Formerly | Wii no Ma (2009–2012) |
---|---|
Type | Subsidiary |
Industry | Video games |
Founded | May 1, 2009 |
Headquarters | Kyoto, Japan |
Key people | Yusuke Beppu (President) |
Products | Nintendo Network |
Parent | Nintendo (2009–2018) |
Website | Nintendo.co.jp |
Nintendo Network Service Database (NSD), formerly known as Wii no Ma, was a Japanese company. Originally created by Nintendo to provide digital entertainment as a service for Wii owners, the company has since been renamed. [1]
Until its liquidation, Nintendo Network Services handled all Nintendo Network operations, including programming and server maintenance inside Nintendo's in-house projects through its Nintendo Network Business & Development division and throughout various other external online software infrastructures. Lastly, the company also cooperated in developing third party online infrastructures compatible with Nintendo consoles and the Nintendo Network.
Wii no Ma (Wiiの間) was a video-on-demand service channel run by Nintendo in co-operation with Dentsu to produce the programs and advertisements. Wii no Ma was viewable by those with a Wii and an Internet connection and it featured family-oriented content, such as cartoons, brain-training quizzes, cookery, educational shows, and other programs produced exclusively for Nintendo. Broadcast began in Japan on May 1, 2009. [2] In 2010, several trademarks were filed for the name. [3]
The channel's interface was built around a virtual living room, where up to eight Miis could be registered and interact with each other. The virtual living room contained a TV which took the viewer to the video list. Celebrity "concierge" Mii's occasionally introduced special programming.
The senior executive at Fuji Television stated that if plans to make the Wii the centerpiece of the living room took off in a meaningful way, it would be the stuff of television producers' nightmares. [2]
A DSiWare application called Dokodemo Wii no Ma could be downloaded free for Japanese users of the Nintendo DSi, and allowed them to download programs from Wii no Ma on the Wii onto the DSi, and then play them back. It also allowed users to download coupons onto the DSi, which can be scanned off the screen at a store.
Nintendo ceased operation of the Wii no Ma Channel on April 30, 2012, [4] renaming the company Nintendo Network Service Database.
In 2018, Nintendo Network Services was liquidated. [5]
The Wii is a home video game console developed and marketed by Nintendo. It was released on November 19, 2006, in North America and in December 2006 for most other regions of the world. It is Nintendo's fifth major home game console, following the GameCube and is a seventh-generation console alongside Microsoft's Xbox 360 and Sony's PlayStation 3.
Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection (WFC) was an online multiplayer gaming service run by Nintendo to provide free online play in compatible Nintendo DS and Wii games. The service included the company's Wii Shop Channel and DSi Shop game download services. It also ran features for the Wii and Nintendo DS systems.
Nintendo European Research & Development (NERD) is a French subsidiary for Nintendo, located in Paris, which develops software technologies and middleware for Nintendo platforms. This includes retro console emulators, patented video codecs, and DRM technology.
WiiConnect24 was a feature of the Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection for the Wii console. It was first announced at Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) in mid-2006 by Nintendo. It enabled the user to remain connected to the Internet while the console was on standby. For example, a friend could send messages to another player's town without the other player being present in the game Animal Crossing: City Folk.
The Wii Remote, also known colloquially as the Wiimote, is the primary game controller for Nintendo's Wii home video game console. An essential capability of the Wii Remote is its motion sensing capability, which allows the user to interact with and manipulate items on screen via motion sensing, gesture recognition, and pointing which is used for the console, using accelerometer and optical sensor technology. It is expandable by adding attachments. The attachment bundled with the Wii console is the Nunchuk, which complements the Wii Remote by providing functions similar to those in gamepad controllers. Some other attachments include the Classic Controller, Wii Zapper, and the Wii Wheel, which has originally been used for the racing game, Mario Kart Wii.
The Wii Menu is the graphical shell of the Wii and Wii U game console, as part of the Wii system software. It has four pages, each with a 4:3 grid, and each displaying the current time and date. Available applications, known as "channels", are displayed and can be navigated using the pointer capability of the Wii Remote. The grid is customizable; users can move channels among the menu's 48 customizable slots by pressing and holding the B button while hovering over the channel the user wanted to move, then pressing and holding the A button and moving the channel. By pressing the plus and minus buttons on the Wii Remote users can scroll across accessing empty slots.
