Nintendo says to offer videos on Wii
TOKYO (AFP) — Nintendo Co. said Thursday it will start offering videos through its blockbuster Wii game console, the latest new feature for the Japanese entertainment giant. — Nintendo said it would develop original programming which Wii users …
Context & Ripple Effects
Nintendo's move into video comes at the peak of the Wii's commercial run — a console that launched with scarce supply in Japan (400,000 launch units) and whose demand was strong enough that Nintendo refused to cut its price in 2007. With hardware momentum secured, the company is now pushing the Wii beyond games, announcing it will develop original programming for the console's installed base. This is Nintendo's first step onto the living-room video stage, ahead of the streaming partners that would follow: Netflix arriving on Wii in 2010 and later Amazon Instant Video in 2013.
First-order effects
- Wii owners gain access to a new non-gaming content category directly on the console, while Nintendo commits resources to producing original video programming for the first time.
- Nintendo's Wii shifts positioning from pure game machine toward broader home-entertainment device, competing for TV time with set-top boxes and other consoles.
Second-order effects
- Third-party streaming services see the Wii's large installed base as a distribution channel worth porting to — Netflix and Amazon both subsequently bring their services to the console.
- Rival console makers face pressure to match the expanded entertainment feature set, accelerating the industry-wide race to make consoles general media hubs.
Third-order effects
- If the pattern holds, consoles become service platforms where recurring software and content revenue matters as much as game sales — a structural shift from one-time hardware-and-cartridge economics toward ongoing platform businesses.
- The move foreshadows Nintendo's longer arc of extending the franchise into adjacent markets and formats, including plans to sell consoles aimed at emerging markets.
The trend: Game consoles are evolving from dedicated gaming devices into always-on home entertainment platforms layered with video and service revenue.