Nintendo Support: 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.
General Information
- What are the key dates for this change?
- Why is Nintendo no longer supporting the Wii Shop Channel?
- Can users still play WiiWare games that they already purchased?
- When will all Wii Shop Channel services (including the ability to re-download) be terminated?
- What happens to Wii Points that haven’t been used?
- How can users transfer WiiWare and Virtual Console content to a newer system?
- Will users still be able to purchase WiiWare games after the Wii Shop closes?
- What impact will the Wii Shop closure have on my VOD (Netflix, Hulu, etc.
) service?
General Information
What are the key dates for this change?
September 29, 2017: The day it was announced that the Wii Shop will close in 2019.
March 26, 2018: The last day to have purchased points in the Wii Shop or redeem Points Cards in the Wii Shop.
January 30, 2019: The last day to have purchased software in the Wii Shop.
In the future, we will be closing all services related to the Wii Shop Channel, including redownloading purchased WiiWare, Virtual Console titles, and Wii Channels, as well as Wii System Transfer Tool, which transfers data from the Wii console to the Wii U console.
Why is Nintendo no longer supporting the Wii Shop Channel?
Now that customers have shifted to Nintendo eShop on Nintendo Switch and Nintendo 3DS family systems, we plan to focus our efforts in those areas. As such, the Wii Shop Channel closed in early 2019 after over twelve years of operation.
We sincerely thank our loyal customers for supporting the Wii Shop Channel on their Wii systems. Please note that content downloaded on the Wii Shop Channel can be transferred to a Wii U system using the Wii System Transfer Tool.
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.
When will all Wii Shop Channel services (including the ability to re-download) be terminated?
Users were able to add Wii Points until March 26, 2018, and were able to purchase content on the Wii Shop Channel until January 30, 2019. In the future we will close all services related to the Wii Shop Channel, including the ability to redownload WiiWare and Virtual Console games, as well as the Wii System Transfer Tool, which transfers data from Wii to the Wii U system. We will announce specific details as that time approaches.
What happens to Wii Points that haven’t been used?
- Since the original announcement in September 2017, we encouraged people to spend any unused Wii Points before the Wii Shop Channel closed on January 30, 2019.
- Refunds of Wii Points are not possible.
- Wii Points cannot be used to fund a Nintendo eShop account or Nintendo Account.
How can users transfer WiiWare and Virtual Console content to a newer system?
- For details on how to transfer Wii Shop Channel content to a Wii U system, please visit our support page.
- Please be aware that the ability to transfer will be removed at some point in the future. We will make an announcement with specific details as that time approaches.
Will users still be able to purchase WiiWare games after the Wii Shop closes?
Some WiiWare games are available via Nintendo eShop on Wii U systems. Be sure to check out the Virtual Console offerings on Nintendo eShop for your favorite classic games.
What impact will the Wii Shop closure have on my VOD (Netflix, Hulu, etc.) service?
The various video-on-demand services on Wii ended at roughly the same time as the closure of the Wii Shop Channel.
Wii Shop Channel, DSi Shop back up after months of downtime
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Wii Shop Channel, DSi Shop back up after months of downtime
Posted on July 6, 2022 by Brian(@NE_Brian)
in DSiWare, News, Wii Shop Channel
Back in March, we reported that the Wii Shop Channel had essentially gone offline, and the same thing applied to the DSi Shop as well.
It took a few months, but it seems that things are in working order once again.
Booting up the Wii Shop Channel and the DSi Shop show that they’re finally connecting properly. When they were experiencing issues, nothing would happen, and it was simply impossible to access the shops.
Nintendo’s statement at the time merely mentioned that “maintenance” was happening. The company did not provide any sort of ETA for their return.
Keep in mind that while the Wii Shop Channel and DSi Shop are back, it’s not possible to make new purchases. Nintendo ended that functionality in 2019 on Wii and 2017 on DSi.
Wii U and 3DS are next on the chopping block, as the eShops for these systems will close off purchases in March 2023. You can learn more about that here.
Nintendo has previously said that it will end redownloads of content from the Wii Shop Channel “at some point”, though thus far there have been no announcements. Wii U and 3DS owners will still be able to access previously purchased content from the eShops as well “for the foreseeable future”.
Thanks to Jake for the tip.
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Connecting the Nintendo Wii to the Internet via Wi-Fi
- Hardware requirements
- How to connect the Nintendo Wii to the Internet
- Setting up an Internet connection to search for a hotspot
- Connecting to the Internet to manually connect to a hotspot
We turn it on when we want to play and turn it off when we get bored — that’s how we communicated with consoles of previous generations.
With Wii, everything is much more interesting. When you turn off the Wii with the Power button, it enters a special mode. Consuming less electricity than even a flashlight, the Wii maintains a constant internet connection. While you sleep, work or go about your daily activities, WiiConnect24 delivers the latest game patches and add-ons, additional Wii software (with new features) and demos of new games.
When your Wii is connected to the internet, the firmware and Wii channels will be updated automatically.
Hardware requirements:
- Nintendo Wii
- A working Wi-Fi hotspot. You can use the Golden Wi-Fi network or your home Wi-Fi network (if you have it set up)
- Wireless router (in case you will be connecting to your home Wi-Fi network)
internet
Nintendo Wii connects to the Internet via Wi-Fi. In order for the set-top box to go online, you just need to connect it to any available access point. Selecting INTERNET in the Wii Settings Screen will take you to the Internet Setup Screen Internet Setup Screen .
Set up an Internet connection to search for an access point
Select option CONNECTION SETTINGS . Then select open connection labeled NONE , then WIRELESS CONNECTION , SEARCH FOR AN ACCESS POINT . The set-top box searches for any visible neighboring access points. Select your access point from the list. Enter a password if necessary. Press NEXT and then OK to test the connection. If the check reveals a successful connection, work with the Internet connection settings menu is completed.
Internet connection to establish a connection to the hotspot manually
Before trying to manually connect to an access point, try to find it by following the instructions above. If the set-top box does not find your access point in automatic mode, try establishing a connection manually. To do this, first select the option CONNECTION SETTINGS , then select an open connection labeled NONE , then WIRELESS CONNECTION and MANUAL SETUP .
