Nintendo Europe has confirmed to SPOnG that there are "no confirmed plans" for the launch of Wii no Ma, the recently-revealed video distribution channel for the Wii, in Europe.
A Nintendo Europe representative told SPOnG, “Nintendo is intending to start the free-of-charge service in Japan in Spring 2009. We are considering expanding the service outside of Japan however we have no confirmed plans at present.”
If you were so inclined, you could read the European statement as telling us that there are no confirmed plans for the service to be brought over here at all, rather than there being no confirmed plans for when it will happen.
That differs slightly from the Japanese announcement, however. A translation of it tells us that overseas development is planned for the service, but no date has been confirmed. This was picked up the Japanese newspaper, Nikkei. However, we've had it confirmed that this is 'incorrect'.
SPOnG's going to give Ninty the benefit of the doubt and go with the latter for now. That said, execs might not be thrilled at the prospect of pushing an SD video content service over here, with the switchover to digital so imminent and the ever-more-forceful push towards HD well underway. Alternatively, maybe they'll just rub their hands together in glee at the prospect of another content channel that keeps them in the living room as consumers increasingly look to alternative sources for their visual entertainment...
It's worth noting that Japanese paper, The Nikkei, reported that the service will launch overseas this summer. Nintendo has confirmed to SPOnG that this is inaccurate - Summer 2009 is in fact when paid-for programming will launch on the service in Japan.
A Nintendo Europe representative told SPOnG, “Nintendo is intending to start the free-of-charge service in Japan in Spring 2009. We are considering expanding the service outside of Japan however we have no confirmed plans at present.”
If you were so inclined, you could read the European statement as telling us that there are no confirmed plans for the service to be brought over here at all, rather than there being no confirmed plans for when it will happen.
That differs slightly from the Japanese announcement, however. A translation of it tells us that overseas development is planned for the service, but no date has been confirmed. This was picked up the Japanese newspaper, Nikkei. However, we've had it confirmed that this is 'incorrect'.
SPOnG's going to give Ninty the benefit of the doubt and go with the latter for now. That said, execs might not be thrilled at the prospect of pushing an SD video content service over here, with the switchover to digital so imminent and the ever-more-forceful push towards HD well underway. Alternatively, maybe they'll just rub their hands together in glee at the prospect of another content channel that keeps them in the living room as consumers increasingly look to alternative sources for their visual entertainment...
It's worth noting that Japanese paper, The Nikkei, reported that the service will launch overseas this summer. Nintendo has confirmed to SPOnG that this is inaccurate - Summer 2009 is in fact when paid-for programming will launch on the service in Japan.
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Comments
morbid bob 5 Jan 2009 15:37
1/3
The HD push might be underway but I for one couldn't give a hoot.
Most of broadcast content is just upscaled shovelware, so with a decent upscaling TV the Wii should fit in perfectly with its SD service.
Plus I'm of the mind that Sky is degrading SD broadcast quality to big up its HD service - kinda like the food manufacturers do to their normal product when they bring out a "low fat/sugar/salt" version. Sky can toot on my chubby before they get my money for HD.
Really, there very little TV content that benfits from HD. Who wants to see reality show's zits - I can pick up Hello! rag for that. Soccer? Yeah, I can see the bones in some overpaid tosser's spit. Documentaries with HD footage of WWII 8mm b/w movies? Get real! Most dramas don't have the production budget to give whats needed for HD. That leaves only really movies and I've got a PS3 with BR or upscaled DVD for that.
Most of broadcast content is just upscaled shovelware, so with a decent upscaling TV the Wii should fit in perfectly with its SD service.
Plus I'm of the mind that Sky is degrading SD broadcast quality to big up its HD service - kinda like the food manufacturers do to their normal product when they bring out a "low fat/sugar/salt" version. Sky can toot on my chubby before they get my money for HD.
Really, there very little TV content that benfits from HD. Who wants to see reality show's zits - I can pick up Hello! rag for that. Soccer? Yeah, I can see the bones in some overpaid tosser's spit. Documentaries with HD footage of WWII 8mm b/w movies? Get real! Most dramas don't have the production budget to give whats needed for HD. That leaves only really movies and I've got a PS3 with BR or upscaled DVD for that.
Ninty U.K? Ha, LOL. 5 Jan 2009 21:06
2/3
Nintendo U.K really are a useless entity of NCL.... They spend their lives vaguely denying everything because they have no idea whats going on. EVER.
Rant over.
Rant over.
Horatio 6 Jan 2009 13:22
3/3
not really story-related, but does anyone know when we'll be able to play wiiware and vc games direct from an SD card? can't recall now if this measure has even been announced but I ran out of space on my wii and want more games... and i want them to be instantly available to play, not the "after 10 minutes of copying around" method currently available....
and as for the "tv" content as a wii channel, honestly, I'm not convinced, it might work for those craazzyyy japanesers but i think it would fail in the uk, especially as the wii hardware just isn't cut out for anything sophisticated.
and as for the "tv" content as a wii channel, honestly, I'm not convinced, it might work for those craazzyyy japanesers but i think it would fail in the uk, especially as the wii hardware just isn't cut out for anything sophisticated.