do not comply with all applicable laws, regulations, and Amazon's policies, including the product(s) listed above.
Please note that moving a restricted product listing to Inactive (Out of Stock) does not make the listing compliant. If you think your product was incorrectly identified as a restricted product on Amazon, close the listing immediately to ensure compliance while you appeal the restriction with Selling Partner Support.
What happens if I fail to follow the above instructions?
Failure to properly close or delete all restricted product listings from your inventory may result in the deactivation of your selling account, and funds may be permanently held."

 

[synchronicity]

I know it's a gray area for some, but in this day and age is it really anything to worry about? You paid for it. Do what you gotta do.

 

[ahtlas7]

Lots of angry people are reportedly taking to the streets

 

[Northeastmonk]

I don't know if it's related, but Amazon sent me this warning email.

"
Hello from Amazon,
We are writing to let you know that the following detail pages have been removed from our catalog:

ASIN: B0009VXBAQ, SKU: PB-QPIF-FX1O, Title: Wii
This product has been identified as a radio frequency (RF) device product that does not have an FCC ID entry in the fcc_radio_frequency_emission_compliance attribute. For instructions on how to add an FCC ID to the fcc_radio_frequency_emission_compliance attribute for your listing, please see https://sellercentral.amazon.com/he...ref=efph_4SMR4GXQ3PYD8BK_cont_51&locale=en_US.

Why is this happening?
We took this action because this product is not permitted for sale on Amazon.com. It is your obligation to make sure the products you offer comply with all applicable laws, regulations, and Amazon's policies.
What actions do I need to take?
- If any of the above ASINs are Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA) offers, please initiate a removal request for the ASIN(s) referenced above to have your inventory sent to a location of your choosing. If you fail to initiate a removal request within 30 days of this notification, we may dispose of it in accordance with the Amazon Services Business Solutions Agreement and FBA policies. For more information on our FBA policies, please review https://sellercentral.amazon.com/gp/help/201030350 and https://sellercentral.amazon.com/gp/help/200140860.
- Within 48 hours of this warning, please review your listings and close, delete, or archive any listings that do not comply with all applicable laws, regulations, and Amazon's policies, including the product(s) listed above.
Please note that moving a restricted product listing to Inactive (Out of Stock) does not make the listing compliant. If you think your product was incorrectly identified as a restricted product on Amazon, close the listing immediately to ensure compliance while you appeal the restriction with Selling Partner Support.
What happens if I fail to follow the above instructions?
Failure to properly close or delete all restricted product listings from your inventory may result in the deactivation of your selling account, and funds may be permanently held."

If is is. It’s funny cause of how this is history repeating itself. I can’t remember the specifics, but old arcade machines would generate frequencies that would interfere with radio signals in police vehicles. They figured it out when they unplugged the cabinet and everything went back to normal.

 

[KellyNole]

If I can’t download my games from a digital store anymore, it’s time to Jailbreak the system. I know companies aren’t going to keep digital stores up when they are so old and hardly anyone downloads anything. I’ll just take matters into my own hands.

 

[InfiniteCombo]

I regret not getting Rondo of Blood before they shut down sales.

feels_bad_man.jpg

Sorry you didn't get to it. But if you have a PS4 you can get that (and Symphony of the Night) in one collection that us non-PS4 owners can't get

I bought Rondo of Blood from the Wii Virtual Console shop in about 2018 or so, because I had a feeling this was gonna happen. But even more than Rondo of Blood, I really wanted (and bought) the "Rebirth" titles (Contra, Castlevania, and Gradius) because I suspected those would be locked to the Wii, probably forever.

 

[MScarpa]

Always make your own backups. Don't trust any of them EXCEPT maybe Microsoft and that's a BIG MAYBE. Gaming PRESERVATION!

 

[baphomet]

It won't happen to Microsoft, unless they go out of business.

They've already had one go down for good.

 

[alf717]

Wow that sucks, I remember them shutting down access for purchases but also thought this meant no way to redownload as well. I already backed up of my main Wii multiple time so I could play my purchased games on any Wii. I spent a lot of money on the OG VC. Such a shame Nintendo never took it more seriously.

Found this on Nintendo's site so maybe there is still hope?

Can users still play WiiWare games that they already purchased?​

Yes. The ability to re-download WiiWare and Virtual Console games will also stop at some point. We will announce specific details as that time approaches.

Wii Shop Channel Discontinuation | Nintendo Support

en-americas-support.nintendo.com

 

[Three]

It won't happen to Microsoft, unless they god out of business.

It's already happened to Xbox PC marketplace, aka Games for windows, aka GFW(L) . Shut down and people unable to download despite what was said a decade ago. The Wii and DSi are also "out of business" just like that past store.

