With Nintendo TVii, the Kyoto-based game maker is bringing streaming video to the GamePad. Starting on December 8 in Japan, gamers can watch the pictures as they fly through the air via the comfort of the Wii U GamePad. But if you want easy channel changing, you must barf up extra cash.

On December 8, Nintendo is also launching an addon for Nintendo TVii that gives Wii U owners the ability to switch channels via the GamePad. The Wii U GamePad can be used as a television remote control, but if you want to use that same function for Nintendo TVii, Nintendo is charging a ¥100 ($1.22) flat fee.

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Say what?

It's probably some licensing problem.

Has to be a licensing issue and likely only a Japanese one.

nice title
but it should say "Nintendo is STEALING people..."

Japan's got weird intellectual property laws

But then again so does most of the world...

What? I didn't quite understand this. The Wii U gamepad can be used as a TV remote for free...

But if you want to use it as a TV remote in the Wii U's TVii application, it costs more?

That sounds like, as others have said, a Japan-only problem due to licensing. Sucks, but nothing more really.

Article is poorly translated and it seems to be only in Japan. Japanese paying $1 to unlock TVii features sounds better than Microsoft charging $15-20 for a DVD remote to access the DVD player in the original xbox which could have just used the controller like the PS2 yet was locked due to wanting more money.

Meh, I came here expecting to read that Nintendo charges one buck for every time you switch channel. I are disappoint.