I think it's funny how the Wii Remote has come full circle. It started off as something that looked like a television remote control, and now it works like one.
The newly launched Wii TV Friend Channel is an interactive community TV guide. It lets you flip through television channel listings and find what you want to watch. You can mark your favorites(with your Mii marker), and then the Wii Remote gets back to its roots -- it changes the channel on your TV for you. Volume, too! Check out the teeth-grittingly annoying clip above.
CVG says that by using Friend Codes, you can check out what your friends are watching. This enables you to view each others' show star ratings and habits. For mine you'd just see pervy late-night game shows and sappy evening J-dramas.
Registering your email address or mobile phone number will let you receive alerts before your favorite shows air.
As nifty as this is, I don't think it would fly here in the US -- and that's probably why there is no release date.
We have our DVRs and Tivos set up to do all of this dirty work. And another channel changer would be pointless in many of our home theaters. I do like the social features, but if you all are anything like my co-workers, I'll be wading through lists of countless reality shows, American Idol, and Lost. I'll stick to my sappy J-dramas, thank you.
Would you use something like this? Would you benefit from a Wii-based TV Guide?
[Video via GoNintendo]
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I don't watch TV. I spend all of my time reading books and reflecting on how much more intelligent and cultured I am compared to everyone else.
Where's my Kozmo.com channel??!
Wow. This video is filled with fail and painful to watch. Could it possibly get any clumsier and awkward?
glandseck - i'm with you - like...I can't watch the cursor without getting sick
but it does show off several of the screens
do not want
Or you could install MythTV or Freevo on your linux HTPC?
lol @ Mxyzptlk - "Uh... what's a book?" heh
I would never use this. DVR FTW. Is DVR not very popular in Japan?
I just have www.radiotimes.com bookmarked in my wii browser, serves essentially the same purpose(albeit without the social shit, but that matters little as I couldn't really be arsed entering friend codes).
I like to play AVI videos on my 360. Fuck TV.
the screen...it's throbbing. why is the screen throbbing? is that an additional feature?
They still use TV in Japan? huh.. oh yeah cause theres shows are actually Entertaining
This is only good for those who steal cable and dont have the program guide for the channels... but thats not me... Um... I dont need this.
glad to see they are having fun while not fixing their broken online friend code system.
That seemed kind of clumsy and slow, but I think I would actually use that if it worked well.
Hm, totally unnecessary on this side of the pond.
Friend Codes are not broken AgentMOO, they're just complicated and unneeded.
That being said, if this thing can warn me when 24, or Tenchi Muyo is on when Im playing Brawl, Im In.
Somethings are more important.