Has Nintendo Beat Apple to iTV?

Nintendo's (OTC: NTDOY) new console may be short on popular games, but it contains a surprising feature that could severely tarnish Apple's (NASDAQ: AAPL) plans for a new television set.

Earlier today Nintendo announced that in addition to its gaming features, Wii U will also come with a brand-new service called Nintendo TVii. Using this service, consumers will be able to watch and interact with their favorite shows in an entirely new way.

Most notably, Wii U will provide viewers with updates and information on TV shows that are already in progress. Thus, if a user misses a portion of a live airing of ABC's Modern Family, for example, Nintendo TVii will provide still images and text descriptions to show what happened.

Nintendo TVii will do the same for live sporting events. Similarly, viewers who tune in to the service's sports channel will gain access to all of the latest scores, which appear on the screen in the form of stylish icons and logos. If any of the games are in progress, users can click on the icons to see if they are available to watch through one of their content providers.

This is just the tip of the iceberg for Nintendo TVii, which will be a free service when it launches in the United States and Canada. Nintendo has not said specifically when the service will start, but it is likely to begin soon after Wii U is released on November 18.

With these and other content features, Nintendo is building a new way to consume content. The company has beaten its competitors -- including Apple -- to a market that so many tech companies have been trying desperately to create and cultivate. In time, it could be a feature that helps Wii U become a success.

At the very least, it has diminished the value of any similar feature that Apple may have planned for its rumored television.

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