Wii News Channel Launches

Nintendo announces that the Wii News Channel is live, and Wii consoles connected to the Internet should already be downloading it as we speak. The News Channel is the latest WiiConnect24 update for the Wii, following the Forecast and the Internet Channel launches last year, and aims to bring Associated Press news and photo feeds to the console. Users can browse international news by accessing and selecting locales on a virtual globe, much in the same manner as the Forecast Channel. News stories can be sorted by topic categories (e.g. Business, Sports, Arts/Entertainment, Technology, Science/Health) or global region, and will be delivered to the News Channel on a daily basis provided the Wii console is connected to the Internet 24-7.

"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 News Channel could be considered a success if it encourages Wii owners to keep up with current events, assuming they wouldn't have otherwise via TV or PC.