It's Official - Wii's U.S. Nintendo Channel, Forecast Channel, News Channel & more taken offline.

The message you get now when trying to access the Nintendo Channel.

Coffee Beans
If you have read stories around here over the last few years, chances are you have probably seen my data report stories on Wii games. I would gather information from the Wii's Nintendo Channel, and then create images with the reported play-time on games that showed things like average times played and total hours played. You can even read a data report I did on the Everybody Votes Channel, HERE.

Well, as of now, the Nintendo Channel (seen above), Forecast Channel, News Channel, Everybody Votes Channel, and Check Mii Out Channel have been taken offline on the Wii, to never return again. Perhaps Nintendo will release a News and Weather app on the Wii U, but I doubt they will ever release a Nintendo Channel app that shows play-times of Wii U and Wii games, because that data could provide hints of sales numbers for games as well.

You can see the how the other Wii Channels now appear if you attempt to visit them, in the image below.

Click to enlarge

Caffeinated Thoughts
I have used the Nintendo Channel almost weekly, for the last 3+ years. Even weeks and months when I didn't post data reports, I would record the data for my records (data nerd). Seeing the Nintendo Channel services discontinued is the biggest disappointment for me out of all the Wii Channels discontinued. There were some newer Wii games I was hoping to get to report on, like Pandora's Tower, but due to the Nintendo Channel service being stopped that data will now most likely never be known.

While we used the Forecast Channel, Everybody Votes Channel, Check Mii Out Channel, and News Channel, none of them were used anywhere near as much as the Nintendo Channel in our house, and some of them hadn't been used regularly in years.

The Nintendo Channel was by far my favorite Wii Channel and not just because of the data, but also because Nintendo started things like Nintendo Week on it and it provided a good way to watch trailers of new games coming out as well.

Questions
Did any of you use a Wii Channel (or two) regularly, and perhaps will be disappointed now that these Wii Channel services have been discontinued?

Did all of you know that the Wii Channels in the U.S./Western market were being taken offline? I didn't see any sites really report on them being discontinued in the U.S., but I did see it mentioned for Europe and Japan.

FPS Friday! How much has Red Steel 2 been played? Official U.S. Nintendo Channel data report.

Coffee Beans
Last May, we looked at how many hours had been reported playing Red Steel 2 by U.S. Wii owners, with more than 2 years' worth of data reported.

Red Steel 2 was released as a Wii exclusive on March 23, 2010 in the U.S., and can still be found to buy, new or used, on many different sites. If you own a Wii, or even Wii U, and are interested in Red Steel 2, you should know the game requires a Wii MotionPlus accessory to play though. As for content to be aware of, Red Steel 2 received an ESRB rating of "TEEN" for "Animated Blood, Mild Language, Mild Suggestive Themes, Violence".

A description for the game on the Nintendo Channel says, "Embody a lonesome fighter, a man of few words with a shaded past full of mystery. Face various, and increasingly strong, enemies and defeat challenging bosses in epic and intense fights. Visit a remote mixed metropolis in the middle of the American desert, where Eastern and Western culture have been smashed together: Caldera."

About how many U.S. Wii owners have game-play data reported for Red Steel 2 through the Nintendo Channel, and how many hours have they reported playing the game since it released over 3 years ago? Brew yourself some coffee, and let's take a look!

How much has Xenoblade Chronicles been played? Official U.S. Nintendo Channel data report.

Coffee Beans
Xenoblade Chronicles released last year in the U.S. on April 6th. The game was sold exclusively at GameStop (stores and online) and had a MSRP of $49.99.

The game was developed by Monolith Soft and published by Nintendo, and received an ESRB rating of "TEEN" with "Blood, Mild Language, Partial Nudity, Use of Alcohol and Tobacco, Violence" listed as content for parents and gamers to be aware of.

How many hours have U.S. Wii owners reported playing the Xenoblade Chronicles since it released last year, and about how many U.S. Wii owners now have data reported for the game? Brew yourself some coffee, and let's take a look at the official U.S. Nintendo Channel data, as well as other information about Xenoblade Chronicles!

Fishing Resort's official Nintendo Channel debut data. Hours spent fishing in a virtual paradise...

Coffee Beans
Do you like fishing, virtually or in real life?

Fishing Resort was released for the Wii in the U.S. on November 22, 2011, with two SKUs available for purchase. There was a standalone software version with a MSRP of $19.99, or Wii owners could also buy the game bundled with a fishing rod accessory for $29.99.

Fishing Resort was developed by PROPE, which is the studio formed by Yuji Naka (previous head of Sonic Team) and who is also said to be "The Creator of Sonic" in a portion of the game's description on Amazon.com. The game was published by XSEED Games for its U.S. release, and received an ESRB rating of "EVERYONE" with no content listed for parents or gamers to be aware of.

The Nintendo Channel description for the game reads, "Fishing Resort is a fishing game that takes place on a large tropical paradise and uses the Wii Remote to mimic the action of casting and the Nunchuk for reeling. This paradise offers lakes, streams, and even ice fishing in addition to the deep and shallow sea fishing with more than 200 varieties of fish available."

About how many U.S. Wii owners have reported fishing in the virtual paradise found in Fishing Resort since it released? Grab your fishing gear, grab your coffee, and let's take a look!

What is the Wii's most played Need for Speed game, based on "Total Hours" reported played?

Can you guess which one is the most played by total hours reported?

Coffee Beans
Did you know the Wii had six Need for Speed games released for it? Well, at least six in the United States. Six. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6! I didn't realize there were so many Need for Speed games within 6 years, much less six Need for Speed games on one console!

