Nintendo announces the News Channel goes live tomorrow in the Americas--even though it is available now!
News at Your Fingertips: AP and Nintendo Launch Wii News Channel Across
Americas
Instant Access, Constant Updates
REDMOND, Wash., Jan. 26 /PRNewswire/ -- As the options for news multiply,
Nintendo is putting a simple solution for straight news right in the palm of
your hand -- in the form of the Wii Remote(TM). The News Channel, free to
Wii(TM) owners, will debut on the console's Wii Menu beginning tomorrow,
Saturday, Jan. 27. Using the international resources of the Associated
Press, the News Channel gives you key stories in multiple categories from
across the country and around the world.
"What Wii has done for video gaming, we hope it will also accomplish for
news," says Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aime. "Just by
pointing at your TV screen, you become your own interactive editor,
instantly accessing the latest headline stories, whether they originate in
Kansas City or Kyoto."
"The Associated Press is always looking for innovative ways to expand its
audience for news and information," said Jane Seagrave, vice president and
director of AP's digital division. "The Wii News Channel extends our global
reach even further, on yet another platform, offering our news to people who
otherwise might not see it."
The simple user interface allows Wii owners to spin a virtual globe and
point to the location of a news event using the Wii Remote. Stories will be
listed under headings including Business, Sports, Arts/Entertainment,
Technology and Science/Health to allow users to quickly access information
in the order they want. At any given time, dozens of stories might be
available for each category. In the global view, stories can be grouped by
region instead of category. Icons show which stories have been read, which
stories are text-only and which ones come with news photos. Because Wii
caters to all different ages, the interface allows users to change the size
of the text. By using the "always-on" system functionality of
WiiConnect24(TM), stories will be updated frequently, even while owners are
sleeping.