Nintendo promises to bring users the latest news, weather forecast, photo editing, internet surfing and online gaming thorugh their so called Wii Channel.

Features for the console is know as “Channels”.

“We decided to use the term “Channel” at about the same time we decided upon the panes,” said Kuroume, a user interface member in Nintendo’s group. “We were having some difficulty in pulling together all the different ideas suggested to us by each department. In fact, we were more or less at a dead end. And then someone proposed that we try lining them all up. Right then, someone casually said, neither as a complement nor as a criticism, “That’s a TV channel,” and that’s when it clicked. I mean, at that moment, the atmosphere was electric. When I first heard the word “channel”, it enveloped the whole idea, even though I wasn’t fully aware of its appeal. Looking back, I think this is when I first realised that these “panes” would play a leading role in our interface.”

Virtual Console games display on the main Wii Menu as single channels, and upon selecting one, a screen similar to above will appear. Minor game details will be listed, such as the original release date, the number of players, and the system the game was originally released on.

The Mii channel allows users to create their own caricature, which can in turn be implemented into games such as Wii Sports and Wario Ware Smooth Moves. More games are expected to allow for integration in the future, including the hotly-anticipated Super Smash Bros. Brawl. Many Miis can be stored internally on a single Wii console, while up to 10 can be placed on one Wii-mote. One of the features Nintendo will focus promotion on is the ability to share Miis and to transport them to other consoles via the Wii-mote.

The weather forecast channel seems kinda cool too(oh well,normal…)

There’s even a bulletin board where you can post a memo or post for your family members to read when they login to their account. It could be done on paper, but who does it these days?