We have a feeling that the QA tester at Traveller’s Tales Games is going to be in for a fair amount of punishment for somehow failing to contain his excitement at having the new controller in his grasp. Traveller’s Tales Games if you didn’t know are responsible for the vast collection of LEGO xx games, so we can only presume that they were testing the new hardware for an upcoming LEGO game on the Wii U.

The image seen here is the real story though as there are actually a number of visible differences between the controller seen here and the one shown at E3 last year. For starters, there are now dual analogue sticks! Before we just had dual ‘nubs’ similar to the PSP, but now Nintendo has scrapped them in favor of actual sticks which are similar to the ones on the DUALSHOCK3 and also the PS Vita.

The start and select buttons have also moved position, from below the touchscreen to the right side of the pad close to the game buttons. There’s also a mystery new square button next to the power button on the bottom and perhaps even another one directly below the d-pad.

There is one major cosmetic change as well and that is actual Wii U branding. There was considerable speculation that the Wii U name may even be changed by the time the device releases to market, but it obviously looks like Nintendo plan to keep the name after all. How does the logo look there in your opinion?

It’s fair to say that all the changes minus the debatable branding are positive changes. The inclusion of dual analogue sticks is of major importance to FPS fans, as it underlines the seriousness that Nintendo are obviously aiming for in trying to deliver a new console to get back a slice of the hardcore community. It now means that FPS developers are under no restrictions control wise when making the likes of Call of Duty or Battlefield, so this change by Nintendo could turn out to be a crucial one.

What are your thoughts on the new look controller? Does the change to analogue sticks prove that the Wii U is going to be a force to be reckoned with?

More About: e3 2012, nintendo, Nintendo Wii U

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You may be thinking, hang on a minute – Nintendo’s Wii U graphics presentation at E3 2011 was pretty amazing? But according to one developer who are already well underway in designing one of the Wii U’s expected launch titles, the quality of the game is just going to be on par with current gen consoles seen with the Xbox 360 and PS3.

The developer in question is Marvin Donald, game director for the Wii U version of Darksiders 2. In an interview with GameReactor he has said that the Wii U is ‘pretty much the same’ as current platforms, even confirming that they will not be upscaling the game in any way on the new console – Darksiders 2 is set for release on PS3, Xbox 360 and PC this June just so you’re aware.

Donald also spoke about ‘limitations on the Wii U based on Nintendo’s progress’, but did say that the Wii U version of the game will differ significantly thanks to the use of the unique touchscreen controller – which Donald and Vigil Games are definitely planning to make use of.

With the fact that we’re still no nearer to knowing when the next PlayStation or Xbox will release, is this an indication that Nintendo’s Wii U is going to be severely lacking in the hardware department when Sony and Microsoft’s next consoles finally arrive? Nintendo are obviously aiming to attract some of those lost hardcore gamers with the Wii U, but we’d hate to think that the console will end up suffering once Sony and Microsoft finalize their plans. Surely, the Wii U is all that Nintendo has in their pipeline at the moment and it will be this console that goes head to head with the PS4 and the Xbox ’720′.

Does Nintendo and their Wii U have what it takes to compete with the next-generation consoles? Based on what this Darksiders 2 dev has just said, perhaps not.

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It is thought that around 4.5 million new Nintendo Wii’s have been sold recently, and with this in mind Nintendo is adding Hulu Plus support to the device. The new service according to Digital Trends was announced by Nintendo and Hulu, and owners of the device can get the Hulu Plus application from the Wii Shop Channel.

The application is free to download but the service is priced at $7.99 per month for access to complete seasons of TV shows that are still in production. For owners that are not already subscribers can make use of a free two week trial during the first month of the service being available on the console.

It has also been announced that the interface on the console has been enhanced so users can point and click easier with the Wii Remote. This will make browsing through the Hulu content of movies and TV shows a nicer experience.

Users will have to make do with standard definition content though, as unlike the PS3 and Xbox 360 the Nintendo Wii does not support HD. Hulu Plus arrived on the PS3 back in November 2010 with the Xbox 360 getting it the following April. Netflix has already been available on the Wii for almost two years now, and is priced at the same level as Hulu Plus.

There was also the announcement that the Nintendo 3DS will be treated to the Hulu Plus service later in the year, but no actual month was specified. The handheld console already has Netflix support along with Nintendo Video. Will you be using Hulu Plus on your Nintendo Wii?

