Nintendo Wii Scores Netflix… But Why?

Nintendo was the holdout. Microsoft’s Xbox 360 and Sony’s PlayStation 3 already have it. Wii, the console that emphasizes gaming, not all those fancy media features, has finally caved in to market realities and scooped up an agreement with Netflix. 

A video processing monster, Nintendo’s Wii is not. But to millions of fans - it doesn’t have to be! Wii gave us a unique interface that lent a physical dimension to video gaming that brought the hobby to a wider audience with simplicity and that video gaming essential – fun! Who cares that it’s locked down to standard definition, a mere 480 progressive scan-lines of resolution. The truth is Wii was never meant to be a media server. So it’s an interesting move that it would bother adding Netflix streaming.

When it comes to watching movies on your new digital TV, Wii is only going to dish out 720 by 480 lines of resolution to display your widescreen movie feature. Compare that to PlayStation 3 or Xbox 360, both are capable of 1080p or 1920 by 1080 lines of resolution. So, if you’re a rez-monster that demands all the picture quality your HDTV is capable of, Netflix streaming on Wii isn’t likely the last straw that’ll push you to buy Nintendo’s console. But if you already own a Wii and have avoided PS3 and Xbox 360, you’re in luck – Netflix is just a sweet bonus. 

Does Wii’s lack of hi-def really matter for Netflix streaming? Probably not at present. Most of Netflix movie choices are of the standard def variety for which Nintendo Wii is perfectly suited.

Learn more about widescreen, letterbox and pan & scan. 

With a basic $9 a month Netflix subscription, Nintendo Wii owners with a high-speed Internet connection will get instant access to Netflix’s video library. That’s even more cost effective than the service on Xbox 360, which requires an Xbox Live Gold membership at $50 per-year on top of the monthly Netflix subscription. 

These days Netflix-streaming has been tacked on to a wide variety of products from set top devices like Roku's media streaming system, to HDTVs and even Blu-ray players. It’s possible that an Internet connected kitchen sink assembly featuring Netflix streaming for the overworked kitchen aid is in the development. But Mario and company has been about gaming, not trying to take over your living room. 

Who will benefit most with the recent union between Wii and Netflix?  

Probably not Nintendo. As mentioned earlier, this is not likely to be a feature that’ll bring new Nintendo Wii customers into the doors of the local video-game shop. For Nintendo it’s just a me-too feature that keeps it up with its primary competition. The big winner here is Netflix that suddenly gets access to a massive user-base in Nintendo Wii – that’s over a third larger than its nearest competitor, the Xbox 360. 

So, Nintendo Wii users that have been renting from Netflix and don’t mind standard def - for now you’re the biggest winners of all!