After announcing its first annual operating loss, Nintendo president Satoru Iwata met with analysts to discuss the future of the company, and the steps he'll take to address Nintendo’s issues.

Perhaps the most interesting tidbit was word that Wii U’s tablet-sized controller would include near-field communication technology.

Iwata said it "will become possible to create cards and figurines that [it] can electronically read” and “will enable various other possibilities such as using it as a means of making micropayments.”

In other words, imagine if Nintendo decided to take Activision’s Skylanders concept and apply it to Pokemon.

Iwata confirmed Nintendo’s online service will now be called “Nintendo Network,” which coincides with 3DS’ native ability to sell downloadable content through eShop. Nintendo is also considering the ability to sell “packaged software” (read: retail games) through the Nintendo Network, but it hasn’t decided when to roll out such a feature.

“The decision must be made by taking into consideration such factors as the relationship with the wholesalers and retailers," he said, "and the best way to be embraced by consumers, as well as the environment surrounding the market and consumers, such as the required memory capacity on consumers’ SD memory cards.”

If Wii U comes with a decent amount of hard drive space, this could become an option. It should become an option.

There is other reasons to be optimistic about Wii U’s leveraging of Internet connectivity. Iwata said Nintendo would be introducing the ability to have multiple accounts per system, the machine will include a “variety of different services and content,” and also work to have online systems work across games.

“Whether it’s our first-party titles or third parties’ titles, for a number of games,” he said, “we will actively attempt to achieve compatibility so that our consumers can enjoy our online services that we will deploy under the name of the Nintendo Network.”

When it comes to games, Iwata mentioned a new 2D Mario game is in the works for 3DS but said little else.

“We are planning to release a totally new side-scrolling action Super Mario in 2D as a key title for the Nintendo 3DS in the next fiscal year,” said Iwata.

This mention came just after Iwata promised Nintendo’s next wave of games would be released “without any extreme interruptions.”

After announcing its first annual operating loss, Nintendo president Satoru Iwata met with analysts to discuss the future of the company, and the steps he'll take to address Nintendo’s issues.

Perhaps the most interesting tidbit was word that Wii U’s tablet-sized controller would include near-field communication technology.

Iwata said it "will become possible to create cards and figurines that [it] can electronically read” and “will enable various other possibilities such as using it as a means of making micropayments.”

In other words, imagine if Nintendo decided to take Activision’s Skylanders concept and apply it to Pokemon.

Iwata confirmed Nintendo’s online service will now be called “Nintendo Network,” which coincides with 3DS’ native ability to sell downloadable content through eShop. Nintendo is also considering the ability to sell “packaged software” (read: retail games) through the Nintendo Network, but it hasn’t decided when to roll out such a feature.

“The decision must be made by taking into consideration such factors as the relationship with the wholesalers and retailers," he said, "and the best way to be embraced by consumers, as well as the environment surrounding the market and consumers, such as the required memory capacity on consumers’ SD memory cards.”

If Wii U comes with a decent amount of hard drive space, this could become an option. It should become an option.

There is other reasons to be optimistic about Wii U’s leveraging of Internet connectivity. Iwata said Nintendo would be introducing the ability to have multiple accounts per system, the machine will include a “variety of different services and content,” and also work to have online systems work across games.

“Whether it’s our first-party titles or third parties’ titles, for a number of games,” he said, “we will actively attempt to achieve compatibility so that our consumers can enjoy our online services that we will deploy under the name of the Nintendo Network.”

When it comes to games, Iwata mentioned a new 2D Mario game is in the works for 3DS but said little else.

“We are planning to release a totally new side-scrolling action Super Mario in 2D as a key title for the Nintendo 3DS in the next fiscal year,” said Iwata.

This mention came just after Iwata promised Nintendo’s next wave of games would be released “without any extreme interruptions.”

Awesome. I've been sold on the Wii U since day one, and this is only making me more excited.

Edit: Just wanted to let you know,

You know that quest for getting things first, yeah, I got that AGES ago. I'm just a jerk.

sounds awesome

In other words, imagine if Nintendo decided to take Activision’s Skylanders  concept and apply it to Pokemon .

@CharlesAlanRatliff said:

In other words, imagine if Nintendo decided to take Activision’s Skylanders concept and apply it to Pokemon .

YEEESSSSSSS

We're fucked!

I would love to see a Mario that is 2D high res sprites, as opposed to the 2.5d style. that would be super awesome.

Aw hell. That's it? I was hoping that he'd announce an English language release of the Wii-U's Fire Emblem game. (I plan for the future, damn it.)

I still need to see the games before I'm sold on the Wii U, but I'm excited.

Has Nintendo said if the WiiU is going to have friend codes? Because if it does...man...maaaaannn...

