Nintendo has pulled out of introducing its TVii in Europe due to “the extremely complex nature of localising multiple television services across a diverse range of countries with varied licensing systems.” The company had originally planned to introduce the TVii in Europe in 2013.
TVii was first launched in Japan and North America in late 2012, following the release of the Wii U console. At the time, Nintendo of America president and COO Reggie Fils-Aime, commented: “You’ll never look at your TV the same way again. Wii U owners have already experienced the transformative effect that the GamePad has on game play and social interaction. Nintendo TVii shows how the integrated second screen of the GamePad can also transform and enhance the TV viewing experience. Welcome to the new world of TVii.”
Unfortunately for fans, Europeans are not currently welcome in that world. However, as way of consolation Nintendo softened the blow of the non-launch, with news of the Nintendo Anime Channel, a new video-on-demand service on Nintendo 3DS which allows users to stream anime series from the likes of Pokémon, Kirby, and Inazuma Eleven.
Nintendo TVii is an entertainment platform for the Wii U console allowing users to watch shows and movies, to browse and look up content, and to connect with various third party providers such as Hulu and Netflix. Users can browse TV listings and select which provider to use to watch the content: the company claims that TVii supports “most television providers available in the US and Canada, including cable, satellite, and over-the-air television providers.” The Wii U GamePad provides a second screen, which can be used to save information from a TV programme, and for social media interaction.
