According to recent rumors, Nintendo is integrating Google's Android operating system into its next-generation gaming console, the Wii U, slated to launch later this year.

The news is coming from VG 24/7, but also from Twitter, where some high-level Android software developers were tweeting with Nintendo folks over the matter. Those tweets, however, have not yet surfaced on the Internet for everyone to see. Should this rumor prove to be true, it would be quite a change for Nintendo, as the company has never been supportive of Android OS in the past.

An interesting part of this rumor is that it doesn't claim Nintendo is working on integrating Android into its hardware, but that it has already done it. The Wii U gaming console, the successor of the popular Nintendo Wii launched in 2006, is expected to make its debut at E3 2012.

New Tablet Controller

The upcoming Wii U will also come with a new tablet controller, allowing players to stream their games onto the remote's 6.2-inch screen once they turn off their television. Moreover, in an article published back in January, The Telegraph said Nintendo would create an app store for the Wii U console and its new controller, overtaking anything currently available on the Wii and DSi systems.

A partnership with Google for the Wii U would definitely give Nintendo the necessary resources to achieve this goal and surpass its competitors, Microsoft and Sony. Considering that Android dominates the software market for smartphones, it could help Nintendo get back some of the gamers who have shifted to the iPhone.

The original Wii has the ability to run applications made by various developers. Some apps, such as Netflix and Hulu, have been officially integrated, but there are also lots of apps and features developed by hackers, which allow for wider use.

Android integration would greatly expand the Wii U's universe, and Nintendo could achieve great things with access to Google Play. In light of Nintendo's disappointing earnings call, there is added pressure on the Wii U to turn things around for the company. A partnership with Google might be just the edge Nintendo needs to turn the tables. But for now, it's all just a rumor, so don't get too excited until an official confirmation.

(reported by Alexandra Burlacu, edited by Dave Clark)