Netflix is coming to the 3DS in North America…tomorrow! Reports on other blogs earlier in the day indicated at least a summer release, but Nintendo’s weekly download press email confirms the popular TV and movie streaming service will be available as a free application as of Thursday, July 14.

Netflix has been on the nerd naughty list the past 24 hours, thanks to sudden price hikes and changes to their streaming and rental plans. Will you be using it on your 3DS nonetheless?

NintendoLife
via MyNintendoNews

Image courtesy NintendoLife.

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A really good thing just got even better. Nintendo announced today a new partnership with Netflix, revealing that the Instant Viewing service, which streams an ever-increasing range of quality TV and movies, will be available on the 3DS. Not only that, they’ll be fully utilizing the 3DS’ technology, offering the full line of on demand entertainment in 3D.

Speaking as a customer, the quality of the movies and shows have only been increasing over the past year, and I use it far more than I actually cycle through my DVDs and Blu-rays. In fact, even with all the hours I game, I still put in more time on Instant Viewing than I do on games (I’m even watching right now)! If you still haven’t felt compelled to get a Netflix account, now may be the time.

NINTENDO PLANS NEW 3D SUPER MARIO GAME, ANNOUNCES AT&T, NETFLIX COLLABORATIONS

Upcoming Nintendo 3DS System Will Expand the World of Nintendo Entertainment

SAN FRANCISCO, March 2, 2011 – A new 3D game from Nintendo’s iconic Super Mario series is in the works for the Nintendo 3DS™ portable system. Nintendo also announced two upcoming collaborations: Nintendo 3DS owners will be able to connect automatically to the Internet at more than 10,000 AT&T Wi-Fi Hot Spots, while Netflix members will instantly stream movies and other content on their Nintendo 3DS systems. These features were announced today at the Game Developers Conference during Nintendo President Satoru Iwata’s keynote address, titled “Video Games Turn 25: A Historical Perspective and Vision for the Future.”

During his speech, Iwata said Nintendo 3DS gives developers new tools to create games and experiences never before possible while enabling them to reach the public in new ways.

“There is great potential to increase the number of people who enjoy video games by opening up new game-play opportunities that are only available through the use of 3D.” Iwata said. “Nintendo 3DS will be the most connected Nintendo device ever, with its ability to link people via local wireless connections, while at the same time connecting them to people and content worldwide via hotspot connectivity.”

Nintendo 3DS launches March 27 in the United States at a suggested retail price of $249.99. It lets users view 3D content without the need for special glasses. The announced 3D Super Mario game will feature traditional Mario™ game play and will fulfill the dream of Nintendo video game designer (and Mario creator) Shigeru Miyamoto to bring true depth and distance into the game’s mechanics. The game is being developed by the same Nintendo team that created the Wii™ console hits Super Mario Galaxy™ and Super Mario Galaxy 2.

At the end of May, Nintendo will provide Nintendo 3DS owners with a wireless system update that will activate the Nintendo eShop and give users access to a number of features:

• A short-form video service will let people view trailers for Hollywood movies in 3D and access video game trailers, screen shots, background information and links to publishers’ websites. Content will include short video clips, such as comedy shorts or music videos, selected by Nintendo and delivered to Nintendo 3DS users who choose to receive them.
• Downloadable classic games via the portable Nintendo 3DS Virtual Console™ service will include Game Boy™ and Game Boy Color games, as well as those from the Game Gear and TurboGrafx-16 systems.
• “3D Classics” will introduce select classic video games remastered in 3D.
• Games currently offered as Nintendo DSiWare™ and an Internet browser will be available.

The system update will also provide a solution for Nintendo DSi™ and Nintendo DSi XL™ owners to transfer their Nintendo DSiWare games to their new Nintendo 3DS systems.

To help make the wireless features of Nintendo 3DS as smooth as possible, Nintendo has collaborated with AT&T to provide Nintendo 3DS owners with automatic and free access to more than 10,000 AT&T Wi-Fi Hot Spots nationwide with the May system update. Nintendo’s aim is to make getting connected easy for everyone, so people who opt in to the system’s SpotPass™ service will tell their Nintendo 3DS systems to automatically connect to AT&T Hot Spots at restaurants, book stores, coffee shops and airports across the country.

This summer, Nintendo 3DS will incorporate Netflix functionality. Netflix members who have an unlimited plan starting at $7.99 a month can access a broadband wireless Internet connection and instantly stream movies and TV shows directly to their Nintendo 3DS systems, similar to how the service is used on the Wii console. This means people can start watching a movie via Netflix on their Wii systems at home and then pick up the same movie later from a different location using their Nintendo 3DS systems.

