Wii owners who are connected and have activated the Wii Shop Channel can download a free beta version of the Opera browser to activate the Internet Channel of the Wii Menu and begin surfing the Web.

Nintendo expects that web access will make the Wii more attractive to non gamers.

“This newest Wii Menu channel provides yet another feature to draw non-gamers in,” says Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aime.

It’ll be interesting to see whether web access on the Wii turns out to be a popular feature, since web access via the home television as been tried before (many times) and has never really worked. In the past consumers have found it awkward to view web content on their home television and interact with the web without a keyboard.

Opera Software is also bullish about the propects of its browser on Wii:

“Our software brings the power and reach of the Internet to the hottest video game system available,” says Scott Hedrick, Executive Vice President, Devices, at Opera Software.

“Wii’s unique interface adds a new dimension to our browser, making it a useful tool that the whole family will enjoy operating with ease.”

The final version of the Opera browser will be available at the end of March 2007, and will be free for all Wii owners to download through the end of June 2007.

After June, users who haven’t already downloaded the Opera browser can go to the Wii Shop Channel to download it for 500 Wii Points.

The Internet Channel provides an optimal Web browsing experience on people’s home television.

According to Nintendo, the Adobe Flash-enabled beta version of the Opera browser puts the Internet right onto owners’ television screens and lets them browse with ease, enabling them to check sports scores, plot maps or visit their favorite Web sites.

The pointing abilities of the Wii Remote(TM) allow users to click on links they want to see or to zoom into any part of the screen through the motion of the controller.

In addition, the Wii Remote can be used with an on-screen keyboard to make text entry as easy as point and click. The Internet Channel joins the four already-live channels: Disc Channel, Photo Channel, Mii(TM) Channel and Wii Shop Channel.

The Forecast Channel goes live on Dec 20 and provides current and future weather information that can be accessed using a text list of cities or by using the Wii Remote to zoom in on a 3-D interactive globe.