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Wii Ware; released 13 February 2007; Free.

What is it?

Right around Valentine’s Day this year, Nintendo posted a message on our Wii message boards letting us know that the Everybody Votes channel was available for free at the Wii Shop Channel. Nintendo’s promised us a number of these channels, which serve as a kind of a connected diversion. The concept is that you answer multiple choice questions, which appear pretty regularly: at a rate of several per week. There are always two answers to choose from, and they’re light fare, often opinion based. After answering a question, you can try to predict what the outcome will be when all the votes have been tallied, and eventually you get the results.

How does it play?

Control is tight, but it’s really all just pointer-based stuff, so bad control would be a problem. You click through simple menus and vote by dragging and dropping your Mii onto the appropriate answer in the standard way: hold A and B, drag, then release. Communication with the servers is quick, usually taking only a couple of seconds to retrieve the questions and submit the answers and predictions. Interestingly, some of the questions are just your country, some are worldwide, and for each set of results you can see a map and how each state or country voted. It’s surprising how often every place seems to have a majority in the same direction. Sociology lite, in a sense.

How does it look and sound?

The Everybody Votes Channel is very well done in the sense that it’s consistent with the look and feel of the rest of the Wii Menus, unlike the Wii Shop Channel, which was clearly slapped together in a great hurry to make launch and only now is starting to show polish. Of particular note is the music, which is very bright and upbeat. My toddler leaps up off the floor and dances frantically whenever it starts playing.

How is the replay value?

This is where the surprise came in. I was underwhelmed by the Channel the first time I used it, but pretty quickly I found myself drawn in to check it every time I turn on the Wii (which is just about every day). When the Channel’s not running, it sits in your Wii Menu scrolling a marquee of the newest question. It’s hard not to slowly read it as it rolls by and think about what your answer is… next thing you know you’re answering questions and seeing what everyone else thinks.

Is it worth it?

Well, of course. It’s free. It’s not worth paying for an Internet connection on its own of course, but if you’re set up to get the Everybody Votes channel there’s no reason not to. It’s a fun diversion that is at times very interesting, and at others, its small footprint makes it of no consequence. I use it more than the Forecast and News channels, as it is something that’s pretty exclusive. I haven’t done this kind of thing on my computer, where any web browser can bring you the news and weather.

See also:

Nintendo launches Everybody Votes channel.
Everybody Votes Channel, at the official site.