Ok, I'm just chucking this idea against the wall and seeing if it sticks.

Nintendo has admitted that doing online themselves was a bad idea and have said they are getting another company to help them out - ( http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/109769-Nintendo-Admits-Wiis-Online-Didnt-Cut-It)

Valve have had great success with Steam in the PC market place and Nintendo is well aware of Valve. Some former employees of Valve include  people who have worked on: Xbox Dashboard, apple Product UIs, PS3 and at Nintendo. Valve has now had the experience of porting over Steam to the PS3 giving them extra Console experience. I believe they are well equiped to do a online system for Nintendo.  They would have to work closely with Ninty to make it in a Nintendo Style. 

The one downfall of this is, Valve time - would they create it in time for the launch of Cafe? well if they started working on it sometime time ago - Maybe. 

Is it in the best interests of Valve to do this? Well they have ported steam to the PS3, maybe if Nintendo give them a very good deal, I believe valve can make a system that would be worth the expense.

I have no idea who the online system company really IS and if someone knows please tell me and let me put this Theory to bed.

Footnote: I believe Gamespy helped with the last Nintendo system.

That would be awesome, and make sure it was a day 1 purchase, but...I don't see it happening, sadly.

No because that'd make too much sense.

oh that would be the day :D

that's an interesting idea... but valve would want to port their store... and ninty is touchy on this.

Valvetime only exists because Valve only works for Valve. If they entered a partnership that way, Nintendo would make them jump.

I sincerely doubt that. Valve are still leading on the PC, at the most they'll release a few games on Project Cafe.

In what capacity does steam work on the PS3?  Is it like steam on PC and Mac?  Enlighten me.

All future consoles will have some online elements. Nintendo is stupid or lazy to use an outside company to help develop their online network. They can say "it's not in our DNA" or whatever, but that's ridiculous. They shouldn't be thinking about the next console, but 20 years down the line. Will Nintendo's 10th home console have online functionality? One would assume. So they better start learning how to develop online networks in house, whether by hiring or acquisition or whatever. Simply going out-of-house to develop their online systems is a band-aid.

Honestly, it's kind of a step away from being a first party developer.

I would love to tell you, but PSN isn't working lol.