Stream Netflix, Read Comics, Track Sports, Play Games With Windows Phone 7 [Clips]

Windows Phone 7 is shaping up to be a mighty powerful looking platform for all forms of entertainment. What’s that mean? Well check out all of the things you can do on the upcoming mobile phone platform. More

Survey Says Netflix Pondering Nintendo DS Streaming [Streaming Video]

How likely would someone in your household be to stream TV and movies from Netflix to a Nintendo DS, should such functionality be made available? That’s the question Netflix is seeking an answer to via an online survey. Would you watch? More

No, This is Not Confirmation of the ‘Wii 2′ [Ruh Roh]

Some of you might have noticed that in the latest edition of Nintendo Power, which is someone holding a Wiimote labeled “Wii 2.” We contacted the editor and were told it was a straight goof-up, not a surprise leak. The story behind the error sounds a little familiar. Nintendo Power’s editor, Chris Slate, said the image – in an item touting Netflix’s arrival on the Wii – is a photoshop-job that came from the web, and that staff put it in their files back before Nintendo contracted with Future US to handle the magazine’s publication (which was early 2009.) Explains Slate: Someone (it may have been me, I don’t remember) gathered a bunch of Nintendo-related images from wherever we could find them (such as the web) since we didn’t have access to Nintendo’s press site at that point, and I think we took the “Wii 2″ one without noticing it had been altered. It was forgotten and left on our server, where it later got mixed in with our library of real assets once we started doing the magazine. Slate says Nintendo Power is “positive that we’ve deleted all the copies [of the image] for good this time,” and expressed embarrassment at the screw-up, which echoes another Wii-related gaffe from a couple years back. The cover art designers for Okami on the Wii used an image, also pulled from the web, that featured an IGN watermark. And I’ve fallen victim to this myself in a way, taking a fan-made ’shop of a PS3 Slim as confirmation of the console’s existence before it was officially announced. Slate assures us that “if Nintendo has a new system in the works – whether it’s called ‘Wii 2′ or otherwise – I have absolutely no knowledge of it.” [Thanks to reader Iron Punkle for the image]

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No, This is Not Confirmation of the ‘Wii 2′ [Ruh Roh]

Gaming: The Fifth Network [Well Played]

