Wii U merges console and controller

NINTENDO has rolled out its second-generation Wii console in a bid to dispel notions its system is not up to the standards of hardcore videogame players.

Wii U builds on the Japanese videogame titan’s record of hardware innovation with a controller that combines a tablet touchscreen with toggles and buttons for or action titles.

“The boundaries that once divided players are starting to be erased,” Nintendo chief executive Satoru Iwata said as the world got a look at the Wii U at the Electronic Entertainment Expo in Los Angeles.

“For Nintendo, the goal of innovation is to serve every player.”

Nintendo did not reveal how much it plans to charge for the Wii U when it hits the market next year to battle with Microsoft’s Xbox 360 and Sony’s PlayStation 3 (PS3).

Major videogame studios such as Ubisoft, Electronic Arts, THQ and Square Enix are already crafting titles for the Wii U.

A key feature to the Wii U controller is a 16cm screen that displays maps and other information to complement game play, acts as a touchscreen game board and serves as a second monitor.

A forward-facing camera allows for online video chat with friends while playing online using a television connected to a Wii U.

A THQ game studio executive referred to the new console as the “Swiss Army knife of consoles”.

“You won’t have to give up your game play when someone else comes in the room and wants to use the television,” Mr Iwata said, referring to how game action could transfer on a controller’s screen.

“This device is designed to appeal to all people, particularly the most dedicated and serious players.”

Nintendo is credited with opening the world of videogames to casual players with the introduction of motion-sensing controllers on the first Wii console in 2006.

Microsoft and Sony last year challenged Nintendo by adding gesture-based controls to Xbox 360 and PS3 consoles, which boast more power than the Wii for richer imagery and more complex action.

However, the Wii U will power high-definition graphics along with creative new play styles allowed by the tablet-shaped controllers.

The controller also works with Wii console wands. In one demonstration, a wand was used as a virtual golf club pointed down at a Wii U controller on the floor that showed an image of a golf ball.

A swing of the Wii wand whacked the digital golf ball, sending it flying onto a fairway on a television screen.

Virtual Ninja throwing stars were flicked from a Wii U controller at enemies on a television screen in another demonstration.

Gaming executives hope the new Wii can jumpstart a $65 billion (€45bn) video games industry still struggling following the recession.

But game console makers are threatened by a deluge of game-capable phones. In 2010, more than 1 billion such units were shipped, compared with about 50m home game consoles and around 40m handheld devices, according to research firm iSuppli.