For more information about Nintendo 3DS, visit http://www.nintendo3ds.com.

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™ home console and Nintendo DS™ family of portable systems. Since 1983, when it launched the Nintendo Entertainment System™, Nintendo has sold more than 3.5 billion video games and more than 577 million hardware units globally, including the current-generation Wii, Nintendo DS, Nintendo DSi™ and Nintendo DSi XL™, 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, please visit the company’s website at http://www.nintendo.com.

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Due to exclusivity agreements with Microsoft, users of Netflix’s popular Instant Streaming feature on PlayStation 3 and Wii consoles were restricted to using a disc the company provided to access the service. Thankfully, those times are over.

Nintendo has announced that starting today, Netflix subscribers can download the new Netflix Channel from the Wii Shop Channel. This new channel allows users to view and access any of the thousands of TV programs and movies right from the Wii’s main menu. It also means you won’t have to eject your copy of Kirby’s Epic Yarn every time you have a craving for Law & Order: SVU.

Sony made similar moves last week, ditching the disc to support Instant Streaming from the main system menu.

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After moving quite a bit the last few months, the last thing I wanted to do was sign on for another year of ridiculously overpriced cable service. Despite my desires for viewing a constant steam of visual content like all twenty-something year-olds, I just wasn’t ready to bleed financially, all for watching a few hours a day of nonsensical programming.

The notion of cutting the cord has never been more of a reality for viewers than it is today. High priced television cable packages are serving as unnecessary expenses for many in this digital age, especially when the Internet is flooded with both broadcast and cable content for free. But for some, watching your favorite programs on a tiny computer screen just doesn’t replicate the fun familiar feeling of TV viewing on a 50” plasma. In steps PlayOn, a streamable service that allows users to watch a wealth of content from the company’s extensive library of broadcast and cable channel programming on any DLNA compliant gaming console, including your Wii, Xbox 360 or PlayStation 3 console, as well as Apple iOS devices. Pretty nifty, right? Here’s how it works.

First, download the PlayOn software onto your Windows based PC. The download is free as part of a 14-day trial, but the service will cost you $39.99 for your first year and $19.99 for every year after. However, if you enjoy the content provided, that’s minimum coinage compared to the average monthly cable bill, which floats around the $70 range. Once installed, just follow a few minor steps, and you’re able to access the PlayOn library on your console of choice.

First, when using the PlayOn service, you need to have the installed application open on your Windows PC. That way your gaming console will be able to recognize the server to retrieve content. It’s recommended that either your PC or the device itself be connected to your router to ensure an uninterrupted connection. Based on my home setup, it was only plausible for my PC to be connected, so my impressions are based on that.

The PlayOn content library is quite impressive, and as the service grows, so will the channel selection. As it stands the service offers content from such channels as ESPN, MTV, CNN, Comedy Central and Spike, as well network content from ABC and CBS. You can also enjoy Hulu and YouTube videos, while Netflix subscribers have access to their own Instant Streaming library. That’s thousands of movie and TV programs all accessible via your gaming console.

So how does the service perform on the Wii, PS3 and Xbox 360 consoles? I took PlayOn for a test drive on all three gaming consoles to let you guys know the good, the bad, and everything in between:

Wii:

PlayOn is currently in beta on the Wii console, but there were no hiccups to be had in my many view-sessions. To access PlayOn on Wii, you’ll use the Wii’s Internet Channel to visit the official PlayOn website. Once there, you’re fully able to access the wealth of hosted video content. Similar to services like Hulu, many channels offer the option to watch full episodes or shorter clips from their programming. I took a trip down memory lane, and watched a few episodes from MTV’s back-catalog, including Daria and True Life (you’ll be surprised by the diversity in the library of both old and newer programs). The video and audio quality was good, similar to streaming standard definition content online. In between program segments are brief commercials, some however hover around the minute-and-a-half mark. It’s a little discouraging when paying for a service to still have to endure commercials, but offering access to premium video content is quite an experimental business model. Although covering new ground in the way we view content, I’m hoping the commercials can stay below the 30-second mark in the future.

The menu interface is easy to navigate, separating content by channel icons, and then alphabetizing the available programming.  And the ease of using the Wii Remote as your PlayOn remote was an added bonus, making it easy to point-and-click on desired menu operations. Menu navigation buttons disappear as you watch your program, and can easily appear by pointing the Wii Remote towards the screen, offering a fluid experience. The PlayOn service on Wii is quite impressive, and easily worth the low annual cost.

PlayStation 3:

Using PlayOn on the PS3 console is where the product stands out. For comparison sake, I watched the same content I did on the Wii console, as well as other shows including Comedy Central’s hilarious Amy Sedaris starring comedy Strangers With Candy. The video quality is absolutely great, truly blurring the lines between streamed and broadcast content.

