The Nintendo Wii U is official: it’s Nintendo’s new console, and it comes with a controller-cum-tablet that lets you stream games right to it.
Speaking at E3 2011, Nintendo’s president Satoru Iwata focused on the Nintendo WiiU’s new controller, which features a 6.2-inch touchscreen, microphone, accelerometers, gyroscope, thumbpads, D-pad and shoulder buttons.
The “new controller for Wii U with 6.2-inch screen built in means you won’t need to give up your gameplay when someone else comes into the room and wants to watch a TV program,” he said.
The screen on the Nintendo Wii U can be used as a second screen for games or web browsing, or to stream the main screen. Previous Wii games are supported, and accessories are too – it was shown working with the Wii Balance Board in a trailer, and as a doodle pad to draw Link of Zelda fame.
Nintendo will be showing prototype software on the Wii U controller to journalists at the convention this week, including a demo in which a Mii avatar plays alongside Mario in a platform game. Nintendo US president Reggie Fils-Aime stressed that these would not be launch titles.
A trailer was then shown confirming some games in development, including Lego City Stories, Assassin’s Creed, Tekken, Alien Colonial Marines (Sega), Ninja Gaiden 3 and Ghost Recon. Nintendo president Iwata also revealed famous Smash Bros franchise will appear on the Nintendo Wii U console.
EA CEO John Riccitiello then took the stage to confirm the publishing giant would support the platform (mentioning EA Sports), and offer full online play support. “We can’t wait to see EA games on this new system,” he said.
Iwata has yet to reveal the actual console beyond the press pic you see above, and could well have not settled on a final design just yet.
Stay tuned for more from E3 as it happens.