More About: Hulu Plus, Nintendo Wii, Nintendo Wii U

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While we still dont know officially if Sony and Microsoft will show new consoles this year, it is highly likely that we will only see the Nintendo Wii U emerge as the first next generation console, when it releases towards the end of the year.

There’s a lot of talk on how the Wii U will not be powerful enough when Sony and Microsoft finally announce their next consoles, but according to Nintendo, they believe that their console is suitably equipped to handle any new rival console and does not need any hardware upgrades of any sort.

Iwata has been speaking about this in his recent investor call and here is a interesting segment of his statement, as reported from VG247:

“As we will showcase the Wii U at E3 in June this year, the detailed announcements must wait until then, but we are aiming to make a system which shall not be forced into competing with the others where the contenders can fight only with massive developer resources and long development times as their weapons”

Is that a slight dig we detect there at Sony and Microsoft in relation that games sometimes take forever to come out? – we think it just might be. Iwata also added that sometimes it isn’t necessary to develop graphic-intensive games all the time, but rather deliver a game which is appealing to the fans – a strategy that we may see implemented on the Wii U.

Another important factor that Iwata commented on in his call is the fact that Nintendo plan to work with a lot more third-party developers for Wii U software, as opposed to the Wii which featured first-party titles from Nintendo primarily.

Given that we haven’t seen any concrete gameplay for the Wii U, we remain skeptical on whether the Wii U will be able to go on to be a huge success or not. There’s no doubt that there’s huge potential in that touchscreen controller, but gamers are very demanding these days and they will still want the Wii U to be able to deliver AAA games at least on par with the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360.

What are your thoughts on his comments – do you think the Wii U is sufficient enough to withstand an potential onslaught from a PS4 and Xbox 720 in 2013?

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However, Nintendo’s online store has one added twist which may give it a slight edge over the PSN and Xbox Live stores, and that’s NFC support. Nintendo has confirmed that the online Network will allow Wii and Wii users to do the traditional tasks such as downloading DLC content, purchasing full games and accessing patch updates, but the Nintendo Network will also be accessible using the Wii U’s touchscreen controller and will utilize NFC technology for more convenient tasks.

Such tasks can include using the controller to purchase items away from the television, using safe purchase programs like Mastercard’s Paypass for example. This could be a very useful feature indeed and may become a common way to browse the Nintendo Network without needing to look at the television at all.

There’s no indication on when the service will be out yet, but two confirmed titles that will utilize aspects of the Nintendo Network is Mario Kart 7 for the Nintendo 3DS and also Theatrhythm Final Fantasy which will be available in Japan from February 16.

Could this now open up all sorts of DLC possibilities for future Nintendo Wii U and 3DS titles? It looks very likely now with the confirmation of this Nintendo Network. We think it is good news too, the current concept for the Nintendo Wii obviously needed improving so it is definitely a step in the right direction as Wii U owners will now have a direct store to get all their additional content should they desire it.

What are your thoughts on Nintendo entering the digital store marketplace? Do you think the addition of NFC support will be a big game changer for the company?

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Nobody knew for sure when Nintendo’s next Wii console would be launching this year, but now the company has revealed that consumers in the US and Europe will be able to pick up the Nintendo Wii U as an ideal Christmas present, as reported from Reuters.

US and Europe will not be the only regions joining in on the Wii U launch party at the end of the year, as Nintendo also confirmed that the console would be available in Australian and Japanese markets as well, making the Wii U easily accessible this time around compared to the Wii.

The simultaneous Wii U launch in multiple regions is a stark contrast to Nintendo’s launch approach with the Wii. The original console first launched in North America in November 2006, before later becoming available in Japan early December. Australia then followed with Europe being the last region to get the Wii U on December 8 2006.

Thankfully everyone will be able to pick up the Wii U at the same time this year and it now means that Nintendo will have to have a much more successful E3 2012 showing if they are going to convince consumers to pick the Wii U as their next console. It is going to be interesting to see just what quality of graphics the new console can produce, as we have still had no evidence of actual gameplay, although plenty of speculation that the Wii U is ‘twice as powerful as the Xbox 360′.

What are your thoughts on a Christmas release for the Nintendo Wii U? Will it be on your wish list this year, or have you been left unconvinced following on from the ‘far from impressive’ showing at E3 2011?

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A source who is currently working on a title for the console has been speaking to Develop anonymously about the Wii U. The source is claiming that the Wii U could achieve around twice the processing and graphical potential of the Xbox 360.

