Wii U: GamePad Could be the Killer Feature, Taking Console Further Than Wii

By Jonathan Charles | Aug 06, 2012 01:49 PM EDT

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Developers did not anticipate the Wii becoming a phenomenon. The console's accessible nature is part of the reason for its success; the extent of button-pressing in Wii Sports is holding down Z to release the bowling ball while swinging forwards, and users can even swing the Wii Remote as a baseball bat. The new Wii U console will offer a revolutionary second-screen gaming experience with the GamePad, a controller that combines a touch-screen tablet and a joystick. 

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One player that has secret information on the GamePad can have an advantage playing against other players that don't have that screen and don't have that full map and information," Nintendo's vice president of sales and marketing at Nintendo America said to Fast Company in the interview. The dynamic between the GamePad and television is an aspect of Wii U developers could demonstrate over time. Hopefully the former won't simply show a map or inventory, but provide added functionality.  

Ubisoft is releasing ZombiU and Rayman Legends for Wii U, Nintendo's upcoming next-generation console, and promises to heavily support the console. The producer of ZombiU, Guillaume Brunier, expects Wii U to "go further" than Wii.

"When they [Nintendo] released the Wii a few years ago, I don't think developers anticipated how big it would become. I think this is going to be the case with Wii U too. Touchscreen interfaces are so common to everyone right now, that having this as part of gaming platform is really going to get Wii U further than Wii got," Brunier said in an interview with Fast Company, referring to the popularity of mobile devices like the iPhone and iPad and games such as Angry Birds using touchscreen technology.

The success of the Wii U console depends on numerous factors. How will the console be priced (Wii retailed for around $200 at launch)? Will Nintendo Land perfectly display the console's functionality? Are the launch titles interesting to owners of Xbox and/or PlayStation consoles? When will the console be released? Nintendo has yet to answer these questions, though leaks could be putting the pieces together.

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