WiiStreetU
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Wii Street U update brings Miiverse support with favorites, emotional tags
Not exactly earth-shattering news in the weeks leading up to E3, but Nintendo Japan announced some nice little additions to its Google-powered Wii Street U. The panoramic mapping service is getting support for the proprietary Miiverse social network, letting you share favorite locations and tag images with emotions like "amazing," "beautiful," "fun" and "scary." And for those times when you don't want to give too much away, you can set things to "spoiler." More update spoilers can be found in the source link below.
Google Maps with Street View arrives on Nintendo Wii U in Japan, free for a limited time
True to Iwata-san's word, Google Maps with Street View is indeed making its way to the Nintendo Wii U this month. Word of the mapping service's impending arrival first came this past December, but at the time, no mention was made of availability outside of a vague January 2013 launch. As we learned later however, it was pushed back another month but Wii Street U Powered by Google is live in Japan, and will be free through the end of May. After that, there will be a fee for access to the service's Panorama View-like feature, which leverages the GamePad for 360-degree perspectives. Of course, you can also peruse both plain and Street View maps from the TV, but that kind of diminishes the gimmicky point of the second screen controller. (Also, you could just use a laptop, tablet or phone for Google Maps -- just sayin'.) There's no word on US release plans or potential pricing, but it's worth noting the TVii app that's free here carries a nominal 100 yen charge in Japan. Hit the source link for an interview with the team behind bringing the app to the console.
Nintendo's Iwata acknowledges slow Wii U sales, but no price drop is coming
Yesterday Nintendo revealed its new Wii U console was selling more slowly than it had anticipated, and today company President Satoru Iwata explained the issues to investors in more detail. What he made clear immediately, is that unlike the launch of its 3DS in 2011, Nintendo will not attempt to boost its sales by cutting the price anytime soon. So, how can the Wii U's fortunes be turned around? According to Iwata, the problem is a software lineup that has "not yet fully communicated the value of our product." The system updates we've already heard were in the works are expected to help in the short term. The plan is to earn 100 billion yen or more in the next fiscal year, with the 3DS already selling at a profit he hopes to return to a pattern of "Nintendo-like profits." As far as the Wii U, the plan is to strengthen its software lineup throughout the spring and summer, with more system exclusives arriving later in the year (announced last week on Nintendo Direct). The delayed Google Street View-powered Wii Street U update is expected to arrive in mid-February, and other demonstrations are planned for GDC in March as Nintendo attempts to capitalize on an internet connection rate of 74 percent. He also referenced the planned integration of its handheld and console divisions, intended to make software and apps more portable between devices.
