Nintendo has announced a game-creation service designed to allow developers to add their own content to the Wii Shop Channel. 

The Wii Software service will allow new game content to be sold directly to Nintendo Wii users as downloads. 

"Wii Software paves the way for smaller, more creative games to make their way to the public at lower prices without any inventory risk to developers," said an official Nintendo statement.

Laurent Fischer, European marketing director at Nintendo, said that the possibilities for Wii Software were limited only by the imagination of developers. "Wii Software provides developers with big ideas, rather than big budgets," he said.

"It is an easy and very accessible way to create new games and bring them to the marketplace, as well as offering great additional value for Wii owners who will be able to download fresh new games."

The first Wii Software content will launch in early 2008, Nintendo said at a private developers conference this week.

Games sold over the Wii Shop Channel will cost Wii Points to download, with the exact price dependent on the game.