All games appearing on WiiWare are going to be from established developers since you can only access the development tools if you are an existing developer.

WiiWare is different to regular software in that developers have more chance of being able to publish their own games (to publish a boxed copy costs hundreds of thousands of squids just to buy the stock, and most developers aren't sitting on pots of gold) whereas if a developer can write off the cost of the wages of a few employees, they can develop and publish a WiiWare game.

This has the potential to allow the developers a bit more creative freedom and therefore should produce more unique/boundary pushing content, but obviously the big boys will want to be in on the action too.

OK, but what about a complete spread from visual development environment, API's, utilities to top line point and click content creation engines (authorware) so anybody can have a go.

For instance (and specifically big time) a 3D game creation systems, definitely featuring FPS. Allow complete API access and modification, with visual development tools, and authorware tool. Mod makers could get in on the act and use the authorware to make a new game. Professional programmers could also tweak it or sell addons to other developers. There are already some open source Linux FPS and 3D systems out there that could serve as a basis (but probably lack the authorware finale touches) which could allow games that work in both environments, which is better for developers. There are commercial ones, like from torque. Maybe Nintendo could open it up to these tool makers as well.

Still, might be complete rubbish and Nintendo is already doing this, never got through the waiting stage to find how Wiiware development actually works.

Hey guys, any rumours on the Wii2, DS2/Gameboy3D, come on, anything?

This is a very mixed message, where it seems Nintendo can't differentiate between small indepedent developers and rookie homebrew developers, trying to enter the industry and get noticed. Perhaps, Spong should have been more specific with the question, noting the differences between the two.

WiiWare has the oppurtunity to break Nintendo''s long held lack, of not supporting the real small indie homebrew developers, those who have no huge studio and backing, but work on pure passion and drive, to produce something out of nothing, in bedrooms and living rooms worldwide.

Unfortunately, I don't think Nintendo will be as gracious as MS or Sony, to allow Wii to be open in an XNA way, to the real single digit number development teams. They'd have to release some kind of cut down development tools like XNA, but we are hearing nothing about this, or how much it will cost, say a three man indie team, to develop a small WW game, and what their projected return will be.

If Nintendo produce the goods like this, so we can all have a go at making a game, then power to them. That list above seem very established, so where's the real bright young things, to expand the development side of the industry, Nintendo? It was you guys that wanted to grow the industry after all, so you can't expect to do it with new gamers, but not new developers.

The problem with opening up access to homebrew developers, Joji, is that you also open your system up to the pirates.

To develop for Wii, you need access to tools that could aid piracy if they fell into the wrong hands. They could go to the effort of creating a setup that gives limited access to the hardware and doesn't open too much up (like I believe Microsoft have with their XNA) but to Nintendo, there just aren't the benefits there to do that. As popular as homebrew can be, most of it is low quality and wouldn't generate an income if it was paid for.

Nintendo don't like the homebrew scene because hardware that is sold as being "homebrew" hardware is used in 99% of cases for piracy only. The Japanese also don't really have a history of the bedroom programmers that are the bedrock of the UK games industry. Having said that, there is a shortage of video games programmers in the UK at the moment, so anyone who can display some talent should be able to get a job in the industry fairly easily, it mostly depends on geography.

I'm going to say something that most "real" games programmers might find repugnant "Java". An interpreted system, or VOS compile language can be made to have enough abstraction to keep pirates away (if done right without hackable mistakes of course). It doesn't need to be Java, Taos Elate/Intent suite was one of the best and built for games specifically. Just looking at Java:

Java plus open API's (Open GL etc) with wii extension API's and compilation, would provide substantial abstraction of Pirates from the hardware. Even interpreted Java offers a level of performance for retro 8-bit games, JIT compilation may reach 16 bit games and precompilation would allow for a standard closer to 32 bit games (being conservative here on 8-16bit thing). This is most older types of games out there. Using a Taos Elate/Intent like Java system you can reach up into wii territory of performance with abstraction. You develop off system (or on) a program pre-compiles or compiles on load.

This also brings a lot of Java games to the system and through it's online game service, and also might bring a lot of Java games programmers in, and I think they might have some substantial ideas to offer compared to the mobile platforms many have been stuck in.

Even without a VOS system they should be able to nail down the development and abstraction to keep pirates out.

I'm going to suggest, Java and Flash (have announced a change and are plugging as an alternative to Java) + store capabilities for home-brewers (maybe with some isolated machine code and hardware access for inner routines).