The menu interface is also fantastic, broken down into a list format in line with the PS3’s standard organization method. PlayOn strives to look like an extension of your console’s menu interface, and not its own entity, a feat I applaud. Once inside, simply select the channel you want, and select your program. One small glitch that happened more than I’d like to admit is the “corrupt data” error message. This common error occurs as an episode loading roadblock, forcing you to return to the menu screen. It doesn’t signify a problem with the video itself, just a connection issue. You’re encouraged to attempt to re-open the same video again, which worked for me every time. It’s a bit of jumping through hoops, but because my second attempts at reopening the episode worked every time, it’s nothing to cry about.

I must stress the difference in video performance when using a direct connection between your PC or PS3 console and your router via an Ethernet cable, versus a Wi-fi connection. During my test time with my PC connected to my router, playback was near flawless. Unfortunately, Wi-fi was unreliable; videos often buffered causing extremely choppy playback. You’re forced to hit the pause button to help the video catch its breath, which after a few moments does the trick. But switching back to Ethernet fixed every connection issue instantly, providing a steady stream of picture perfect programming.

Xbox 360:

Once PlayOn is running on your PC, you can easily access the PlayOn service as it will appear in your Xbox 360’s dashboard in the Video Marketplace. Once inside, the service runs similarly to PS3’s overall setup, but with a traditional Xbox interface.

All programs are easy to find, divided into their respective channels. I played a collection of different programs from different channels and was again impressed by the video quality, which rivals that of the PS3. With some buffering up front, the videos played without any noticeable hiccups. That was, of course, with my PC hooked directly to my router. I tried to play videos with my PC wirelessly, but was only able to manage about 15 seconds of video playback before an equally long buffering session took place. But this was expected, given my findings for the PS3.

The experience was just as smooth as viewing on the two other consoles otherwise.

Overall Impressions:

I only became aware of PlayOn about a month ago, and after my two-week test session, I have to admit I’m amazed. The service runs surprisingly well, even on the Wii console. Video playback, when your PC is connected to a router directly, is near-perfect. The video quality on the PS3 and Xbox 360 consoles was stellar, while the Wii’s PlayOn service, which is still in beta, still looked good.

Surprisingly, when using my PC, the Wii’s video playback suffered no buffering issues compared to the other two consoles. It’s a shame that the PS3 and Xbox 360 performance suffered greatly when the PC is not connected to a router by Ethernet. But PlayOn is hardly the only service to have an issue sharing impressive video quality over a Wi-fi connection.

I highly recommend the PlayOn service to anyone who is looking to ditch the cable box for a less expensive alternative. While the service doesn’t offer the amount of channels that you’d get from a traditional cable plan, the level of content is sufficient, and said to improve. Where the service thrives is serving more as an on-demand library of shows past and semi-present, more so than a library of brand-new current episodes. While PlayOn doesn’t necessarily endorse it, there is a strong online community of members actively adding new channels via plug-in downloads. Channels like Food Network, Revision 3 and G4 are available to download free through easy to find online forums. I took Revision 3 and G4 for a test drive, both passing with flying colors. The G4 channel featured clips taken from current episodes of the channel’s lineup of shows, which is pretty refreshing considering the channel is usually only listed as a premium offering for most cable plan packages.

If your home entertainment setup allows your gaming console or PC to be attached to your router, then PlayOn offers a truly fantastic TV viewing option. The only true benefit of the service over a TV plan is the sum of cash you’ll save each month. While I wouldn’t necessarily recommend the product to anyone looking to add the service if you’ve already got an impressive 200 channel cable package, it’s certainly a worth-while product for those that don’t.

PlayOn.TV

Product impressions for PlayOn based on software provided by TriplePoint for the purposes of review impressions.Wii video impressions using component cable connection. PS3 and Xbox 360 video impressions using HDMI connection. PlayOn settings indicated “Max” performance based on excellent PC/ Internet settings.

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All eyes have been on Steve Jobs as Apple is set to unveil new products and applications at today’s Worldwide Developer’s Conference. While most of us are waiting for a new iPhone announcement…any minute now, there are a few other reveals.

On the software front, Mark Pincus, the CEO of the ever-growing company Zynga, took the stage to discuss the upcoming release of FarmVille for the iPhone and iPod Touch platforms. The game is currently played by over 70 million monthly active users — let’s be honest, your mom is probably playing this as we speak. Pincus discussed the popularity of the game, claiming more people play FarmVille than watched the finales of LOST or 24. The game is to be released by the end of the month, marking the 1 year anniversary of the game.

