Nintendo’s Pre-E3 Presentation – Software

Posted on 4th June 2012 by

Industry Event : E3 2012

Press Conference : Nintendo Pre E3 Presentation.

Date 03.06.2012

At a surprisingly informative presentation, days before their E3 conference, Nintendo have started strong with a presentation outlining some of the upcoming Wii U’s functionality and potential.

Here we will look at the software side of things that were announced and their implications. Embracing Online functionality, albeit a bit later that their counterparts, some of the revelations will not be surprising. Some others however show a great deal of promise and could well begin to generate the kind of buzz that surrounded the Wii on launch.

Nintendo are dubbing their online technology “Miiverse” derived from Mii Universe and this word will encompass all of their networking functionality. Most notably is the ability to switch seamlessly from your game to a social feed to ask people questions, comment on progress or just chat and return without any issues is what appears to be Nintendo’s version of in-game chat. Using the gamepad, you can use a virtual keyboard or draw your messages to be sent out.

They have plans to integrate this with the 3DS, PCs and smartphones so you can check all this on the go. The Miiverse will also allow users to create content which can then be shared with other players online.

The Miiverse is designed to use Nintendo’s “nintendo network” system which will integrate the Wii U, the 3DS and future Nintendo projects.

One of the other reveals for this was the Mii Wara Wara, your new home screen for the Wii u console.

Here you will see icons for the games on your system (hinting at the idea of more direct download functionality) as well as a crowd of Wii’s.

The Wara Wara screen gets populated by the following:

As the embrace of Online continues, Nintendo have also revealed how the Wii U will allow its users to operate video chat…

…and the gamepad itself can browse the internet…

Similar to the Apple TV, we can see how a user watching a video on the gamepad flicks it towards the main tv to be broadcast to everyone in the room. And one of the more gimmicky (and yet probably more popular) features is the ability to give your fellow sitting room occupants a virtual drum roll as you cover the tv in curtains while you browse the internet until you are ready to show them.