Nintendo TVii launching in December

The Wii U's free video service, TVii, will not be available when the system launches this weekend in North America. Nintendo announced today that the application will be activated sometime in December.

Nintendo TVii was announced in September at a special Wii U event in New York City. The application allows users to search, watch, and interact with a range of television shows, movies, and sporting events.

The service works with cable and satellite providers, as well as streaming services like Hulu and Netflix. Players must hold a subscription to these services to use Nintendo TVii, but no additional fees or equipment are required.

TVii viewers can use the GamePad to interact with others through commenting on specific live television moments and sharing those comments with others through Miiverse, Facebook, and Twitter.

The Wii U is due out in North America on November 18 beginning at $300 for an 8GB basic model and scaling to $350 for the 32GB deluxe version that includes a copy of Nintendo Land.

The first high-definition system from Nintendo will launch with dozens of titles, including Call of Duty: Black Ops II, Just Dance 4, and Assassin's Creed III.

The Wii U comes to Europe and Australia on November 30, with a launch in Japan rounding out the bunch on December 8.

Nintendo will hold a special Wii U launch event in New York City Saturday, November 17. GameSpot will be in attendance. Check back later for a photo feature documenting the event.