According to developer System 3, Nintendo is preparing to launch a new downloadable gaming service for its Nintendo Wii in the coming months.
The service will compliment the Wii’s Virtual Console and will provide new and original downloadable games, much like Microsoft’s Xbox Live Arcade and Sony’s Playstation Store. One of the first games that’ll debut on the new service will be System 3’s Impossible Mission.
Mark Cale, CEO of System 3, stated, "I wouldn’t say Virtual Console, because they’re not actually calling it the Virtual Console, but in the next few months there will be various announcements I’m sure made by Nintendo that will offer users a system that will be similar to that of what Microsoft is offering at present, which is the ability to download content."
Considering the tremendous success of Xbox Live Arcade has amassed for Microsoft (over 25 million downloads since March) and the relative success of the Virtual Console (over 3.3 million downloads since April), it would be a natural move by Nintendo to start releasing downloadable new games.
As the move of consoles to broadband internet increases, digital distribution will be beneficial for not only the players, but also the publishers.
Games downloaded for the Virtual Console are stored within the Wii’s built-in 512 MB memory or on removable SD flash-memory cards. Considering that these new downloadable games will be bigger than traditional VC titles, users may have to upgrade their SD cards or think about external hard drives, if Nintendo will allow this.
[Via GameDaily BIZ]
