Okay, so in case people haven't heard, there's a new channel coming out tonight, "Check Mii Out," which allows people to share their Miis, vote on Miis, participate in contests, etc. Personally, I think it sounds great, because it actually gives people something to do with their Miis, and I've always wanted to be able to check out random people's Miis. Plus, I'm oh-so-close to finishing my "Deep Space 9" Mii collection, and I'd love to share it with the world.

Anyway, the thing is, I thought this would be an excellent time to discuss Nintendo's strategy with regards to these channels. Some have thought that channels such as this are a waste of time. That's kind of a personal opinion, but whatever. My thinking is, where was this when the Wii came out? And what about the other channels currently in the works? You've got the upcoming demo channel which will allow you to download DS demos and video previews, and you've got the TV guide channel, that I know of. However, I don't think either of those is coming soon - it may be yet another few months before we see another channel.

Personally, I think these channels are great, and together, they begin to create a cohesive experience which is what I think they were aiming for when they created the Wii. You know, you can check the news, see the weather, find out what's on TV... Create Miis, share Miis, etc. However, I really feel that all of these channels should have been included at launch. I don't really understand why Nintendo is doing this. I think, as popular as the Wii is anyway, and I dunno, maybe they knew they were gonna be popular and so didn't worry about this, but they could've created such a stronger first impression if they had really worked to flesh out these ideas like channels and Wiiware before launch.

Incidently, this is minor, but I would've like to see something more done with the Wii message board. Like, for instance, a collective message board that Wii owners could post messages to, upload pictures and Miis, etc., to create a real Wii community. Granted, I know that'd never happen, because as I've said before, Nintendo has a real issue with not wanting the Wii to feature prominently on the next Chris Hansen, but still, it's a thought.