Unifying Nintendo Network ID across both platforms was the first step
A follow-up report to Nintendo’s press briefing this morning has detailed plans for an on-demand service for Wii U and 3DS.
Joystiq has translated the Japanese report that describes the service as part of president Satoru Iwata’s long-term plans for its gaming division. The unification of Nintendo Network IDs across Wii U and 3DS was apparently the first step toward on-demand.
Interesting the on-demand service will be tied to a Network ID and not individual hardware, meaning users (subscribers?) would be able to access content across multiple Nintendo devices – and who knows, perhaps non-Nintendo devices too.
As part of the report Iwata stressed the importance of unifying its OS across devices, in much the same way as is seen with Apple’s iOS and Google’s Android.
Said the exec: “Console and portable hardware can't be separated in the future; they're brother and sister.”

http://www.develop-online.net/news/w...-works/0188664