Nintendo is set to debut a video service for the Wii in 2009. Of course — as of right now — it is only slated to hit Japan. According to a CVG report (via Reuters) the service will feature unannounced original content consisting of cartoons as well as other kinds of video “entertainment.”
The service is being constructed in coordination with Japanese ad company, Dentsu. Some of the content will be free.
This news is a bit of a surprise, mainly because this is the first thing Nintendo has done with the Wii that has any resemblance to what other consoles are providing this generation. The most notable example is Microsoft’s Netflix streaming which, according to experts, is only useful for catching up on past episodes of The Office.
Creating a good video distribution service on the Wii has to be hard (that’s what she said), but I would imagine that Nintendo has a firm grip on what its audience wants. I’m personally unaware of what Wii fans like to watch, but that’s probably the (only) reason I am not a Nintendo of Japan executive.