 

[yurinka]

Didn't they say that were going to shut down the WiiU and 3DS stores this month? In this case, maybe that implied that they were going tot shut down the Wii and DSi ones too.

 

[20cent]

What a shock

YouDon'tOwnYourDigitalPurchases.


(And more importantly, don't buy emulated roms)

 

[nush]

I bought Rondo of Blood from the Wii Virtual Console shop in about 2018 or so, because I had a feeling this was gonna happen. But even more than Rondo of Blood, I really wanted (and bought) the "Rebirth" titles (Contra, Castlevania, and Gradius) because I suspected those would be locked to the Wii, probably forever.

Exactly the same titles I brought when the purchase block was announced. I forgot my Wii U had a Wii mode, so I'm glad I've got them.

 

[Bonfires Down]

What a shock

YouDon'tOwnYourDigitalPurchases.


(And more importantly, don't buy emulated roms)

Oh god I thought that fucking clapping thing had been relegated to the trash heap of history but here it is.

 

[Goalus]

It's already happened to Xbox PC marketplace, aka Games for windows, aka GFW(L) . Shut down and people unable to download despite what was said a decade ago. The Wii and DSi are also "out of business" just like that past store.

This time though it is actions, not something that was said. All their BC efforts suggest that they are building a library they want to exist forever.

Shutting down storefronts is convenient for those who are unable to maintain an ecosystem across different hardware architectures. Like Apple, who removed 32-bit support. Or Nintendo, whose BC offerings were always constrained to the previous generation.

 

[Three]

This time though it is actions, not something that was said. All their BC efforts suggest that they are building a library they want to exist forever.

Shutting down storefronts is convenient for those who are unable to maintain an ecosystem across different hardware architectures. Like Apple, who removed 32-bit support. Or Nintendo, whose BC offerings were always constrained to the previous generation.

I think you're misunderstanding me. They said something and their actions were the opposite. MS shut down GFW and purchased games were not downloadable anymore. It's because the store/product went "out of business" like Wii and DSi have now.

 

[Goalus]

I think you're misunderstanding me. They said something and their actions were the opposite. MS shut down GFW and purchased games were not downloadable anymore. It's because the store/product went "out of business" like Wii and DSi have now.

And regarding the Microsoft Store they haven't said anything, but a lot of actions can be observed that suggest that it won't be shutdown ever, unless the company goes out of business.

 

[93xfan]

Hopefully, this is just an error that will be fixed so gamers will be able to re-download the digital games they purchased on the Wii.

But if it isn't, this is why you buy physical games. The servers will eventually go down.

Especially when shopping on a Nintendo platform.

 

[Bakkus]

feels_bad_man.jpg

Sorry you didn't get to it. But if you have a PS4 you can get that (and Symphony of the Night) in one collection that us non-PS4 owners can't get

I bought Rondo of Blood from the Wii Virtual Console shop in about 2018 or so, because I had a feeling this was gonna happen. But even more than Rondo of Blood, I really wanted (and bought) the "Rebirth" titles (Contra, Castlevania, and Gradius) because I suspected those would be locked to the Wii, probably forever.

At the time I didn't know how much better the Wii VC version was. Nor that the PAL version is also 60Hz. I've heard the PS4 version isn't that good. Also, it's way better to play these games on a CRT TV than on a big LCD flat screen.

 

[UnravelKatharsis]

Lots of angry people are reportedly taking to the streets

 

[IbizaPocholo]

Wii And DSi Shop Channels Have Been Down For Days With No Sign Of Return [Update]

Nintendo hasn't publicly addressed the extended downtime, leading some to fear the channels are gone for good

kotaku.com

Update: 3/22/22, 3:47 p.m. ET: Nintendo has officially acknowledged the outage but didn’t provide any explanation.

“The Wii Shop Channel and Nintendo DSi Shop are currently undergoing maintenance,” a spokesperson for the company told Kotaku in an email. “We will provide an update at a later date.”

 

[stranno]

Especially when shopping on a Nintendo platform.

Not really.

Dead platforms:

Microsoft: XBOX Live Arcade 1.0 for XBOX and XBOX Live Indie Games for XBOX 360 (among many delisted GOD and XBLA games due licenses and stuff).
Sony: PSN for Playstation Portable.
Nintendo: Nothing so far. WiiWare and DSi are not dead yet, NUS servers are active and this problem seems temporary.

 

[93xfan]

Not really.

Dead platforms:

Microsoft: XBOX Live Arcade 1.0 for XBOX and XBOX Live Indie Games for XBOX 360 (among many delisted GOD and XBLA games due licenses and stuff).
Sony: PSN for Playstation Portable.
Nintendo: Nothing so far. WiiWare and DSi are not dead yet, NUS servers are active and this problem seems temporary.

