Iwata introduces the Wii no Ma video service
by JC Fletcher 
{ Apr 30th 2009 at 1:30PM }
Iwata's presentation offered a few details on the new service. According to Eurogamer's summary, Nintendo will begin the service with only a small amount of original content, but that Japanese broadcasters now see the service as "not hostile" and will provide content soon. "It might seem unprecedented to launch a video broadcasting service with such limited programs," said Iwata about the approach (which should be familiar to users of the Virtual Console or WiiWare), "but from other viewpoint, it turns out that good programs can easily stand out. We are going to increase it gradually."
The advertising portion, relegated to an area inside the channel's living room houseplant, presents 12 screens to the viewer, allowing viewers to choose the advertising and offers they see, rather than interrupting programming for ads. This is the part of the service that allows coupons to be sent to the DSi. Other events happening in the room include visits from celebrity Mii "concierges" -- like Einstein, seen above. Viewers can rate and recommend these visits to friends, who can experience them via the Wii Message Board. More screens of the service are available at the Wii no Ma site.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Hardy @ Apr 30th 2009 2:06PM
So by limited programs at the start with very slow increase in it's library it'll probably be....worse then TV?
I've learned my lesson. I"m not waiting for Nintendo's slow ass to give us something new.
trE @ Apr 30th 2009 5:33PM
No one cares about japan only games or channels.
iofthestorm @ May 3rd 2009 1:22AM
Except, you know, maybe people who live in Japan?
Feba @ May 1st 2009 12:02AM
Really, I'd rather see a 'Wii Statistics' channel. Like the stuff on the Nintendo Channel, but for my Wii. List total time I've had a game powered on, how many times I've turned it on, how much time I've used my Wii in general. If a game has a save, read information from that (for example, Smash Bros. lists play time and power time separately)
esposch @ May 1st 2009 4:51AM
Try homebrew.
There's an app that does just that, but sometimes it glitches a bit. :)