wii u

LOS ANGELES--I've lost track of how many E3 shows I've been to. It doesn't matter. What's important is that the show used to be larger, more vibrant...and more relevant. What happened?

If you boil down this year's show, new hardware was scarce and new software didn't fill the gap. Still, trends were present and lessons, too, that I hope get applied to next year's show. Yes, it was an odd year this year. … Read more

LOS ANGELES--Two Wii U games stole the show at the Nintendo press conference on Tuesday, Ubisoft's ZombiU and Warner Bros. Interactive's Batman: Arkham City Armored Edition. I was able to sneak in some time with the latter on Wednesday and found out what exactly "Armored Edition" means.

To be clear, the Wii U version of Arkham City is mostly the same game you've played on the other consoles. Sure, all the DLC available up until now is packed in, but those looking for a separate experience different than Rocksteady's epic won't find it. … Read more

It's trendy at this year's E3 to trash the Wii U. Nintendo's next-gen console has its work cut out for it: strange tablet-like GamePad controller, the challenge of making games for its dual-screen potential, the unknown price, and the looming question of whether Nintendo's core casual-gaming crowd has moved on to Apple's iPastures.

What if the Wii U were to succeed?

Nintendo has had a way of pulling rabbits out hats with strange hardware. I remember hating the Nintendo DS when it first was released; it became my favorite handheld. The original Wii was mocked for its name, its lack of HD, and its games-for-everyone mantra. It only became a household name.

If these things come to pass, I think the Wii U could succeed, too. … Read more

E3 shows tend to fall into two categories. Those that are about hardware, and those that are about software.

Last year, at E3 2011, hardware was king, with the first look at the new Wii U console, as well as Sony's PlayStation Vita. Along for the ride was Microsoft's Kinect camera and the Nintendo 3DS, which, while not brand-new last year, were both finally coming into their own as commercially viable products.

Other than that, it's been a while since hardware was king at E3 (and we're not counting the missing in action Wii Vitality Sensor). … Read more

In today's show we're gaming with multiple screens, dodging Flame attacks and looking for a new direction from Apple:

The video game conference E3 rolls on and Nintendo has shown off the new gaming capabilities of the Wii U console, which will be coming out in time for the holidays -- but no price announced yet. Players will have to use the second screen in the GamePad controller to activate different game controls, camera views and features. In some games you might hold it up to the television screen to scan for enemies. But if you're playing … Read more

LOS ANGELES--Nintendo had already unveiled the Wii U well before E3 started, but there were a lot of things going into this show that we didn't know. Nintendo's keynote spent a great deal of time detailing what the Wii U can do, what its online and app services are, and what games we can expect to see. A small amount of time was also spent on the Nintendo 3DS, but today's event was clearly dedicated to the Wii U.

What we didn't get, however, was a date and price. Not surprising, but anticlimactic all the same.… Read more

LOS ANGELES--Nintendo showed off nearly two dozen games for the Wii U at its E3 2012 press conference. That's a deep software bench, but with all the emphasis on games, many important questions about the Wii U hardware and user experience have been left unanswered.

How will streaming media work? Nintendo says Netflix, Amazon Instant Video, Hulu, and other video sources will be available, but there were no further details. Is Nintendo going to have its own video store? Unlikely, but will there be any significant exclusive video content that other consoles don't have? How about live TV, the new holy grail of consoles?

How will two-tablet gameplay work? Even though it was not confirmed until today, everyone knew the Wii U would have to eventually support dual GamePad tablets. But, the company says only single-tablet gameplay is ready to show at E3. This adds to the mix of different ways you can play, combining GamePads, the Xbox-like Wii U controller, and Wii wands.… Read more

LOS ANGELES--Nintendo's Wii has always stood apart from the other major consoles of this generation of game machines. It was pitched as, and found great success by, being the game console for nongamers.

The controls were deceptively simple. A magic wand to wave in the air, with a couple of buttons that many games ignored. There was an add-on with extra inputs for games that required it, but many of the best Wii experiences concentrated on that kinetic action of hand-on-wand.

That simplicity was the secret to how Nintendo sold so many Wiis. And while motion and gesture control … Read more

To help players understand the functionality of Wii U's dual-screen initiative, Nintendo unveiled NintendoLand today at E3.

Similar to Wii Sports on the Wii when that product launched, NintendoLand will include gameplay designed to showcase the many features the console offers. However, NintendoLand, which is based around the idea of a theme park, combines a host of the company's "classic" franchises, including Legend of Zelda, Animal Crossing, and others.

To add a bit more flavor to NintendoLand, the game company says it will be tied in with Miiverse, though further details were not divulged.

All told, … Read more