E3 2012: Nintendo Shows Off Capabilities Of Wii U
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During their presentation at the E3 video game convention in Los Angeles. Nintendo looked to once again to appeal to gamers and non-gamers alike with yet another non-traditional video game controller. NY1's Adam Balkin filed the following report.Last year they showed it to us. This year was for showing what it can do.
"It" is Nintendo's upcoming Wii U, a system that links a new controller, a mix between a tablet computer and a traditional video game controller, to the Wii console for a new way to play, a new way to interact with content and a new way to do a whole bunch of stuff.
Nintendo used its E3 presentation to show the world what Wii U was capable of.
"It changes your gaming," says Reggie Fils-Aime of Nintendo. "It changes how you interact with your gaming friends and it changes the way you enjoy your TV."
So what does that mean? Well, in a title like Batman: Arkham City, the controller is your map and your utility belt. In Sports Connection it lets you dial in the perfect pitch. And in Just Dance 4, if you don't dance, you can sit on the sidelines and serve as choreographer, calling the moves everyone else in the room has to perform.
For those who may feel the tablet is too much, too confusing, too intimidating, there is NintendoLand, a whole bunch of games in one designed to walk you through many of the device's capabilities.
Many developers will tell you Wii U could possibly be more intuitive for non-gamers than the original Wii remote.
"Nowadays, everyone is used to having the TV on, having a show running or a sport running at the same time they are playing with a tablet or a PC or smartphone," says Francesco Cavallari of Ubisoft. "What the Wii U offers for us game developers is the opportunity to bring that to multiplayer gameplay."
Nintendo also showed off some non-gaming features, such as PanoramaView. As the name implies, the feature allows you to get a panoramic view of an image that you'd normally only see one angle of on your television.
Nintendo also touted a feature that will be called Miiverse, an in-game social network. If your and your friends are all working your way through the New Super Mario Bros. U (which was also unveiled at E3), you can leave each other messages inside the game.