Wii welcomes video on demand
Nintendo and Netflix shake hands
Nintendo will roll out a Netflix video-on-demand service to Stateside Wii owners, the gaming giant’s US chief has confirmed.
The two companies are expected to formally announce their partnership later today, but Reggie Fils-Aime, President of Nintendo America, has already told the New York Times that the deal “is a continuation of an effort to bring more and more entertainment to consumers”.
Price plans have yet to emerge, though it’s understood that subscribers to Netflix’s $9-per-month DVD-by-post service will be given free access to the firm’s online movie catalogue through the Wii.
Gamers will need to put a special Netflix disc into their Wiis before the console can play online movies, the NYT warned.
Both the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 already support Netflix movie streaming. Netflix is expected launch on the Wii this Spring.
Netflix currently has no presence in the UK, so it seems unlikely the service will be duplicated in the UK. However, the US arrangement shouldn't preclude Nintendo UK striking a similar deal with a local content provider - Lovefilm.com perhaps.
A Netflix Wii service has been rumoured for many months. Back in October, Dan Rayburn, self-styled “voice for the streaming and online video industry” and Executive VP of streamingmedia.com, predicted the service would go live this year.
He also said at the time that Nintendo would hold off on launching the service until release of the “next generation Wii HD unit in early 2010”.
This has yet to happen, so perhaps Nintendo has another treat in-store for Wii fans? ®
COMMENTS
WII tv is great for some
I'd be happy if Nintendo expanded the video services they already have with BBC iPlayer. If they could get the Channel4, Channel5 and ITV streaming services running I'd be happy bunny.
We live in an area with no digital tv other than Sky and a very weak analogue signal anyway. The Iplayer on the WII has given us access to TV in rooms away from the satellite decoder and main aerial at no extra expense.
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The rumours a few months back were that Lovefilm was for sale with Netflix one of the possible buyers. There is also Hulu on the horizon, so maybe something will happen in the UK this year. Maybe.
what chance for the uk?
"However, the US arrangement shouldn't preclude Nintendo UK striking a similar deal with a local content provider - Lovefilm.com perhaps."
Is there any more reason to expect this to happen than there was for Microsoft or Sony to strike such a deal when netflix came to their respective consoles in the US.
What is the real story behind the lack of a proper video streaming rental service in the UK?
How do you get to the flags in Wii Fit Plus cycling?
I spent 50 minutes cycling on the Wii balance board to try to find the remaining flags on the island. I can see the flags I miss are in the upper mountain area, next to the volcano, but tried cycling around the cliff face in the upper meadow and didn't find a way up there.
Do you know by any chance? Oh silly, me, I'm asking a XBLA fanboy, never mind, go back to playing with your joystick, sorry to disturb you while your eating.
That may be true
but only a drooling halfwit would by an Xbox. Paying for net access???? hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha ahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha
