Iwata talks new channels, demos gift facility and TV guide

First details of how the Gift function of Wii Shopping Channel and the first look at the TV Guide channel have been unveiled on Nintendo Japans website. The process is easy to gift a game, simply pick the game from a list, then along with the game you want to send you can send a message and your friend will then be sent a message that will arrive on its message board with a friendly blue light. Your friend can then choose to accept or reject the present but if they do accept the can click a link to boot the Wii Shopping Channel. More inside

Both Virtual console games and WiiWare games will have this function; Nintendo has also showed off the TV Guide more inside. The TV guide is launched from the Wii menu just like any other channel, and looks like another other electronic TV guide but Iwata says As this is a service available with a video game machine, making easy-and-smooth scrolling, and stress-free operation are prerequisites. Not only can see we what is on today but you can search by genre of TV show and by actor or personality. You can also register what shows you want to watch along with the rest of the family as well. Each person is represented by a different colour.

Videos of the channels in motion can be found here for the Gift Function and here for the TV guide. The Gift Function of the Shopping channel goes live later this year and the TV Guide channel in March 2008. At this stage it is not known if it will make it out of Japan yet.