Nintendo Wii U's application called Nintendo TVii, which will let users watch, record and interact with television shows and movies using the Wii U's tablet controller, will release next year in Europe. Nintendo TVii was originally announced as a feature exclusive to North America and Canada.
Here is the statement about the TVii application from Nintendo's official Europe site:
"Nintendo TVii enables you to find, watch, and engage with TV shows and movies in entirely new ways.
Using the Wii U GamePad, you can browse and search for programming from sources you subscribe to, including cable and satellite channels and video-on-demand services.
Nintendo TVii will be available in selected regions throughout Europe in 2013.
More details will be announced in due course."
Earlier this year in press conference in New York, Nintendo's director of network business, Zack Fountain said, "Nintendo TVii is bringing together how you watch and what you watch into this seemless second-screen experience," according to a report by NBC News.
According to the report, Nintendo President Reggie Fils-Aime called Nintendo TVii "the most different non-gaming initiative Nintendo has ever introduced."
The console already has a growing list of entertainment applications that include Amazon Prime, Netflix, YouTube and Hulu Plus. These apps can all be view and controlled on the console's GamePad screen and watched independently of the gamer's television set. Wii TVii is expected to release in North America and Canada in mid-December.
The Wii U launched last week on Sunday Nov. 18 and was available in two versions: Basic and Deluxe. The Basic version is white-colored and comes with 8 GB of internal Flash storage for $299.99. The "Deluxe" black-colored version comes with 32 GB of Flash storage, the in-box game Nintendo Land, a stand and docks for $349.99.
Check out our review round up for New Super Mario Bros. U here and Nintendo Land here. Watch Nintendo's trailer explaining the TVii application below...
