During its semi-regular web-video series, Nintendo Direct, the company’s Chief Executive Satoru Iwata unveiled the Wii U’s answer to Xbox Live and PlayStation Network. The service is called Miiverse and it will bring online and social integration deep into the game-playing experience.
The Wii U system, along with its Gamepad controller (the new official name), will allow players to access an always-on network of connected gamers. A stream of posts will alert Wii U owners to their friends achievements and difficulties in their games.
Since the service is available online, Nintendo will make Miiverse accessible on PC, Mac, and smartphones. Iwata didn’t say they were working on an iPhone or Android app, instead he seemed to suggest the online network would be used via your phone’s browser.
Other features include video chat, hand-written text messages with the Wii U Gamepad’s stylus, and the ability to instantly upload screenshots from your game.
This announcement from the Japanese hardware company represents a 180 degree change from the Internet features of previous Nintendo systems. It was clear that the company would have to bring something along these lines, but it is still surprising.
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