At the recent Nintendo Direct, President Satoru Iwata spoke about plans for Miiverse in the future. These include:

• A browser form of Miiverse for quick browsing on a smart phone or computer
• A Miiverse app that will be coming to smart phones in the future
• User created communities
• New post filtering system

These updates will begin (not all at the same time) sometime after the Wii U’s Spring Update.

Earlier it was said that Wii U would be selling at a loss. However, Reggie Fils-Aime, President of Nintendo, stated that:

The business model doesn’t change dramatically, in that as soon as we get the consumer to buy one piece of software, then that entire transaction becomes profit positive.

In the end, the business model is still to drive the install base of hardware, and then to drive a strong tie ratio with all of the other software and experiences for the consumer. And if we’re able to do that, then we will create significant profit for the company.

This is a great news, and it helps that GameStop reported that they are selling 2.4 Wii U games per Wii U console.

Nintendo’s Japanese website revealed the image above, which is a small look at the new eShop layout! Looks pretty great, doesn’t it?

The Wii U will shut down automatically after being left alone for too long. However, this is only the default setting and can changed within the system options. This may be something you will want to do when you get your Wii U.

From the Japanese Nintendo Direct, and North American video shortly after it, we received new details on the online functionality of the Wii U and its requirements:

• For functionality such as Miiverse, Wii U Video Chat, being able to play Wii games, and the eShop; you will have to download the day 1 update for the console.
• Friend codes are now a thing of the past and the Wii U will feature an account system. You will be able to create 12 accounts per console.
• Any game downloaded to the Wii U console will be available in all other accounts assigned to that console, and users will not be required to purchase the software again.

We now have Nintendo’s “entertainment” pillar for the Wii U, Nintendo TVii. At Nintendo’s September 13th conference they revealed their big step into the entertainment portion of Wii U. Its features include but are not limited to:

• cable/satellite integration
• Netflix, Hulu Plus
• Amazon Instant Video
• TiVo
• family member preferences

…all seamlessly mixed into one application. The interface looks very polished, and the ability to watch shows, comment on them, and see your other friends thoughts all in the same place is an interesting concept that seems to have been working very well.

This morning, Nintendo held a preview event in New York dedicated to the Wii U, during which the long-awaited price and release date of the system were finally revealed, in addition to a slew of information on games coming to it.

The Wii U will launch in North America on November 18, 2012, with two models to choose from.

The cheaper SKU, known as the “Wii U Basic Set”, clocks in at $299.99. The package includes a white Wii U console with 8 GB of storage, a matching white Wii U GamePad, a stylus, a sensor bar, an HDMI cable, and AC adapters for both the GamePad and the console.

The higher-end SKU, known as the “Wii U Deluxe Set”, carries a price tag of $349.99, and features a black GamePad and console with 32 GB of memory. In addition to all the accessories in the Basic Set, the deluxe set bundles in Nintendo Land, a charging cradle for the GamePad, and vertical stands for both the console and the GamePad. Additionally, the Deluxe Set includes enrollment in the “Deluxe Digital Promotion”, which according to Nintendo “lets Wii U owners receive points for each digital download and redeem those points for future downloadable content from the Nintendo eShop.”

For a meager $50 more (the price of a single video game alone), the Deluxe Set carries a great deal of extras. The only aspect of it I don’t like is that you’re forced to own a black console and GamePad if you want these extras – personally, I prefer the white aesthetic.

No retailers are taking pre-orders for either console SKU yet, but a great deal of Wii U games are already available from Amazon.com.

I would expect Nintendo to make some form of an official announcement in September, likely around (but not at) the Tokyo Game Show.

Nintendo have been very silent about the price of the Wii U but recently Reggie Fils-Aime mentioned that consumers would be “pleasantly surprised” and that the Wii U price would represent “great value”.

You can read their article and a link to it after the break.

(CNN) — Will Nintendo’s forthcoming Wii U breathe new life into its aging Wii concept?
Hard to say at this point, but the Wii U is a solid device that will bring a fresh element to Nintendo gaming.
I got my hands on the redesigned device, which was first previewed a year ago, after Nintendo’s Electronic Entertainment Expo event in Los Angeles on Tuesday.
Here are my first impressions:
First, the device. It is smaller than a tablet, but larger than your mobile phone. It doesn’t feel heavy in the hands, and you will really have to try hard to snap it in two (not recommended). The device is part controller and part handheld console, and new games are expected to take advantage of both abilities.
I tried out the Wii U on two games, each featuring a different use for the device. “Luigi’s Haunted Mansion” takes advantage of what Nintendo calls asynchronous gameplay. This allows the Wii U to have unique goals and abilities in the game when played simultaneously with other people holding regular Wii controllers.
In this game, the player with the Wii U is a ghost trying to track down and capture the four players using Wii controllers. The ghost player uses the Wii U built-in screen to see everything on the map while the four other players must watch the TV screen to capture a ghost they can’t usually see.
The Wii U screen is large enough to make small shapes easy enough to distinguish. The two joystick controllers feel natural and sturdy, and comparable to other console joysticks. There are also two sets of shoulder buttons which are appropriately placed and don’t feel uncomfortable to use.
In the second game, “Donkey Kong’s Crash Course,” those buttons are used to manipulate a course you navigate by tilting the Wii U in the appropriate directions. The shoulder buttons raise and lower bridges and elevators while the joysticks are used to turn cranks.
It was a little difficult to rotate joysticks while also trying to tilt the Wii U. But with practice, I was able to get the right amount of touch without dying.
Players can watch the overall action on their TVs or get an up-close view through the Wii U screen. I can’t envision players using the big screen for games when the small one is in their hands.
Nintendo plans to release a wide range of games, from kid titles like “Pikmin 3″ to offerings for hardcore gamers like “ZombiU” and “Mass Effect 3.” The promise of additional gameplay features for the Wii U make it an intriguing option.
Overall, the Wii U is a solid hybrid of a souped-up Wii controller and a handheld gaming device. It’s larger than a traditional console controller, but not so heavy that it would cause fatigue problems.
Despite no announcement of a specific launch date or a price, the Wii U will only be as good as the games made for it. Nintendo’s focus on games during Tuesday’s event is a sign the gaming company may have its eye on the right target.

Fox and CNN both fail with gaming, nothing more needs to be said.

Well, Nintendo has finally announced that, along with being able to import previous Wii eShop purchases, the Wii U eShop will be available with the launch of the console. Games already announced are BIT.TRIP Runner 2, Chasing Aurora, Cloudberry Kingdom, and 1000 Spikes. We also speculate that Gamecube games may be on the horizon for the Wii U eShop.