Hacking the console's channels (VC/WiiWare) requires more extensive (and otherwise obsolete) exploits than homebrew in general. You can replace the SSB Brawl soundtrack with far less trouble than you can cheat in MegaMan 9, much less direct-load it from an SD card.
It needs to copy the file to the Wii's flash memory before it actually runs. Loading from SD is just an automated version of copying files as you need them from an SD card. It's not pointless unless you somehow don't have enough space on the Wii's flash in the first place.
The fact that it's "automated copying" is WHY it's pointless. It mandates leaving empty space on your system and is responsible for excessive load times (waiting for the entire game to write to the Wii's flash). Both are a nuisance and the latter is something Nintendo USED to consider unacceptable.
I'm not sure how well-founded the fears of shortening the flash's lifespan are, though, considering that we're talking about the same chunk of memory that handles your save data if you were playing a disc game instead. Nor would I be terribly concerned about the SD card; even if you wear out flash memory to the point of no longer being able to be written, you can still read from it (ie: transfer to a new card).
Storage-wise:
a Dual Layer DVD(PS2 and Wii).
And both X-Boxes. The only gaming console to surpass the dual-layer DVD size (8.5GB) would be the PS3 (dual-layered Blu-Ray disc is 50GB).
It should be noted, however, that with flash memory the devs fork over more money for going for the larger sizes, so they will shoot for the smaller sizes if they can. Since the range stated at Vix's site is 1GB-8GB, that most likely means devs will have 1GB, 2GB, 4GB, and 8GB cards to choose from.
Of course, even 2GB could do the above-mentioned MegaMan compilations. That in itself is larger than either the Gamecube's or PSP's discs.
Posted on: December 18, 2010, 10:24:31 AM
IGN
alleges today that GameStop is taking 3DS pre-orders. There is no such option on their website, so this is apparently an in-store-only thing.
You're forking over $50 for one heck of a question mark, seeings how we still don't know price, release date, or the actual launch lineup. There's a list of four 3rd-party games you can reserve, none of which are among my personal "heavy hitters", though.
Posted on: December 27, 2010, 10:17:51 PM
Pre-order GET! Odd that they're being this quiet about it, maybe they're trying to make sure that the "core" gamers get the jump start?
Whatever. I still remember the Wii launch, not sleeping until 9:30 AM. Not doing that again.