The official E3 2012 kick off is still days away, but that hasn't stopped game manufacturers from spilling some early beans before the big show. Nintendo president Satoru Iwata today hosted the Nintendo Direct Pre-E3 2012 stream and unveiled more details about the upcoming Wii U console.
Nintendo has given the Wii U's tablet controller (affectionately dubbed the Nintablet among fans and gaming press) a name: The Wii U GamePad. Iwata stated that the name was inspired by the classic 8-bit Nintendo Entertainment System (NES) controller, which was one of the first home consoles to replace a vertical joystick with a flat D-pad with buttons and as such was known as a "game pad."
The redesigned Wii U GamePad features dual sticks, a touch screen that supports finger and stylus interaction, motion and gyroscope sensors, and the ability to act as a TV remote. The Wii U GamePad has its own dedicated Web browser and can share images and video to a TV so that everyone can enjoy the shared content.
Interpersonal connections are a large part of the Wii U experience. The Wii U has a Twitter-like social network (in which you can insert notes and images), and the Wii U GamePad enables video chat with other gamers. Then there's the MiiVerse, the Nintendo Wii's much larger online component. It displays Miis of family, friends, and others who have created accounts on your Wii U system. It also shows other people in your area, and the games that they're playing. Iwata mentioned that this connected "Nintendo Network" will stretch beyond the Wii U; it will appear on the Nintendo 3DS, PC, and a variety of Web-connected mobile devices.
The Nintendo Wii U is fully backwards-compatible with the Wii Remote, Wii Balance Board, and Wii Nunchuck. Iwata also announced that Nintendo will sell a black, Wii U Pro controller that resembles a more traditional home video game console controller.
Iwata didn't reveal the Wii U's price or availability, but that's information that will likely be revealed at Nintendo's E3 press conference on Tuesday morning. PCMag will be there, so stay tuned for all the details.
For more see the slideshow below and Iwata's live stream on Nintendo's Facebook page.