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Nintendo's Wii U ushers in New Age of video games - the E3 announcements
News reported by 
(Editor)
June 06, 2012, 03:13
 

Editor's Note: Earlier today Nintendo held their E3 press conference and revealed a large line-up of games for the upcoming Wii U. Here is the official press release from Nintendo:

LOS ANGELES, June 5, 2012 – Nintendo revealed a massive lineup of first- and third-party video games for its upcoming Wii U home console today, including new games in the Super Mario Bros., Pikmin, Wii Fit, Batman: Arkham City, Scribblenauts, Assassin's Creed and Just Dance franchises. The Wii U console launches this holiday season and introduces the Wii U GamePad, a controller with a 6.2-inch touch screen that redefines how people interact with their games, their entertainment and one another. Video game publishers from around the world, including Ubisoft, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment, Electronic Arts, SEGA, THQ and NAMCO BANDAI Games Inc. are demonstrating how their biggest franchises are being reimagined for Wii U.

In this photo provided by Nintendo of America, Reggie Fils-Aime, Nintendo of America's President and Chief Operating Officer, announces that the new Wii U home console is capable of supporting two Wii U GamePad controllers, during the Nintendo All-Access Presentation @ E3 2012 in Los Angeles on June 5, 2012 (Vince Bucci/AP Images for Nintendo of America).

In addition to the wide array of established brands shown during the Nintendo All-Access Presentation @ E3 2012, Nintendo also revealed new games like Nintendo Land, a Wii U game set in a virtual theme park with a dozen attractions inspired by fan-favorite Nintendo franchises such as The Legend of Zelda and Donkey Kong. Just as the motion-controlled games in Wii Sports helped players discover the fun of the Wii console, Nintendo Land brings the promise of the GamePad to life with a range of single-player and multiplayer experiences.

Nintendo Land introduces the entirely new dynamic of asymmetric game play, where the images being displayed on the GamePad are entirely different than what is seen on the TV. Giving the player with the GamePad different information, viewpoints, advantages and objectives creates completely new cooperative and competitive opportunities and enables novice and advanced players to enjoy games together and not be forced to play above or below their skill level.


"The GamePad doesn't just introduce a new type of game play, it redefines an entire dynamic. With asymmetric game play, multiple experiences are possible in the same game at the same time. That's transformative," said Nintendo of America President and COO Reggie Fils-Aime. "While games are the focus of this year's E3, the Wii U story also includes the enhanced social connections and integrated entertainment experiences created by the GamePad. We're providing a glimpse of that with the introduction of Miiverse and by revealing partnerships with some of the biggest content providers on the planet."

Mario will leap onto Wii U in New Super Mario Bros. U, a new side-scrolling adventure that introduces new transformations for Mario and the ability for players to play as their Mii characters. The game also introduces the new Boost Mode, which can be used to add blocks, to help players avoid enemies, enable Mario to discover secrets or allow multiple players working together to perform a speed run in record time.


Nintendo's Shigeru Miyamoto, the creator of a number of original and popular Nintendo franchises, joined the Nintendo All-Access Presentation @ E3 2012 to introduce Pikmin 3, the first original entry in the Pikmin franchise in nearly eight years. The game includes new challenges, new characters and mysterious new Pikmin types. The Wii U GamePad creates new player experiences for the real-time strategy franchise by reinventing the control scheme and challenging players in exciting new ways. Pikmin 3 also takes advantage of the HD capabilities of Wii U to more elaborately depict the rich nature landscapes, various creatures and the lovable Pikmin.


SiNG (working title) is a new interactive musical performance game for Wii U that gets everyone at the party involved in the music. With dozens of popular songs to choose from, everyone from novice singers and dancers to budding stars can join in on the fun. The main performer holds the GamePad while others in the room sing, dance and clap along with the music.

