StumbleUpon brings video to the Wii
StumbleUpon, which claims nearly 2 million registered users, is primarily known for a downloadable toolbar that recommends random Web sites based on how a user has previously rated other pages. Since its launch five years ago, the company has rolled out Stumble Video, which features similar recommend-and-discover functionality for online videos from sites like YouTube.
The revamped video site, launched Tuesday, includes an interface specifically designed for the Wii's Opera browser. Wii owners can use their consoles to navigate through StumbleUpon's video search functions and channel menu, rate and recommend videos, and "discover" more videos that specifically fit their rating histories. It's a bit like Netflix's recommendation service.
Additionally, StumbleUpon made several non-Wii-related upgrades to its service, most notably full integration between Stumble Video and the original toolbar product. The company's founders, Garrett Camp and Dave Feller, hinted to CNET News.com that StumbleUpon would like to eventually bring Stumble Video to other wireless-enabled devices that serve as bridges between the Internet and the home television.
This is the latest of a growing string of product announcements that are serving to solidify the Wii's role as a living room media center rather than just a game console: already touted as a fitness device, the browser feature on the Wii has expanded its features to everyday functions like reading the news and checking the weather. Third-party applications, like music players, have begun to pop up in Wii-friendly incarnations.
Meanwhile, sales of the trendy Nintendo console continue to soar, leaving Sony's rival PlayStation 3 trailing.