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Video-on-Demand Coming to Wii in 2009
In a move widely anticipated ever since the XBox expanded its service with Netflix, Nintendo announced over the Christmas holiday that it is adding a video-on-demand option to its popular Wii console.
Video-on-demand is one of the most competitive areas in consumer electronics with more and more companies showing a willingness to infuse their main course offering (be it a Blu-ray player or a gaming system) with a bit of saucy video content.
Currently, there are plenty of options for the person who wants video quick and easy. There are specialized set-top boxes for internet services (like Roku's Netflix Box), improved offerings from satellite providers, all-in-one video services (like the Vudu, or even Apple TV), and the strong pull of internet video like YouTube and Hulu.
Mix them all up and you have a huge royal rumble showdown that is either destined to get ugly, or might get big enough to accommodate everyone. With the appetite shown by consumers in the last year for all these services, we're betting on the latter for now.
Over the last year, several rumors placed Nintendo near a VOD announcement. If you've followed Chris Kohler's coverage on Game|Life, you know that Nintendo of America CEO Reggie Fils-Aimes had previously knocked off related rumors surrounding HD content on the Wii, but video was never completely dismissed.
It seems like Nintendo finally felt it was the right time to use their huge reach in the living room to make their mark in this space.
In a move widely anticipated ever since the XBox expanded its service with Netflix, Nintendo announced over the Christmas holiday that it is adding a video-on-demand option to its popular Wii console.
Video-on-demand is one of the most competitive areas in consumer electronics with more and more companies showing a willingness to infuse their main course offering (be it a Blu-ray player or a gaming system) with a bit of saucy video content.
Currently, there are plenty of options for the person who wants video quick and easy. There are specialized set-top boxes for internet services (like Roku's Netflix Box), improved offerings from satellite providers, all-in-one video services (like the Vudu, or even Apple TV), and the strong pull of internet video like YouTube and Hulu.
Mix them all up and you have a huge royal rumble showdown that is either destined to get ugly, or might get big enough to accommodate everyone. With the appetite shown by consumers in the last year for all these services, we're betting on the latter for now.
Over the last year, several rumors placed Nintendo near a VOD announcement. If you've followed Chris Kohler's coverage on Game|Life, you know that Nintendo of America CEO Reggie Fils-Aimes had previously knocked off related rumors surrounding HD content on the Wii, but video was never completely dismissed.
It seems like Nintendo finally felt it was the right time to use their huge reach in the living room to make their mark in this space.
