As part of today's announcement that Capcom's Monster Hunter 3 would prowl exclusively on the Wii, Nintendo announced it would be, as noted by Forbes, "entering the third phase of its strategy, aimed at expanding the game player population." One way in which it will be doing so is by more heavily supporting its console's online capabilities, and today Nintendo revealed a number of new developments in its strategy.

　　To wit, Opera today announced that Nintendo has begun disseminating the newest version of its Internet Channel, which is available as free upgrade to existing users. The latest version of the Opera-powered browser is now compatible with any USB keyboard, and several new input shortcuts have been implemented for use with the existing onscreen keyboard. The updated browser also now allows those who have shared friend codes to send URL links along with messages, copy and paste information, and nine more bookmarked-page slots, bringing the total to 56.

　　Opera also said that the latest version of the Internet Channel will support user-created Web content applications, aka widgets. Currently available widgets include calendars, news readers, and Internet radio stations. More information on creating widgets for the Wii is available on Opera's Web site.

　　Nintendo will also be expanding on the online social-networking aspects of the Wii. The publisher today announced the launch of MyWiiStory.com, a site devoted to Wii-owner testimonials pertaining to how owning the console has changed their opinion of gaming or their life in general. The site supports photo and video sharing, as well as the traditional written word.

　　Nintendo also revealed at its press conference in Tokyo that the Wii Vote channel will soon have increased functionality, including game rankings and search capabilities. Nintendo also said that the Wii will soon act as a hub for downloading demos. The publisher noted that demos would be offered as they are at DS retailer kiosks, but it did not mention whether the demos would be for the Wii or the DS. Thus far, both of these services, as with the recently revealed WiiWare support, have only been confirmed for Japan.

　　Partnering with NTT East and NTT West, Nintendo also revealed it would be setting up a tech-support service to help Wii users connect to the Internet. Nintendo noted that it would be offering networking equipment and home installation, though again, thus far this service has been confirmed only for Japan.