Much discussed and now official, Nintendo and super advertising agency Dentsu have announced the long-awaited debut of video-on-demand services for this generation's most popular console will flip the switch and begin airing on May 1st...in Japan. Introducing Wii no Ma (Wii Room).
While rival consoles Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 have offered various suites of downloading and video rentals for some time, the Dentsu partnership will bring a different type of service to Nintendo's waggle machine, and offering original animated and similarly-themed "family friendly" programming to viewers, so you probably shouldn't start looking for feature-length films like Spiderman or Star Wars just yet. The actual debut programs have yet to be announced.
The promotional video for Wii no Ma features what looks to be a hybrid of both PlayStation Home and Second Life (although don't look for similar interactivity), with up to 8 Mii characters occupying the same virtual space at the same time. It seems certain objects in this "living room" will draw information from the Wii and Internet as well, including photos and weather information for your viewing pleasure.
Wii no Ma will offer different levels of video-on-demand, including free and pay-to-watch programming. The service seems uniquely tailored to the Japanese market, as there will be promotional partnering with advertisers to explore and even order up sampling of their various wares (a common practice in the country), and offer viewers a chance to give feedback on what they have watched. This seems to be an extension of the existing Nintendo Channel, which offers users the opportunity to grade (and order) videogames that interest them.
But its with the curiously 'complete' Wii no Ma experience that may raise some eyebrows, as the service will ask users to volunteer personal information about themselves, including the year they were born and blood type, in addition to grading the programs they've watched. Presumably, this information will be used to gauge the effectiveness of the programs themselves and thus, bring higher-quality shows to a service that as of yet is completely unique. Or more likely, it will find its way into the lucrative marketing fold operated by the likes of (surprise) Dentsu.
Most interesting (considering its popularity) is probably the downloadable app for the DSi console, playfully called Dokodemo Wii no Ma (Anywhere Wii Room), which allows users of the Wii Channel to download videos directly from the service (streaming?), as well as coupons for promotional items (see above) such as restaurant coupons. The demonstration even shows the DSi "scanning" a coupon directly from the screen...the future is here!
Will Wii no Ma be a successful foray into the world of streaming video-on-demand for Nintendo? As long as the quality of the original programming is up to snuff, it certainly couldn't hurt, although not offering existing content does rob such a service of much of its built-in appeal. Time (and quality) will tell as the service launches in Japanese markets May 1st.
Visit the official Wii no Ma website by clicking right HERE!
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