A Panasonic Q cost more than twice as much as a Gamecube.
Sony and Microsoft have spent years trying to make their consoles into entertainment hubs that users turned on every time they sit down to watch TV. Nintendo, meanwhile, did little to push their consoles beyond games. Sure there was the Panasonic Q, the metal-plated Gamecube that played DVDs. The Wii also had channels for Netflix and Hulu Plus. But Nintendo didn’t do much more to leave players thinking of their consoles as the go-to place for entertainment. Last month, the company announced Nintendo TVii and surprised everyone.
One of the biggest criticisms to hit Nintendo since the launch of the PS2 was that their consoles do not play CDs, DVDs, Blu-Rays, etc. The launch of the upcoming Wii U changes none of that. Nintendo doesn’t include the features because they claim that most people already have devices that do all of these things already. The idea is that adding the capability would only cause Nintendo to charge more for their devices. As the word of entertainment turns more towards the internet, Nintendo finally seems ready to embrace the idea of the entertainment hub.
One reason the PS3 and Xbox 360 have not become the de facto entertainment hubs of most living rooms is because the content is limited. Most new entertainment features shown off during a Microsoft E3 conference never make their way outside of America do to differing license laws overseas. There’s a lot of content to be seen on these consoles. You can watch Netflix, Hulu, Amazon Instant Video, HBO GO, etc. You can also rent and buy from Sony and Microsoft’s own online stores. There’s a lot of content out there, but very little of it is live. This is where Nintendo seems to have the upper-leg on the competition for once.
Nintendo TVii is connected directly to your cable/satellite service (providing you have one). This is what separates the service from that of Sony and Microsoft. Sony and MS have spent a lot of money building up their own network and stores, catering content in their own way. Nintendo seems to have no interest in competing in this manner. The Wii U will run 3rd party services like those mentioned earlier, but Nintendo doesn’t look to be creating their own entertainment stores any time soon.
The Playstation Store
i.TV is the company that worked with Nintendo to develop Nintendo TVii. i.TV CEO, Brad Pelo said to Engaget that the distinguishing factor between Nintendo TVii and the services of Microsoft and Sony is unity.
“This is a unifying experience that works on every show. You don’t have to go develop a custom app that works with a specific show,” Pelo said. “This is a comprehensive solution, and what some of the other game consoles have at least talked publicly about, I don’t see as comprehensive solutions. I see them as models that, to some degree, have been tried already in the market, particularly in the last year. We’ve tried this siloed app experience with television and that isn’t lasting, so I just believe that this strategy would be the winning strategy.”
The focus of Nintendo TVii is to cater to the viewer. The service allows for up to 12 different user profiles, each represented by that person’s Mii character. Each user will be shown content that cater’s to that person’s individual interests. The trailer does a fine job showing off Nintendo’s new approach to media:
As you can see. you use the Wii U Gamepad to control your TV/movie watching experience. Program info is displayed on the screen and you are given multiple ways to view the show/film. That’s the core of the service. What I find even more interesting is the social aspect Nintendo has taken. In an age where viewers quickly post show reactions to Facebook and Twitter, Nintendo has decided to integrate the ability directly into the viewing experience. As an event unfolds on television, viewers can post their thoughts of said event right next to a screen grab of that very moment.
Watching sports also seems to be a vastly deeper experience with the service. In addition to all of the features mentioned above, users can view the scores of every major game in real time while watching another game on television. Polls, tweets, and real-time images of previous plays can be viewed on the Gamepad as well.
Speaking of the Gamepad, Nintendo seems to have come up with a fully featured digital controller via the touch screen. It comes in the shape of several circular dials. It’s nice, but possibly a bit too slow for the seasoned TV vet. Hopefully Nintendo will allow the controller buttons to be used as shortcut buttons to change the channel and adjust the volume.
The biggest ace here is that all of this comes to Wii U owners free of charge. There’s plenty to be paid for here. If you want to watch Netflix, you need to pay Netflix. The same goes with paying for cable. Nintendo did not create a store here. They created an actual hub of content that many were accustomed to accessing, just not so fluidly. It would be surprising to say the least if Sony and MS do not chase a similar setup for their next home consoles. But whether or not they will be free is questionable (especially in the case of Microsoft). Pelo said that i.TV is also working with other partners right now (just not Sony/MS), so Nintendo TVii-like features are definitely the future of TV.
The Wii U still won’t be playing Blu-Rays or DVDs anytime soon. And whether or not non-American countries will get to take part in the action is a big question mark. But the fact that Nintendo TVii exists in it’s current form show that the company is definitely expanding its reach into other territories. Stay tuned.
