LIVE FROM E3 2011 > Do You Think the Wii U Will Be a Winner for Nintendo?

Nintendo's stock dropped again, following its big Electronic Entertainment Expo reveal: the Wii U console and touch-screen controller. Investors clearly weren't impressed with the new gear, but it's a safe bet none of them have actually played with it yet. What's it really like?


On June 9th, the last day of the show, patient gamers faced a three-hour wait (minimally) to play with the new system and its much-hyped controller. Nintendo's E3 staff maneuvered throughout the line with tethered dummy controllers for gamers to gawk at and hold while they waited, happily answering any questions.


Unfortunately, most of the time the answer was “That hasn't been announced yet.”

The number one question gamers asked: how many of the new controllers can the Wii U console accommodate? Not announced yet.

Well, turns out that's not quite true. Mid-afternoon on Thursday, the gaming website GamePro broke a story quoting Nintendo giant Shigeru Miyamoto from an interview stating it's likely that only one controller can be used with the console. You'll be able to add players using Wii remotes, of course, but don't plan on having all your friends bring their Wii U touch-screens over for a match.


How does it feel? Well, it's a big boy. It's comfortable, and familiar-feeling, but make no mistake: it's unlike any controller you're used to. Imagine if a Wii Remote and a Nintendo 3DS somehow got together and had a little baby tablet. Loaded with all the buttons and sticks you'll need, plus gyroscopes, an accelerometer, a front-facing camera, a sylus, motion-sensor capabilities, a garage door opener and a toenail clipper (okay, maybe not those last two). The 6.2-inch touch-screen display is lovely, but any questions about the resolution … well, that hasn't been announced yet. It's light, certainly considering the amount of tech they jammed in there. Though in the demos the controllers were wired, so presumably a battery pack will add some heft.

Gamers were ushered into the demo area in small groups and allowed to spend 30 minutes among several different displays, each meant to showcase the Wii U's capabilities. A handful of mini-games and some videos showed off the HD ability of the new console and gameplay with the touch-screen controller. The console itself was well tucked away, which isn't terribly surprising considering the focus Nintendo is training on the controller.


One of the demos, called Battle Mii, showed some of the potential of the new system. It's a 3-player space shooter, with two players using Wii Remotes and one person using the Wii U controller. The Wii Remote gameplay was displayed split-screen on the monitor, while the Wii U player used the touch-screen to view. The Wii U user (WiiUser?) pilots a ship with the analog circle pads, moving the controller around to change the camera angle, trying to shoot down the two Miis, while the Miis aim for the ship.


The HD is a welcome addition, and even in the demos the use of the gyroscopes, like in the pirate game Shield Pose, where you use your Wii U controller to block attacks, offers an exciting glimpse at what Nintendo hopefully has in mind. And while Nintendo has announced that the touch-screen controller will also feature web browsing, video chat and the ability to play games on its own when the TV isn't available, it won't be until (probably late) 2012 that we'll see the final version, and understand how the Wii U will use its capabilities to enhance games like Assassin's Creed, Batman: Arkham City and Tekken.

And how much is this all going to cost? You've probably guessed: that hasn't been announced yet.