So today, Nintendo unveiled Miiverse, the foundation of the Wii U’s interface. Miiverse has a few working parts to it. Before I imagine what is possible on this new type of network, I will list what it is and its announced features.
- Miiverse is what you see when you turn on Wii U. It looks quite like the Mii Plaza, only a lot busier
- The Miis that will appear in the Miiverse include your Mii, the Miis you’ve created, your friends’ Miis, and Miis of people in your country who have similar tastes in games as you
- You can attach a message or drawing for all people in the Miiverse to see
- Shown in this video, you can send messages for all in the Miiverse to see and respond to
- Video chatting is also possible with friends
- Miiverse is browser based, so messages can be seen on other devices
- Miiverse will be active on Nintendo 3DS, PCs, and smartphones shortly after the Wii U launch
- You can capture screenshots within games and share them
- You can easily share user created content with anyone in your Miiverse
- Miiverse can be accessed at anytime by suspending the current Wii U game being played
- Miiverse works for single player and online multiplayer
Also seen:
- Developers can have the option of having gamers add annotations or comments to game levels as seen in this Mario game
This are only the first details on Wii U and already it is exciting. Where can all of this be applied though? Through the power of my knowledge of Miiverse and my imagination, here are some gameplay possibilities that Miiverse can bring:
1. Super Mario:
We already saw in the video that Nintendo is probably planning on a side scrolling Mario game which will utilize Miiverse. It looks like gamers will be able to leave comments or annotations, giving their opinions on the levels as well as tips from other players. This can really be useful. No more going on online forums and asking for help, it’s already provided. I’m guessing there will also be online leaderboards, and possibly the ability of sending challenges to friends saying “here is my score or time, now beat it”, much like how it was done with Streetpass in Super Mario 3D Land.
2. The Legend of Zelda:
Although The Legend of Zelda was teased last year for Wii U, that was nothing but a tech demo. As far as I’m concerned, the real thing is a few years away. How can Miiverse possibly enhance Zelda? Well, it’s the same way it can enhance Mario. If someone is stuck on a puzzle, gamers might be able to add tips for others to follow. Additionally, if you are really stuck, you can take a screenshot of your current progress and send the picture to your friends who can help you.
3. Pokemon:
Who even knows if a Pokemon game is in the works for Wii U, but if there is one, Miiverse can really benefit it. Instead of there being the Global Trade Center or GTS for gamers to trade Pokemon, this can be done through Miiverse. Miiverse allows the exchange of user generated content. I’m sure it would work for Pokemon as well. Additionally, it might helps Pokemon trainers find more people to battle with and hopefully you can chat with people while you battle.
4. Super Smash Bros.:
There are many ways that perhaps the most anticipated Wii U game can take advantage of Miiverse. Aside from making it easy to find people to brawl with, it will now be simpler to share user created levels than ever before. Additionally, taking screenshots within game will most likely be a very popular feature as it sort of is in Super Smash Bros. Brawl. The only difference this time is that you can immediately share screenshots with friends and strangers. And if you are looking for someone to fight, you can message friends anytime. They can receive the messages on their smartphone, Nintendo 3DS, or PC and hop right into their Wii U to get things started.
5. First Person Shooters:
There will no doubt be plenty of popular first person shooters on Wii U. The most important feature for most of these will be online multiplayer. Miiverse should make it easy to find new opponents and keep track of what your friends are doing in game.
I’m sure there is plenty more that is possible, but these are all the details we have for now. Miiverse sounds exciting and Tuesday, we will hopefully hear of games that will take advantage of these online features. Stay tuned.
