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Wii gets video on-demand, but only in Japan

December 30, 2008 — 1:40pm ET | By Pete Wylie

Tools

Nintendo announced yesterday that its extremely popular next-gen gaming device Wii will get a video on-demand channel in 2009. U.S. Wii-lovers shouldn't hold their breath, as the service will initially only launch in Japan.

Following the general marketing of the Wii, the video channel will focus on family-friendly content, rather than mirroring Sony's Playstation 3 and Microsoft's Xbox 360's more broad offerings. The Wii video content will be developed exclusively for the console, a marked departure from its competitor's offerings. This would seem to allow Nintendo to avoid contract and licensing disputes that have complicated other over-the-top video solutions.

Another unique element of the planned Wii offering is Nintendo's partnership with Japanese advertising agency Dentu, which will handle ad placement and content negotiations. The partnership will allow Nintendo to focus on its core competencies, while drawing advertisers to support the service.

For more:
- see the Techspot.com post here