Nintendo has announced that starting today the Opera-powered Wii Internet Channel is available free of charge.
That's right, surf the internet, watch online TV, buy stuff all via your Nintendo. All you need is an internet connection.
The browser was priced at 500 Wii Points (US$5) but was originally offered to Wii owners free of charge. To compensate, Nintendo is offering those who already have the channel a NES, Super Nintendo and Nintendo 64 Virtual Console game. Offer endsbegins in late October. Life goes on.
[UPDATE: The offer to U.S. gamers differs slightly from the program in Japan. The Internet Channel is free in the U.S. as of today, though those who purchased the channel will only be able to claim an NES game from the Virtual Console service. Offer runs from late October through the end of the year.]
[UPDATE 2: A Nintendo rep informs Kotaku that Japanese gamers will also only be able to purchase a bonus NES game to compensate their purchase of the formerly for-pay Internet Channel. We regret the confusion.]
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