Nintendo Wii U - Second Screen Foray into Gaming and Social TV

written by: Richard Kastelein

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Published on Saturday, 11 June 2011 18:30

Wii U, Nintendo's next home console. With it's revolutionary new touch screen controller, precision motion controls, and full HD graphics is likely to not only open up a whole new world of play styles and gaming possibilities but could provide a catalyst for Nintendo to make a play into converging game mechanics and social TV aspects into the mix.

Cory Bergman from Lost Remote has more:

Beyond gaming, the controller also uses touch controls to navigate a browser on the TV screen. You can use it to place video calls. And you can imagine that Nintendo is thinking about social TV applications, as well. Like the new Xbox Kinect features, the Wii U will likely blur the lines between TV, video and gaming by making them accessible and immersive. 

Wii U blurs the boundaries between handhelds and the big screen and one of it's more unique features is it can be played on the TV to inspire new forms of gameplay. The range between controller and console is unclear as of yet.

Casey Newton from the San Francisco Chronicle had a good look under the hood at it's unveiling at the E3 Gamers Conference:

The seamless communication between the controller's display and the TV, and the possibilities it opens up, are central to the U's appeal. The system combines traditional video-game buttons and directional sticks with gesture and motion controls, and does it in a way that won't overwhelm casual players.

Aside from the 6.2-inch touch screen built into the controller for the Wii U console, It'll also feature a microphone, gyroscope, accelerometer, dual analog controls, two shoulder buttons and two triggers, a front-facing camera, and a stylus.