Nintendo, Ad Firm Plan Wii Video Service

Japanese ad firm Dentsu says it's teaming up with Nintendo to create a video distribution service for the popular Wii gaming console.

Dentsu, Inc., Japan’s largest advertising agency, has said it is partnering with Nintendo to create a video distribution service for the popular Wii gaming console. However, unlike video offerings already on the market for the computing PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 consoles, the Wii video service will (at least initially) offer original programming created specifically for the service, rather than carrying existing television, movie, and video programming from third parties.

The companies plan to begin offering the video service in Japan in 2009; no plans have been announced for bringing the service to other markets.

The companies also have not decided what sort of programming the service will offer, but a Dentsu spokesperson indicated the company plans to offer some programming for free on an ad-supported basis when the service launches, with other programming becoming available later for a fee. The daily newspaper Nikkei has speculated (subscription required) cartoons and other family-oriented programming would be among the first offerings on the service. Nikkei also speculated that the service would launch outside the Japanese market in late 2009.