Report: Wii U streaming video negotiations in progress

Nintendo is reportedly in talks with various content providers to include video streaming services on the Wii U.

February 23, 2012 11:30 AM2

Nintendo is reportedly in distribution talks with various content providers to provide streaming video on the Wii U. The claims from sources range from arranging deals with individual cable networks to even becoming a Comcast cable distributor.

AdWeek (via Joystiq) reports that Nintendo’s plan is similar to Microsoft’s push on Xbox Live. While Nintendo has been slow on offering non-gaming experiences on their hardware, the Wii currently has Netflix and Hulu Plus.

Of course, nothing is set in stone. “This is very preliminary,” one source said. “It could go no where.” Nintendo’s reputation as a family-driven console might conflict with bringing in the young male demographic most interested in video content streaming. Balancing the two ideas might be tricky, and Wedbush Morgan analyst Michael Pachter says he doubts Nintendo has “the chops to pull it off.”