Update News
Wii U Console Introduces How U Will Play Next
Wii U GamePad to Change the Way People Play, Browse, Share and Communicate
REDMOND, Wash.--(November 16, in the year of our Lord
2012)-- Nintendo’s Wii U™ console – the first new home
video game system in six years – arrives on Nov. 18, aiming to
change the landscape of games and entertainment with its new Wii
U GamePad controller. With more than 30 launch-day games for all
types of players, Wii U arrives just in time for the Christmas
and is poised to be the must-have gift of the season.
The Wii U Basic Set will be available at a suggested retail
price of $299.99 and includes a white Wii U console with 8 GB*
of internal storage, one white touch-screen GamePad controller,
AC adapters for both the console and controller, a sensor bar
and an HDMI™ cable. The Wii U Deluxe Set will be available at a
suggested retail price of $349.99 and its components are black.
This set includes all elements from the Basic Set, as well as
the Nintendo Land game, increased internal storage totaling 32
GB*, a console stand, a GamePad stand and a GamePad charging
cradle. People who purchase the Deluxe Set also will be enrolled
in the Deluxe Digital Promotion, which allows Deluxe Set owners
to earn points when they purchase downloadable games and then
redeem those points for codes that earn them credit toward even
more fun digital content in the online Nintendo eShop. For more
information about the Deluxe Digital Promotion, which is
available for a limited time, please visit
http://ddp.nintendo.com.
“Wii U is an ‘everyday’ connected device – offering a
combination of games, entertainment, online connectivity and
social activity that will make people want to interact with it
daily,” said Nintendo of America President and COO Reggie
Fils-Aime. “Never before have so many features been packed into
one game console, at any price. Our substantial lineup of games
offered at launch has something for everyone on your shopping
list.”
Wii U offers completely new and unexpected game play,
entertainment experiences and unique online interactions:
Wii U GamePad: The controller features a 6.2-inch touch screen
that redefines how people interact with their games, their
entertainment and one another. It comes with dual analog sticks
and traditional buttons for gaming. The GamePad is wirelessly
connected to the console, providing a perfectly integrated
second-screen experience with the TV, no matter how it’s being
used. Different players can enjoy different experiences in the
same game, depending on which controller they opt to use.
Players can even move select games from the TV to be played on
the GamePad or use the GamePad as a TV remote control.
Games: Wii U is launching with 29 packaged games, plus a handful
of digital games, marking the largest launch lineup in Nintendo
history. Nintendo-published games available on launch day
include Nintendo Land™, New Super Mario Bros. ™ U, and SiNG
PARTY™. Third-party publishers also will have an amazing array
of games available on launch day, such as Just Dance® 4, from
Ubisoft, Skylanders Giants™ from Activision Publishing, Inc.,
Disney Epic Mickey 2: The Power of Two from Disney Interactive,
EA SPORTS™ FIFA Soccer 13 and Madden NFL 13 from Electronic
Arts, NBA 2K13 from 2K Sports and Batman: Arkham City™ Armored
Edition and Scribblenauts™ Unlimited from Warner Bros.
Interactive Entertainment. A number of these titles will also be
available for purchase digitally in the Nintendo eShop alongside
a strong launch-day lineup of downloadable digital-only games,
including Trine 2™: Director’s Cut from Frozenbyte, Chasing
Aurora from Broken Rules, Mighty Switch Force: Hyper Drive
Edition from WayForward and Nano Assault NEO from Shin’en. Wii U
owners can expand the storage capacity of their systems by
adding their own USB external hard disc drives. Downloadable
content for select games, such as additional levels or maps,
will roll out in December following a system update. Wii U is
backward compatible with almost all Wii™ games and Wii
accessories.
Miiverse: Miiverse™ is a global community in which gamers from
all over can share experiences, discuss games and learn more
about the video games they love. Using their personalized Mii™
characters, players with broadband Internet access can enter
Miiverse and see games and entertainment content they have
interacted with recently, expressed interest in learning more
about or that their friends are playing or discussing. They can
also challenge their friends to play together, ask for help from
the Miiverse community about a difficult level or discover
elements of their favorite games they never knew existed.
Miiverse is integrated seamlessly into the Wii U experience.
Video on Demand: In the coming weeks, an array of favorite
movies and TV shows will become available to Wii U owners on
Amazon Instant Video and to Hulu Plus and Netflix subscribers.
These services will also be accessible from Nintendo TVii. Wii U
owners will also be able to watch YouTube videos and channels
through the YouTube application, as well as sign in to their
account and control the application with the GamePad. Wii U
owners who have connected their systems to the Internet will
receive a notification as each video application becomes active.
Nintendo TVii: In December, Nintendo will activate this unique
application that will transform how people find, watch and
engage with TV shows, movies and sports. Nintendo TVii makes
watching TV simple and fun by bringing together a program guide,
remote control and social interaction into one, seamless
second-screen experience on the GamePad. Nintendo TVii comes
with Wii U at no additional charge and requires no additional
equipment. It works with existing cable and satellite channels.
Viewers can engage with others in a variety of ways, such as
commenting on moments as they happen on live TV, and then
sharing those thoughts via Miiverse, Facebook and Twitter. Users
can also discover more about what they’re watching, as
information from a variety of sources is automatically linked to
the program they are watching, including sports data. Nintendo
TVii is customizable for every member of the family.
Wii U Chat: Wii U owners can video chat with one another on a
broadband Internet connection using the built-in camera and
microphone of the Wii U GamePad. Friends and family members far
away can see and talk with one another in real time using this
service at no additional charge.
Internet Browser: Wii U comes with a browser that lets users
surf the Web from the comfort of their couches. Users can browse
purely on the GamePad while watching a program on TV.
Additionally, they can pause a game, launch the browser and
search for something, and then re-enter the game right where
they left off.
“The value of Wii U goes well beyond day one,” Fils-Aime said.
“Nintendo will be enhancing the Wii U experience with continuous
updates and new services for Wii U owners.”
Remember that Wii U features parental controls that let adults
manage the content their children can access. For more
information about the many Wii U features and details about all
the current and upcoming games, visit
http://www.nintendo.com/wiiu. A network update is required
for some features.
* 1 GB = 1 billion bytes. Usable internal memory limited due to
system software.