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Nintendo launches WiiU console with touchscreen controller that doesn't even need a TV
Nintendo today finally released details of its long-awaited WiiU gaming system - the successor to the massively-successful Wii console.
The gaming giant revealed its new videogame system which will support high-definition graphics for the first time and a 6.2-inch touchscreen controller.
Although tight-lipped bosses would not say how much the console will cost, gamers may be able to get their hands on the WiiU in as little as ten months.
Game changer? The Nintendo Wii U controller has a touch screen and can also be used as an independent gaming console
Launch: Legions of fans try out the new WiiU during the Electronic Entertainment Expo
Nintendo have announced a release date of between April and December 2012 for the WiiU, which is the first of their games consoles to support HD graphics.
The 6.2-inch colour touch-screen will work like a second display, showing the same image being played on the TV screen.
Nintendo today finally released details of its long-awaited WiiU gaming system - the successor to the massively-successful Wii console.
The gaming giant revealed its new videogame system which will support high-definition graphics for the first time and a 6.2-inch touchscreen controller.
Although tight-lipped bosses would not say how much the console will cost, gamers may be able to get their hands on the WiiU in as little as ten months.
Game changer? The Nintendo Wii U controller has a touch screen and can also be used as an independent gaming console
Launch: Legions of fans try out the new WiiU during the Electronic Entertainment Expo
Nintendo have announced a release date of between April and December 2012 for the WiiU, which is the first of their games consoles to support HD graphics.
The 6.2-inch colour touch-screen will work like a second display, showing the same image being played on the TV screen.
And in a move which will please Wii owners, the controller has both motion-sensor capabilities and works in conjunction with existing Wii controllers.
The smaller screen can also provide gamers with additional information while the controller can be used to make voice calls.
The device also acts as a stand-alone gaming gadget and continue running a game on the touchscreen while someone else watches TV. However, it is a 'tethered device' as it will only function in wireless connection with a Wii U console.
Revealed: The WiiU is the successor to the Wii, which was released in 2006
Hostesses stand by the booth for the game Margaritaville Online: The Nintendo Wii U was unveiled during the Electronic Entertainment Expo, or E3, in Los Angeles
The console, which is a little smaller than an iPad, was revealed at the Electronic Entertainment Expo in Los Angeles - a highlight of the gaming calendar where manufacturers and software companies reveal their cutting-edge upcoming technology and games.
After unveiling the WiiU, Nintendo president Satoru Iwata, said: 'Up until now, home console games had to occupy the TV screen in order to be played.
'The new controller for Wii U, with its 6.2-inch (15.7-centimeter) screen built in, means you won't need to give up your gameplay when someone else comes in the room and wants to watch a TV program.'
The white controller can broadcast standard-definition video and features a directional pad, microphone, dual analog sticks, speakers, two pairs of shoulder buttons and a front-facing camera.
The console itself will use proprietary high-definition optical discs, 1080p HDMI output and internal memory that can be upgraded with USB technology.
2012: The WiiU will come with a pen controller and will be released next year
Los Angeles: An attendee wears a video game cardboard face at the Expo (left), while gamers enjoy playing on the new Nintendo WiiU
Clowning around: Shigeru Miyamoto, the creator of the video game 'The Legend of Zelda,' announced four new games in the Nintendo series
Industry insiders praised the innovative technology in the new WiiU.
'Nintendo is ahead of the curve for once,' said Wedbush analyst Michael Pachter.
'It can do anything a tablet can do and people might be asking, why can't my iPad 2 do this kind of gaming too?'
'It's smart for a number of reasons. There are two levels of interface, the touchscreen for casual gamers and the buttons for more core types,' said Ricardo Torres, editor-in-chief for popular games site gamespot.com.
'They have a lot of games core gamers care about. It's like a sandbox for developers. It's up to them to decide the experience that works best.'
The initial game line-up suggests Nintendo is trying to woo hardcore gamers back to the fold, with popular first-person shooters such as Ubisoft Entertainment SA's Ghost Recon, Sega's Aliens and Electronic Arts Inc's Battlefield 3 on the slate.
However, despite the impressive launch, shares in Nintendo tumbled 6.5 per cent as it failed to address concerns the firm is missing the gaming market's shift to social networking.
Investors said they were worried Nintendo remained too centred on hardware.
When the console goes on sale next year, it will be the first new home gaming system to hit the UK market in five years.
Sony launched its PlayStation 3 home console in November 2006 while Microsoft's Xbox 360 console launched in November 2005, with Wii hitting the shops here in December 2006.
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