Sony has the Playstation Network.  Microsoft has XBox Live.  Nintendo has… well, not much.  Nintendo has a virtual marketplace and a way to download DLC content and buy downloadable verisons of classic games, but a robust online multi-player environment just doesn’t exist for Nintendo at the moment.  It’s probably their biggest weakness from a marketing standpoint, and it’s something that they’re going to address.  Nintendo will be launching the Nintendo Network, an online hub for the 3DS and (hopefully) the WiiU console.

Here’s the kicker:  the Nintendo Network won’t just be a delivery system for downloadable content.  Nintendo has constructed it in such a way as to facilitate the purchase and use of digital, downloadable games.  That’s right, Nintendo (the first company to use motion control in its games) just may be the first company to adopt the PC-style Stream model of game downloading rather than physical purchases of games.  The Nintendo Network will also feature a personal account system to allow for multiple users on the same system and online communication.

Granted, Nintendo isn’t revolutionizing anything with the Nintendo Network; these sorts of console-based game networks have been around since Sega Channel was a thing.  Still, if the big N can catch up to the competition in the online network setting then bring streaming game purchases to bear… they just might shake up the video game world yet again without even taking into account the WiiU’s revolutionary construction.