A Mii is a customizable avatar used on several Nintendo video game consoles and mobile apps. Miis were first introduced on the Wii console in 2006 and later appeared on the 3DS, Wii U, the Switch, and various apps for smart devices. Miis can be created using different body, facial and clothing features, and can then be used as characters within games on the consoles, either as an avatar of a specific player or in some games portrayed as characters with their own personalities. Miis can be shared and transferred between consoles, either manually or automatically with other users over the internet and local wireless communications.
The Wii system software is a discontinued set of updatable firmware versions and a software frontend on the Wii home video game console. Updates, which could be downloaded over the Internet or read from a game disc, allowed Nintendo to add additional features and software, as well as to patch security vulnerabilities used by users to load homebrew software. When a new update became available, Nintendo sent a message to the Wii Message Board of Internet-connected systems notifying them of the available update.
The Nintendo DSi is a dual-screen handheld game console released by Nintendo. The console launched in Japan on November 1, 2008, and worldwide beginning in April 2009. It is the third iteration of the Nintendo DS, and its primary market rival is Sony's PlayStation Portable (PSP). The fourth iteration, entitled Nintendo DSi XL, is a larger model that launched in Japan on November 21, 2009, and worldwide beginning in March 2010. Development of the DSi began in late 2006, and the handheld was unveiled during an October 2008 Nintendo conference in Tokyo. Consumer demand convinced Nintendo to produce a slimmer handheld with larger screens than the DS Lite. Consequently, Nintendo removed the Game Boy Advance (GBA) cartridge slot to improve portability without sacrificing durability.
Wii no Ma was a Wii channel that featured a video-on-demand, film rental and shopping service operated by Nintendo and Dentsu.
The Nintendo 3DS is a handheld game console produced by Nintendo. It was announced in March 2010 and unveiled at E3 2010 as the successor to the Nintendo DS. The system features backward compatibility with Nintendo DS video games. As an eighth-generation console, its primary competitor was Sony's PlayStation Vita.
The Nintendo 3DS system software is the updatable operating system used by the Nintendo 3DS.
The Wii U is a home video game console developed by Nintendo as the successor to the Wii. Released in late 2012, it is the first eighth-generation video game console and competed with Microsoft's Xbox One and Sony's PlayStation 4.
The Nintendo eShop is a digital distribution service powered by the Nintendo Network for the Wii U and Nintendo 3DS, and by a dedicated online infrastructure for the Nintendo Switch. Launched in June 2011 on the Nintendo 3DS, the eShop was enabled by the release of a system update that added the functionality to the Nintendo 3DS's HOME Menu. It is the successor to both the Wii Shop Channel and DSi Shop. Unlike on the Nintendo 3DS, the eShop was made available on the launch date of the Wii U, although a system update is required in order to access it. It is also a multitasking application, which means it is easily accessible even when a game is already running in the background through the system software, though this feature is exclusive to the Wii U and the Nintendo Switch. The Nintendo eShop features downloadable games, demos, applications, streaming videos, consumer rating feedback, and other information on upcoming game releases.
The Nintendo Network is Nintendo's online service which provides online functionality for the Nintendo 3DS and Wii U systems and their compatible games. Announced on January 26, 2012 at an investors' conference, it is Nintendo's second online service after Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection. Former president of Nintendo Satoru Iwata said, "Unlike Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection, which has been focused upon specific functionalities and concepts, we are aiming to establish a platform where various services available through the network for our consumers shall be connected via Nintendo Network service so that the company can make comprehensive proposals to consumers."
The Wii U system software is the official firmware version and operating system for Nintendo's Wii U home video game console. Nintendo maintains the Wii U's systemwide features and applications by offering system software updates via the Internet. Updates are optional to each console owner, but may be required in order to retain interoperability with Nintendo's online services. Each update is cumulative, including all changes from previous updates.
SpotPass and StreetPass are communication systems first introduced in the Nintendo 3DS. SpotPass was later incorporated into the Nintendo 2DS, models of the New 3DS and New 2DS, and Wii U game consoles. SpotPass delivers content from the Internet to the consoles, and StreetPass uses local Wi-Fi functionality to exchange data between 3DS, 2DS, and Wii U systems.
Nintendo Network Services Inc. was excluded from the scope of consolidation from the consolidated fiscal year ended March 31, 2018, since its liquidation had been completed.