Wii Opera Browser Gets an Upgrade

[Doctor Setebos]

http://image.colonyofgamers.com/news/wii-browser.jpg
image credit: GoNintendo


Danish online gaming magazine, GameReactor (http://www.gamereactor.dk), has some details on a new version of the Wii Opera browser that will apparently hit in December. It will feature interactivity with the Wii Speak microphone, the ability to check your Wii mail right from the browser, and will include a nifty "cube" that can keep track of up to six open websites.

Source - GoNintendo (http://gonintendo.com/?p=62555), GameReactor (http://www.gamereactor.dk/)

[DoctorFinger]

Too bad Nintendo still thinks his whole 'internet' thing is a fad

[TheKeck]

Interesting. The update is of course free if you already have the browser, right?

[quidmonkey]

Too bad Nintendo still thinks his whole 'internet' thing is a fad

CoG should have troll tags.

[Doctor Setebos]

Interesting. The update is of course free if you already have the browser, right?This is correct.

[Telefrog]

Great. <Rolleyes> It's going to look like the 360 Dashboard.

[DylonCorp]

It needs the help. Flash support? Needs that too.

Maybe I should RTFA.

[Doctor Setebos]

It needs the help. Flash support? Needs that too.

Maybe I should RTFA.The full article has scant details. The current Wii browser handles up to Flash 7 (http://operawatch.com/news/2007/04/why-the-wii-browser-has-flash-7-and-not-flash-8-or-9.html). No idea what versions the upgrade will support.

[DoctorFinger]

CoG should have troll tags.They would automatically change your user name to Schnoogs :eek:

[Ravenlock]

I can dig that, but a Flash upgrade is definitely what the browser needs most to be functional beyond watching Youtube videos. Assuming Youtube still supports Flash 7 and it can still even do that, I guess. It used to, but I haven't checked in a couple of months.

Regardless, the only Wii firmware update I'm really going to be interested in is the one that fixes the damn storage problem. Until they address that, everything else should be taking a backseat.

[Variable Gear]

I'm with Raven. :o

Where's that storage solution, Nintendo?

[Suave Peanut]

Nice! I've always felt that tabbed browsing was sorely missing from the Wii browser.

[KSmitty]

Please just upgrade the Flash.

[boratika]

The full article has scant details. The current Wii browser handles up to Flash 7 (http://operawatch.com/news/2007/04/why-the-wii-browser-has-flash-7-and-not-flash-8-or-9.html). No idea what versions the upgrade will support.
This was an issue with all non-pc devices because adobe only provided an SDK for 8+ versions of Flash for Windows, OSX, and Linux. It's the same reason the PS3 and Opera for devices only supported up to 7. But now that the PS3 browser supports later versions, I imagine Adobe must have realised that as time goes on, people are actually browsing non-pc devices more and not less :eek:

So it's entirely possible that falsh support has been updated (and may well be the main reason for the update,) but I'm not making any promises.
I can dig that, but a Flash upgrade is definitely what the browser needs most to be functional beyond watching Youtube videos. Assuming Youtube still supports Flash 7 and it can still even do that, I guess. It used to, but I haven't checked in a couple of months.

Regardless, the only Wii firmware update I'm really going to be interested in is the one that fixes the damn storage problem. Until they address that, everything else should be taking a backseat.
The reason Youtube used flash 7 was because of that thing I just said, so they probably wouldn't change it while folks are still stuck with 7.
I'm with Raven. :o

Where's that storage solution, Nintendo?

Thirded.

[Wilkz07]

yay i can't wait for wii speak so i can chat with 4 of my buddies! (note to self, find 4 people to add to wii address book. Also read manual to know how to use address book).

another peripheral that will be wasted (wii speak). but cool that the browser is finally getting updated.

[JayVe]

I really like the Wii browser for reading news. I love being able to point at the screen to click on things, as analog joysticks pushing around cursors is never fun.

