Upcoming system could provide iPad-like application service, report suggests
Nintendo is planning an app ecosystem for the Wii U and its tablet controller, according to an unverified report.
iPad-focused news outlet The Daily claims Nintendo’s next console will implement “a full-blown app store”.
Citing an anonymous source, said to be familiar with the matter, Nintendo will provide apps that operate on the Wii U itself as well as run independently on the Wii U’s tablet controller.
Lifestyle apps will merge with games in a manner similar to iOS and Android, the report suggested.
Detailed plans for the Wii U app store were unavailable in The Daily’s report. It is not known if Nintendo will open the platform to all third party developers, if it exists at all.
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Last year, Nintendo of America president Reggie Fils-Aime claimed that the company has no intention of working with garage developers.
Fils-Aime’s claim was criticised by many independent game developers. Weeks prior, Nintendo president Satoru Iwata criticised smartphone app networks for allegedly prioritising quantity over quality.
The Wii U, which boasts a unique tablet controller with a 6.2-inch screen, is due for release this year.