The image above shows the six Need for Speed games that released on the Wii in the United States, at least that I'm aware of. They were: Need for Speed Carbon, Need for Speed: Pro Street, Need for Speed: Undercover, Need for Speed NITRO, Need for Speed: Hot Pursuit, and Need for Speed: The Run. There could have been another that I missed, but these are what I found in my research.

Now, if you're a Wii U owner, like myself, you may be aware (or not) that Need for Speed: Most Wanted U is releasing for the system today, March 19th. While it will be the Wii U's first Need for Speed game, if the number of Need for Speed games on the Wii is any clue, Most Wanted U won't be the Wii U's last.

Before you go off and start playing Need for Speed: Most Wanted U though, what is the Wii's most played Need for Speed game based on the total hours reported played from U.S. Wii owners? Brew yourself some coffee, and let's take a look!

Movie Magic Monday! Disney's Alice in Wonderland data report.

Coffee Beans
What is Movie Magic Monday? When I was younger (about 20 years younger), I really enjoyed a show on the Discovery Channel called "Movie Magic". It was a behind-the-scenes type series, that showed how special effects in movies were made. Usually, each episode would cover a specific special effect done in movies, such as model makers building miniature models for movies.

So, this new Movie Magic Monday feature will be about video games, that are based around movies, posted on Mondays. If you have ever wanted to tumble down the rabbit hole, you might enjoy this first Movie Magic Monday.

Alice in Wonderland was released for the Nintendo Wii on March 2, 2010. The game was developed by Étranges Libellules (now closed) and published by Disney Interactive Studios, and it received an ESRB rating of "EVERYONE 10+" with "Fantasy Violence" listed as content for parents and gamers to be aware of. The game's development was "inspired by Tim Burton's" movie, Alice in Wonderland, which released in theaters on March 5, 2010.

How many hours have U.S. Wii owners reported playing Alice in Wonderland, since it released just over 3 years ago? Brew yourself some coffee, and let's take a look!

WiiWare Wednesday! Mega Man 9 - How many hours have U.S. Wii owners reported playing?

Coffee Beans
Mega Man 9 was released for Nintendo's WiiWare service on September 22, 2008, in the U.S., at a $10 price point. The game was co-developed by Inti Creates and Capcom, with Capcom publishing it. It received an ESRB rating of "EVERYONE" with only "Mild Cartoon Violence" listed as content for parents and gamers to be aware of.

How many U.S. Wii owners have reported playing Mega Man 9 since it released, and how many hours have they reported playing it with 1,624 days of data possibly reported? Brew yourself some coffee, and let's take a look!

The Amazing Spider-Man data report. How many hours have U.S. Wii owners reported web-slinging?

Coffee Beans
The Amazing Spider-Man was released on June 26, 2012 for the Nintendo Wii, and was based around the Spider-Man movie of the same name. The game was developed by Beenox and published by Activision, and it received an ESRB rating of "TEEN" with "Mild Language, Mild Suggestive Themes, Violence" listed as content for parents and gamers to be aware of.

A description for the game on the Wii's Nintendo Channel says, "Spidey is back with the return of wall crawling, web-slinging action! Perform acrobatic attacks and stealth maneuvers with the brand new web rush combat system. Uncover the rest of Peter Parker's untold story in the original epilogue to the film."

While we have looked at another Spider-Man Wii game before, how many hours have U.S. Wii owners reported web-slinging in The Amazing Spider-Man since it released last year? Brew yourself some coffee, and let's take a look!

Halloween candy laced with the t-Virus making people zombies? Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles Data Report

Coffee Beans
Halloween is over, and the only zombies we saw were on a t-shirt! Did you know the Nintendo Wii has had five Resident Evil games released on it? One, two, three, four, and five!

Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles released on November 13, 2007 for the Nintendo Wii with a MSRP of $49.95. The game was published by Capcom, and it received an ESRB rating of "MATURE" with "Blood and Gore, Violence" listed as content for gamers and parents to be aware of.

How many hours can you expect from Resident Evil: The Umbrella Chronicles if you have never played it? How many U.S. Wii owners have reported playing it, and how many hours have they reported playing the game since it released? You may be feeling like a zombie from all the Halloween candy, so make sure to brew yourself some coffee and let's take a look!

Halloween? Check! Hordes of zombies? Check! The House of the Dead 2 & 3 Return Data Report

Coffee Beans
The House of the Dead 2 & 3 Return released for the Nintendo Wii on March 11, 2008. The game was published by Sega, and it received an ESRB rating of "MATURE" with "Blood and Gore, Violence" listed as content for gamers and parents to be aware of.

How many hours of gameplay can you expect battling the undead in The House of the Dead 2 & 3 Return if you haven't played it? How many U.S. Wii owners have reported playing the game, and how many hours have they reported playing it since the game released over 4 years ago? Brew yourself some coffee, and let's take a look!

Hours debut for The Last Story! Data Report

Coffee Beans
What's faster than Sin & Punishment: Star Successor, but slower than Xenoblade Chronicles?

The Last Story released for the Wii on August 14, 2012 with a MSRP of $49.99. The game was developed by MISTWALKER, and published by XSEED Games for its North American release. The Last Story received an ESRB rating of "TEEN" with "Language, Mild Suggestive Themes, Use of Alcohol, Violence" listed as content for gamers and parents to be aware of.

How many US Wii owners have reported playing The Last Story, and how many hours have they reported playing since the game released? Brew yourself some coffee, and let's take a look!