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Remember WiiCade? Well okay, it never actually went anywhere. Most of us have more than likely heard about but never given it a second thought. That friends, will more than likely soon change.
WiiCade originated as a project to create a free online flash gaming site dedicated for users browsing from their Wiis. All the games were, and still are to this point, made with Adobe Flash 7 and supported nothing more than simple point and click games. They were available to play on Wii's Internet Channel, a lite version of Opera 9.
What came next was a surprise for many. WiiCade released their own API (Application Programming Interface) which will allow flash based games to be played using the Wii Remote's +Control Pad and face buttons. This sparred an entirely new generation of Flash-based programmers and underground game developers to create small games for Wii. Not to mention that already established flash games could be easily transitioned for better use with Wii.
Nintendo's "WiiWare" concept will also give underground developers the opportunity to create games for Wii as long as they use their own resources and get the game rated by the ESRB themselves. Developing a flash game for WiiCade is relatively inexpensive and the tools needed to create such applications can often be found for free with a GNU license anyway. However, developing a WiiWare game could push expenses up to 6 digits, not to mention the money needed to have the game rated by the ESRB.
"But what about the motion sensors", you say? A little over a week ago WiiCade released an updated version of their API. With this new interface one can use the motion sensing ability of both the Wii Remote and Nunchuck, as well as the C and Z buttons of the latter. The new system also allows multiplayer gaming with up to four Wii Remote and Nunchuck controllers in one game.
This could possibly spell trouble for Nintendo. It makes you wonder if money-tight programming groups will take the rocky road with WiiWare in order to (hopefully) gain a profit through sales, or will they choose to gain publicity through WiiCade.com and hope to be discovered and follow in the footsteps of games such as Alien Homid and flOw.
