14 DAY TRIAL // Nintendo has just announced an initiative, launched together with Dentsu, which aims to bring streaming video content to the Nintendo Wii. The service is set to arrive in Japan in 2009 and if the initiative proves successful, Western launches will follow shortly.
Nintendo has released an official statement, which has been translated by the AFP, and there are some interesting details. It seems that the majority of the content that will be available via the new service will be free, supported through ads, and some of the videos will need the Wii owner to pay, presumably via Wii Points, so that he can watch them.
The statement regarding the service says “Nintendo and Dentsu shall use the environment surrounding the Wii so that living rooms with Wii-ready TVs would become more of a fun area for communication among families and friends.”
Another attempt for bringing video to the Nintendo home console comes from Fujisoft, which aims to launch Minna-no Theater Wii, which translates as Everyone's Theater for Wii, on January 27, 2009. The service will arrive via Wiiware and will cost between 1 and 4 dollars per video watched. It's not known whether the service will offer short clips or full television shows.
As Microsoft launched the New Xbox Experience earlier in the year, the Netflix integration has been one of the most talked about selling points. With Microsoft trying to reposition the Xbox 360 as a competitor for the Nintendo Wii, it makes sense for Nintendo to try and get a video streaming service working on its device. If the Wii gets enough video content available, then some buyers might think twice about buying the Xbox 360 or the PlayStation 3, which have better video options, like Blu-ray and Netflix.