@CharlesAlanRatliff said:

In other words, imagine if Nintendo decided to take Activision’s Skylanders concept and apply it to Pokemon .

YEEESSSSSSS

Oh my... I don't know if my bank account can support my OCD need to catch them all....

So, New Super Mario Bros. 3DS confirmed?

@yoshimitz707 said:

@CharlesAlanRatliff said:

In other words, imagine if Nintendo decided to take Activision’s Skylanders concept and apply it to Pokemon .

YEEESSSSSSS

We're fucked!

God Help Me. I'd be in the poorhouse by the end of the week.

Will the Wii-U be compatible with Wii and Gamecube games?

In 2D on 3DS.

Pokemon via a Skylanders system?

I would so fucking buy a Wii U just to have that!

@EPGPX: It will be compatible with Wii games, but not Gamecube games. It is rumored that there will be a Gamecube Virtual Console service.

Give me an HD Mario game for the Wii U launch and I'll buy it. Don't disappoint me, Nintendo.

If it has only one tablet controller i will never buy this machine! If it ads the second i will think about it!

Been telling everyone for the last couple years to prepare for the era of digital distribution taking over. This is one of the first bigger steps taken, expect more and more. The generation after this upcoming one may be totally digital. Use the interim to stop being weirdos and loving a box and a piece of plastic.

What's that? Nintendo talking about how they'll finally get online integration right this time? Sure haven't heard that before.

The fact he even mentioned SD cards is scary. Why should that matter? It's 2012, Nintendo, put a bigger hard drive in your console.

Is near-field communication worthy of an acronym? I assume that was done mostly for the sake of story title brevity, but I did feel like an old man not knowing what NFC was. I guess if near-field communication becomes the last bastion of physical media, then the acronym will become commonplace.

@hallgren said:

If it has only one tablet controller i will never buy this machine! If it ads the second i will think about it!

And if they add a third I maybe might pull out my wallet and finger the money while I think about ordering a pizza instead!

Nintendo is planning on making a Mario game? Consider me shocked.

“variety of different services and content,” 
 
Sounds like this is going to cost money.

@hallgren said:

If it has only one tablet controller i will never buy this machine! If it ads the second i will think about it!

What console ships with two controllers these days?

If they did the thing they did with pokemon cards and the e-reader thing but instead on the wiiu tablet like a skylanders portal then I would almost certainly go bankrupt form buying Pokemon cards. That would be awesome.

@Crunchman said:

In 2D on 3DS.

He means perspectively 2D not 3D as in movies 3D. Plus the 2D angle works much better using the 3D functionality than a 3D environment game, the ability to know the exact perspecitve the player will be seeing at all times means it works much better.

@EPGPX said:

Will the Wii-U be compatible with Wii and Gamecube games?

Just Wii.

I find it funny that the level of cynicism still exists towards Nintendo. They are very smart business men, they "get" it. That doesn't mean they didn't under estimate how popular online gaming would be. They totally dropped the ball on that. But this rampant notion that they will NEVER have an online system and so on is just laughable. Something will happen, it will probably be great, and everyone will dig it. Or they won't and it will sink them, but I don't see that happening at all. It's coming, the Nintendo Network, we are powerless to resist.

@logson: It's a pretty common acronym. If you google NFC the first thing that shows up is the wikipedia entry for near field communication.

Wait, SD cards?! Does this thing STILL not have internal storage?!

@Hailinel said:

@hallgren said:

If it has only one tablet controller i will never buy this machine! If it ads the second i will think about it!

What console ships with two controllers these days?

Pretty sure he means having more than one tablet active on the wii u at a time in local multiplayer. Not more than one in the box.

I thought it meant Nintendo Friend Code, hah.

@Hailinel said:

@hallgren said:

If it has only one tablet controller i will never buy this machine! If it ads the second i will think about it!

What console ships with two controllers these days?

Pretty sure he means having more than one tablet active on the wii u at a time in local multiplayer. Not more than one in the box.

@Claude said:

@MentalDisruption said:

@Hailinel said:

@hallgren said:

If it has only one tablet controller i will never buy this machine! If it ads the second i will think about it!

What console ships with two controllers these days?

Pretty sure he means having more than one tablet active on the wii u at a time in local multiplayer. Not more than one in the box.

I read somewhere that the Wii U will support at least two tablets.

If this is true, then they need to go on a serious PR offensive. Including commercials with laughing multicultural families sporting two tablets between them.

@aceofspudz said:

@Claude said:

@MentalDisruption said:

@Hailinel said:

@hallgren said:

If it has only one tablet controller i will never buy this machine! If it ads the second i will think about it!

What console ships with two controllers these days?

Pretty sure he means having more than one tablet active on the wii u at a time in local multiplayer. Not more than one in the box.

