Nintendo's Virtual Console has been a popular service for Wii owners, providing older gamers a chance to relive some of the classics (and younger gamers a chance to experience them a first time) on platforms like NES, SNES, Genesis, etc. As great as this portfolio of catalog titles is, however, Nintendo is sitting on a real opportunity to use the Wii to offer other new and original digital download titles, much like Microsoft has been doing with Xbox Live Arcade and Sony with its PlayStation Network Store.

Well, according to comments made by System 3 CEO Mark Cale, Nintendo is indeed readying a new digital download service for the Wii. Speaking to Palgn, Cale indicated that System 3's upcoming Impossible Mission would be one of the first Wii titles not only available at retail, but also for digital download. "...we're going to be exploring what Nintendo can actually do in terms of downloadable content, and see if it can match Xbox Live," he said.

We always assumed that Nintendo would simply expand its Wii Shop/Virtual Console to eventually include new titles, but according to Cale Nintendo will launch a new service in the coming months. "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," he explained.

He added, "Microsoft are years ahead of the other two major players in that regard. It really depends on when Nintendo are rolling out their strategy, which I expect will be within the next two months. At the moment we are focused on the retail launch and when Nintendo open up their services, what we've done is that we've made a commitment to try and make sure that the product is going to be one of the first products that can independently be brought away from the Virtual Console."

As Cale pointed out, Microsoft has been way ahead in the online department, and Nintendo in particular has really lagged behind. The sooner that Nintendo can offer more online gameplay and features in addition to more downloadable games and content the better. Nintendo already has an advantage with WiiConnect24 enabling the console to remain connected at all times (even when powered off), so the company ought to start making better use of it.

Sources: CVG, MCV