BC is the other part of the puzzle. MS seems set up to continue to allow BC on all current purchases.

With Nintendo, who knows. They haven’t been terrible or great with BC.

 

[stranno]

BC is the other part of the puzzle. MS seems set up to continue to allow BC on all current purchases.

Original XBOX Live doesn't exist since.. 2005? and XBOX Live Indie Games was cancelled in 2017, iirc.

XBLA and GOD games, except those games with license issues, still work fine. But so far MS is the only company that have closed digital markets for good.

 

[Midn1ght]

I'm not familiar with the Wii or DSi and I have a technical question about games on these platforms.

Did they have downloadable day one patches, updates, fixes and whatnot? And if yes, are you still gonna be able to download these patches and fixes?

I often hear people going "This is why I choose physical over digital" when something like this happen but with most games requiring huge day one patches and receiving several updates during their lifetime, I always wonder if these will still be up to download when a store inevitably shuts down.

 

[fart town usa]

feels_bad_man.jpg

Sorry you didn't get to it. But if you have a PS4 you can get that (and Symphony of the Night) in one collection that us non-PS4 owners can't get

I bought Rondo of Blood from the Wii Virtual Console shop in about 2018 or so, because I had a feeling this was gonna happen. But even more than Rondo of Blood, I really wanted (and bought) the "Rebirth" titles (Contra, Castlevania, and Gradius) because I suspected those would be locked to the Wii, probably forever.

Gah.

I had so many effing Wii VC games and the ones mentioned above. Transferred them to my first Wii U but then sold that Wii U and now they're just gone forever.

Sucks ass. I'm partially to blame but I really want to revisit those rebirth titles, they were damn good.

 

[InfiniteCombo]

Gah.

I had so many effing Wii VC games and the ones mentioned above. Transferred them to my first Wii U but then sold that Wii U and now they're just gone forever.

Sucks ass. I'm partially to blame but I really want to revisit those rebirth titles, they were damn good.

(At the bolded) Yes and no.

I went through 2 rounds of buying shit on the Wii Virtual Console. The first one, I bought them on my first Wii, then gave that Wii away (to my then-girlfriend's parents, they actually used it a lot). But, me being silly and thinking Nintendo was in the 21st century (like Sony and Microsoft already were), I was thinking I could simply buy a new Wii, log in to my account, and download them again.

Little did I know that Nintendo locked Virtual Console purchases to that specific Wii.

Years later, I bought a second hand Wii, and called Nintendo customer service. I was ready for a fight but the customer service dude was incredibly understanding and actually funded me the money I had spent on the first Wii's Virtual Console. So I used that money to re-buy all the shit I had bought on the first Wii.

TL;DR you are not fully to blame, the way Nintendo handled Virtual Console purchases on the Wii was some stone age shit.

 

[fart town usa]

(At the bolded) Yes and no.

I went through 2 rounds of buying shit on the Wii Virtual Console. The first one, I bought them on my first Wii, then gave that Wii away (to my then-girlfriend's parents, they actually used it a lot). But, me being silly and thinking Nintendo was in the 21st century (like Sony and Microsoft already were), I was thinking I could simply buy a new Wii, log in to my account, and download them again.

Little did I know that Nintendo locked Virtual Console purchases to that specific Wii.

Years later, I bought a second hand Wii, and called Nintendo customer service. I was ready for a fight but the customer service dude was incredibly understanding and actually funded me the money I had spent on the first Wii's Virtual Console. So I used that money to re-buy all the shit I had bought on the first Wii.

TL;DR you are not fully to blame, the way Nintendo handled Virtual Console purchases on the Wii was some stone age shit.

Damn, and here I thought I was lucky when I called Sony to delink some accounts, lol.

That's like winning the lotto to get refunded for those old purchases.

 

[Miles708]

This is why game backups are important.

True. If only there was a way to sell games not tied to an online service. Like, bundled with a cartridge, a disc or something.

Servers do one of two things: stay up and go down.

People don't understand how keeping something online requires constant effort.

Online contents, left on their own, WILL go down.

 

[lostinblue]

Any news?

People don't understand how keeping something online requires constant effort.

Online contents, left on their own, WILL go down.

I really don't think Wii and DSi channels were costing Nintendo much, Windows 98 can still download updates I think.

I do think online commitment should last longer than it usually does, that said the Wii and DSi lasted ~15 years, I guess.


Not as bad as murdering the Miiservice in 2017.

Years later, I bought a second hand Wii, and called Nintendo customer service. I was ready for a fight but the customer service dude was incredibly understanding and actually funded me the money I had spent on the first Wii's Virtual Console. So I used that money to re-buy all the shit I had bought on the first Wii.

