There's Xbox LIVE and there's the PlayStation Network, and now, there's the Nintendo Network.
Nintendo announced late last night at an investor breifing plans to debut an online digital distribution network. The Nintendo Network, as it's called, will be a channel for Nintendo to distribute full retail games as well as DLC on the 3DS and Wii U.
What might be more interesting for Nintendo fans, though, is the fact that the Nintendo Network will introduce personal accounts for users existing on the cloud, complete with online profiles, "competitions", and "communication".
The story is developing and we'll provide more as information is revealed.
[Source]