The very public, very messy late-night fight between Jay Leno , Conan O’Brien and NBC didn’t just offer interesting insight into the inner workings of network television, it reminded everyone that the TV isn’t used only for watching shows anymore. Video games, right behind bad programming and bad decisions, are television networks’ biggest threat these days. And the big three of gaming, Microsoft, Nintendo and Sony, aren’t content to usurp the television with just video games, they’re starting to replace the need for network television with their own form of programming. It started with the ability to rent and purchase videos through the Playstation 3 and Xbox 360 online networks. Next came Netflix and the ability for the rental service’s customers to stream movies to the Playstation 3, Xbox 360, and this spring, Nintendo’s Wii. And now, the video game console makers are all expanding their reach with interesting takes on what traditionally you’d find on a network channel. Microsoft is currently testing a video game remake of television game show 1 vs. 100. The Xbox Live version is entirely populated by live players from around the country depicted by 3D avatars in a replica of the game show’s set. The game takes place over the course of a two-hour live episode hosted by comedian Chris Cashman and winners of the show take home Microsoft Points which can be used to purchase videos and games on the console. Microsoft recently struck a deal with AT&T to get cable television through their console using Uverse’s IPTV. Microsoft is also rumored to be in talks with Walk Disney in an attempt to land live sports coverage through ESPN for their console. Microsoft declined to comment for this article. Sony’s take on console television includes two video-game themed shows, Qore and Pule, produced by an in-house production team and an upcoming reality show called The Tester . In The Tester, 11 contestants will battle to land a job as a tester for Playstation games. “It’s highly entertaining – think Wipeout meets The Apprentice,” said Susan Panico, senior director of Playstation Network. “We’re slowly building up our stable of original content which will premiere on Playstation Network and then have a reverse syndication model where content can make it’s way to the web, or even “traditional” TV.” “The goal for Playstation Network from day one was to present an entertainment network that brought emerging media experiences to the home via PS3 or on the go with PSP. From a content strategy standpoint, we always believed in a quality over quantity position which has allowed us to present exclusive content that has broken gaming conventions.” Nintendo’s Wii is also home to quite a bit of exclusive video content through the console’s Nintendo Channel, said Cammie Dunaway, Nintendo of America’s executive vice president of sales and marketing. The channel includes trailers, commercials and interviews with game developers and Nintendo executives. But Dunaway doesn’t think the console’s impact on television watching is a deep as some say. “People don’t consume their television the same way they did 20 years ago,” she said. “If your favorite TV show is on at 8 p.m. and you’re playing a Wii game, you can keep playing and watch the show later on your DVR on your own timetable.” “I think (television and video games) will remain distinct, even though they both appear on TV screens. Different types of reading (books, magazines and newspapers) are all viewed differently from one another, for example. ” A recent study by the Kaiser Family Foundation seems to back up Dunaway’s take on the issue. The study showed that children today spend an average of 7 hours, 38 minutes a day consuming “entertainment media” and that television remains at the top of the heap at 4 hours, 29 minutes a day. Video games take up just 1 hour, 13 minutes of a day, according to the study. That’s an increase of 38 minutes a day over the past five years for television and only 24 minutes for video games. The study doesn’t address where television may be getting hit the hardest: Adults. A recent Nielsen study, shows that console gamers are most active during television’s prime time. In other words, they’re playing games, not watching TV. Playstation’s Panico thinks that’s because video games are more interactive and engaging. “When you look at Playstation 3 and all the different types of content you can get through Playstation Network, there is more choice via our gaming platform than a broadcast TV channel,” she said. “Back when Playstation launched in 1995, we legitimized gaming as a form of entertainment. It was no longer seen as the “geeky” thing to do. Athletes and movie stars were gaming and they had an affinity for Playstation since we introduced games with more sophistication. We made it a part of pop culture. Now, gaming has become a lifestyle for that audience and the interactivity and engagement have become their “first screen” with TV as a time filler.” Well Played is a weekly news and opinion column about the big stories of the week in the gaming industry and its bigger impact on things to come. Feel free to join in the discussion.

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Gaming: The Fifth Network [Well Played]

News: ESPN could come to Xbox 360, says report

Microsoft having “in-depth talks” about it. Microsoft is in negotiations to bring ESPN’s sports coverage to the Xbox 360, according to the New York Times. The newspaper reports “people close to the talks” as saying subscribers would pay a fee to watch live streams of sporting events. ESPN already offers a similar service via internet service providers. Microsoft could also develop games with ESPN, according to the sources. There’s no word on whether the deal is definitely going ahead, but one source said it isn’t “imminent”. Any such deal may be exclusive to the US anyway, like the Netflix movie service. And here in the UK, we’ve already got the Xbox 360 Sky Player deal – take THAT America, how are you going to watch soccer and cricket now? Oh. Read more…

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News: ESPN could come to Xbox 360, says report

Nintendo Of America President Downplays Need For HD Content [Nintendo]

So the Wii now has Netflix , just like the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. This, however, raises an inconsistency: both those systems can display high definition content, something the humble little Wii can not. This should be a concern for Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime , right? Apparently not, as he shrugs off the notion in an interview with NBC, saying “the vast majority of content for streaming on Netflix is not HD content, so there really is no loss for the Wii consumer with the fact they can’t get any HD content through our system”. Well, there is. There’s the loss of HD content (a key appeal for newer stuff), which Reggie explains away with “the consumer has voted: over 26 million consumers have bought a Wii. The consumer is saying that for them, the quality of the visuals is not nearly as important as the overall experience, the overall value”. Pressed on when Nintendo would release something that could output in HD, Reggie said the company will release a new console when the existing market for the Wii is “tapped out”, something he doesn’t believe will happen for “years”. Wii At The Movies with Netflix [CNBC Video]

