The Big N wants to simplify the TV with the Wii U, and in turn, get more people on the Wii U bandwagon.
TV interfaces sure are great, am I right guys? The user experience in trying to find favorite shows and manage TV listings is so simplified these days – oh wait, no, it totally isn’t. But hopefully, Nintendo is attempting to rectify all that nonsense with the Nintendo Wii U.
Among the items of note from the Wii U-centered Nintendo Direct on Thursday was Nintendo’s TVii. Don’t ask me how it’s pronounced (is it “tee-veeee?” Or, “tee-vee-eye-eye?”), what’s crucial to known is that it’s a pre-installed Wii U app that aggregates TV media through a slick touch-enabled interface.
Everything from your local cable provider, Netflix, TiVo, and other big-name streaming services will be cultivated by TVii. And there, users can search for programs and set-up individual profiles so that keeping track of what episode of Breaking Bad you left off from is simple enough to find out.
When everything switches over to the Wii U’s GamePad – oh hey, a new episode of Gravity Falls, lets watch that! – the tablet controller changes into the ultimate program guide, from where viewers can learn what else is on, dig up IMBD-info, and comment and share via Twitter and Facebook.
For the sports fans out there reading this, myself included, TVii also might turn into the best living-room sidekick ever; while watching some 49’ers vs. Packers on a Sunday afternoon, you can also check scores and highlights from other games and sporting events easily via the GamePad. Awesome, “discount double checks” for all!
TVii will be a free Wii U service (thank bob) and Nintendo promises that it should work through any cable/satellite provider in North America. And only in North America, because the app has only been announced for this region. Sorry our European and Japanese cousins, them’s the breaks for the time being.
You know, I’m actually pretty surprised by TVii. It’s not something forward-thinking I would expect crotchety-conservative Nintendo to come up with in short notice; the same people, I’ll remind you, that’s still put off by modern online infrastructure. Especially, in an entertainment medium they’re not all too familiar with. Good on you, Nintendo. *Pats on back*
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