Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aime has hinted at the possibility of a partnership with Comcast and other cable companies that would allow them to sell the Wii U. In an interview with the Seattle Times , Fils-Aime was asked if Nintendo would sell its new console through Comcast or other TV partners.
"It's certainly possible," said Fils-Aime, opening the door for the device to be sold at a reduced rate or given away for free to those who sign up for cable.
This strategy, where a service provider subsidizes the cost of a device by requiring buyers to sign a multi-year contract, has been hugely successful for Apple and Samsung. It has been widely speculated that Apple will attempt to do the same with its television set, which is expected to carry a hefty price tag .
During the interview, Fils-Aime spoke about the potential benefits of studying the TV viewing habits of consumers.
"Certainly the way the system works, it gives us access to a lot of information, as long as the consumer agrees to share it with us," said Fils-Aime. "How we utilize that, we'll find out as we go.
"Again, we're not in the ad-serving business. We're not in the micro-targeting business. But certainly I can imagine as we build out the service that's something that Comcast or AT&T or any of the cable companies are really going to be interested in, potentially."
When asked if that gives Nintendo leverage in negotiating with cable companies, Fils-Aime replied succinctly. "Sure," he said.
Fils-Aime was also asked why Nintendo did not buy TiVo and "go the whole DVR route."
"That's not what we do," he replied.
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