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WiiWare goes live in Japan

Ben Parfitt Mar 25 2008, 11:00am

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Nintendo’s answer to XBLA and PSN arrives in the Far East

The latest chapter in Nintendo’s online revolution has arrived in Japan in the shape of WiiWare – an indie games service that operates alongside the existing Virtual Console service.

The key differentiator between Virtual Console and WiiWare is that whilst the former can only host games that have previously appeared on any of the partner systems, WiiWare can include wholly original and independently developed software.

WiiWare goes live with nine games, with the headline title being Square Enix’s Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: My Life as a King, which costs 1,500 Wii points.

Other launch titles include Star Soldier R, Saku Saku Animal Panic and Dr Mario & Saikin Bokumetsu.

WiiWare is scheduled to arrive in North America on May 12th, though no date has yet been set for its European launch.