Web surfing with the Wii

Opera VP Scott Hedrick has revealed that you will indeed be using the Wii's remote controller to surf the web.

In an interview with IGN, Hedrick said: "The remote control is an extremely advanced tool. Opera plans to use this to its full advantage and it will provide an intuitive way to surf the Web. Imagine the possibilities in terms of surfing with a motion sensitive remote control."

But how's it all going to work, exactly? Hedrick was a bit cagey on this one, stating: "I cannot specifically comment on the lack of keyboard, but many devices running Opera don't have keyboards, such as the Nintendo DS, and feature on-screen keyboards to solve this problem."

Hedrick said that Opera won't be sold separately from the Wii - but stopped short of confirming whether or not it'll come with the console as standard.

It sounds like he's very keen on the whole idea of web browsing via consoles, though: "As Nintendo touts Wii as always connected it is natural that a browser should be a part of their strategy, as a gateway to the Web. I believe that Web technology will increasingly be a part of the gaming experience, whether it's live content being pushed onto games or you're just checking your Web mail while playing Mario Kart.

"We're seeing access to the Web in more and more places and in more and more ways, it was simply a matter of time before it spread to game consoles."