Nintendo's about to enter a brand-new world, combining one of its oldest franchises with the microtransaction model that most gamers are likely quite used to dealing with by now across competing consoles, handheld systems, and PC titles.

We're talking, of course, about the world of downloadable content — DLC, for short, or the ability to enhance a game with new levels, modes, items, and tweaks by ponying up cash for these add-ons.

Developers for Microsoft and Sony's consoles have long since embraced the model, and roughly 14 percent of all gamers reported that they were likely to purchase a microtransaction or game add-on across the last three months. That figure's up around three percent from the numbers reported for the entirety of 2011, according to the latest research from the NPD Group.

Nintendo has shied away from the DLC craze, choosing to wait until the April 2012 Japanese release of the Nintendo 3DS game Fire Emblem: Awakening to even allow gamers to purchase extra content for a title after-the-fact. According to Computer Entertainment Suppliers Association Chairman Shin Unozawa, speaking at the Tokyo Game Show 2012, the game's DLC has already netted approximately $4.8 million in sales — or 15 percent of all of Nintendo's earnings from the game itself, if you add in the approximately $25 million in sales from the game's 1.2 million copies sold.

Next up on Nintendo's DLC list is new content for its New Super Mario Bros. 2 side-scrolling 3DS title, released in August of this year for U.S. audiences (July, for Japan). Three new levels for the game's Coin Rush mode will be purchasable via one large, "Go Mario Go! Go! Pack," retailing for around 200 yen – or $2.50 U.S. A second DLC pack — same price — will allow gamers to compete against each other in a variety of time-driven Mario challenges, which will presumably be posted online on a series of leaderboards. And the third pack, the "Survival Panic Pack," will feature three super-tough levels for gamers to try and navigate their way through.

Nintendo plans to release the three DLC packs on October 2 in Japan, but hasn't announced when these new bits of content might make their way over to U.S. gamers.

For more tech tidbits from David Murphy, follow him on Facebook or Twitter (@thedavidmurphy).