Wii Fit U
is a new installment in the Wii Fit series, a brand that has sold more than 40 million units worldwide. The game combines fun and fitness with new exercises and activities, and incorporates the GamePad in unique ways. It's compatible with the existing Wii Balance Board, and Wii Fit and Wii Fit Plus owners can transfer their existing workout data. Nintendo also revealed the Fit Meter, an advanced activity monitor that will be packaged with the game and enables users to track fitness activities throughout the day and upload that data back into Wii Fit U.

In LEGO City: Undercover developed by TT Games and published by Nintendo, players assume the identity of Chase McCain, an undercover detective armed with clever disguises. As players run, drive and even fly through the city, they'll use the Wii U GamePad as a map, communicator and indispensable crime scanner. This is the first time that the LEGO City play sets have come to life on a gaming platform and it's exclusively on the Wii U console.


Also exclusive to the Wii U is a new franchise from Ubisoft called ZombiU, which puts players in the middle of London circa 2012 where an outbreak has infected the population, destroying their humanity and turning them into mindless monsters. Ubisoft will also bring the highly anticipated Assassin's Creed III to Wii U, as well as Just Dance 4, a new installment in the Just Dance series.


In this photo provided by Nintendo of America, Reggie Fils-Aime, Nintendo of America's President and Chief Operating Officer, tests out an interactive feature of ZombiU, an upcoming Ubisoft game for the Wii U console, during the Nintendo All-Access Presentation @ E3 2012 in Los Angeles on June 5, 2012 (Vince Bucci/AP Images for Nintendo of America). Using facial recognition, the feature transforms the player into a gruesome zombie.

Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment is supporting Wii U with Batman: Arkham City: Armored Edition, an enhanced version of Batman: Arkham City, which includes new game play that makes distinct use of the unique features of the GamePad. The publisher will also introduce Scribblenauts Unlimited for Wii U, marking the first appearance of the imaginative Scribblenauts series on a home console.

Other Wii U games revealed during the Nintendo All-Access Presentation @ E3 2012 include Mass Effect 3 from Electronic Arts, Darksiders II from THQ, Aliens: Colonial Marines from SEGA, TANK! TANK! TANK! and TEKKEN TAG TOURNAMENT 2 (working title) from NAMCO BANDAI Games Inc., Trine 2: Director's Cut from Frozenbyte and Rayman Legends, Your Shape: Fitness Evolved 2013, Sports Connection, Rabbids Land and Marvel Avengers: Battle for Earth from Ubisoft.

Nintendo also revealed details about Miiverse, a new network communication system that lets gamers from around the world share experiences, discuss games and discover new content. Using their personalized Mii characters, players enter Miiverse and see games, applications or entertainment content that either they have interacted with recently, expressed interest in learning more about or that their friends are using or discussing. From here they can challenge their friends to play together, ask a question about a difficult level or discover new elements of their favorite games they never knew existed. After a notable achievement or other share-worthy moment, players can pause their game or application and seamlessly post messages to the Miiverse community. Eventually Wii U owners will be able to join Miiverse from a Nintendo 3DS, PC or any smartphone or Web-capable mobile device.

Nintendo also revealed details about its broader entertainment strategy and the impact that the GamePad will have on how we find, interact with and watch video content. The company is working with Netflix, Hulu Plus, Amazon Instant Video, and YouTube to bring video experiences to Wii U that will take advantage of the integrated second-screen experience.

In addition to the 6.2-inch touch screen and dual analog sticks, the Wii U GamePad also includes traditional buttons for gaming and the ability to function as a TV remote. Users can change channels or adjust the sound, whether they are playing games or just watching TV. The GamePad is tied to the console and TV, providing a perfectly integrated experience, no matter how it's being used. Players can move games from the TV to the GamePad. Different players can enjoy different experiences in the same game, depending on which controller they opt to use.

The Nintendo All-Access Presentation @ E3 2012 also featured games for the portable Nintendo 3DS system, including Luigi's Mansion: Dark Moon, New Super Mario Bros. 2 and Paper Mario: Sticker Star. More information about these and other games will be announced during a separate hourlong presentation at 6 p.m. Pacific Time on June 6. Members of the public can watch the event online at http://e3.nintendo.com, or on Nintendo’s Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/nintendo.

