Wii U Release Date: New Patent Could Turn Wii-Mote Into Touchpad
New reports have surfaced regarding a Nintendo patent that could make the Wii-Mote compatible with the company's upcoming Wii U.
The patent shows an apparent add-on device for the Wii-Mote controller.
Silconera, a video game website, gave a brief outlook on the new device's control scheme: "The magic of mirrors makes the device work. When you touch the pad an infrared LED turns on and the amplified beams from the LED bounce off the mirror and are interpreted by the controller as position data. If you don’t touch the pad, the remote works just like a standard Wii remote."
Nintendo said it views the new add-on being used as an "in-game drawing pad or to add a mouse pointer interface to a video game."
This new device may be created to allow multi-playing to become a feature for the Wii U.
Since Nintendo previously said that only one player can use the Wii U "notepad" controller at a time, the Wii-Mote add-on may allow more gamers to join in on the fun.
The Wii U is not exactly a console but rather an upgraded Wii that is connected to a tablet, or even a controller with a screen that works with Nintendo’s upcoming Wii U system.
One of the benefits of Wii U is the ability to change the channel on the television and continuing to play a game on the device’s six-inch screen.
Wii U will work in tandem with Wii games and allows players to use the Wii-Mote as a golf stick while the notepad acts as a tee.
Another exciting feature on the Wii U is the ability to turn off the television and still play a game since a player can stream it directly to the device.
For the summer season of 2012, Nintendo is preparing to reintroduce fans to the Wii U.
The financial statement that was posted by Nintendo President Satoru Iwata on the company website indicated the company was planning to launch the console in the next fiscal year.
"We would like to show the final format of the Wii U at the E3 show next year. As we learned a bitter lesson with the launch of the Nintendo 3DS, we are trying to take every possible measure so that the Wii U will have a successful launch,” said Iwata.