In addition, Netflix is now coming to the iPhone and iPod Touch. Users will be able to utilize the Instant Stream feature, and easily search for movies and TV content to watch. You can also pause the content, and resume playing on another Netflix Instant Streaming device (presumably this works for Xbox 360 streaming as well).

Guitar Hero is also set to rock the iPhone, with tracks from Queen and Rolling Stones. The game is available today for $2.99.

MacRumors

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In an interview with CNBC, Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime took the time to update the consumer public a few points of Nintendo news, promoting the newly announced black Wii bundle, and the success of Netflix on the Wii. According to the man himself, almost 1 million Wii users have subscribed and used Netflix on the Wii. When asked about whether Nintendo was affected by the iPad release, Fils-Aime says they’ve seen “no impact”, setting two sales records on the Nintendo DS in the past three months, a time frame that includes the iPad’s release. He goes on to say that he believes that two devices can have success at the same time, a statement backed strongly by both the iPad and the DS’ sales. Fils-Aime also points out that the Wii has sold 5 million units in the past four months. The iPad, meanwhile, has just sold 1 million units in 28 million days. Safe to say Reggie is right when he says there’s room enough for Nintendo and Apple both!

CNBC
via GoNintendo

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Yes, despite actually launching when Netflix started sending out the Instant Streaming discs weeks ago, Nintendo has now officially announced the launch of the service on their Wii console.  Netflix subscribers are able to watch thousands of movies and TV shows, simply by loading the Instant Streaming disc into your console.

Navigate using the Wii Remote to select from different categories, genres, or fill your Instant Queue with all the latest and greatest content.

Visit Netflix to get your Instant Streaming Wii discs.

Nintendo

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Hey, paisanos! It’s the Super Mario Bros. Super Show! …on Netflix! If you’re feeling nostalgic, or perhaps you want to view them for the first time (after all, the series IS over 20 years old), Netflix has added the DVD collection of the cartoons to their Instant Watch service.

Considering I already own the complete Sonic SatAM series on DVD, I’m surprised I don’t already own this DVD. Maybe I’ll check it out on Netflix. It’s been a while since I’ve seen the late-Captain Lou Albano do “the Mario!” …at least, not counting YouTube.

Netflix
via Destructoid

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Owners of Netflix for Wii have been having to find out how long the load times can be, but supposedly those load times can be even slower on the PlayStation 3. The video above shows a significant difference in load time (the PS3 takes 19% longer to load the same preview than the Wii in this video), though considering that none of this content is actually on the Wii or PS3, or on the Netflix disc… wouldn’t this depend entirely on one’s Internet connection?

Load times aside, the author of the video also claims that the video quality on the Wii is better than that of the PS3. Since this all should be coming from the same Netflix server, I assume the previews shown aren’t in HD. It would be pretty embarrassing if the PS3 preview was in HD and got shown up by the Wii. The Wii can’t even play DVD movies, and here it’s supposedly displaying movies in a better quality than a 1080p-enabled machine?

The jury’s still out on this one (especially since this is a YouTube vid), so feel free to drop your own experiences in the comments.

Kotaku

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As we mentioned yesterday, Netflix just started sending out discs to those subscribers who requested to utilize the new Instant Streaming feature on their Wii consoles.

We’ve got a look at what the Netflix Instant Streaming interface looks like. As you can tell from the above video, it’s pretty straight forward. Similar to the PlayStation 3 version, titles are broken down into different categories. You’ve got your Instant Queue, along with different film genres to choose from.

The best thing about streaming on Wii is that you can use the directional pad on the Wii Remote to control  your viewing, as well as the IR sensor to select and choose what you want to watch.

Pretty nifty, aye? And don’t judge my decision to watch The Suite Life. It’s quite enjoyable Disney programming.

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Great news for those that love the Instant Streaming service, available through Netflix.

Your Nintendo Wii consoles will now have that service, all thanks to a special disc. The discs are being sent out to any Netflix subscriber who requested them, via their website.

Netflix assured users that as soon as your disc arrives, the Instant Streaming feature will be instantly available through your Wii.

Simply add movies to your queue online, or browse through different categories, and you’re all set! Despite the lack of HD, this is a welcome feature to all Wii console owners.

My disc will arrive tomorrow, which can’t come soon enough!

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Being a Nintendo fan is like being a LOST fan. No matter what, there are always going to be endless questions and not enough answers to satisfy us. Kotaku’s Brian Crecente had an opportunity to pick the brain of Nintendo of America’s COO Reggie Fils-Aime about a few popular items for discussion between the Wii and DS.

