The next wave of video game home consoles begins this Sunday, November 18 when Nintendo ships the successor to the Wii dubbed Wii U. We know pretty much all there is to know about the Wii U already: the HD console’s main selling point is its tablet-like controller that enables new forms of gameplay and second-screen interactivity; the Nintendo Network will finally usher Mario and the gang into the modern online gaming era; over 30 launch day games will be available for purchase alongside the system; and Nintendo is offering two SKUs starting at $300 for the basic set. For all things Wii U, refer to these marked posts.
Leading up to release day, Nintendo shed light on a couple new system features. First, up to 12 players can register on a single console. Your personal profile is directly tied to your game saves, settings, play history, and Internet browser bookmarks. Next, we already know that the Wii U GamePad enables video chat with its front-facing camera, and now Nintendo has divulged that the magic happens with an app called Wii U Chat. With an Internet connection, users can connect to other Wii U owners and video chat across their GamePads and TV screens. Using the GamePad you can draw on top of your recipients face and they will see your creations in real time. If you’re playing a game, you’ll be notified of an incoming call when you see the controller’s Home button flash a blue hue.
Besides online gameplay via the Nintendo Network, another way the house that built Mario is jumping ahead is by offering up entertainment consumption apps like Netflix, Hulu Plus, Amazon Instant Video, and its own interactive second screen experience that curates video content called Nintendo TVii. Originally it was planned that these apps would arrive via a software update on launch day, but this week Ninty shared unfortunate news spilling that they will be delayed until December. Netflix told Engadget that their app will indeed ship when the console does on Sunday, but as for the rest of them we’ll have to wait a few weeks.
With its unique GamePad, the Wii U hopes to once again revolutionize the way gamers play games. And with their newfound approach to providing entertainment content, Nintendo offers yet another way to consume movies, TV shows, and sports. With Xbox SmartGlass just finding its feet, will the Wii U steal the spotlight and provide an even better second screen experience with games and other content? The second screen is built into the Wii U’s DNA and that’s what Ninty is banking on. Get in line, pick one up, and give it a spin. (If you didn’t preorder, you’re likely out of luck, unless of course you live in the NYC area and are willing to participate in Nintendo World’s midnight launch event!) PR after the break.
Update (11/18): If you managed to pick up a Wii U today, you should know that the console does not come preinstalled with many of its touted software-based functions. In order to access and run Miiverse, Nintendo eShop, the Internet browser, and WiiU Chat, you must download and install a chunky software update. This update also enabled backwards compatibility with Wii games and even reproduces the last-gen Wii menu interface when a game disc is inserted. Netflix is also available via a separate update, and the other video consumption apps Hulu Plus, Amazon Instant Video, and Nintendo TVii are coming later this year as previously reported.
Update 2 (11/22): Hulu Plus, Amazon Instant Video, and YouTube have officially joined Netflix on the Wii U. When Nintendo TVii decides to drop, you’ll know!
NINTENDO’S WII U CONSOLE INTRODUCES HOW U WILL PLAY NEXT
Wii U GamePad to Change the Way People Play, Browse, Share and Communicate
REDMOND, Wash., Nov. 16, 2012 – Nintendo’s Wii U™ console – the first new home video game system in six years – arrives on Nov. 18, aiming to change the landscape of games and entertainment with its new Wii U GamePad controller. With more than 30 launch-day games for all types of players, Wii U arrives just in time for the holidays and is poised to be the must-have gift of the season.
The Wii U Basic Set will be available at a suggested retail price of $299.99 and includes a white Wii U console with 8 GB* of internal storage, one white touch-screen GamePad controller, AC adapters for both the console and controller, a sensor bar and an HDMI™ cable. The Wii U Deluxe Set will be available at a suggested retail price of $349.99 and its components are black. This set includes all elements from the Basic Set, as well as the Nintendo Land game, increased internal storage totaling 32 GB*, a console stand, a GamePad stand and a GamePad charging cradle. People who purchase the Deluxe Set also will be enrolled in the Deluxe Digital Promotion, which allows Deluxe Set owners to earn points when they purchase downloadable games and then redeem those points for codes that earn them credit toward even more fun digital content in the online Nintendo eShop. For more information about the Deluxe Digital Promotion, which is available for a limited time, please visit http://ddp.nintendo.com.
“Wii U is an ‘everyday’ connected device – offering a combination of games, entertainment, online connectivity and social activity that will make people want to interact with it daily,” said Nintendo of America President and COO Reggie Fils-Aime. “Never before have so many features been packed into one game console, at any price. Our substantial lineup of games offered at launch has something for everyone on your shopping list.”
Wii U offers completely new and unexpected game play, entertainment experiences and unique online interactions:
Wii U GamePad: The controller features a 6.2-inch touch screen that redefines how people interact with their games, their entertainment and one another. It comes with dual analog sticks and traditional buttons for gaming. The GamePad is wirelessly connected to the console, providing a perfectly integrated second-screen experience with the TV, no matter how it’s being used. Different players can enjoy different experiences in the same game, depending on which controller they opt to use. Players can even move select games from the TV to be played on the GamePad or use the GamePad as a TV remote control.