Yeah, the online structure was as amateurish as it comes as many other things in that console.

The way the iOS works and how many they are is beyond words.

Original XBOX Live doesn't exist since.. 2005? and XBOX Live Indie Games was cancelled in 2017, iirc.

XBLA and GOD games, except those games with license issues, still work fine. But so far MS is the only company that have closed digital markets for good.

To my knowledge, Xbox Series S/X still use a shop framework and servers compatible with Xbox 360 so they're essentially doing it right.

Meanwhile PS3 and PS4 servers are different, which is why Sony was near to pulling the plug last year, and Nintendo... Well, to my knowledge Wii, Wii U and Switch all have different servers/stores/services - it's kinda like a lesson in how not to do things.

 

[Miles708]

I really don't think Wii and DSi channels were costing Nintendo much, Windows 98 can still download updates I think.

I do think online commitment should last longer than it usually does, that said the Wii and DSi lasted ~15 years, I guess.


Not as bad as murdering the Miiservice in 2017.

It's not so much as costs more than actual effort. Your servers, provides, infrastructure, global network, data and backups must be in tip top shape 24/7 if you want your users to be able to use it.

And guess what, legacy software gets increasingly more complex to maintain, because each security update can bring more bugs.
And who should fix bugs for a legacy service no one even uses?

that's why I say, if your [favorite_console_maker] is not 120% committed to preservation, you better start thinking about your digital purchases as effectively already lost to the void .

 

[lostinblue]

that's why I say, if your [favorite_console_maker] is not 120% committed to preservation, you better start thinking about your digital purchases as effectively already lost to the void .

That's the way I always thought, when a console generation goes all digital I'll probably just stop buying games.

If I can't have it physically and install it offline then I am effectively paying for a service, question is whether I am paying monthly or per software licence and it's updates. It's particularly damming when games these days are incomplete releases with the code that comes on disc so software updates are super important.

But server services ought to be forward thought and backwards functionality should be kept serverside so an hypothetycal PS6 server could still feed game software updates to an aging PS3 - clearly not how service was set up in the first place, but IMO a mistake in hindsight). Anyway, some brands are clearly better than others on that front, Nintendo is the worst so far, I would never buy something as simple as 1985's Super Mario Bros on any of their platforms because I just know that come next platform I would have to buy it again.

 

[Bernkastel]

They've already had one go down for good.

It's already happened to Xbox PC marketplace, aka Games for windows, aka GFW(L) . Shut down and people unable to download despite what was said a decade ago. The Wii and DSi are also "out of business" just like that past store.

I think you're misunderstanding me. They said something and their actions were the opposite. MS shut down GFW and purchased games were not downloadable anymore. It's because the store/product went "out of business" like Wii and DSi have now.

Original XBOX Live doesn't exist since.. 2005? and XBOX Live Indie Games was cancelled in 2017, iirc.

XBLA and GOD games, except those games with license issues, still work fine. But so far MS is the only company that have closed digital markets for good.

This is like asking when Valve will close Steam. "Xbox Store" is the one digital storefront for BC games(OG Xbox and 360)/Xbox One/Series S|X/PC/Other Stuffs(Hololens etc.), it will go down only if Microsoft leaves gaming altogether. Unlike GFWL, "Xbox Store" is the lifeline of their Gaming division, all the purchasable, DLC, Game Pass and everything. With OG Xbox to 360 they changed the entire Xbox Live architecture and were essentially running two(three if you include GFWL) separate online services. Or does Google shut down Play Store when they move to a new android version? There is nothing to replace Xbox Store in the future. Consoles are now fully backwards compatible with previous iterations(or as they use the word "generations") just like PC and smartphones(Xbox even uses the same OS across Xbox One and S|X generation).

 

[IbizaPocholo]

The Wii Shop Channel and DSi Shop are back online after 4 months | VGC

They’ve been undergoing “maintenance” since March…

www.videogameschronicle.com

While further explanation for the downtime hasn’t been provided since, GameXplain reported today that both the Wii Shop Channel and Nintendo DSi Shop are online again.

 

[Drew1440]

Always make your own backups. Don't trust any of them EXCEPT maybe Microsoft and that's a BIG MAYBE. Gaming PRESERVATION!

Microsoft shut down the arcade store for the original Xbox, along with the dlc. There's no way to acquire those games outside of piracy.

I think you're misunderstanding me. They said something and their actions were the opposite. MS shut down GFW and purchased games were not downloadable anymore. It's because the store/product went "out of business" like Wii and DSi have now.

The store was closed but you can still download purchased GFWL games, even the client works on Windows 11. GFWL used the Xbox 360 api so as long as that's functional, GFWL will continue to work.