Nintendo unveiled Tuesday at the annual E3 summit a prototype gaming system called Wii U, consisting of a smartphone-like remote control that lets gamers play on two screens at the same time.
The controller has a touch-sensitive, 6.2-inch screen — kind of like a giant Android phone — that players can use to zoom in on TV images and to interact with games that show up both on the remote control and on the television. For example, in a video demo of the system, which Nintendo showed off during a press conference at the E3 Expo in Los Angeles, a player puts his finger on a throwing star on the remote control’s screen. With a swipe, the player throws this weapon at the TV screen across the room, and the object shows up there immediately — as if it really flew through the air.
The Wii U remote also connects to the Internet, allowing users to essentially throw photos or videos from the controller onto the television. Nintendo executives say the Wii U is just a prototype. They did not offer details about when the system will be available in stores or how much it will cost. Only one game is officially in the works for the system: “Lego City Stories,” which Nintendo is developing in partnership with TT Games, the company said.
Still, Nintendo is banking on the fact that Wii U will change gaming.
Executives compared the Wii U’s release to the 2006 debut of the Wii, which was the first system to let players control games with movements of their bodies instead of clicking at buttons on hand-held controllers. “It’s a system we will all enjoy together but also one that’s tailor-made for you,” said Reggie Fils-Aime, president of Nintendo America. “Is it unique, unifying, maybe even utopian? The answer is also yes to all of this.” more