Nintendo and Netflix have confirmed that the streaming video service is coming to Wii owners, perhaps as early as Spring 2010.
Netflix subscribers who have at least a $9/month subscription will be able to stream any movie in Netflix’s catalog to their Wii console. Wii owners, like on the PS3, will be required to have a disc in their console in order for movies to be streamed, and the disc will be shipped for free to all Netflix subscribers who request it. Unlike the PS3 or the Xbox 360, the Wii will not be able to display movies in HD due to the technical limitations of the console. No specific date was provided for when the service will go live other than “this spring.”
“From Day 1, we always had other capabilities within the console,” said Reggie Fils-Aime, the president of Nintendo America. Streaming movies through the Wii on Netflix “is a continuation of an effort to bring more and more entertainment to consumers who interact with the Wii.”
After signing the Wii, Netflix now has a videogame trifecta with its service appearing on all three current gen consoles. “Our growth in the last two years has been propelled in large part by our investments in streaming content and in the streaming platform,” said Reed Hastings, CEO of Netflix. “When the Wii application ships, it’s going to really open up a large additional opportunity.”
Hastings admits that the “unique” limitations of the Wii console delayed Netflix implementation more than Nintendo’s willingness. “The other platforms have a pretty consistent and well-known paradigm, but the Wii is unique,” said Hastings. “All of those things have taken a long time of experimentation and refinement.”
Source: NY Times
