Nintendo takes a Dual-Screen Approach...Again

I have another E3 related post for everybody, and this time Nintendo is in the spotlight. As many of you may know by now, Nintendo is launching a "new" console, the Wii U. Now, in the hype leading up to their press conference, I was expecting an entirely new console with a new look, new hardware, everything you would expect. So great was my surprise when the innovation I was presented with was a small, hand-held television.


Yes, it seems the main attraction of the Wii U is its controller, featuring a screen right in the middle of the standard buttons and directional controls. I was disappointed at first. There was barely any mention of the hardware (I learned later that it would indeed include upgrades to the Wii's hardware), and I didn't think the screen was a very big innovation. I thought it could potentially make the controller unwieldy and difficult to use, as well as not serving much of a practical purpose.

However, the synthesis of console and handheld presented here might work out. I especially like the concept of being able to switch your game from the bigger screen of your television to the screen on the controller. Someone just can't wait to catch the latest episode of their favorite show? Just downsize to the controller and continue playing away. This feature works in reverse too, allowing you to "toss" content from the controller to the T.V.

The other functions of the controller seem similar to those of the touch screen on a Nintendo DS. Stir, throw, drag, drop, anything you've come to expect from the interactive experience of the handheld gaming system is now possible on your larger T.V. console. The controller, already a trusty and necessary companion since the beginning of videogames, is on the verge of taking what could be an important step forward in enhanced usefulness. My overall reaction: hesitant, but eager to see the results once it has been released into the gaming community.

-Arcthos