Nintendo used its Game Developer’s Conference press release lineup to announce that its new downloadable game service, WiiWare, will launch on May 12.
Early WiiWare games will come from celebrated developers like Square Enix, which is creating Final Fantasy Crystal Chronicles: My Life as a King, a simulation game for all ages. Up-and-coming developers like Frontier will also be included, with Frontier’s platform adventure game LostWinds, and there will also be a new episodic game series from Telltale.
Through WiiWare, Nintendo hopes to offer developers a virtual laboratory that serves as a breeding ground for new games and lets game-makers experiment a bit. In other words, it’s a lot like Xbox Live Arcade and the casual games on the PlayStation Store.
While game developers can test new games, Wii owners will be able to use WiiWare to download and purchase a multitude of games in different genres using Wii Points.
The first U.S. WiiWare games will be available on May 12.
