The New York Times is reporting Netflix and Nintendo will today announce a spring release for the movie-streaming service on the Wii. The deal will mark Netflix's expansion onto all current-generation gaming hardware including Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3.
Reggie Fils-Aime, Nintendo of American CEO said of the deal, "From Day 1, we always had other capabilities within the console," adding that bringing Netflix to the console "is a continuation of an effort to bring more and more entertainment to consumers who interact with the Wii."
"Our growth in the last two years has been propelled in large part by our investments in streaming content and in the streaming platform," said Reed Hastings, Netflix's chief executive. "When the Wii application ships, it's going to really open up a large additional opportunity."
Wii owners with a broadband Internet connection who have at least a $9-a-month subscription to Netflix's DVD-by-mail service will be able to use the online service at no additional cost. As with the Netflix service on the PlayStation 3, Wii owners will need to receive a free software disc in the mail from Netflix and put it into their console when they want to watch a movie.
Confirmation of a Wii version of the popular movie-streaming service ends months of speculation on the matter. Hastings said only last week that the chances of Netflix hitting Wii were "excellent", with rumors surrounding pricing surveys having been running since last June.
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