Wii to Get Video and Food Services In Japan

Remember back in the GameCube days, when Nintendo would always insist it was purely about gaming and nothing else? Clearly, they've thrown that philosophy out the window. In 2009, Nintendo plans to bring two distinctly non-gaming services to the Wii in Japan: Video-on-demand, and the ability to place food orders online.

According to an AFP report, Nintendo will be teaming with Dentsu Inc., a leading advertising firm in Japan, to launch a video service on the Wii sometime next year. Curiously, the focus of the service will be on original programming created by Nintendo specifically for the Wii. Nintendo and Dentsu will also solicit other businesses to develop video content for the Wii, as well.

"Nintendo and Dentsu shall use the environment surrounding the Wii so that living rooms with Wii-ready TVs would become more of a fun area for communication among families and friends," both companies said in a joint statement. While we imagine the original programming will be created specifically for the Japanese market, it seems this service may potentially come to North America as well, as they'll be looking toward "expansion to foreign markets" in the future.

 Wii video service launching in 2009

Will offer cartoons and original content, says report.
Nintendo's teaming up with Dentsu, Japan's largest ad agency, to launch a video distribution service on Wii.

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