Numerous analysts question whether Nintendo will finally embrace downloadable content with the soon-to-be-shown Wii successor.

As the official unveiling of the Wii's successor is merely days away analysts are predicting what Nintendo may show during E3. Nintendo has often been criticised for their online service and it is often accused of not even trying to rival the PlayStation Network and Xbox Live, so has Nintendo finally learnt its lesson?

According to Industry Gamers even just embracing downloadable content more would be a big step forward for Nintendo. While the 3DS supports downloadable content through SpotPass and technically the Wii can, although it is seldom used for a number of reasons, Nintendo hasn't embraced it themselves with their own titles.

The analysts argue that extra levels in Mario or some new dog breeds in Nintendogs would go a long way, although Nintendo has often stated in the past that they would rather focus on releasing a brand new game.

"Nintendo's online strategy to date has been terrible. This is where Nintendo needs to completely turn around. Nintendo cannot afford to be last in online. DLC is necessary, but on its own is not the solution. I don't think following the App Store is a good strategy at all. Apple's approach is a volume game and a race to the bottom -- quantity not quality. Dedicated handhelds and video game consoles have got to re-invent online gaming. Angry Birds is fine for the mainstream and priced for it. Hardcore gamers deserve better and won't get it unless they pay for it."

M2 Research analyst Billy Pidgeon

However, not all analysts agree about the matter. While Michael Pachter argues that Nintendo are "years away" from embracing DLC EEDAR's Jesse Divnich noted that the idea itself has not been fully accepted by mainstream culture. In contrast to this Parks Associates' Pietro Macchiarella notes some research they have done that suggests gamers are willing to embrace it but Nintendo is lagging behind.

Panoptic Management Consultants' Asif Khan suggests that Nintendo lagging behind their competitors may prove to be a good thing for the company. He suggests that by looking at what others are doing they can launch with a great service, rather than one that has issues. While he thinks DLC is more likely to be available for Pokémon and Nintendogs than Mario he suggests:

Nintendo has had a history of making proprietary planned obsolete services and products. They like to see their competitors make mistakes before they jump into emerging technologies. The benefit of the pathetic Wii online experience is that they have not had to deal with a hacker attack like their Japanese counterpart, Sony. They are a lot like Apple in the sense that they wait for their competitors to stumble before they go in for the kill."

With E3 under two weeks away Nintendo should hopefully outline their online strategy. Let us know your opinions on the matter in the comments section below.