Many have thought previously that the Wii U would only match the current system from Microsoft, so it beats expectations of it so far. But it is being claimed that some studios expected more from the console.

A project designer has allegedly complained that the Wii U is below the power that Nintendo originally announced, which has meant some scaling down their plans. This comes as the next Xbox is rumored to be six times more powerful as the Xbox 360, which would leave the Wii U trailing behind again.

The site is also reporting that a leading UK racing studio has agreed to support the Nintendo Wii U with a title each year. A lot of Nintendo’s target audience won’t be to concerned how powerful the new system will be, and be more worried about getting a quality line up of games. It would become a problem though if the systems internals prevented this from happening.

Do you care how powerful the Wii U will be?

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We told you back in June of 2012 that Australian retailer EB Games had put an early price listing online for the Nintendo Wii U, revealing that it would cost gamers in Australia $598 to take one home. The translated price of that in USD came to just under $650 leading some consumers to fear that Nintendo may be pricing their Wii U towards the premium spectrum, even if this was just a placeholder by the retailer.

Skip forward to today though, as EB Games has reiterated that the $598 price which still remains for their Nintendo Wii U is ‘subject to change’ and that official pricing information for the system hasn’t arrived in their internal systems yet, according to VG247. What this means to the average consumer looking to pick one up later this year, is that it is likely that a $600 price for the system is very unlikely, and a price to match current Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 consoles would probably be a lot more likely.

At the moment, the PS3 sells for $250, while the Xbox 360 is currently set at $199 without Kinect. With this in mind, we feel that a $399-499 price for the Nintendo Wii U would be more towards the reasonable sum of money that consumers won’t mind paying, but anything over $500 would seriously ask questions of Nintendo on whether they are stepping over the mark.

How much would you be willing to pay for the Nintendo Wii U? We will get our next gameplay preview of the new system before E3 2012 it seems, but let’s hope that Nintendo put an end to the price rumors as well.

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As you will be able to see in the video below Nintendo showcased some new panoramic controller modes at CES 2012, which according to T3.com will enhance game views. Since Nintendo first revealed the Wii U last June at E3 there hasn’t been many new specifications and features officially announced by the company.

But now the company showcased the Wii U panoramic controller features at CES, and will allow the 5-inch wireless display come controller to offer panoramic views in certain games. The users TV will provide the standard front facing static view.

Nintendo’s new console will be capable of 1080p HD gaming that will bring it into line with the Xbox 360 and PS3, and the company will be hoping to build on the success that the original Wii had with its motion controllers. Trouble is at the time the technology was ground breaking and now has to compete with the Kinect and PlayStation Move.

What may help it is the appeal to families and the non hardcore gamers, which was the big pull when the Wii first launched. The company will surely be looking at its experiences with the 3DS, and make sure the Wii U has some great launch titles available.

Does this new feature make you consider the Wii U even more?

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You may remember last month that we told you that Nintendo were planning to bring their Nintendo Wii U to CES 2012, in what would be the world’s second official look at the elusive new hardware featured inside the device.

While it is true that the Nintendo Wii U is physically present at the event in Las Vegas this week, Fils-Aime has revealed that the company will not be showing anything new to fans, and that the console being shown this week is the same hardware iteration that appeared at E3 2011. If you were hoping to see some brand new Nintendo Wii U gameplay for the first time, you’re in for another disappointment, as Nintendo has confirmed that the demos on show are the exact same demos that were shown at E3 – you know, the PS3 and Xbox 360 ones.

On a much more positive note, it looks like we will not have to wait until E3 2012 until we next see the Nintendo Wii U after CES. Reggie has dropped a teaser of further showings throughout the next couple of months by saying to Spike TV: ”We will be sharing information throughout the year. So I won’t say you’ll have to wait until E3, but certainly we’re not breaking new news here [at CES]”.

So either way you look at it, it’s a pretty big blow if you was expecting a big reveal this week. It also means that we won’t find out the all-important information regarding a solid launch date, price or what kind of games will be available at launch. We’re guessing that this information will now be saved until E3 2012, and we’re praying that Nintendo will be better prepared for the event with some real gameplay footage to show fans who have not quite jumped abord the Wii U bandwagon just yet.

What are your thoughts on the fact that there will not be any big reveals on the Wii U at CES 2012? Are you disappointed by this, or did you expect this to happen anyway since CES is primarily a tech-based, not gaming-based event?

More About: nintendo, Nintendo Wii U

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