Following yesterday's first report in the morning Nikkei, Nintendo has shared official notice about its upcoming video download service. Nintendo also provided a first image for the service.

A first image of the new service.

The new service will be titled "Wii no Ma Channel." Different from other Wii media services, this one is not a WiiWare title, but an actual Channel along the lines of the Weather Channel and Fortune Telling Channel. Wii owners will be able to download it for free this Spring from the Wii Shopping Channel.

As reported in Nikkei, this is a joint project between Nintendo and Dentsu. Nintendo is working on the development and management of the service. Dentsu is negotiating with a variety of companies to bring original content to the service.

Nintendo didn't share specifics on the content, but this does seem to be a family-oriented service. The name "Wii no Ma" is a fusion of the Japanese expression "ochanoma" and "Wii," and, according to the Nintendo notice, can be taken to mean "A video experience space where you can enjoy communication when gathered with your friends and family in front of your living room television."

The service will not focus on a specific genre or target. Users can look forward to a wide range of content centered on new items.

Nikkei reported yesterday that the service would offer a mix of paid and free programming, with the free programming supported through advertising. Nintendo's notice states that the channel is a free service, but that it is looking into optional paid services to kick off in the Summer.

Nintendo also confirmed the Nikkei report about overseas expansion for the service. The company says that it is looking into this, although timing has yet to be set.

According to the Nintendo statement, the Wii had, as of September, shipped 34.55 million systems worldwide. Around 80% of Wii owners connect the Wii to their living room television, and 40% have the system hooked up to the internet.