A replay of the complete Nintendo All-Access Presentation @ E3 2012, a "virtual hands-on" video that gives consumers who can't attend E3 a taste of the Wii U experience and additional Wii U and game details can be found online at http://e3.nintendo.com or http://www.youtube.com/nintendo.

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06/06/12, 03:13   Edited:  06/06/12, 05:17
 
Why not sign up for a (free) account?
 
And again, this is a BRAND NEW CONSOLE. (CNN is telling people its a controller upgrade / accessory, UGH)
Nice to go to a NEWS source who knows, ehhhh?

Great job, Roy. Nice to be able to look at the entire bunch of games on one page!
Everything has been so piecemeal over the past couple days!

I do like the way Project P-100 is looking, too. I don't think that made the cut here.

Posted by 
 on: 06/06/12, 07:21
@Mr_Mustache

Yeah, I don't know why Project P-100 wasn't at the conference (apparently SpikeTV had the first footage exclusive for the game?). It's from Platinum Games!

Oh, nintendoworldreport.com has a very handy, awesome, list of all Wii U games that have been unveiled.

Nintendo
Pikmin 3
New Super Mario Bros. U
Nintendo Land
Wii Fit U
SiNG
Panorama View
Game & Wario
Project P-100

Warner Bros. Interactive

Batman Arkham City Armored Edition
Scribblenauts Unlimited

THQ
Darksiders II

EA
Mass Effect 3

Namco Bandai
TANK! TANK! TANK!
TEKKEN Tag Tournament 2

Atlus
Trine 2: Director's Cut

Tecmo Koei
Ninja Gaiden 3: Razor's Edge

Sega
Aliens: Colonial Marines

2K Games
LEGO CiTY Undercover

Ubisoft
Just Dance 4
Zombi U
Assassins Creed III
Rabbids Land
Your Shape: Fitness Evolved 2013
Rayman Legends
Sports Connection
The Avengers: Battle for Earth

Posted by 
 on: 06/06/12, 08:29
Nice writeup @roykoopa64!

Posted by 
 on: 06/06/12, 09:58
@roykoopa64

For the interested (...) and EXTREMELY CONFUSED LIKE ME, I just watched the EA thing on DVR from yesterday a little while ago, and I noticed there were no mention of consoles. Hmm. Drawing our play has SURELY got to be a Wii U thing, yes? Hmm..

Went to the website:
XBOX360, PS3, Vita, Wii

HUH. On the "Features" tab, you can only select from 360, PS3, Vita, and Facebook. F'n FACEBOOK. And you can clearly see that Madden is nowhere near your list, or any list that I've seen. Uh, what in the H? I jettisoned an email off, I'll let you know.

This is serious BS, dudes. I know you don't care, but this is the start of it already. The Wii U should be the lead platform on this thing; Peter Moore was talking about the plays being drawn LAST YEAR. SmartGlass sure as hell wasn't around before the Wii U GamePad.

Posted by 
 on: 06/06/12, 11:33
Overall I think it is a good line-up. Everyone was just expecting some more suprises and launch information at E3. I seem to remember Nintendo did the same thing with Wii, give launch details a couple of months after E3.

Posted by 
 on: 06/06/12, 13:08
It is a great line up. And it was announced that skylanders is releasing on wii u. And gameinformer states tomb raider is as well, the system gets better every day.

Posted by 
 on: 06/06/12, 13:13
@Mr_Mustache

You're absolutely right, no major sports support from EA doesn't make a whole lot of sense. Unfortunately we've been seeing their absence on the 3DS as well, there's no Madden there either. I'm not sure what they have against bring their top sports franchises to Nintendo's platforms.

