Nintendo Network revealed: Is it Xbox Live for Wii U and 3DS?
Nintendo are to launch a new online service called the Nintendo Network that will not only be compatible with their current Nintendo 3DS console, but also their forthcoming Wii U machine.
According to Nintendo president Satoru Iwata, who revealed the platform at an investor presentation, Nintendo Network will offer “competitions and communication among users, as well as the sales of digital content.”
Sounding like a marked improvement over the current Nintendo Wi-Fi Channels system in place on the original Wii, it’ll offer support for multiple personal user accounts on each console.
Sounding familiar? A little bit like Xbox Live perhaps, with its deep community features, online gaming, store and separate user accounts on each console.
It makes perfect sense of course; games like Super Smash Brothers and Mario Kart are the perfect match for online play, but have had limited online fans due to the clunky nature of Nintendo’s current connected infrastructure.
“This concept was built into the design of the Nintendo 3DS, and we already have the necessary infrastructure,” Iwata added.
Though no precise date has been placed on the release of the Wii U, Nintendo yesterday revealed that they are on track for a Q4 2012 (October-December) release date.
