Wii Opera Browser Beta Available December 22

Press Release

Wii

December 19, 2006, 9:25 am EST
Total comments: 10

Final version to go live March 2007, and will be free until June 2007; after that it'll cost you 500 Wii Points.

Free Opera Internet Browser Connects the World to Wii

Starting Dec. 22, Beta Version Lets Users Surf

From the Comfort of Their Couches

REDMOND, Wash., Dec. 19 /PRNewswire/ -- Nintendo's wildly popular Wii™

home video game system not only revolutionizes how people play games, but it

also entices new people into the world of gaming. On Dec. 22, Nintendo and

Opera Software bring the Internet to the living room couch with a free beta

version of the Opera Web browser. Wii owners who are connected and have

activated the Wii Shop Channel can download a free beta version of the Opera

browser to activate the Internet Channel of the Wii Menu and begin surfing the

Web.

"This newest Wii Menu channel provides yet another feature to draw

non-gamers in," says Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aime. "All

kinds of people already have discovered that Wii is like nothing they have

ever tried before, and our red-hot sales reflect this public enthusiasm."

"Our software brings the power and reach of the Internet to the hottest

video game system available," says Scott Hedrick, Executive Vice President,

Devices, at Opera Software. "Wii's unique interface adds a new dimension to

our browser, making it a useful tool that the whole family will enjoy

operating with ease."

The final version of the Opera browser will be available at the end of

March 2007, and will be free for all Wii owners to download through the end of

June 2007. After June, users who haven't already downloaded the Opera browser

can go to the Wii Shop Channel to download it for 500 Wii Points.

The Internet Channel provides an optimal Web browsing experience on

people's home television. The Adobe Flash-enabled beta version of the Opera

browser puts the Internet right onto owners' television screens and lets them

browse with ease, enabling them to check sports scores, plot maps or visit

their favorite Web sites. Multiple family members can gather around the

television to plan a vacation or make online purchases. The pointing

abilities of the Wii Remote™ allow users to click on links they want to see

or to zoom into any part of the screen through the motion of the controller.

In addition, the Wii Remote can be used with an on-screen keyboard to make

text entry as easy as point and click.

The Internet Channel joins the four already-live channels: Disc Channel,

Photo Channel, Mii™ Channel and Wii Shop Channel. The Forecast Channel

goes live on Dec. 20 and provides current and future weather information that

can be accessed using a text list of cities or by using the Wii Remote to zoom

in on a 3-D interactive globe. Weather information is provided by

Weathernews. The Internet Channel, Forecast Channel and Wii Shop Channel are

available at no charge, though they require Wii owners to have a high-speed

Internet connection. For more information about Wii, visit www.Wii.com

Talkback

MarioAllStarDecember 19, 2006

So people who get it before the end of June 2007 will not have to pay. I am glad this has finally been confirmed.

Hopefully Nintendo/Opera will use user feedback from the beta to improve the product for the final release. Three months is a good amount of time to iron out the kinks.

WPack911December 19, 2006

Oh man this is so awesome both the Forcast Channel and the beta of the Internet Channel in the same week and both for free how great is that? Not to metion early adopters of the Wii get the Internet channel free of charge! I so love Nintendo right now! Woot!

-WPack911

JonLeungDecember 19, 2006

Time to look up porn! Oh, wait, I gotta find out how to clear the cache and history first... >_>

I redesigned my own web site (VGMaps.com for those who don't know >_> ) as a New Year's revamp at the beginning of this year, before we knew what the Wii Channel menu looked like. Coincidentally, there are some stylistic similarities!

Now I'm excited to check out my own site, with its predominantly white-background, clickable rounded-corner rectangles, especially on the Wii where it'll look so nice and co-ordinated!

500 Wii Points doesn't sound too bad for people who don't get Wiis (or don't get online) until June. At least the way it sounds, which is as a one-time purchase. I was worried it'd be a subscription-type thing.

UltimatePartyBearDecember 19, 2006

It's nice to see that it isn't too expensive after the freebie offer expires. It would be nice if it were always free, of course, but I figured it would be a lot more than the price of a NES game. This bodes well for future Wii ware releases, if they ever exist.

Spak-SpangDecember 19, 2006

$5.00 is a great deal for late adopters.

Early adopters seem to be getting a great deal.

$250.00 really has bought a fantastic system. Now I am waiting for 3rd party versions of the sensor bar, so I can see if a better version will come out.

ShyGuyDecember 19, 2006

I hope it's fast. and that this beta has flash for video playback.

UERDDecember 19, 2006

I hope this is the start of a whole series of useful utilities taking advantage of the Wii's capabilities.

I remember that the serial and hi-speed ports on GC were hardly ever used...desperately hope that the Opera browser isn't the only entry we'll see for a while...

nitsu niflheimDecember 19, 2006

even though I don't know how much I will use them, I will get them because they are free.

TJ SpykeDecember 19, 2006

Quote
Originally posted by: MarioAllStar
So people who get it before the end of June 2007 will not have to pay. I am glad this has finally been confirmed.

This was confirmed months ago.

Shift KeyDecember 19, 2006

Quote
Originally posted by: Spak-Spang
Now I am waiting for 3rd party versions of the sensor bar, so I can see if a better version will come out.

Rumours persist about a wireless version of the Sensor bar. I forget whether it was a Nintendo item or 3rd party, but more wireless sounds awesome.

Also, can't wait for the browser. If I can get MSN working through the Wii it will be EPIC piechat. EPIC.

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