Games: Wii U is launching with 29 packaged games, plus a handful of digital games, marking the largest launch lineup in Nintendo history. Nintendo-published games available on launch day include Nintendo Land™, New Super Mario Bros. ™ U, SiNG PARTY™ and NINJA GAIDEN™ 3: Razor’s Edge. Third-party publishers also will have an amazing array of games available on launch day, such as Just Dance® 4, Assassin’s Creed® III and ZombiU™ from Ubisoft,Skylanders Giants™ and Call of Duty®: Black Ops II from Activision Publishing, Inc., Disney Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two from Disney Interactive, EA SPORTS™ FIFA Soccer 13 and Madden NFL 13 from Electronic Arts, NBA 2K13 from 2K Sports and Batman: Arkham City™ Armored Edition and Scribblenauts™ Unlimited from Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment. A number of these titles will also be available for purchase digitally in the Nintendo eShop alongside a strong launch-day lineup of downloadable digital-only games, including Little Inferno from Tomorrow Corporation, Trine 2™: Director’s Cut from Frozenbyte, Chasing Aurora from Broken Rules,Mighty Switch Force: Hyper Drive Edition from WayForward and Nano Assault NEO from Shin’en. Wii U owners can expand the storage capacity of their systems by adding their own USB external hard disc drives. Downloadable content for select games, such as additional levels or maps, will roll out in December following a system update. Wii U is backward compatible with almost all Wii™ games and Wii accessories.
Miiverse: Miiverse™ is a global community in which gamers from all over can share experiences, discuss games and learn more about the video games they love. Using their personalized Mii™ characters, players with broadband Internet access can enter Miiverse and see games and entertainment content they have interacted with recently, expressed interest in learning more about or that their friends are playing or discussing. They can also challenge their friends to play together, ask for help from the Miiverse community about a difficult level or discover elements of their favorite games they never knew existed. Miiverse is integrated seamlessly into the Wii U experience.
Video on Demand: In the coming weeks, an array of favorite movies and TV shows will become available to Wii U owners on Amazon Instant Video and to Hulu Plus and Netflix subscribers. These services will also be accessible from Nintendo TVii. Wii U owners will also be able to watch YouTube videos and channels through the YouTube application, as well as sign in to their account and control the application with the GamePad. Wii U owners who have connected their systems to the Internet will receive a notification as each video application becomes active.
Nintendo TVii: In December, Nintendo will activate this unique application that will transform how people find, watch and engage with TV shows, movies and sports. Nintendo TVii makes watching TV simple and fun by bringing together a program guide, remote control and social interaction into one, seamless second-screen experience on the GamePad. Nintendo TVii comes with Wii U at no additional charge and requires no additional equipment. It works with existing cable and satellite channels. Viewers can engage with others in a variety of ways, such as commenting on moments as they happen on live TV, and then sharing those thoughts via Miiverse, Facebook and Twitter. Users can also discover more about what they’re watching, as information from a variety of sources is automatically linked to the program they are watching, including sports data. Nintendo TVii is customizable for every member of the family.
Wii U Chat: Wii U owners can video chat with one another on a broadband Internet connection using the built-in camera and microphone of the Wii U GamePad. Friends and family members far away can see and talk with one another in real time using this service at no additional charge.
Internet Browser: Wii U comes with a browser that lets users surf the Web from the comfort of their couches. Users can browse purely on the GamePad while watching a program on TV. Additionally, they can pause a game, launch the browser and search for something, and then re-enter the game right where they left off.
“The value of Wii U goes well beyond day one,” Fils-Aime said. “Nintendo will be enhancing the Wii U experience with continuous updates and new services for Wii U owners.”
Remember that Wii U features parental controls that let adults manage the content their children can access. For more information about the many Wii U features and details about all the current and upcoming games, visit http://www.nintendo.com/wiiu. A network update is required for some features.
* 1 GB = 1 billion bytes. Usable internal memory limited due to system software.
About Nintendo: The worldwide pioneer in the creation of interactive entertainment, Nintendo Co., Ltd., of Kyoto, Japan, manufactures and markets hardware and software for its Wii U™ and Wii™ home consoles, and Nintendo 3DS™ and Nintendo DS™ families of portable systems. Since 1983, when it launched the Nintendo Entertainment System™, Nintendo has sold more than 4 billion video games and more than 637 million hardware units globally, including the current-generation Wii U, Nintendo 3DS and Nintendo 3DS XL, as well as the Game Boy™, Game Boy Advance, Nintendo DS, Nintendo DSi™ and Nintendo DSi XL™, Super NES™, Nintendo 64™, Nintendo GameCube™ and Wii systems. It has also created industry icons that have become well-known, household names such as Mario™, Donkey Kong™, Metroid™, Zelda™ and Pokémon™. A wholly owned subsidiary, Nintendo of America Inc., based in Redmond, Wash., serves as headquarters for Nintendo’s operations in the Western Hemisphere. For more information about Nintendo, please visit the company’s website at http://www.nintendo.com.