Tuning out
It’s with a heavy heart that I must tell you that the Wii U’s strange television guide Nintendo TVii is shutting down on August 11, an announcement that is sure to sadden dozens around the globe.
The service began on the heels of the Wii U launch, positioning the system’s GamePad as a second screen TV guide that let users browse for content across cable, satellite, and on-demand services.
Nintendo TVii also incorporated social media functionality, allowing users to share their thoughts over Twitter, Facebook, and Miiverse; and a doodle mode for drawing over the on-screen action.
As for why the service is shutting down, Nintendo says “every service has a life cycle, and it is time to focus our resources on other projects,” noting Wii U users can continue watching programs via Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Instant Video, and Crunchyroll on their systems.
The announcement follows another Nintendo UK made earlier this year, noting Nintendo TVii would not be coming to Europe as originally planned, citing “the extremely complex nature of localising multiple television services across a diverse range of countries with varied licensing systems.”
In news that is probably more pertinent to the vast majority of people that never used the service, Nintendo plans to remove the TVii icon from the Wii U menu as part of a future system update.
Nintendo TVii Community [Miiverse, Nintendo Support]
