Today, a rumour surfaced from Forget The Box claiming that Nintendo are looking into bringing an eReader-style service to the Wii U that would offer a variety of content to its users. The source, an unnamed Los Angeles-based software developer, was apparently approached by Nintendo and “offered assistance in porting and publishing some software from iOS to the Wii U so it can be played on the Wii U’s touchscreen controller.”

The gamut of content this service may offer includes everything from from books, magazines, newspapers, and comic books to Virtual Console instruction manuals, official game guides, and back issues of Nintendo Power. Supposedly, Nintendo are already pursuing third-party companies to try and persuade them to bring their publications to the Wii U.

Nintendo is actively seeking publishers to bring electronic versions of popular magazines to the Wii U in the future. A wide variety of these magazines are related to sports, politics, technology, entertainment, celebrities, music, cooking, and fashion. If you already have a subscription to a specific magazine, the Wii U has the ability to automatically download the latest issue as soon as it’s available even if the system is turned off and you’re asleep.

Forget The Box notes that this (rumoured) information falls in line with the idea that the Wii U will be very focused on providing valuable services for gamers and users. On a technical level, this can’t be too difficult to provide, so it’s a smart way for Nintendo to further extend the applications of their hardware.

Rumour has it that the Wii U will feature a “full-blown app store”. Unlike the Wii Shop Channel and the 3DS’s eShop, which focus on games and the most basic of utilities, this Wii U store will feature a “wider variety of apps”. A Major League Baseball app was specifically mentioned as a possibility.

Wii U owners will be able to use apps that operate on the Wii U itself, such as MLB.TV, and others that run independently on the Wii U’s controller. Given its tablet-like design and 6.2-inch screen, it’s not hard to imagine being able to check email, browse the Web, post to social networks and even get some gaming in.

The source of this information remains anonymous, but it’s certainly a tantalizing possibility to consider. It would fall well in line with the other current rumour of eBook-like content coming to the console.

There’s a rumour going around that Square Enix will reveal Final Fantasy XV at E3 2012 as part of the Final Fantasy franchise’s 25th anniversary. Moreover, this new installment in the series will be coming to the Wii U in addition to the PC, Xbox 360, and PlayStation 3.

While it is merely a rumour, Square have expressed interest in bringing their hallmark series to the Wii U before. Ruthie wrote a feature outlining several ways she thinks a future Final Fantasy game could benefit from the touchscreen controller.

Wherever you are in the world, today’s a wonderful day you should spend with family and friends, enjoying your time together. Hopefully, you’ve woken up to find one of 2011’s many great video games under your tree, or perhaps a shiny new 3DS.

Most of you have probably been bundling up to play in the snow, but my family’s present to itself is a one-week trip to Mexico, and we’re having a blast. Drinks at the beach, a swim-up bar, posh restaurants, the sound of ocean waves at night, beautiful nature, and…

…Santa Claus on a catamaran. Yep, my year has been made.

Even if you don’t celebrate Christmas, I hope you have a fantastic day and spend some quality time with the people you love. Christmas only comes once a year, so make it count! We’ll be singing carols while tanning ourselves in the sun. 🙂

Merry Christmas!

P.S.: Because my Internet access is limited here, and Ruthie and Wertville are probably celebrating the festivities themselves, we may be a bit slower than usual with Wii U news.

The rather unremarkable news of Nintendo’s attending CES to show the E3 2011 Wii U demos all over again has been floating around the ‘net for a few days.

However, a statement the company released when asked by Joystiq for clarification on what exactly they’d be showing revealed that the console is due for launch “between the start of the 2012 E3 Expo in June, and the end of 2012,” – in other words, the second half of 2012.

Be sure to bookmark and follow my Wii U release date page for more updates on the launch window as we get them.

Speaking at Jump Festa, Yosuke Saito – the producer of Dragon Quest X Online – revealed that public beta testing for the game (on the Wii, of course) would probably begin sometime around Valentine’s Day.

The Wii U version of the game is a faithful port of the original Wii project, going as far as allowing owners of either platform to play together. When quizzed on the actual differences between the two releases, Saito noted the graphics as the Wii U version’s high point.

The Wii version is totally fun! The Wii U version is totally fun! And it’s also extremely beautiful.

Retro Studios, Nintendo’s prize Western studio, just wrapped up Mario Kart 7, a collaborative project between them and Nintendo EAD. What’s next for the house that brought us Metroid Prime and Donkey Kong Country Returns?

Miyamoto is confident at this point that Retro has what it takes to handle a new Zelda adventure as a new, equally awesome collaborative project.

As you know, we have already collaborated with Retro for the Metroid Prime series in the past. And I think when we talk about any other franchise, Zelda might be a possible franchise for that collaboration.

Retro Studios was reportedly one of the first studios to get a Wii U development kit, back when we still called it “Project Café”. Moreover, an alleged quip from a Retro employee claimed that they were working on “a project that everyone wants [them] to do.”

Now, I don’t know about you, but a Retro-developed (or co-developed) Zelda adventure definitely sounds like something I’d pick up in a heartbeat.

Masaya Kobayashi, known for his work on the Ridge Racer series and the Wii’s Go Vacation, has shared his thoughts on how the Wii U might accommodate a potential Go Vacation sequel. He sees the touchscreen controller as a device better suited towards the couch, ideal for complementing more active gameplay by other players.

Here’s a quick idea, for example – I imagine if kids are going to be playing on the big TV to play a casual game, the parents might be in the background using the tablet controller. The kids are having fun moving and bouncing around, but sometimes adults don’t really want to move around that much. So the parents can support the kids by clicking icons on the controller, or something.

Specifically, he mentioned the possibilities of using the controller as a “camera device” to take in-game pictures, and as a racing wheel.

If the thought of Skyward Sword being the first and last Zelda game to make great use of motion controls saddens you, fear not, for Eiji Aonuma himself has admitted that he can no longer see the series returning to its button-based roots.

I honestly think we cannot go back to button controls now, so I think that these controls will be used in future Zelda titles, too.

Personally, this news makes me quite happy as I’ve found the tactility of Skyward Sword‘s controls one of the most satisfying aspects of the game. But will the Zelda team be able to take advantage of both the Wii MotionPlus sensor and the touchscreen controller at the same time?

Joystiq had the chance to try a demo of Ninja Gaiden 3‘s online multiplayer, and their impressions were largely positive. Three modes of online play will be available – team-based, free-for-all, and a secret mode that Tecmo Koei isn’t ready to tell us about just yet. Your ninja can level up and unlock better weapons as you participate in further fights, and you can even choose a kanji character to don on your back.

26 high-quality screenshots were published along with these details, which you can find just after the break.

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