Nintendo considering video downloads for DS

The video download service that Nintendo will introduce in Japan later this year may also be accessible via the DS. The service would be ‘different in a Nintendo way’, although it is still unclear how the manufacturer intends to make the difference.

Nintendo CEO Satoru Iwata said in an interview with The Wall Street Journal: know The Japanese company is considering giving DS access to its video download service, which will launch in Japan later this year. According to the first reports, the service was only intended for the Wii, but this console could also be used for forwarding videos to the DS. It is already possible to download game demos for the DS via the Wii. Iwata declined to comment further on the video-on-demand service, although he said the service will be “different in a typical Nintendo way.”

Nintendo is collaborating with Japanese advertising agency Dentsu for the download service. The offer will consist of programs specially developed for this new service, such as cartoons and family programs. Some programs will require payment. The free programs will come with advertisements. Whether and when the service will be launched in Europe or the US is not yet known.