Nintendo has posted yet another Nintendo Direct which discusses storage options, backward compatibility plus lots of other important information heading towards Wii U launch.

Some of the highlights include :-

Basic pack only comes with just over 3GB of usable data storage
Up to 2TB data storage accepted, Wii U will format the hard drive and it will not be usable with a PC
Only one drive at a time
Cannot guarantee system can power a one USB cabled drive
Wii U Virtual Console coming in the future.
Unable to accomodate current Wii Virtual console customers requests to Gamepad play.
Premium users 10% value back can be used on Wii U eShop as well as 3DS, Wii and DSi.
10% value back also applied on eShop cards bought instore.

You can find the full transcription below as provided by cvxfreak over at NeoGAF



Parental Controls

- Nintendo realizes that some parents may fear that their children may use the Wii U's internet functionality without permission. Wii U has Parental Controls.
- Can restrict content based on user age, CERO (Japan ESRB) rating, internet functionality, internet browser, e-Shop spending, Miiverse functionality, friend registrations, videos, data management, internet settings
- Wii U keyboard input can save user input habits and predictive input in a specific database that depends on the game and user. Wii U does not save input data that you don't want other users to know into the database.
- Miiverse settings can be turned on/off depending on the save profiles per game.

USB Data Storage

- 8GB = 7.2GB, 32GB = 29GB in terms of actual save data. Wii U uses around 4.2GB when using the system for the first time.
- NSMBU is ~2GB, Nintendo Land is ~3.2GB. So, both won't fit into the Basic set at the same time.
- Wii U lets you put data onto a connected USB media drive.
- One USB drive at a time only.
- Cannot disconnect the external drive while plugged into the Wii U and receiving power.
- You can use general drives.
- In terms of powering the HDD while connecting to the Wii U, if you do not use a Y Cable Type drive (2 USB cables), then Nintendo cannot guarantee it will work properly.
- Nintendo can guarantee functionality if the HDD plugs into a power outlet.
- No games on USB Flash Memory due to games not running properly all the time (whatever this means...)
- Wii U will read up to 2TB only for external hard drives even if hard drive has more space.
- In Data Management, you must format the connected media drive. Note that this means you cannot use the drive with a PC.
- You can move data from internal Wii U storage to external USB media in Data Management and vice versa. Data on both internal and external media will appear in the menu.
- At launch, only 1 USB hard drive can be connected, but through a future update, more than 1 will be possible and you will be able to move data between them freely.
- SD Cards can hold PC data, Wii Virtual Console, Wii Ware, and Wii save data, but cannot be used to save Wii U game save data.

Backwards Compatibility

- Wii games, Virtual Console, Wii Ware stuff cannot be played using the GamePad screen, but only on the TV in Wii Mode
- Iwata: "We understand that there are people who were looking forward to playing Wii games, Virtual Console games, and so forth on the GamePad, but unfortunately we cannot accommodate those users' expectations."
- There are plans for a Wii U Virtual Console that WILL be compatible with the Wii U GamePad. Please look forward to it in the future.

Nintendo Network Premium

- For Premium Set buyers only
- Point service
- Make Nintendo Network ID, then login to find and use the service
- After logging in, you can see the points you have earned
- Buy with download card or download number
- Earn 10% back on purchases
- Earn back purchase points in ¥500 increments
- Points earned can be used with Wii U/3DS e-Shop, Wii Shopping Channel, DSi Shop

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Guillaume said:

I would imagine it's gonna be like when the Ambassador NES games were made available for sale: our versions got updated, for free.

You can never assume anything with Nintendo, but I'm fairly confident.

Highly doubt that. The perk of playing on the gamepad would be worth investing for a lot of people. Guaranteed bank for Nintendo.

Posted by

anon_mastermind

on: 11/14/12, 17:22

I have an external hard drive with a plug so that news doesn't affect me. But regardless, I don't think I'm going to be getting any retail games in downloadable form for this thing. Nintendo hasn't gone far enough to embrace it for me, yet.

@anon_mastermind

Honestly, I wouldn't. In retrospect, I wish I hadn't gotten all the Mario games for Virtual Console. I foolishly assumed that I'd be able to have them easily accessible on all my Nintendo consoles going forward and while that still may be the case, there's no real evidence to support that conclusion. I wouldn't make that mistake again.

@Guillaume

I'm not as confident. Ambassador games were always intended for one system and then updated for that same system. This would like being able to update something you bought on DSi to have 3DS features, like Cave Story, and there's no precedent for that, either.

This is all speculation so we might as well just wait and see though.

Posted by

Jargon

on: 11/14/12, 17:23

Edited:

11/14/12, 17:27

@Jargon

Except there was more work done on Cave Story. It is ostensibly a new version of the game.

No additional work is being done no those roms and very little needs to be done on their emulators. All they have to do really is test them.

Posted by

Guillaume

on: 11/14/12, 17:35

...and there aren't any worthwhile gifts in Club Nintendo.

Posted by

Tranquilo

on: 11/14/12, 17:46

I precisely waited in buying a hard drive exactly for this reason. So basically when I go to buy one I just need to make sure it has a power cable?

Posted by

gojira

on: 11/14/12, 18:25

@Guillaume

The cost to Nintendo is about the same as it is for porting them to 3DS. Adapting their emulators for new hardware, adding the gamepad feature, maybe a save state feature. We agree it's small in terms of actual cost to Nintendo.

But I think anon has the right idea that it's more about opportunity cost. Sadly, there are people who bought SMB on Wii, have bought it again on 3DS and would buy it again on Wii U, so Nintendo could be right in think they'll get more benefit out of selling them yet again than in pleasing the fanbase by allowing for free upgrades. I hope you're right, but I'm not getting my hopes up.

