Fuji Soft unveils WiiWare video service

For console owners, video-on-demand is currently limited to just PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. That's going to change later this year. Fuji Soft announced today a new initiative that will bring Wii owners downloadable movies and anime through WiiWare.

The service will kick off this December. Wii owners will be able to download a 500 WiiPoint WiiWare viewing program called Minna no Theater Wii (Everyone's Theater Wii) from the Wii Shopping Channel. With this viewer in place, users will have access to video content costing between 100 and 400 WiiPoints.

Different from video content available through Sony's PlayStation Store, Fuji Soft states that content through the Everyone's Theater Wii service will be purchased content rather than rental content. Users will be able to view downloaded videos whenever they want.

Current plans call for a wide range of anime and movie content that can be enjoyed by young children and adults alike. The focus will be on programming that can be enjoyed by the whole family. Specific programming has yet to be announced.

The Minna no Theater viewer was internally developed at Sunsoft using technology that it developed for IPTV and digital televisions. The firm says to expect DVD-level video quality.

A thumbnail-sized look at the viewing software can be accessed via the teaser product page Sunsoft has set up. The page promises the ability to search for content via rankings, and to also make special requests.

The product page describes a family of characters operating under the name "Uleky and the Magic Stone." These characters appear to exist as background elements as you use the service. It's unclear if they will serve any further purpose.

Fujisoft will show off the new service in its booth at next week's CEATEC Japan 2008 event and at the Tokyo Game Show the week after.

This isn't the first time WiiWare has been mentioned in connection with a multimedia download service.

Back in June, Sunsoft announced a manga distribution label for the service, to be called Sunsoft Books. That service was originally scheduled to kick off in the summer.

More solidly, Hudson will be bringing a karaoke game called JoySound to WiiWare later this year. This title, which will also see a retail release, will allow users to download music on a subscription basis. Specifics have yet to be revealed.