I bought a Wii U as a Christmas gift and I want to set it up and download any new firmware prior to Christmas morning. The Nintendo website makes it seem as though I may need a Nintendo Network ID to begin the setup process for the console. Could any Wii U owners verify if this is true? I know if I ask my girlfriend for her Nintendo Network ID to set up the console she will most definitely know what I'm using it for... and I don't really want to ruin the surprise of the gift.

Any help is appreciated! Thanks.

I just setup my new Wii U last week and if I remember correctly I didn't need a Nintendo Network ID in order to download the firmware, but I think I did need to at least create a mii/user profile. I think I finally had to create a NNID for online play and miiverse.

@gregoryc: When you turn on the Wii U and go through the setup, it like DEMANDS that you make a Nintendo ID to go along with the primary Mii you make or something. But at whatever step that is, basically choose cancel or skip or whatever, and you can do the rest of setup, I think it just nags you about a Nintendo Network ID any time you go anywhere near the store or Miiverse.

I found this out because even though I bought my Wii U in like, June, it still has like, the launch firmware on it initially, where it doesn't give you an option to transfer an existing Nintendo Network ID from a 3DS, and thinks you must be making one for the first time since they premiered on the Wii U. So I had to skip that step, then download the new firmware, then say "Use an existing Nintendo Network ID" to use the one I created on my 3DS.

Anyway, yeah, long story short, I believe you can skip the account creation/association step, but the setup process will stress you the fuck out about it, probably because Nintendo figures that if you skip that step, most users aren't savvy enough to create one later or something. But you can safely skip it and add the account later.

Edit: Yeah, @jl_zao is correct, you do have to make a primary account/Mii as part of the system setup. And that's where it really hassles you to associate a Nintendo ID with that primary profile. I remember the wording making it sound like you had to associate a Nintendo ID with the primary Mii you create, but there's a way to skip it.

@bisonhero: Thanks, I appreciate the clarification! I didn't want to set the Wii U up to use my account. I'm glad I can update it so it will be ready to go for the holiday.

And thanks @jl_zao for your quick response as well. I will just set up my own Mii so I don't have to mess with it later for other multiplayer games.