Nintendo launches Wii Digicam Print Channel in Japan

by Christopher Grant { Jul 23rd 2008 at 10:23AM }

Nintendo of Japan has just introduced a new Wii channel that offers the best reason yet for the Wii to have any sort of photo functionality built-in: the Digicam Print Channel. In short, through a collaboration with Fujifilm, Japanese Wii users can order up prints of their digital photos – accessed via the console's SD slot, of course – along with special photo books for ¥1,575 ($14.71), super deluxe Mario-flavored photo books for ¥2,480 ($23.16), or meishi (think Japanese business cards) sporting the user's very own Mii, available at ¥500 per 30 cards. Watch the video tour of the service above (don't mind the Japanese), or sit tight for the service to launch in the West ... any day now ... just a little bit longer ... keep waiting ... almost there ...

[Via Nintendo Wii Fanboy]

Tags: channel, Digicam-Print-Channel

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

WiiFTW @ Jul 23rd 2008 10:30AM

The Japanese will buy anything.

L0uSE @ Jul 23rd 2008 10:39AM

Try telling Microsoft that.

Zertoss @ Jul 23rd 2008 10:37AM

See, core gamers? They still care about you!

Co @ Jul 23rd 2008 10:57AM

Holy crap shut the fuck up already.

Zertoss @ Jul 23rd 2008 11:58AM

Relax, it was a joke.

John Z @ Jul 23rd 2008 12:03PM

Kinda suspected it was. I still think it needed a sarcasm tag to avoid being misunderstood.

It's getting hard to tell the healthy cynicism from the 'genuine' fanbrat basement-rage. That's a bad thing.

kevinski @ Jul 23rd 2008 10:38AM

And couldn't this have just been built into Photos Channel? God, who really uses that thing?

Jakka (Not sure why he got banned?) @ Jul 23rd 2008 10:40AM

That's fucking retarded.If these pictures are saved onto SD, what exactly stops me from taking my card to ANY OTHER photo store in order to print them off?

Maxwell Ash @ Jul 23rd 2008 1:24PM

Can ANY OTHER PHOTO STORE print Mario themed photo books?
That is the point.

DarthDavid @ Jul 23rd 2008 10:44AM

Kinda useless...but I'm loving the business cards, very gaming nerd like.

Jimbo @ Jul 23rd 2008 10:58AM

I think its pretty cool. It would be neat to print your friend code onto a business card with your Mii on it. Its also good for kids who want to make photo books, but aren't allowed to go online.

Markez (MKWii 4339-2878-5120) @ Jul 23rd 2008 11:45AM

I'm with you here, despite everybody else being a cranky bastard about it.

Saria the Cat @ Jul 23rd 2008 3:04PM

This will totally get you the ladies. Instead of asking for digits, smoothly slide your Mii card across the bar countertop to her. Makes sure you throw in a cheesy game-related line, like "I'll princess your peach." And wink. Don't forget to wink.

Jimbo @ Jul 23rd 2008 3:49PM

Very funny comments Saria :). I was thinking more for kids and all. Good thing I'm a happily married mo and don't need to pick up anymore, but you got me thinking back to playground days trying to make conversation with the girlies. He're my Wii card wink wink.

Matthew @ Jul 23rd 2008 10:56AM

Screw this photo crap - The day I use this garbage over my PC is the day I eat my hat.

I sold my Wii because Nintendo is a fucking joke.

The "Motion Plus" was the end for me. Who wants to bet that the Wii-mote was supposed to have the 1-1 functionality day 1? But then they realized that they could charge me another $50 for another stupid peripheral?

They have meticulously thought out this entire generation to be a cash grab out of your pockets. People complain that MS and PS are drifting towards media and not focusing on games, Nintendo is 10x worse in my books.

Co @ Jul 23rd 2008 10:57AM

Um maybe the fact you don't have to go to ANY store to use this.

Sam406 @ Jul 23rd 2008 11:18AM

Yeah you do, to pick up whatever the photo you want to print.

Markez (MKWii 4339-2878-5120) @ Jul 23rd 2008 11:46AM

It's called the mail dude, good god.

Sam406 @ Jul 23rd 2008 12:00PM

Oh right, well in any case, I guess an extra application won't hurt.

Although I don't think a business card with a Mii on it is such a good idea...

BlackTye @ Jul 23rd 2008 11:17AM

Neat idea. Reminds me of the Pokemon Snap stickers.

Also, I'm kinda sick of everyone bitching. So please stop.

mocax @ Jul 23rd 2008 11:46AM

It's useless stuff like this and the people that buy them that keeps japan's economy engine running in hard times.

John Z @ Jul 23rd 2008 11:55AM

I'm wondering, honestly, if there really is no "good" news coming out of Nintendo/related to the Wii lately, or if it's not just gaming blogs like this one (and other less reputable ones) cashing in on some quick pagehits from the Internet BAAAAWWWWWW Machine. It would not surprise me at all to learn that it was the latter, actually.

Nintendo hates us, waah waah waah. We get it already. Really. Stop feeding the trolls, Joystiq. Please.

Mark @ Jul 23rd 2008 12:05PM

Is the channel free?

tacoman @ Jul 23rd 2008 12:22PM

yeah, it's free

tacoman @ Jul 23rd 2008 12:21PM

Downloading this right now, I'll have to give it a shot next week, I really want to see what I can do with these business cards, it might be a fun thing to give my students.

bm @ Jul 23rd 2008 12:36PM

OH NO NINTENDO ADDED SOMETHING TO THE WII IN JAPAN THAT I'M NOT INTERESTED IN OH NOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!! WAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!! ;_; ;_; ;_; ;_; ;_;

LocalToast @ Jul 23rd 2008 2:30PM

Do you leave comments of the same nature on every disinteresting blog post you read?

bm @ Jul 24th 2008 6:06AM

I'd try to make some clever comment about how your sarcasm sense is broken or something, but I can't be bothered. :(

tacoman @ Jul 23rd 2008 12:39PM

You have to be in Japan to even access this Channel too; There's also an update for the Japanese Nintendo Channel, it updates a few features, but most importantly has a demo for Rhythm Tengoku Gold!

tacoman @ Jul 23rd 2008 3:05PM

Turns out you just need to perform a system update to access the Channel； It's pretty cool, let's you play a puzzle game similar to the Photo Channel while your pictures upload, you can order individual copies, or add prints all at once.

The photo books can be side bound or top bound, and the business cards have 6 designs (White, tan with mushroom, green plaid, orange art deco, blue with Mario, and Pink with Peach). I will order some of these and check them out in the near future.

LocalToast @ Jul 23rd 2008 2:33PM

Add Gameboy Camera + Printer support, and I'm sold!

Saria the Cat @ Jul 23rd 2008 3:16PM

I can see people like my mom having a really good time with this. If it is more accessible than photoeditors on PCs, then this would be a hit with the less able family members who are competent enough to waggle a stick at a screen but not use Scrapbook software.

BPM [MSN: BPMdotEXE @ hotmail.com] @ Jul 24th 2008 12:19AM

It's an interesting idea, but undoubtedly will remain Japan-only, like the TV Friend Channel.

And I don't know if it's the same in Japan, but in North America, Fujifilm uses the xD memory card format (and I guess some of their newer cameras support SD as well).

Christian @ Jul 24th 2008 12:39PM

OMG! I'd gladly waste my money for the Meishi cards! I'll try to pass that around while I'm at clubs and bars, hahaha.

Seriously, fun stuff to have when you're in a convention or something...