Nintendo is shutting down its video service for the Wii U console less than three years after it began, but few users are lamenting its demise. Nintendo TVii will be ending on Aug. 11, according to a message on a company support page.
“Every service has a life cycle, and it is time to focus our resources on other projects,” Nintendo said, adding that third-party video-on-demand apps will still work on the Wii U console. The Nintendo TVii Miiverse community, a forum to discuss TV shows and other content, will also be closed. Miiverse is a site that connects Wii U and Nintendo 3DS players around the world.
TVii was launched in December 2012 as a single interface for cable, satellite TV and Web video, with the Wii U Game Pad as a universal remote. Users could receive content recommendations and search for shows by title or genre.
But TVii was not complete when it launched, and lacked Netflix and TiVo integration. Its closure comes about six months after Nintendo said it would not be offering TVii in Europe.
