SOCIAL PUSH: The Wii U will come with an online social network dubbed Miiverse, said Iwata. - Reuters
TOKYO: Nintendo's much anticipated successor to its Wii games console, the Wii U, will come with an online social network, dubbed Miiverse, to connect gamers, the company's president Satoru Iwata said in a webcast.
The new online push by Nintendo may represent a strategic shift by the company, which has been slower than rivals including Sony Corp to focus on social and content delivery networks.
It suggests the game machine maker is looking for a new strategy to underpin sales of the Wii U, that faces competition for gamers attention not only from other console makers, but from the likes of Apple Inc and other smartphone and tablet makers.
In a bid to further entice consumers, Iwata also said the Wii U's tablet touchscreen controller would come with a joystick called a Gamepad that would double as a TV remote, while a pro controller for the games machine would be available for hardcore gamers. - Reuters