It's Official: Wii To Get Netflix This Spring
Wii owners will need a special disc like the PS3 service, though.
Earlier this week we reported that it might happen, but today Nintendo and Netflix have finally announced that the streaming video service will hit Wii consoles this Spring.
Those with a broadband Internet connection will be able to use the Netflix service at no additional cost if they are already subscribed to the company's $9-a-month DVD-by-mail plan. But like the PlayStation 3, they'll need a special disc sent to you by Netflix and have it running in their console for it to work.
Rearing his head to promote the deal is Nintendo America president Reggie Fils-Aime, who said that “from Day 1, we always had other capabilities within the console. [The deal with Netflix] is a continuation of an effort to bring more and more entertainment to consumers who interact with the Wii.”
The winner in this is undoubtedly Netflix, which has its fingers in all three console pies as well as availability on home computers. According to the NY Times, more than 50 per cent of the company's 11 million DVD-by-mail subscribers have begun watching movies and shows online rather than via physical media. That's up from 20 per cent when the streaming service was only on PCs and Xbox 360s a year and a half ago.
Reed Hastings, Netflix's chief executive, spoke about the deal and said that the reason it took so long for the Wii to get any streaming love was down to its unusual interface and hardware specifications. “The other platforms have a pretty consistent and well-known paradigm, but the Wii is unique. All of those things have taken a long time of experimentation and refinement.”
Those with a broadband Internet connection will be able to use the Netflix service at no additional cost if they are already subscribed to the company's $9-a-month DVD-by-mail plan. But like the PlayStation 3, they'll need a special disc sent to you by Netflix and have it running in their console for it to work.
Rearing his head to promote the deal is Nintendo America president Reggie Fils-Aime, who said that “from Day 1, we always had other capabilities within the console. [The deal with Netflix] is a continuation of an effort to bring more and more entertainment to consumers who interact with the Wii.”
The winner in this is undoubtedly Netflix, which has its fingers in all three console pies as well as availability on home computers. According to the NY Times, more than 50 per cent of the company's 11 million DVD-by-mail subscribers have begun watching movies and shows online rather than via physical media. That's up from 20 per cent when the streaming service was only on PCs and Xbox 360s a year and a half ago.
Reed Hastings, Netflix's chief executive, spoke about the deal and said that the reason it took so long for the Wii to get any streaming love was down to its unusual interface and hardware specifications. “The other platforms have a pretty consistent and well-known paradigm, but the Wii is unique. All of those things have taken a long time of experimentation and refinement.”
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