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Wii

Nintendo Channel Update Live in North America

by Lukasz Balicki - September 14, 2009, 9:40 am EDT
Total comments: 20 Source: Nintendo

The Nintendo Channel gets a brand new interface and several new features. UPDATED with official Press Release, and Nintendo Week show information.

A few months ago, Nintendo updated the Everyone's Nintendo Channel in Japan. Today, Nintendo released this update in North America. If you try to launch an older version of the Nintendo Channel, you will be prompted to go to the Wii Shop Channel and download the update. The new channel boasts many new features and enhancements, such as USB keyboard support for text input.

Nintendo is also premiering Nintendo Week, a weekly show dedicated to Nintendo news. This week's show features a story on Mario & Luigi 3, a look at the development of Guitar Hero 5 for Wii, and a preview of the new Nintendo DSi colors and DSi games.

When you access the updated the channel for the first time, you must choose between high video quality and normal video quality. If for some reason you need to change the quality later, you are able to do so in the channel settings.

The interface has received an overhaul and is now much easier to navigate. The available videos are prominently displayed in the center, and if you hover over the listing with your cursor you will see the listing expand to display more information about the video. If the channel is left idle, it will automatically cycle to the next page of videos. Each page contains six videos, and the top of the channel contains a Wii button to go back to the Wii menu along with a wrench icon to access the channel settings.

The bottom of the channel contains six buttons. New Arrivals shows new game releases and new video releases on the Nintendo Channel. Find Titles for You allows one to search for games by Name or Category, and also lets you view more information about a title. DS Download Service allows you to download DS demos from the channel.

Recommend Titles is self-explanatory, allowing you to recommend Wii or DS titles that you have played for at least an hour. To recommend a DS title, you need to have the game card in your DS and then follow the instructions displayed on the channel.

Everyone's Recommendations shows games that others have recommended. The recommendation system now ranks games with medal designations of bronze, silver, gold, and platinum.

Records displays your gameplay records, showing how much time you have spent on a game or Wii channel and how many times you have booted it up. Recommendation Records displays all the recommendations that you have made (you also have the option to delete all the recommendations). Finally, the Favorites option displays a list of games that you have marked as your favorites in the channel.

The update is available now.

NEW-AND-IMPROVED NINTENDO CHANNEL GETS UPDATED FEATURES AND WEEKLY SHOW

Sept. 14, 2009 - The Wii™ console's Nintendo Channel is getting a makeover. On Sept. 14, the channel, which provides users with videos and information about current and upcoming Nintendo products, re-launches with a new look and feel. Some of the upgrades include higher-quality streaming videos, lists of top games that other viewers recommend and a new ability to rate and recommend Nintendo DS™ games.

Current features of the Nintendo Channel will remain, including Nintendo DS demo downloads and an extensive lineup of videos about Wii and Nintendo DS games.

As part of the update, Nintendo Channel will also premiere Nintendo Week, a weekly, hosted series about what's happening in the world of Nintendo. The premiere episode includes an in-depth look at Mario and Luigi™: Bowser's Inside Story, an interview with the developers behind the Wii version of Guitar Hero 5, plus coverage of the new Nintendo DSi colors, Nintendo DSiWare games and other surprises.

Nintendo Channel is available free of charge to Wii owners, and can be downloaded by going to the Wii Shop Channel and following the on-screen instructions. For more information about the Nintendo Channel, please visit www.NintendoChannel.com.

Talkback

vuduSeptember 14, 2009

This would be fantastic if they bothered putting up DS demos that were worth playing (I think the last one was Rhythm Heaven back in April).

NinGurl69 *hugglesSeptember 14, 2009

Nintendo finally learns moving pictures!  Hooray!

nickmitchSeptember 14, 2009

Is that why my slot is glowing?

NinGurl69 *hugglesSeptember 14, 2009

That's actually cross-promotion for the new Tron movie.

PlugabugzSeptember 14, 2009

Quote from: vudu

This would be fantastic if they bothered putting up DS demos that were worth playing (I think the last one was Rhythm Heaven back in April).

And/or demos more frequently than every 3 months.

NinGurl69 *hugglesSeptember 14, 2009

I wish Infernal Monkey was the host of the Nintendo Show.

Mop it upSeptember 14, 2009

Sounds interesting, it is nice they're finally utilizing some of the data gathered.
Will this update also use less space in memory like the Internet Channel?

BeautifulShySeptember 14, 2009

Quote from: Mop_it_up

Sounds interesting, it is nice they're finally utilizing some of the data gathered.
Will this update also use less space in memory like the Internet Channel?

Yes it does.

UncleBobRichard Cook, Guest ContributorSeptember 14, 2009

It'd be nice if I could rate most of my games.  But I can't.  Because my Wii says I haven't played any of them.

Keep rubbing salt in the wounds, Nintendo.

NinGurl69 *hugglesSeptember 14, 2009

Nintendo finally learns zip files!  Hooray!

This is an excellent update. The higher quality videos are GREATLY appreciated. The new "Nintendo Week" show is painfully goofy, but it could be entertaining with some work. At least it was nice to see Karthik Bala -- he's a great guy and makes great games.

I also appreciate the front-and-center link for DS demos.

Quote from: UncleBob

It'd be nice if I could rate most of my games.  But I can't.  Because my Wii says I haven't played any of them.

Keep rubbing salt in the wounds, Nintendo.

You have to play a game for at least an hour to rate it. Have you recently had your system memory wiped? Or have you not allowed Nintendo Channel to collect data on your playing time? Both of those could cause this problem.

UncleBobRichard Cook, Guest ContributorSeptember 14, 2009

Quote from: Jonnyboy117

Quote from: UncleBob

It'd be nice if I could rate most of my games.  But I can't.  Because my Wii says I haven't played any of them.

Keep rubbing salt in the wounds, Nintendo.

You have to play a game for at least an hour to rate it. Have you recently had your system memory wiped? Or have you not allowed Nintendo Channel to collect data on your playing time? Both of those could cause this problem.

Ummm...

BlackNMild2k1September 14, 2009

Quote from: Jonnyboy117

Quote from: UncleBob

Keep rubbing salt in the wounds, Nintendo.

You have to play a game for at least an hour to rate it. Have you recently had your system memory wiped? Or have you not allowed Nintendo Channel to collect data on your playing time? Both of those could cause this problem.

Quote from: UncleBob

Keep rubbing salt in the wounds, Jonnyboy.

CalibanSeptember 14, 2009

I like the new update, specially the records section.

Mop it upSeptember 15, 2009

The new channel is definitely better than before. Better layout, more organized, better quality videos, etc. The new records section is nice and revealed some surprises to me, though I already knew what my three most-played games were going to be.

Quote from: Jonnyboy117

The new "Nintendo Week" show is painfully goofy, but it could be entertaining with some work.

I'm just glad that it has a male and female host.

BwrJim!September 15, 2009

The records section..  How many reports is nintendo going to see "Usb Loader" lauches and channel time. 

eheheh

Maybe it will actually get nintendo to make the actually usb hd support the originally announced with the revolution.  Because really, I have never liked the idea of a disc spinning systems.  The only one I have that still works is a great 1x speed Turbo Duo

KDR_11kSeptember 15, 2009

The homebrew channel apparently gets reported as Zelda TP.

BwrJim!September 16, 2009

does it really?  thats funny...  I tried to update yesterday but it said to try again later..


so today.. today I get to see ... well everything I saw before, except now with goofy show!

BlackNMild2k1September 16, 2009

I kept trying to update my Nintendo Channel yesterday and kept getting error code: 204038

Anybody else have that issue?

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