Topic: Wii Video Service to Hit Other Regions Soon

[NWR_pap64]

Nintendo President Satoru Iwata details the recently released service while confirming its release in other regions.
 http://www.nintendoworldreport.com/newsArt.cfm?artid=18355

 On May 1 Nintendo made the new Wii no Ma channel available for Japanese fans. As we detailed a few days ago,  Wii no Ma is a new video download service featuring video and services from various Japanese companies, as well as a DSi option that lets gamers download videos off the Wii channel and play them on their DSi.    

Satoru Iwata confirmed on the eve of its Japanese release that the channel will “expand to other regions”. Release dates werenÂ’t mentioned.    

The executive hopes that its user friendly presentation - one that features Miis interacting in a tea room - makes the service more compelling than those found on the PC, Xbox 360 and Playstation 3.    

"Broadly defined, Wii no Ma is a service which delivers video to the consumer, funded by ads," Iwata said. "It's meant to be enjoyed by the whole family without taking up to much [of their] energy."

[Mop it up]

With things like Netflix offer video streaming on the PC, I wonder if this will attract any attention? I guess it will depend on what the price is. The only advantage I can see over Neflix is that it allows the movies to be easily watched on a television rather than a PC monitor.

[NWR_pap64]

What I am curious about is what partners Nintendo will get for the US version of the channel. Right now Wii no Ma is VERY Japan, offering services, videos and features that appeal to the Japanese market. Even the tea room them could be changed to a living room with a widescreen TV in other areas.

I was thinking that Netflix could be a good partner, but it seems they are interested on doing their own thing.

[Mop it up]

I was thinking that Netflix could be a good partner, but it seems they are interested on doing their own thing.

How about BlockBuster? Their business has suffered as a result of Netflix's popularity and this might be a way for them to retaliate.

[Ian Sane]

What are the current videos like?  Is this is the sort of thing that would attract any interest in North America at all?  I'd say anything less than movies or TV shows will go nowhere.  They can't be novelty videos.  We're got YouTube for that.  It has to be a real service or I just can't imagine it going anywhere.

And isn't this the EXACT sort of thing that Nintendo used to crap on Sony for?  This has nothing to do with videogames at all.  Nintendo used to be utterly against anything of the sort.  Nintendo, don't let this be your UMD.

[EasyCure]

What are the current videos like?  Is this is the sort of thing that would attract any interest in North America at all?  I'd say anything less than movies or TV shows will go nowhere.  They can't be novelty videos.  We're got YouTube for that.  It has to be a real service or I just can't imagine it going anywhere.

And isn't this the EXACT sort of thing that Nintendo used to crap on Sony for?  This has nothing to do with videogames at all.  Nintendo used to be utterly against anything of the sort.  Nintendo, don't let this be your UMD.

I think the reason they'd "crap on Sony" and whoever is because they do this sorta thing right out the gate. It's not like Nintendo hasn't done this sorta thing before.

Their stance has always been to make a gaming machine, then if they choose to include extras later on, they do so

[Spinnzilla]

Let's put old Super Mario/Pokemon episodes on the service!

[EasyCure]

*looks up at last post* 

Let's put old Super Mario/Pokemon episodes on the service!

Already got those on DVD (the mario ones) 

[BlackNMild2k1]

Wasn't there also an old zelda cartoon?

[NWR_insanolord]

Ian wanted movies too, so they need to have Super Mario Bros. The Movie and The Wizard.

[EasyCure]

Wasn't there also an old zelda cartoon?

got that too. Came on friday nights instead of Mario.

havent opened that dvd yet though...

Ian wanted movies too, so they need to have Super Mario Bros. The Movie and The Wizard.

Damn i've been meaning to add those to my (shitty) movie collection