As of late, one of the most talked about discussions regarding the Wii is of course, its lifespan (and that pesky Wii HD rumor we all want confirmed). Just how much longer can the Wii go on? According to Fils-Aime, you’ll be waiting a while for a successor, claiming the Wii has a “very long, very vibrant life in front of it.”

In regards to competing motion controllers coming later this year from Sony and Microsoft, Fils-Aime wasn’t too worried either. He sees the competition from Sony, as, well, not very competitive.

It’s certainly me too or Wii too, as I like to say. There is nothing that they showed that is surprising. There is nothing that they showed that is innovative and in the end it will come down to how much fun the software is. How entertaining the experience is and I’ve yet to see anything that highlights this as an entertaining experience.

Fils-Aime also talked about their upcoming peripheral, the Wii Vitality Sensor, a small device that once placed around your finger, will detect your feelings and emotions based on heart rate. The device set to launch later this year, will be demoed in full at E3.

The first thing we need to do is to show our vision of how the Vitality Sensor can be used for a new and unique experience and we recognize we haven’t done that yet. We’ve talked about the concept. We’ve shown some people video. So our focus is to bring to life how you could utilize the Vitality Sensor and our goal is to do that sometime around E3.

Nintendo late last year implemented a brand new way to game by introducing the Super Guide in New Super Mario Bros. Wii. This device basically steps in to show a gamer in trouble how to successfully advance. Fils-Aime thinks this technology will help bridge the gap between casual and core gamer in future titles.

Because it provides a safe way for a consumer to try a new genre, a new game… it will continue be an offering. It may not be in every game but it will certainly be in key games, key genres where we are trying to move this massive 27 million person install base to try something we think is important for them to try.

Lastly, after the announcement that Netflix will offer their Instant Streaming service on Wii later this year, rumors circulated that the Netflix service would be coming to DS as well.

We’ve already shown an ability to transmit content from the Wiii to your DS. We do it with Wii No Ma service [in Japan]. We can transfer game demos from the Wii to the DS too, so the technology is absolutely possible.

Despite the technology available, Fils-Aime admits that no solid talks have been made between the two companies. It’s great to hear a bit from the head honcho of Nintendo’s American division speak honestly about the upcoming new developments planned for both Wii and DS consoles. It seems E3 this year will likely please both the casual and the core.

Kotaku

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After last week’s discovery that an online survey suggested that Netflix may one day bring their Instant Streaming service to the portable Nintendo DS handheld, Microsoft has announced a deal to first bring the service to their Windows Phone 7.  The functionality will allow users with a Netflix account to stream any of the thousands of movies and TV programs from the Netflix database.

This new partnership deal will help Netflix test the waters in bringing their streamable service to handhelds. You can navigate through new arrives and recommended films based on your previous viewed films.

The Windows Phone 7 will also support games, comics and a slew of other features, including Xbox Live capabilities, as we previously mentioned. Look for the mobile device later this year.

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Ah, Netflix surveys, always giving us a heads up on their next move, several paces before it’s even out the front door. Didn’t we find out about Netflix streaming to consoles through their customer surveys? Yeah that’s what I thought.

Anyway, the latest device to be assaulted with Netflix’s endless attempt to dominate all things streaming just might be the DS. A question meant to gauge the interest in Instant Viewing through Nintendo DS’ Wi-Fi is currently in the Netflix customer survey.

While I can’t speak for everyone, I don’t know that I’d care about Netflix on my DS. The Instant Viewing items are sometimes great, but in general very limited, and the resolution and screen size would pale in comparison to watching it on my XBOX 360.

What say you, Tanooki readers? Would you like to watch your Netflix Instant Viewing items through your DS? Or is just unnecessary?

Image via Kotaku, click to enlarge.

Kotaku

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On a recent broadcast on CNBC, both Nintendo COO Reggie Fils-Aime and Netflix chairman Reed Hastings came together to talk about the announcement of Netflix coming to Wii this spring.  Overall the interview covered the basics, of note however was Reggie’s response to being asked about the Netflix service not being able to provide HD content to an HD-less Wii console.

“The vast majority of content that’s available for streaming through Netflix is not HD content,” Reggie said. “The consumer has voted, over 26 million consumers have bought a Wii, so the consumer is saying that for them the quality of the visual is not nearly as important as the overall entertainment.”

This may be partly true based on sales figures alone, but I think if the consumer had a choice today, they’d choose an HD Wii over an SD Wii.  Reggie also made claims that just an HD version of the Wii console wasn’t something that interests Nintendo, and that no new console will arrive until after the Wii’s life cycle.  Guess those hoping for a dual console market can scratch that off their lists.

CNBC

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