I read somewhere that the Wii U will support at least two tablets.

If this is true, then they need to go on a serious PR offensive. Including commercials with laughing multicultural families sporting two tablets between them.

I'm pretty sure that most people aren't even aware of the confusion over how many tablet controllers that the Wii U can support, and the whole thing could be easily clarified by a single statement from Nintendo.

Has Nintendo said if the WiiU is going to have friend codes? Because if it does...man...maaaaannn...

@aceofspudz said:

@Claude said:

@MentalDisruption said:

@Hailinel said:

@hallgren said:

If it has only one tablet controller i will never buy this machine! If it ads the second i will think about it!

What console ships with two controllers these days?

Pretty sure he means having more than one tablet active on the wii u at a time in local multiplayer. Not more than one in the box.

I read somewhere that the Wii U will support at least two tablets.

If this is true, then they need to go on a serious PR offensive. Including commercials with laughing multicultural families sporting two tablets between them.

I'm pretty sure that most people aren't even aware of the confusion over how many tablet controllers that the Wii U can support, and the whole thing could be easily clarified by a single statement from Nintendo.

In other words, imagine if Nintendo decided to take Activision’sSkylanders concept and apply it to Pokemon.

Gotta buy em all! Only $5300 until you have the full set!

What about a freaking name change? "WiiU" is abhorrent and just drudges up all my baggage I have with the Wii. If they want a fresh start, the should call it something like "The Nintendo" and go from there.

Also, they shouldn't skimp on processing power if they don't want to be left behind in another year or so by the next iteration of the PlayStation/Xbox. I like that they're adding more features though. Here's my current wish list and more or less what I'd like if they're going to interest me back into be a raving Nintendo fan.

• Hand Zelda over to the Super Mario Galaxy team, or Retro, or somebody that can breath life back into what was once my favorite series of games! With Twilight Princess and Skyward Sword, they've got two strikes against them.
• Online features? Basically just look at Xbox Live and emulate that. Apart from all the stupid-ace new apps and garbage ads all over the place. I'd pay for that.
• While we're on the subject of paid services, what if they had a subscription for full access to a fully fleshed-out Virtual Console? Or price them in bundles, or something. They still need to get Earthbound, Contra, Yoshi's Island and Bionic Commando on there, too.
• HD remakes of key GameCube games for sale on demand.
• Put in the minimal effort (or contract the Dolphin dudes) to be able to up-res Wii games to at least 720p
• Ditch the Wii remotes...if you must have something like that for the new system in addition to the tablet thing, design something more like the PlayStation move controller and fix the button configuration. It was fine in 2006, but six years later there's gotta be more improvement than MotionPlus.
• Make the system compatible with four of those tablet controllers at a time (or at least two), and have a regular Xbox 360-esque controller for games that don't require the extra screen.
• Trim the fat...in other words, bring back the "Nintendo Seal of Quality" to a large degree and get rid of the bulk of that awful shovelware. It doesn't do good things for PR if everyone has a bad taste in their mouth from the garbage they got at the checkout stand.
• Transfer over previous purchases from Wii/3DS/DSi to the profile you create.

Anyway. Yeah.

krabboss youll be able to use external hard drives like on ps3 ! . so you can go buy one when the time is right, lol ,

Nintendo is also considering the ability to sell “packaged software” (read: retail games) through the Nintendo Network, but it hasn’t decided when to roll out such a feature.

This shouldn't really be anything that needs "considering". Just do it! Everyone else got away with it.

@hallgren said:

If it has only one tablet controller i will never buy this machine! If it ads the second i will think about it!

What console ships with two controllers these days?

Nintendo only needs to do these 3 things to sell me a system.

- lots of storage space

- 1080p native games

- Robust online network ( no friend code nonsense)

I have to say I'm not at all excited by the wii u yet, I mean it's pretty cool technology and the possibility of hd Marion and Zelda is cool but if that is all its has to offer I think I'll pass

Meh but damn it all to hell if I'm still not getting it day one!

let me use a dual circle pad 3ds as a replacement tablet so the tablet and 3ds are the same input device on the wii u.

if that doesnt happen i'll be shocked

@MormonWarrior: The Wii brand is the only thing that Nintendo has going for it, being able to tell all those familes who bought wiis that they can use the controllers is a big up-sell. Sure, hardcore gamers like ourselves hate everything about the wii but Nintendo would rather sell to casual gamers who recognize the wii brand and hope we jump on the wagon not vice versa.

Nindento has the missed the boat with online stuff and i still don't think they get it. If you think its possible for Nintendo to create a box that can handle 4 tablets let alone 2 at a reasonable price your CRAZY.

Nintendo are making a new Mario game?

Stop the fucking presses....