I used to be a fan of Nintendo. I was a Nintendo kid. Then I got an Xbox 360 and all that Nintendo loyalty caused pains of agony on my psyche. I wanted to love Nintendo, but I was getting older and they weren’t producing as many games as I wanted to play. They were having trouble appealing to hard core gamers, but also keeping up with the technology of competitors Microsoft and Sony.

Well, for the first time in a handful of years, Nintendo has taken the upper hand and is one-upping the competition. Not only is Nintendo making the Internet available to users of Nintendo Wii, through the Wii Internet Channel, but it’s being offered for free! I am wondering how the competition is going to attempt to step up and meet the offerings of Nintendo and its gaming audience.

Here is the press release I received from Nintendo, with all the details:

REDMOND, Wash.–(BUSINESS WIRE)– Nintendo is offering an easy way for Wii™ console owners to access the Internet without a computer. Effective immediately, people who want to browse the Internet using their Wii consoles will be able to do so at no added cost.

The Wii Menu houses a variety of informational and entertaining channels, such as the News Channel and Wii Shop Channel, that users can visit to enhance their Wii experience. Wii consoles that are linked to a broadband Internet connection have even greater access to additional content and channels. For example, the Nintendo® Channel is an interactive guide to what’s new in the world of Nintendo that lets consumers watch trailers, mini-documentaries, product demonstrations and game-play videos, while the Check Mii Out™ Channel allows users to show off their Mii™ creations and download Miis that others have created.

The Internet Channel, which can be downloaded from the Wii Shop Channel, allows Wii owners to browse the Internet on their televisions from the comfort of their couches. Users can check their e-mail, make purchases or travel plans, and surf their favorite Web pages by pointing and clicking with the Wii Remote™ controller.

“Wii has truly changed the way people play games, but it is more than just a game console,” said Cammie Dunaway, Nintendo of America’s executive vice president of Sales & Marketing. “Wii owners have access to a wealth of fun entertainment, information and practical tools like the Internet Channel, which is another great way for the whole family to enjoy their consoles with no additional costs involved.”

When Wii launched in November 2006, Nintendo initially offered the Internet Channel as a free download as a promotional incentive to get people online. Starting in July 2007, the Internet Channel could be downloaded in exchange for 500 Wii Points™. Effective immediately, the Internet Channel is again available for zero Wii Points, and it has been updated to support an upgraded version of Adobe® Flash® player.

Starting at the end of October, consumers who have previously exchanged 500 Wii Points to download the Internet Channel will be able to download, at no cost, one NES™ game of their choice valued at 500 Wii Points from Virtual Console™. Details of this download offer will be provided via the Wii Message Board and on Nintendo.com.

Remember that Wii features parental controls that let adults manage the content their children can access. For more information about this and other Wii features, visit Wii.com.

For more information about the Internet Channel, visit www.nintendo.com/wii/channels/internetchannel.

About Nintendo: The worldwide pioneer in the creation of interactive entertainment, Nintendo Co., Ltd., of Kyoto, Japan, manufactures and markets hardware and software for its Wii™, Nintendo DS™ and Nintendo DSi™ systems. Since 1983, when it launched the Nintendo Entertainment System™, Nintendo has sold more than 3.1 billion video games and more than 526 million hardware units globally, including the current-generation Wii, Nintendo DS and Nintendo DSi, as well as the Game Boy™, Game Boy Advance, Super NES™, Nintendo 64™ and Nintendo GameCube™ systems. It has also created industry icons that have become well-known, household names such as Mario™, Donkey Kong™, Metroid™, Zelda™ and Pokémon™. A wholly owned subsidiary, Nintendo of America Inc., based in Redmond, Wash., serves as headquarters for Nintendo’s operations in the Western Hemisphere. For more information about Nintendo, visit the company’s Web site at www.Nintendo.com.

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