Wii instant artist review tv#

Of course, not being able to connect to the internet doesn't just impact the Wii Mini's media capabilities, it also reduces its appeal as a game console. Meanwhile, the Wii Mini can't even stream 'Gangnam Style.' There's even social features through Nintendo's Miiverse network. Described as a 'personal programming guide,' Nintendo TVii combines both live and on-demand content from a variety of sources, with a universal search function that lets you look for videos across services like Netflix, Hulu Plus, and Amazon Instant Video. Though it ended up being delayed until December, Nintendo TVii represents a huge step forward for the company when it comes to owning the living room. The decision is all the more curious when you consider the direction Nintendo has taken with the Wii U. And considering the Wii can't play DVDs, this means that the new version has no media features whatsoever. It would've lacked HD, of course, but for those who don't already have another way to stream video to their television, this might not be all that big of a concern.

Wii instant artist review tv#

The price tag would have made it an ideal Netflix box and a serious competitor to the likes of Apple TV and Roku. In the same way that the ability to play DVDs helped sell many on the PlayStation 2, media streaming could have been a big selling point for a smaller Wii. While online was never as important to the Wii as it was to the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, the lack of any kind of connectivity still cripples the device in a number of ways, and cutting out media functionality is the biggest. The Wii Mini feels like a missed opportunity Instead of being a media streamer-killing Netflix box that can also play a huge library of games, the Wii Mini feels more like a missed opportunity. But unlike those devices, the Wii Mini comes with some unfortunate compromises, most notably the lack of any sort of online connectivity. It's not a new strategy - all three generations of the PlayStation have seen redesigns, and Nintendo itself has seen success regularly refreshing both its handhelds and home consoles, dating back to the NES. In an attempt to create some more interest in the seven-year-old console, Nintendo today announced the smaller, sleeker Wii Mini, with a suitably small $99.99 price tag. That's only 175,000 fewer units than the Wii sold in the US during its debut week - for whatever reason, people are still buying the thing. In the Wii U's first week of availability it moved 400,000 units in the US compared to 300,000 for the Wii. Nintendo may have recently released a brand new console with the Wii U, but that doesn't mean that the original Wii is dead just yet.