By: Wesley Fenlon. The Wii surprised everyone in Instead of focusing on HD graphics like the Xbox and PlayStation 3, the Wii instead promised new ways to interact with video games, thanks to the Wii Remote, a motion-sensing wand-like controller. Some gamers who preferred traditional controllers criticized the Wii's motion and "waggle" controls and Nintendo's use of old, underpowered hardware.
But the Wii sold, and sold, and sold thanks to games like Wii Sports and Wii Fit, ultimately selling nearly million consoles worldwide. And after six years, Nintendo followed up with a brand new console: the Wii U.
Like the Wii before it, the Wii U focuses on a new feature or gimmick to differentiate it from the gaming herd. The console's primary controller is called the GamePad, and it combines traditional controls analog sticks, face buttons and triggers with an embedded touchscreen and motion sensors.
The console streams video to the GamePad, allowing games to display content on both screens. Some games can even be played exclusively on the GamePad, leaving the larger television screen free for a movie or TV show. While the Wii U introduces a unique feature that other video game consoles don't offer, in many ways it represents Nintendo playing catch-up with the other HD game consoles. Online games, a more robust download store, social networking, and media center functionality are all big features for the Wii U.
More than ever before, Nintendo hopes to capture two different audiences: the gamers who love big-budget franchises like Zelda and Call of Duty, and the Wii fans who were introduced to gaming through Wii Sports and Wii Fit. Working with cable companies, providing apps for video services like MLB and HBO, redesigning the interface to work better with its Kinect motion controller -- Microsoft wants the Xbox to be used for everything. And Nintendo's aiming for the exact same thing, with what could be a secret weapon: the GamePad.
At launch in the U. Like on other consoles, those apps can be logged into with an existing account and be used to stream videos from those services. Nintendo TVii missed its scheduled launch alongside the console in November, but was launched in Japan on Dec. Nintendo TVii works very much like Google TV : It's designed to pull in programming guide data from television providers like cable companies and allow you to organize all your TV content including the video available through Netflix, Hulu, etc.
The real draw, of course, is that that interface is on the GamePad. Content can be browsed with the touchscreen. Multitasking will be easy, since the guide won't have to take up a chunk of the TV screen. Nintendo also promises it will be compatible with all cable and satellite providers in the U. Google TV failed to find an audience for a very similar service, partially because ensuring that quality of functionality across multiple carriers is no easy task.
Nintendo is again playing catch-up. Microsoft's been working with TV content providers for years to build out its media center experience, while this is all new ground for Nintendo. TVii could prove to be an extremely powerful service -- the GamePad's built-in screen and IR blaster make it a potentially perfect universal remote -- but the Wii U's launch has shown Nintendo struggling with the demands of designing an HD console. That could affect Nintendo TVii, too.
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