Nintendo and Fujifilm partnership announced - pics inside

Wii Photo Channel hooks up with Fujifilm in new online printing initiative
Wii Photo Channel hooks up with Fujifilm in new online printing initiative

Nintendo is set to offer a new online photo services in partnership with Fujifilm, to enable Wii users to print off the photos that they upload to their console with ease.

While there are hundreds of photo-printing services available online, this is a first for a gaming console, and will enable Wii users to upload snaps to the Wii Photo Channel and print photos via their console.

Mii business cards

As well as printing off the photo albums of your holiday snapshots, you will even be able to order Nintendo-themed business cards and photo books that display your favourite Mario Kart character or your Mii (as pictured here), which sounds particularly cool to us.

TechRadar has spoken to Nintendo UK and Fujifilm UK today and we should have more news on when the service will be rolled out in the UK and Europe very soon.

Update: Nintendo photobooks too

UPDATE: Just in from Nintendo UK, the service WILL launch globally, with dates for Europe to be confirmed soon. Here's the full press info just in from Nintendo:

"Nintendo will start providing new Wii Channel called "Digital Camera Print Channel (English name still tentative)" at 2pm on 23rd JPN time. It is a collaborative service with FUJIFILM Corporation.

FUJIFILM is currently offering online photo printing service on their website, customers will be able to order its printing service and new original service via this new channel such as:

*Digital Photo Print Service (English name still tentative) (Available only in size L,89x127mm, the most standard size in Japan.)

*original Wii Photobook (English name still tentative) (album, able to select several kinds of templates, from simple one to the one using Super Mario series characters and items)

*original Wii Name Card (English name still tentative) (like business card, can use photo or Mii, can select from 6 templates including Super Mario series characters)

Customers will send the photos and order information from this channel, the information will be sent directly to FUJIFILM, FUJIFILM will handle the rest of the service(production and delivery). The payment system will be also operated by FUJIFILM, Wii Point system is not available, only credit card is acceptable.

FUJIFILM plans to exhibit this channel at Photokina, which will be held in Germany this September."

Adam Hartley