Standing before the Nintendo motto for "creating something unique," Nintendo President Satoru Iwata annoucned and explained the controller for the Wii U. It's rare to hear a gaming company reference an M.I.T. scientist's book when bringing people together in place of becoming too immersed in technology. Over the thirty minute presentation, Iwata explains the evolution of the console's controllers and how the gamepad was coined by players rather than the company.
Techland runs down the controller details:
"Other revised features include: the thumbsticks can be clicked (a feature cribbed from Microsoft and Sony), there's an NFC reader/writer on the left side (place cards or figures and they'll be wirelessly "read"), the "TV" button turns the gamepad into a universal remote, the backside of the gamepad includes slightly raised ergonomic grips and both the d-pad and face buttons have been moved inward slightly - the d-pad to the right of the left thumbstick, the face buttons to the left of the right thumbstick."
From there, Iwata breaks down the use of a dual screen environment and the introduction of the Miiverse, which takes the avatars from your Wii U and creates another social networking site. From the "Mii Wara Wara" noise the characters make to how the gamepad can be used as a secondary screen with motion controls, the Wii U seems to be more than a gaming console. It's almost like a weird Facebook/gaming hybrid that will bring all people back together, or so it seems Nintendo wants.
We'll likely hear more from Nintendo's press conference tomorrow.
