June 26^th, 2006 (1:00pm) - Reggie Fils-Aime, president and COO of Nintendo of America, has confirmed that the Wii will give publishers the option to charge consumers to download premium content.

Microsoft’s Xbox Live service already offers downloadable content from publishers such as Ubisoft and Bethesda Softworks through microtransactions, and similar plans are in place for PlayStation 3. When asked by US magazine Game Informer whether publishers would be allowed to charge Wii owners for content, Fils-Aime responded in the affirmative.

However, he added that the decision ultimately rests with publishers, stating: "If our licensee partners want to go in that direction, it’s certainly possible in our system."

Fils-Aime went on to reiterate the company’s plans to allow for downloadable content. "If you’ve gotten to a particular part in a game, we could push content out to you, so you get to battle a new boss. Maybe you get a new artifact; maybe you get a new weapon," he said.

These items could be downloaded in the background using the console’s WiiConnect24 service, which will also allow the system to function as a server of sorts, opening Animal Crossing towns and other player-specific content to friends without the console being fully turned on.