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Nintendo Of America President Downplays Need For HD Content [Nintendo]

Nintendo Of America President Downplays Need For HD Content [Nintendo]

So the Wii now has Netflix , just like the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. This, however, raises an inconsistency: both those systems can display high definition content, something the humble little Wii can not. This should be a concern for Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime , right? Apparently not, as he shrugs off the notion in an interview with NBC, saying “the vast majority of content for streaming on Netflix is not HD content, so there really is no loss for the Wii consumer with the fact they can’t get any HD content through our system”. Well, there is. There’s the loss of HD content (a key appeal for newer stuff), which Reggie explains away with “the consumer has voted: over 26 million consumers have bought a Wii. The consumer is saying that for them, the quality of the visuals is not nearly as important as the overall experience, the overall value”. Pressed on when Nintendo would release something that could output in HD, Reggie said the company will release a new console when the existing market for the Wii is “tapped out”, something he doesn’t believe will happen for “years”. Wii At The Movies with Netflix [CNBC Video]

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Nintendo Of America President Downplays Need For HD Content [Nintendo]

Netflix Officially Coming To The Nintendo Wii [Wii]

Finally, something to put a stop to the incessant rumours ! It’s been announced today in the New York Times that Netflix’s streaming video service is officially coming to the Nintendo Wii. It’ll launch sometime in the Spring, and will be available to anyone with a Wii, an internet connection and a minimum $9 a month Netflix subscription. Like the PS3 , Wii owners watching online movies will need to use a special streaming disc. The Wii of course is not capable of outputting in high definition, meaning Netflix subscribers looking to use the streaming service on their Nintendo console will have their movies and TV show choices restricted to standard definition content. The move means Netflix’s online service is now available on all three current generation consoles, making it the most unlikely of industry standards. Nintendo Wii to Add Netflix Service for Streaming Video [New York Times]

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Netflix Officially Coming To The Nintendo Wii [Wii]

News: MS: Xbox 360 has sold 39m units

Ballmer outs latest global total. Microsoft head honcho Steve Ballmer has told a CES 2010 audience that there are over 39 million Xbox 360s in homes around the world. Microsoft also announced that more than 2.2 million people played on Xbox Live at the same time between Christmas and the New Year, and one new user appeared every second. And half of Xbox Live’s 20-million strong user-base have logged onto the new social features Facebook, Twitter, Netflix, Last.fm, Sky, Canal and Zune. Read more…

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News: MS: Xbox 360 has sold 39m units

Couple Chucks Cable Box, Settles For PC And Xbox [Xbox 360]

The most popular story on the New York Times website chronicles the tale of a couple doing something I don’t think I could do. This is one brave couple that you can read about on the Times. They have canceled their cable service. They have decided that they will still watch TV, still watch movies, but they will not give a dime to the cable company. The author argues that his Netflix-armed Xbox 360 , Hulu.com, iTunes and a variety of other services: We still come home from work and watch any number of shows, just like the people who continue to pay for cable. We just do it a little differently, starting the computer and then using services like Hulu, Boxee, iTunes and Joost. Another interesting twist to this experience is that we’re no longer limited to consuming traditional programming. With these applications we can spend an entire evening flicking through videos from YouTube, CollegeHumor or Web-only programs. …Explanations follow of each of the above services, and then… While Microsoft’s Xbox 360 (starting at $200), is not absolutely necessary for this setup, it delivers an array of lively entertainment options. I can, of course, play video games, but I can also rent movies (through the Xbox marketplace or through Netflix’s online viewing service), and browse Twitter and Facebook, with a new feature that lets you watch a streaming interface of your social networks flow across the screen. Me? I’d miss boxing and RealSports on HBO and “accidentally” stumbling onto Monday Night Raw every sixth Monday night. Plus, I want to watch Lost live, when it’s in season. Could anyone out there do this? Actually, are any of the Kotaku faithful already doing this? Cable Freedom Is a Click Away [The New York Times]

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Couple Chucks Cable Box, Settles For PC And Xbox [Xbox 360]

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