I also like the idea of a tab cube. It isn't the same as a PC, but it is seemingly a well designed idea for keeping multiple pages in a small space. Even better if each face of the cube actually shows a thumbnail of the page. It should serve as a good visual indicator of the page.

[Evil Avnovice]

In particular, I look forward to using multiple tabs. :)

[Gorvi]

Let me know when I don't have to pay extra for it.

[TheFlyingOrc]

Let me know when I don't have to pay extra for it.

Two Thousand and Six ;)

[JayVe]

Was gonna say... didn't cost me a dime.

Nor did backwards compatibility on my PS3.

Early adopters FTW!

Now, this web browser costs $5, and PS2 backwards compatibility costs the price of a PS2, and gives me no upscaling, and takes ports on the back of my TV, and needs extra controllers.

[Gorvi]

Two Thousand and Six ;)
So all I have to do is go 88 miles per hour...... ;)

[JayVe]

So all I have to do is go 88 miles per hour...... ;)

After you buy the car for Burnout. :cool:

[TheFlyingOrc]

The main thing Nintendo needs to fix online right now appears to be actual hardware issues. My Wii hangs while doing internet stuff constantly. I also can't figure out why videos I download instantly to my computer over WiFi take my Wii several minutes to get. The software is just poorly written.

[JayVe]

The main thing Nintendo needs to fix online right now appears to be actual hardware issues. My Wii hangs while doing internet stuff constantly. I also can't figure out why videos I download instantly to my computer over WiFi take my Wii several minutes to get. The software is just poorly written.

In the same way I don't try and play Flash games on my cellphone, I also don't try and do multimedia stuff on my Wii. I typically use it to read news and blogs. It is great to chill on the sofa with the Wii remote and read.

[TheFlyingOrc]

In the same way I don't try and play Flash games on my cellphone, I also don't try and do multimedia stuff on my Wii. I typically use it to read news and blogs. It is great to chill on the sofa with the Wii remote and read.

I'm just trying to watch old DBZ episodes. :(

[pseudopseudo]

Didn't you guys hear Cammie Dunaway in almost every interview post-E3? The beauty of the Wii is that you can just delete stuff you're not using, and re-download it when you want to use it again! That's what *her* family does! Storage problem solved!

::EYEROLL:: ;)

EDIT: As for the OP, that's actually pretty sweet. If Nintendo could make their browser work better with Hulu than my PS3 (which seemingly can only handle one episode before I need to restart the browser), than I'd be super excited.

[Gorvi]

I'm just trying to watch old DBZ episodes. :(
Well there's your problem. DBZ. ;)

[TheFlyingOrc]

Well there's your problem. DBZ. ;)

BLAST IT YOU'VE GOT TO LET ME HAVE THIS. lTS IRONIC, OK? I WATCH THEM IRONICALLY OH YE GODS IM SO ALONE.

[KingGorilla]

I think you watch them because you are a huge fucking dork.

But to the task at hand. Yay Opera, shame only hardcore Otaku know the Wii has it. I will toss another view that all they need to do is update to flash 10. There is not much you can do at 640X480 other than Youporn.

[TheKeck]

Two Thousand and Six ;)
I like to say twenty-oh-six. ;)

[Evil Avnovice]

For those that wanted to know, if you already have the browser, it'll be free of charge when you download and upgrade to the newer version. (Aussie-Nintendo (http://www.aussie-nintendo.com/?pageid=article&t=13846))

[Raen]

I like to say twenty-oh-six. ;)

Is that cause it sounds slightly more futuristic?

We've only just got a Wii in our house, and I very much doubt that the guy who owns it will bother to pick up the browser for it. Sure it'd be nice to read some stuff on your TV... if our TV wasn't a pile of shit. By the way does anyone know if the iPlayer was actually integrated into the Wii? I know they said a deal was struck ages ago, but then I heard no more about it.

[boratika]

Is that cause it sounds slightly more futuristic?

No you're thinking of "twenty-exty-six"