Posted by

Jargon

on: 11/14/12, 18:28

I'm kind of sad about the no VC/WiiWare/Wii games on the game pad, and it's very weird too, like really... how hard would it have been to implement? There aren't too many cases when I don't have access to my TV, but one is when my brother comes over and plays single player games on my TV, right now I usually just play my 3DS or something, but it would be nice to have another option.

Posted by

Zero

on: 11/14/12, 18:55

@Jargon

I understand why you bring up the 3DS but it's part of why I don't think they'd make us pay again.

Yes, we're paying again (or choose not to) for the same NES games we already bought on the Wii, but we haven't transfered anything. The Wii VC games remain on your Wii, and the 3DS VC is its separate thing.

In the Wii U's case, you've transfered your purchases. There is less of a line between the systems, if you know what I mean. Technically it's not more or less work to port to Wii U than it is to port to 3DS, no. But psychologically, making us pay again for the same thing feels less justified. The Wii U VC feels less like it's own thing, less separate from the Wii VC than the 3DS VC does.

*Sigh* I can't find the words to say what I mean to say.

@Zero

Well, it's coming, so just be patient?

And obviously the answer to the question "How hard can it be?" is "Harder than we think".

Posted by

Guillaume

on: 11/14/12, 19:22

Edited:

11/14/12, 19:29

Oh I missed that part. Well, it says there will be plans for a Wii U virtual console, but that is a bit vague. Which is, I suppose, what some people are worrying about... maybe I should have actually read the thread. And it still doesn't speak to whether I'd be able to play Wii disk games. Or... am I missing something?

Posted by

Zero

on: 11/14/12, 19:24

@Zero

I thought playing Wii games on the tablet was always something of a pipe dream. How would you do with that with games that use the Wiimote, the vast majority of games? I guess there's a sensor bar in the tablet but that seems very awkward. And for games that use classic controller, you would need to do some kind of programming to make it work, which is a lot more effort than just having "Wii mode"

Posted by

Jargon

on: 11/14/12, 19:28

@Jargon Oh yeah, I wasn't thinking. Same with WiiWare. So I suppose it's mostly only VC that we should be concerned about, which is apparently coming.

It'd be nice to have the option to play Wii / Wiiware stuff that doesn't use motion, but I completely understand why that's not going to happen. That's a bit more work and would require like... auto-disabling certain in-game things blah blah blah it would be messy.

Posted by

Zero

on: 11/14/12, 19:51

Edited:

11/14/12, 19:52

Programming any Wii game to work on the gamepad requires just two lines of code if you remember what the Darksiders 2 guys said. But nintendo won't do it because...it would look weird to play a wii game on a tiny gamepad screen set on a stand while holding a wiimote/nunchuck.

Posted by

Renjaku

on: 11/14/12, 19:53

I guess I wouldn't complain if they enabled Wii games on the gamepad, but I can't say I'd ever play that way if I had the choice. VC games on there would be a completely different story though.

Posted by

DeputyVanHalen

on: 11/14/12, 19:58

- Nintendo can guarantee functionality if the HDD plugs into a power outlet.
- No games on USB Flash Memory due to games not running properly all the time (whatever this means...)

Friggen garbage. Most that I've seen plug into the usb port of your pc. Why put the usb ports there if the dumb low power consuming console can't even power them?? I see that being a big problem with regular joe schmoes.

And what the hell can that possibly mean that we can't put games on the usb drive?? Whats the point of it then if I can't put games on it and then the flash HDD of the system can't accommodate it either? I don't want any of this "fridge shuffling" again. Why can't Nintendo do things right the first time??. If that means people have to shuffle games around to play them off of the system stroage and they can't be played from the usb drive I think that will be a huge issue too. They're not going to sell alot of games that way.

Posted by

Wellsy529

on: 11/14/12, 20:06

Edited:

11/14/12, 20:08

How feasible would it be to go all digital with the Wii U? Will 3rd Party games be added as promptly as Nintendo published ones? The only other hurdle for me would be the process of needing to redownload games.

Kudos to them for allowing your own drive to connect. I think I will hook up a 1 TB monstrosity and never look back.

EDIT: @Wellsy529

That's talking about USB flash memory specifically. Not USB storage in general (at least it better not be).

Posted by

Stephen

on: 11/14/12, 20:21

Edited:

11/14/12, 20:23

@Stephen

Yeah its just those pen drives that won't work, or SD Cards.

Posted by

warerare

on: 11/14/12, 23:05

So if I want to get the digital version of NSMBU day one, will I be able to buy a download card at retailers? Or buy it directly from the shop?

Do the eShop cards that work for 3DS work for Wii U?

Will the download card net me 10% points?

Posted by

anon_mastermind

on: 11/14/12, 23:49

@anon_mastermind

I think Nintendo have said their games may not make it day one on eShop but games can be purchased directly from the eShop with a credit/debit card or using a value card.

eShop cards work on Wii U or 3DS but credit applied to one will not be avaialbe to the other.

eShop cards also net you 10% when you by the Deluxe system. These points can be taken at $5 incements and applied to any of Nintnedos digital stores.

Posted by

warerare

on: 11/15/12, 00:31

So wait, can I play Wii VC games *on* the GamePad, but with a blank screen? In other words, can I still use the GamePad as a controller while I play Super Metroid on the TV?

Posted by

TriforceBun

on: 11/15/12, 00:37

@TriforceBun

I don't think so. I don't think the tablet functions at all in Wii mode.

Posted by

Jargon

on: 11/15/12, 00:40