Wii channels and points

[wmmk]

hey, i've never owned a console, but i'm definitely getting a Wii. i don't totally get the concept of these "Wii channels." is this kind of like dashboard? anyway, i also saw the mentiojn of "Wii points." what are these and how do you obtain them? do you have to pay for channels, or do they come with the console? the reason i ask this is that the news channel's description on the nintendo site states fairly blatantly that it's a free channel, making me wonder if some channels are not free? also, can more channels be added, or are there only the ones on nintendo's website. how does the Wii connect to the internet. is Wi-Fi built in, or will i have to buy extra 802.11 cards? finally, when will screenshots of channels besides the forecast, photos, and Mii channels be released?

thanks,
wmmk

[MacRumorUser]

You'll probably pay for wii points much like Microsoft sell 360 points. By 1) using a registered credit card 2) pre-pay from a gamestore

[wmmk]

You'll probably pay for wii points much like Microsoft sell 360 points. By 1) using a registered credit card 2) pre-pay from a gamestore
so these points won't be acquired from, say, beating games or anything?
it seems nuts that thay'd make you pay for "the internet channel," aka opera browser. i mean, c'mon! this stuff is open source!:mad:

[MacRumorUser]

Welcome to the next gen, :).. Wii points are Xbox marketplace points and NOT gamer achievement points. They are two separate entities. Basically it's virtual currency (that costs you real currency).

They will be used to pay for downloadable games, and maybe themes and things (if nintendo incorporate themes).

Wii channels will 'probably' be free and will be simple things like weather forecasts and stuff. A bit like glorified widgits.

Aparently Opera web browser should be free on the wii, but there is a possibility that it will be charged for.

[zap2]

it seems nuts that thay'd make you pay for "the internet channel," aka opera browser. i mean, c'mon! this stuff is open source!:mad:


If Opera open source? I have even bigger doubts about the Wii's Opera being open source. Also Opera did cost money until sometime last year!


And it will be free until June 2007!

[NinjaMonkey]

Points will be used to buy games through the Virtual Console. You can either buy cards in stores or register a credit card.

Opera is not open source. Rumor has it that it will be free though through June '07.

Nintendo hasn't said anything about additional channels besides, weather, photos, messaging, mii, internet and virtual console but it is a possibility that they will add more later. I'm assuming channels could be pushed to the console though the Connect24 system but Nintendo hasn't announced anything.

Wireless is built in, if you want to attach an ethernet cable however, you will need to buy an adapter separately.

[wmmk]

Opera is not open source. Rumor has it that it will be free though through June '07.
Oops, my bad.
thanks for all the info, everybody!