Wii U and 3DS to support premium DLC

Nintendo looks set to rectify a notable lack in its last hardware cycle by adding support for paid DLC by the end of the year.

Andriasang reports Nintendo president Satoru Iwata revealed the company's plans during a Q&A session with investors.

Iwata said a paid download system is in the works for both Wii U and 3DS, and will be available to 3DS developers this year.

The executive commented that while Nintendo is keen on extending a game's lifespan through downloadable stages and characters, the company intends to be selective in what it allows. To maintain good ongoing relationships with customers, Nintendo will apparently block developers from spamming small premium upgrades like stat boosts. Characteristically, Iwata made a negative reference to free to play games, the slippery slope conclusion at the end of that argument.

Iwata noted that the company will make digital revenue a serious focus for the next three years, and hopes to see a dramatic increase in 3DS eShop sales, well over 10 percent above current levels. He commented that he hopes players will become as comfortable paying for digital content as they are for physical releases, but that physical releases will not be scaled down as a result.

Thanks, GameInformer.