Nintendo Gives Early WiiU Details
For a rare treat just on the eve of E3 2012, a Nintendo Direct webcast was displayed to eager gamers looking for new information on the WiiU and its hardware. And that’s just what Nintendo president Satoru Iwata focused on; some but not all of the WiiU hardware. Specifically the WiiU’s tweaked new controller design. But other then looks, much of how were expecting to interact with it are the same refreshed demo videos from last year’s E3. What is new, and we are sure bound to rile up fanbase controversy is the new Control Pad Pro. Any hardcore gamer only needs to take a quick look at the Control Pad Pro to see what Nintendo is up to this next Gen.
Does this step on Microsofts toes? I’m sure many a jab will be made directed at Nintendo.
If your looking for more concrete details on games, well your just going to have to wait till Tuesday’s conference like the rest of us.
If your looking for specifics on CPU and GPU internals of the WiiU; Again, Your going to have to wait. How much will the WiiU sell for when it hits store shelves? *sigh* No mention of that at all.
What Iwata did make mention of several times was that Nintendo is only showing Wii U stuff at E3 this year. He said that "3DS will be shown at future opportunities". They're really not bringing anything 3DS to E3?? That seems like a disastrously bad idea, considering their release schedule is barren.
This action would be like Sony announcing the PS4 and disregarding the Vita. Actions that can doom both fledgeling handhelds in dire need of game support.
Along with going into more detail on what the new WiiU pad is going to shape up to be; Iwata spent the majority of the show announcing the Miiverse this afternoon. As he states it is a “Mii universe”, (thanks for defining the term to us Iwata). The Miiverse is an all new interactive system that Nintendo is building for its always on interactive gaming interface. Think of it as a mix of the Mii Plaza, video chat, swapnote and a live twitter feed. All of these features can accessed ‘on the fly’ WHILE your playing games. Having trouble with a boss battle? Ask your fellow online Mii’s for support. For Nintendo this is a bold strategy that acknowledges the community building capabilities of the internet and is their way of bring gamers together through the comfort of our living rooms. But one has to wait and see if nintendo can manage such a large and complex messaging system. This is all new ground for Nintendo to cover. If they fail, then they would have built a troll/griever's paradise (Think Demon Souls in-game tips with video chat or drawings); But if they can make it work, then maybe Nintendo has found a way to connect gamers with the true spirit of interactive gaming.