Posted by 
 on: 06/06/12, 15:56
Lack of EA and Activision is troubling. I thought Nintendo was gonna bring out the third parties in force this time. I wanna play NHL 13 on my new console :(

Posted by 
 on: 06/06/12, 16:27   Edited:  06/06/12, 16:37
@Mr_Mustache
I did the same thing - went to EA's site yesterday - to see what the deal was. My motivation perhaps different, I'm very interested in Medal of Honor: Warfighter, not as much their sports games (although Maddden ect is a huge deal in the industry). There is not even a Wii U tab/section yet (at least yesterday afternoon). I don't want to sound paranoid but Mass Effect 3 feels like EA tossing a bone - to be able to kinda boycott Wii U without doing it completely. I mean ME3 will be what, eight months old at release of Wii U? Why no MoH:WF, why no Crysis 3?

Dcube said:
Lack of EA and Activision is troubling. I thought Nintendo was gonna bring out the third parties in force this time.

Exactly. Thank goodness Ubisoft is stepping up bigtime.

I know Nintendo and Wii U will be fine but I had hoped for more from Tuesday. Much more.

Posted by 
 on: 06/06/12, 16:51
Have to say Pikmin 3 looks amazing. Not only the graphics, but the gameplay and how it uses the system and tablet.

Posted by 
 on: 06/06/12, 16:55
EA doesn't bother me personally because I don't like anything that comes from that company anyway (SSX was the last straw). Much like with the Dreamcast, I'll be getting the 2K versions of all sports games (minus NFL) if I feel like playing a sports game. I will also say this: "As a huge Nintendo fan, I'm tired of the piss poor support my console is having. So from now own, which ever company decides to bring nothing to the Wii U or decides to (at most) do the bare minimum as far as support, I "will not" buy any game from that company ever again for any system. Period."

Posted by 
 on: 06/06/12, 17:01
I was just pondering Super Mario Bros., Wii Fit, Batman: Arkham City, Scribblenauts, Assassin's Creed and Just Dance, and how many millions of sales these franchises have notched. Just these titles right here are enough to get the system off to a great launch. I'm REALLY hoping for a 249-299 launch price.

Posted by 
 on: 06/06/12, 18:54
Oh, yeah! No sports!

This is a huge, huge snub, if true. Especially after EA came out at last year's press conference. Are they trying to Dreamcast Nintendo? Or perhaps waiting for dual-tablet support?

Posted by 
 on: 06/06/12, 19:11
@Anand

EA would only be hurting EA if they tried to DC the Wii U. This generation proves Nintendo can win generations with next to 0 3rd party support.

Posted by 
 on: 06/06/12, 19:41
A new article at nintendoworldreport.com states that earlier today at the "EA Breakfast" Analyst Event, it was revealed that EA is currently planning several sports titles for the Wii U, but these haven't been announced yet.

Nintendo World Report said:
EA is currently planning several sports titles for the Wii U, but these haven't been announced yet. This was revealed at the "EA Breakfast" Analyst Event that the company hosted this morning at E3. According to tweets from attendee David Gibson, EA also commented that the next console cycle would begin with the Wii U and drive industry growth from 2012 through 2020.

EA is one of the biggest publishers and developers of videogames in the industry, and there has been speculation about what their leading NFL Football franchise Madden would be like to play on Nintendo's new console, especially given Nintendo's recently announced that the console would support two GamePad controllers, each with their own personal screen.


Posted by 
 on: 06/07/12, 00:16
@roykoopa64

Ugh. If we get "kidded" again, I'm not going to be pleased. The recent Wii Maddens are a definite black eye on the franchise, and I was GETTING EXCITED about the new Madden 13 game because its MORE RPG than it ever has been. Goals with XP attached to them? You have f'n sidequests through your season! Score 10 Touchdowns, run for 200 yards, whatever. Dude, thats AWESOME.

And now we're not going to get it? It doesn't even see real. Still waiting to hear back from my email..

@Robknoxious1

Yeah, that stuff really doesn't make any sense. The console is brand new, and I feel like we're already "behind" somehow.

Posted by 
 on: 06/07/12, 00:23   Edited:  06/07/12, 00:25
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